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Kentish Chronicle, 7 July 1829.
Kent. The Murder on Blackheath.
Richard Lambourn, who stands charged with the murder of his wife, at the
"Yorkshire Grey," on Blackheath, (the particulars of which we inserted
and our last paper,) under the skilful treatment of Mr. Key, the house
surgeon of Guy's Hospital is likely now to recover from the effects of
the desperate wound inflicted in his throat. The whole of Monday and
Tuesday his life was considered in immediate danger, particularly on the
latter-day, owing to the symptoms of inflammation perceivable, when the
first dressings were removed from the wound in his neck, added to which
there was considerable difficulty in the introduction of a sufficient
quantity of nourishment into his stomach to sustain nature. On Tuesday
evening, however, the symptoms of inflammation having in a great measure
subsided, the miserable patients slept soundly as intervals through the
night, and on Wednesday he was considerably better. Throughout the day
he often talked about his wife, calling on his Maker to take him, rather
than be reserved the dying on the scaffold. He says, although he is
aware that he deserves punishment of death for the heavy crime he
committed, and he still hope the mercy here after; and to those who
approach him, and allude to the dreadful affair, he says with great
earnestness of manuer that his wife acted with great hardness of heart
towards him - that since their marriage she abandoned him for the arms
of other men, to whom he gave the money that ought to have been expended
on his support, at a time that he was ill and unable to help himself.
Her heartless conduct towards him, he declares, after made him "beside
himself," and he is not known what he was about on several occasions.
With respect to the knife in which the murder was committed, and which
with which he afterwards attempted to destroy himself, he states, that
it was the one he usually carried about him to cut his victuals with
when working in the woods at Deddington, in Oxfordshire. He was not
aware it was in his possession when leaving that place; and until his
anger was aroused, on asking and supplicating his wife to return and
live with him, which she scornfully forbid him the house, and expressed
oath on oath that she should never have anything more to say to him -
until then, and not till then, did her recollect the fatal weapon was in
his pocket, when, in the height of frenzy, he drew it out, and was
instigated to commit the crime.
If the unhappy wretch continues to improve in health, in the course of a
few days he will be sufficiently recovered to be removed to Maidstone,
preparatory to the Kent Assizes, which will shortly commence.
Inquest.
James Davidson, landlord of the "Yorkshire Grey Inn" deposed as
follows:- This morning about 6 o'clock, while I was in bed I was awoke
by my wife, who exclaimed - "That fellow Lambourn is below - I hear his
voice in the kitchen." I immediately got up, dressed myself, and went
downstairs. On passing the kitchen door I heard Lambourn's voice there,
and on proceeding in I was horror struck on seeing the deceased lying on
the floor apparently dead, with her throat cut in a frightful manner,
and the blood gushing from the wound. Lambourn was lying near the body,
with his head resting on the deceased's breast, and there appeared a
wound also on his throat, from which the blood was flowing down the
breast of his shirt and over the other portion of the deceased's
garments. Lambourn was alive. He did not speak, but pointed his hand to
the wound in the deceased throat. Witnessed did not consider he was
insane.
William Greenhop, horsekeeper, examined:- This morning, about 20 minutes
before six o'clock, while I was at work in the stable, the deceased
threw up the sash of her bedroom window, and asked the hour. About a
quarter of an hour after this I heard a screaming in the kitchen which
fronts the stables, and on going to ascertain the cause, it struck me
the deceased husband was ill using her, as he was in the habit of doing.
On entering the kitchen I saw a Lambourn with his wife in his arms, and
her head lying over his left arm. He had a knife in his right hand, with
which he appeared to be cutting her throat. She was struggling at the
time with Lambourn, who exclaimed while he was using the knife, "I will,
I will." I was so alarmed that I ran out of the kitchen in order to give
the alarm, and seeing some persons in the road, I re-enter the kitchen,
and saw the deceased lying on the floor, with his head nearly cut off,
and the place about her in a pool of blood. The reason why I did not
interfere to prevent the catastrophe, was that Lambourn held a knife in
his hand, and I had no weapon to resist him if he attacked me. He looked
at the time ghastly and frightful, and the terror and state of agitation
into which I was thrown completely paralysed my exertions.
Joseph Woodman, labourer, examined:- About 10 minutes after 6 o'clock
that morning, the last witness begged I will go into the "Yorkshire
Grey. " On entering the kitchen I saw the deceased on the floor, and
Lambourn kneeling down on her head, with one hand upon it, and with a
knife which was in the other he was in the act of mangling and cutting
her throat. I was greatly frightened at the site, and ran to the door to
look for further help, and when I went back into the kitchen, Lambourn,
who was then standing over the deceased, said, "there I have done it
now." Witness exclaimed, "you ruffian, you have murdered the woman." He
made no reply, and I turned again to the door to see if any person were
coming; and on looking towards Lambourn again I saw that his throat was
cut, and I observed him endeavouring to tear open the wounds with his
fingers.
Mr. William Rogers, a surgeon, described the nature of the injuries
inflicted on the deceased, the principle of which must have been the
cause of her death; it was a lacerated wound to her throat and extended
from ear to ear, nearly separating the head from the body. There were
other worms on her person, but they were of minor importance. The
witness proceeded to state that he afterwards dressed the wound in
Lambourn's throat, at which time he appeared to be sensible of what had
occurred, and was labouring under a good deal of agitation. Witness,
however, did not think he was in any immediate danger, and directed him
to be conveyed to the hospital.
In a reply to a juror, the Witness could not positively state whether
Lambourn was insane or not; but his impression was that he was not, from
his manner and conduct subsequently to the occurrence having taken
place.
The Jury, after a short consultation, unanimously returned the verdict
of "Wilful Murder against Richard Lambourn," who is now in Guy's
Hospital.
The murderer, for precautions sake, has been secured with a strait
jacket, and a very strong strap is placed around his body, and secured
at either end to the size of the bedstead; to manacles are also placed
on each of his elbows, so that if he were so inclined, his escape would
be impossible. The wound in his throat, although none of the leading
blood vessels are injured, was it first considered to be extremely
dangerous, but he is now likely to recover. The unhappy man, who seems
about 65 years of age, has been a wood-cutter in Deddington, near
Oxford, and married the unfortunate victim of his revenge in the year
1823, at which time she was living as a single woman in the family of
Mr. Davidson, whose service she was in when she fell; Mr. Davidson then
resided at Kilburn. After they had been married a year or two, he for
the first time discovered that she had four illegitimate children; this
discovery brought on so much unhappiness, which ended in her deserting
her home.
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