From the Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General
Advertiser, Saturday 4 April, 1855. Price 4d.
HORRIBLE MURDER OF AN OFFICER
Our town was thrown into a state of intense excitement on Sunday
morning last, by a rumour that an officer belonging to the 44th Regiment
of Foot, stationed at Walmer, had been found on the beach nearly dead,
with a frightful gash in his head, and other contusions, of which he
died an hour after he was discovered. The suspicion that he had met with
foul play soon proved to be true. The facts are detailed in the
subjoined evidence, taken before the Magistrates on Monday. It appears
that the man, Samuel Baker, who committed the deed, keeps a
public-house, the "Ship," in this town, and he has also been in the
employ of Mr. Bates, coach proprietor, for the last twelve years. He has
always been considered a very steady man - except when he was
intoxicated, when he was very violent. The deceased, Lieutenant Edward
McCarroll, an officer in the 44th Foot, was a quiet, gentlemanly young
man, of about 20 years of age. He had mixed himself up in the excitement
of the election on Saturday, and had evidently, when last seen alive,
been drinking rather freely. Baker was placed in the dock about ten
o'clock. He appeared rather grave, but quite calm. His countenance has
rather a forbidden and determined expression; he is a short man, but
strong and thickly built. There was a very full attendance of
Magistrates, and the hall was crowded. The first witness called was a
boatman, of the Coast-guard service, named Goldsworthy, whose evidence
went to show the discovery of deceased on the beach, and the position in
which the body was found.
Alexander Gibbs - I am Surgeon to the depot battalion at Walmer
Barracks. On Sunday morning, at six or shortly after, I was called to go
to the dockyard at Deal, where one of our officers was lying, who was
supposed to be nearly killed. I went immediately and found it was an
officer in the 44th, Lieut. Edward McCarroll. He was lying on the floor
of the dockyard office, before the fire; he was insensible, but alive.
His face had been washed, and on examination I found a wound on the back
of his head, behind the ear. Mr. Mason, surgeon of Deal, was in
attendance when I arrived. By my direction the deceased was removed to
his quarters, in Walmer Barracks. He was conveyed thence on a stretcher,
by some soldiers. He was immediately, on his arrival, put to bed, and in
about an hour after he expired. He never regained consciousness at all,
from the time I first saw him until his death. I noticed that the skin
had been torn off the left fore finger of the deceased, apparently from
the blow.
James Mordan - I am a boatman of the Coast Guard, at Deal
station. I was on duty from midnight of the 28th till six in the morning
of the 29th. My guard joined that of Goldsworthy. About one in the
morning of the 29th, when I was near the flag-staff, I was spoken to by
the deceased. I bid him good morning. He asked me, who I was. I replied
"a Coast Guard." he said he had been to the election and had lost £5. He
asked if any public- houses were open. I told him yes - one opposite,
namely, the "Ship," kept by the prisoner. I then walked up to the door
with him; he knocked at it with his stick. Mrs. Baker opened the door,
and asked who was there, and then deceased asked her to let him have a
glass of grog "on tick." She refused him, and told him to go about his
business. I saw him all the time he was at the door, and I did not see
him do anything except knock at the door. I saw no one else there except
Mrs. Baker. Deceased did not go into the house at all. When Mrs. Baker
refused the glass of grog, I heard deceased say to her that that she
might go to ---- and that was a good hot place. It is not possible that
anything more could have been said or done than what I heard and saw,
from the position I was in, between the deceased and Mrs. Baker.
Deceased was at the door five or six minutes; and then I saw him go
along the pavement towards Mrs. Fitches', in the direction of Walmer. A
very few minutes after after deceased was gone, Mrs. Baker came out to
where I was standing, and told me that deceased had shoved a stick into
her mouth, and loosened two of her teeth. Soon after this, I saw the
prisoner leave his house and go in the direction of Walmer, with his
jacket in his hand. He returned after the space of about ten minutes,
and entered the house. Another five minutes lapsed, and I saw him come
out a second time; he then came across to me and asked me "which way
that gentleman had gone?" I supposed he meant the deceased and I told
him he had gone in the direction of Mrs. Fitches'. On this second
occasion he had his jacket and hat on, but I did not notice that he had
anything else with him. Directly I told him the direction in which the
deceased had gone, he went the same way. He walked. He did not appear to
be angry or excited. It was about half past-two in the morning that I
saw him again. He was then standing with his wife on the Esplanade. I in
the meantime had been on my patrol towards the Dockland. I went there
soon after I had seen Baker walking away, in the direction of Fitches',
the second time. It was about half-an-hour after this that I saw the
prisoner and his wife walking on the Esplanade. He said to me - "I
catched him near the Toll-gate, and I had something in my pocket and I
gave it to him." I asked Baker where he had left him, and he said, "on
the beach, abreast of the dockyard, and near the red light." After this
I went to the end of the guard, but I did not notice anything or look
for anything, as I fancied Baker had not spoken the truth. Deceased,
when he came to speak to me on the Esplanade, had a Scotch cap on like
the one produced. He was in liquor, but did not appear to be absolutely
drunk. He could walk as well as I could. Baker appeared also to have
been drinking, but he certainly was not intoxicated as not to know what
he was about. He could walk well. In the morning, about half-past five,
I was talking to Goldsworthy at the end of the guard, near the dockyard
red light, when he saw something on the beach which turned out to be the
body of the deceased. It struck me it was the man after whom Baker had
run, whom I had seen talking at the public-house, and I told the
circumstances, as I have already related them, to Goldsworthy. I will
swear that nothing further took place than what I have narrated.
Henry Redsull, policeman, of Deal, was next called. He said -
was on duty on Sunday morning, in Prospect-place, at half-past one
o'clock. At about that time I saw Baker (the prisoner) pass down by me,
coming along Prospect-place, near the "Deal
Castle" public-house. I said "Good night," and he returned the
salutation. He was walking at the same time. I saw something in his
right hand pocket; it had a piece of bone or ivory at the end, as it
appeared to me, of about six or seven inches in length. I cannot,
however, swear about this. The next time I sea him I apprehended him.
I apprehended him at half-past nine on Sunday morning. I told him
that the body of a man had been found on the beach in front of the
Dockyard; that he was dead, and that I must apprehend him on suspicion
of being he person who struck the blow that ended so fatally. In reply
the prisoner said, "Yes, he ran a stick into my wife's mouth and nearly
drawed out her tongue." he further stated he went after him with a
bobbin stick, that a scuffle ensued, and that he was compelled to use
the stick. I have not found it, though search has been made. I have not
seen anything in the house bearing any resemblance whatsoever to
what I saw in his pocket. He said that he had thrown the bobbin stick
among the others.
By the Bench- When you went to apprehend the prisoner did you see his
wife?
Witness - Yes, I saw her first.
Did she complain of ill usage at the hands of the officer?
Yes, she said that the officer had knocked two teeth out of her
mouth, but I did not see any appearance of the kind. Baker was not at
home when I called, but his wife told me that he was at the stables,
and I there apprehended him.
Redsull's evidence closed the proceedings on Monday, which were
resumed at ten o'clock on the following day.
George Mason, Esq., surgeon, Deal, deposed - I was called on Sunday
morning, about half-past five, to see a man on the beach, reported to be
in a dying state. I found he had been removed to the boat house in the
Dockyard; he was lying on the floor with his face covered with blood,
pulse scarcely perceptible, and in an unconscious state. By the
direction of Mr. Wootton, he was taken to a room belonging to the
dockyard. I had his face washed, and used every means in my power to
restore circulation, by means of brandy and ammonia. On examining the
head, I found a wound, three inches in length, reaching down the skull;
at that time, I did not know who he was; but on taking off his boots,
&c., found he belonged to the 44th regiment, and immediately sent to the
surgeon of the same, who arrived in about half an hour. With as little
delay as possible, I caused the deceased to be removed to his quarters
in barracks. By order of the Coroner, a post mortem examination
was made, on Monday afternoon, by Dr, Gibbs and myself, when we observed
several abrasions and ecchymose appeared on the outer end and lower part
of the left arm, and a considerable laceration on the back part of the
left side of the chest, and several scratches on the throat, apparently
done with the hand. Abrasions were also seen on the outward and back
part of the right thigh, and on the front and upper part of the same
leg; blood was seen about the nostrils and left ear, and both pupils
were dilated, but the pupil of the left eye more than that of the right
eye. On removing the scalp, a quantity of effused blood was found
extending behind the ear, and spreading over a great portion of the
head.
Mr. Mason here entered into a detailed description of the contused
wound, which was three inches below the incised one; the former, he
considered, was caused by a very heave instrument, and not buy a fall -
he thought a blow from a poker would have produced the effects
presented. The fracture occasioned by the blow was seven inches in
length, and extended through the temporal, parental, and small portion
of the frontal bones; he was of opinion that death was caused by the
contused would entirely, and that the deceased could not have had any
consciousness after it was inflicted. Mr. Mason, at the close of his
evidence, bestowed a deservedly high eulogium on Mr. Wootton, of the
Dockyard; and Dr. Gibbs, who concurred in the evidence of Mr. Mason,
found himself bound to acknowledge the prompt, kin and humane assistance
rendered by Mr. Wootton on the occasion.
J. Dessant, brickmaker, deposed - I was at the "Ship" on Saturday
night, the 28th, and on Sunday morning, the 29th; several persons were
in the tap room, and the prisoner was in the company occasionally. About
one o'clock in the morning, I saw Baker go out of the room; but before
doing so, he went to the fire-place and put the poker under his coat,
after which I saw nothing more of him. Nothing was said about Mrs. Baker
being injured, and I was not aware of anything amiss had occurred.
Thomas Parker, policeman, deposed - While accompanying Redsull on
Sunday last, we met Baker in Prospect place. Witness noticed that he had
got something in his right-hand pocket, in which was also his hand; it
appeared two to three feet in length, and projected from his pocket.
The evidence having been brought to a close, the mayor asked the
prisoner if he had any defence to offer, or anything to say; in reply to
which, Baker said that he should reserve his defence.
The prisoner was then fully committed for trial, and will be sent to
Sandwich gaol until the next assizes at Maidstone.
baker was an omnibus driver, and came to Deal a few years ago from
Faversham.
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