Robbery is, without doubt, one of the most common motives for murder, and the pages of the 19th century newspapers are full of accounts of people who were murdered for their money or their possessions.

Violent murders were plentiful, and aside form those murders that were carried out in the heat of the moment, the horror of a cool calculated murder still shocks us today.

The Chelmsford Chronicle, in its edition of Friday the 20th of March 1840, published the following account of one such homicide:-

THE MURDER OF JOHN TEMPLEMAN

During the whole of Tuesday, the neighbourhood of Islington was much excited in consequence of the discovery of a most inhuman murder, perpetrated on the person of Mr. John Templeman, an elderly gentleman, who resided in an obscure cottage, situated in Pocock’s Fields, the back part of Liverpool-road, adjacent to Barnsbury-park, Islington.

It appears that for some years past the deceased gentleman occupied the above cottage, and resided by himself in a most retired manner, occasionally amusing himself with his garden, consisting of an acre of land.

He was possessed of an income arising out some houses belonging him in the neighbourhood of Somer’s Town, and by all accounts was in the habit of boasting of and exhibiting his money to his neighbours, which, it is said, led to the catastrophe which has fatally ensued.

HE COLLECTED THE RENTS

On Monday last he proceeded to Somer’s Town for the purpose of collecting his rents, and on his return home in the afternoon he sent for a woman who lives adjacent to his cottage, to procure some necessary articles.

On her arrival she found the old gentleman taking tea by himself, when he laughed, and told her that had been to collect his rents, and he had been paid all in silver instead of gold, and at the same time telling her that he would be in bed at six o’clock that evening.

HIS BODY DISCOVERED

The woman, whose name is Thornton, left the cottage and returned home; on Tuesday morning, about eight o’clock, she sent her daughter with some writing paper which she had purchased for him, when she knocked at the door, and called him by name.

Not receiving an answer, she returned to her mother, who proceeded to the cottage and looked through the parlour window, but not seeing him there she went to the window of his bed-room, which is upon the same floor, there being only two rooms in the cottage; elevating herself upon a stool she peeped through the window, which she pushed open, and she perceived the bed all tumbled and the pillows and bed clothes saturated with blood; and on stooping over she was horror-stricken at beholding the deceased stretched upon the floor, with both his hands tied with cord.

A bloody stocking was tied round his head, so to bandage his eyes.

The floor and carpet were covered with blood, and the deceased’s head was literally dashed to pieces.

HIS GRANDSON NOTIFIED

Mrs. Thornton neglected to give any information to the police, and delayed telling any body of the discovery she had made until the arrival home of her son-in-law at eleven o’clock, when, instead of their giving information of the murder to the police, he was dispatched to the deceased’s grandson, Mr. Herbert Templeman, solicitor, of Mortimer-street, Cavendish-square, who in the course of the day attended.

THE POLICE ALERTED

Information was then forwarded to the police at Islington station house.

On examining the body, there were several severe wounds at the back of the head, the forehead was completely dashed in by a violent blow from some heavy instrument, the nose and both jaw bones were smashed, his mouth was severely bruised and mutilated, and it is the opinion that the violence must have been inflicted by a hatchet.

Three of his teeth were found lying on the carpet.

THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

The deceased, it is supposed, had retired to rest, (his clothes being off), when he fell asleep, and the murderer or murderers must have tied his hands together, and bandaged his eyes to prevent resistance or recognition, and being awoke, he attempted resistance when the fatal blows were given.

The drawers were forced open, and the box in which the deceased used to keep his money was also forced open, and the whole of the money taken therefrom.

The deceased had been a widower for 14 years.

He had evidently been smoking his pipe and reading religious books on the night before he retired to rest.

THE MURDER AT ISLINGTON

The Weekly True Sun, on Sunday the 22nd of March, 1840, published an update on the case:-

In the course of Friday, Mr. Templeman, solicitor, grandson to the deceased, made some private communication upon the subject of the murder.

Inspector Miller, Sergeants Collins, King, and Pagan have been indefatigable in their exertions to trace the weapon with which the deed was perpetrated.

THE MURDER WEAPON

The cuts and severe bruises on the head gave rise to a suspicion that a hatchet had been used, but the circumstance of a piece of stick having been found on the floor covered with blood and human hair leaves but little doubt that it was some heavy bit of wood with which the blows were given, and through the violence with which they were given the piece of wood found in the cottage with blood and human hair was splintered off, and unconsciously left behind by the murderer.

Every effort has been made in order to ascertain whether a stick or piece of wood corresponding with the above remnant was ever seen in Gould’s possession, and from the evidence of Mrs. King it is inferred that what she saw in his (Gould’s) pocket on the Monday night, at the Rainbow public-house, might, in all probability, have been the stick or instrument used.

The officers have made every search after the cheese knife which Mr. Allen missed on Monday morning last, but without effect.

DEEPER SUSPICION

It is stated, that circumstances have been discovered involving Mrs. Jarvis and Gould in deeper suspicion than before, and calculated to show that she was aware that the robbery was to take place on the night of the murder; but circumstances it is said, are in favour of her husband, who was a hardworking man, as a painter, and worked in the City-road, and generally went to work at five o’clock in the morning, and returned home at six o’clock in the evening, and an illicit intercourse existed between his wife and Gould, which it appears was unknown to him (Jarvis) until exposed at the examination before the magistrates.

QUESTIONS IN COURT

Mr. Combo inquired the reason why, when the prisoners were placed at the bar, Mrs. Jarvis was always placed by the side of the prisoner Gould, and so far distant from her husband.

It was stated that the police could explain the circumstance. It was from the fact that the evidence of Mr. Allen, as to the intimacy between her and Gould, could be given.

MORE THAN ONE PERPETRATOR

From the manner in which the deceased’s hands were bound, and his eyes bandaged with a stocking, it has been conjectured that more than one person was engaged in the murder, and from the position in which the deceased’s body was found upon the floor in his shirt, that he must have made a violent resistance; and this seems to be confirmed by the numerous injuries he received on the head, back part and front, coupled with the excoriation on his knees, and the bruise on his breast, which must have been caused by someone holding him down with the knee pressed upon his breast.

The deceased was also so very hoarse that he could not make any alarm that could be overheard in the event of an attack upon him.

The whole of the prisoners, on being locked up, conduct themselves in a reserved manner, and never speak to each other.

THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE SUSPECTS

On Thursday last, when they were locked up at the back part of the office, Gould and Jarvis in a separate but adjoining cell to Mrs. Jarvis and her child, Jarvis was evidently ruffled, and paced the cell backwards and forwards with his arms folded, but looking down. This was at first construed into a feeling of guilt, but afterwards to his jealousy at hearing of his wife’s misconduct with Gould.

After pacing for some time, he would sit down in a corner, when Gould would then get up and pace backwards and forwards, and so they took it by turns, until the arrival of the prison van.

Mrs. Jarvis remained silent, but without the least dejection, with her child.

On the arrival of the van, they were brought from the cells, when Jarvis treated his wife with indifference, but took his child and kissed it affectionately.

A VIOLENT YOUNG MAN

Gould, it appears, has been well known for some time past as a violent young man, who has been in custody for assaults; and on a recent warrant against him for embezzling his late employer’s money.

It has been remarked that Gould was at the Rainbow public-house on the Monday night, with only one and a half pence in his possession, and on the following evening he had money, and the silver was found by the officers on the Tuesday night, concealed between the tiles and rafters of the privy, where in the morning he was noticed to have remained 20 minutes after he had been seen doing something to his trousers, supposed to be wiping off blood.

GREAT EXCITEMENT

The interest excited by the horrible affair has daily increased since the apprehension of the prisoners, especially in the immediate neighbourhood of the murder, and crowds flock to the scene to view the premises at which it took place.

Another account says – That the murder was premeditated not the slightest doubt can exist; for the cord which was bound round the wrists is secured at one end by a fine piece of twine, so as to prevent its being unravelled, while at the other end a small noose was made.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION

In the course of Thursday afternoon and the night, the police obtained most important information, which has removed all doubt of the murder having been committed by Gould.

The precise nature of the evidence has not been allowed to transpire, but we understand it will bring the case clearly home to the prisoner.

A circumstance relative to Gould has also been discovered, viz., that this name is fictitious, and that he is supposed to be a person of the name of Nicholson, who is of a highly respectable family, and deserted from the 11th Light Dragoons.

HE WAS FROM LINCOLN

The unfortunate deceased passed the early and middle part of his life at Lincoln, where he was master of the New Jersey School for a number of years.

He left Lincoln about twelve years since.