It is a fascinating exercise to scour the pages of the Victorian newspapers in search of long ago murders that tell us a little about investigations and the like of the era.
I came across the following in The Northern Warder and General Advertiser of Tuesday the 14th of April, 1868:-
MYSTERIOUS MURDER IN HACKNEY WICK
A horrible discovery, which gives rise to the strongest suspicions that a foul murder has been secretly committed has just been made in Hackney Wick.
In the immediate vicinity of the Old Hackney Wick or Victoria Park Station, on the North London Railway, an extensive building speculation was commenced some years ago by Mr. Dodds, of Belvedere, Surrey; and several roads and streets have since been formed upon the estate, which have been gradually built upon, the partially tenanted main road being one turning out on the southern side of Wick Road, towards the Marshes, and called Victoria Road.
ELGIN PLACE
The second street on the right of this road runs down to the railway embankment, and is known as Elgin Place.
Several of the houses in this street have remained for some time in an unfinished state.
In the week after Christmas last, those houses were swept out by man in the employment of Mr Dodds, and were then left secured, the front doors being screwed np, and a bar placed across them, and the back doors being bolted.
The windows, however, were simply put in and not fixed, leaving access possible by this means.
EDWARD MORRIS DETECTS A HORRIBLE STENCH
Mr Dodds had recently determined to complete these houses, and at about half-past three on Thursday afternoon one of his carmen, named Edward Morris, was instructed leave a load of sash-weights at the house at No. 21 in the street.
As soon, however, as he had opened the door, he felt a horrible stench, and called the foreman, Thomas Newsom, telling him of the smell.
A HORRIBLE DISCOVERY
The foreman went into the house with him, and looked into the various rooms, but found nothing beyond a black kid glove in the back room on the ground floor.
On opening a cupboard beneath the staircase on the same floor, the stench was found to proceed from it, and, a light having been obtained, the two men found within it the dead body of a man, fully dressed, with his head towards the door, and in a reclining position against the side of the cupboard.
Newsom immediately made his master acquainted with the circumstance, and communicated with Inspector Gibbons, of the Hackney sub-division of police.
NO REAL CLUES
The Coroner’s officer, Dr. Powell, of Gainsboro’ Road, was called in, and inspected the body as it lay, giving an opinion that death must have taken place from two to three months ago.
The police authorities sent Sergeant W. Soden to the spot, who made every inquiry, but was unable to find the slightest clue by which to identify the deceased.
The body having been wrapped, pursuant the directions of Dr Tripe, the medical officer for the Hackney district, in a sheet well soaked with Condy’s disinfecting fluid was conveyed to the Hackney mortuary at Tall Tower, in the churchyard.
The whole of the right side of the head of the corpse is laid open, and over the right eyebrow is a deep depression, as though a fearful blow had been inflicted.
There can be little doubt that the deceased has been brutally murdered.
POLICE INQUIRIES
The police were actively engaged on Friday in making inquiries, but no one has been reported missing in the neighbourhood during the period in which the murder must have been committed; and there is, at present, no clue whatever which would render a solution of the mystery surrounding this horrible discovery at all probable.
The age of the deceased would apparently have been about thirty-four ot thirty-five, and his height from 5 ft. 6 in. to 5 ft. 7 in.
The face is not so much disfigured but that relatives might identify him.
From the appearance of the body, the deceased appears to have been little accustomed to manual labour, and his dress affords indication that he belonged to the naval profession.
LATEST PARTICULARS
The Pall Mall Gazette of Saturday afternoon says:_
There has been found this morning inside one of the slippers worn by the gentleman found dead at Hackney Wick the name B. Heaseman.
On the flannel shirt the same name was found.
It is, however, premature to assume that Heaseman was the real name of the deceased.
A POSSIBLE IDENTIFICATION
Just after this discovery was made an elderly lady and a gentleman arrived in Hackney, and showed a photograph which bore striking resemblance to the features of the man lying dead.
The lady and gentleman, however, were deterred from viewing the body on account of its condition.
The gentleman stated that the person whose photograph be was possessed of ran away from his wife and family some eighteen months ago.
He took £2000 in money with him, but no clothes. He left all his clothes at his residence.
A CHANGE OF NAME
It was supposed that he was living somewhere with a lady, but he so effectually concealed his whereabouts that his family were unable to discover any trace of him.
It is regarded a certain that he changed his name, and, if so, the name “Heaseman” written on the slipper and the flannel waistcoat would be accounted for.
The features of the deceased, which are strongly marked and regular, bear an air of refinement quite out of keeping with the appearance of the clothes Which he wore.