Broadsides; Chapbooks; Street literature -- Great Britain
In the course of the trial on Friday, the 13th, of Hogan, the mulatto,
for the murder of the servant maid of Mr Orrell, of Charlotte street,
Portland place, the following circumstances appeared:--That as soon
as Mr. and Mrs. Orrell got into their house, the latter found her
servant reclining against the wall of the kitchen, besmeared with
blood; and on screaming out, Mr. Orrell ran into the kitchen, and
seeing the girl in this situation, said, “Nanny! for God’s sake what
have you been doing?”--She however being unable to make any answer,
Mr. Orrell alarmed his next door neighbour, and a surgeon was sent
for, who however pronounced her too much wounded to recover: she was
however sent to an hospital, where she expired. Her head-dress had been
entirely torn off, and thrown on the ground, which was covered with
blood, as were her handkerchief, gown, &c. Her skull was fractured
violently; her left eye was beaten almost out of its socket; her
cheekbones were both broken; her chin was cut; her neck and throat
both cut; several wounds on her breast, particularly a large circular
one; her left arm broke, and her right arm and wrist both cut. The
instrument with which the wounds had been made was a razor; and
notwithstanding it had been thrown into a fire, the spots of blood were
not erased. It appeared in the course of the evidence, that on the
prisoner (after very strong suspicions had been formed of his guilt)
being taken to the body of the deceased, he appeared not in the least
agitated, but putting his hand on her breast, said, “My dear Nanny, I
do remember you very well: I never did you harm in my life?” These
expressions very forcibly added to the suspicions of his guilt, because
her face was so exceedingly cut and mangled, that Mr. Orrell declared
he himself could not possibly have known her. Two other circumstances
which tended to criminate him were a spot of blood on a waistcoat
which he wore, and some slight marks of blood on one of the sleeves of
his coat; which coat had been washed, though the blood on the sleeve
remained; and an effort seemed to have been made, but in vain, to
rub out the spot of blood from the waistcoat. The principal evidence
against him was the woman with whom he cohabited, who deposed that he
brought her home a cloak, which he said he had bought on condition of
paying for at the rate of so much a week. The cloak was produced in
Court, and Mrs Orrell swore to it as her property. The deponent further
said, that after Hogan had been twice taken before a magistrate, and
discharged for want of sufficient evidence, he at intervals appeared to
me very uneasy; that, particularly, he could not sleep in his bed; that
she finding him thus restless, said to him one night, “For God’s sake
what is the matter with you? Surely you are not guilty of what you have
been taken up for?” That his answer was, “Yes, I am!--I am guilty!--I
did it!”--She then was much troubled in mind, and apprehended
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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