As regular readers of my true crime blogs will known, I am forever combing through the pages of 19th century newspapers in search of stories about murders and other crimes that took place in the Victorian metropolis.
I found the following tale in The Morning Chronicle, in its edition of Monday the 17th of April, 1848, carried the following story about a murder that had taken place in Westminster the previous day:-
MURDER IN WESTMINSTER
A most painful sensation prevailed during yesterday (Sunday) in the vicinities of Regent Street and Vincent Square, Westminster, in consequence of a horrible case of murder discovered there.
It appears that, at a few minutes before one o’clock in the morning, a gentlemen named Kean, whilst passing along Regent Street, had his attention directed to one of the side thoroughfares termed Vincent Street, by the screams of a female.
HE THOUGHT SHE WAS DRUNK
On getting into the street, he saw a female lying on the ground near a barrier placed across the road to prevent vehicles passing.
Mr. Kean at first imagined that the female was in a state of intoxication.
THE MAN WITH THE KNIFE
He therefore approached nearer for the purpose of assisting her to the steps of one of the opposite houses, but before he had time to get up to her, he was met by a man, who held in his right hand a knife, and who on seeing him cried out, “It was me, I have done it.”
Mr. Kean called the police, and, assistance having arrived, the female was removed to the surgery of Mr. Pearse, in Regent Street, where she was examined, and a wound two inches deep was found to have been inflicted immediately over the left breast.
Everything was done by Mr. Pearse to restore the unfortunate woman, but without effect, for life was found to be quite extinct.
WILLIAM TOMKINS ARRESTED
From the description given by Mr. Kean of the man he saw with the knife, a person named William Tompkins was soon after arrested by the police.
THE VICTIM NAMED
The name of the wretched female was Maria Eaton or Eden.
She was apparently under 21 years of age, and resided for some time past at No. 11, Dacre Street, Broadway.
The prisoner had kept company with her upwards of six months, and a week or two back he made a proposition to his father to rent one of his rooms, saying at the time that he intended to bring the deceased home and live with her, but this was objected to by the father.
During Saturday night the poor creature was in Tompkins’s company, when they appeared on friendly terms with each other.
WHAT WAS HIS MOTIVE?
Various rumours are afloat in the neighbourhood as to the motive which the prisoner had in taking away the life of his victim.
Some parties assign jealousy, whilst others assert that the deceased was following him home and abusing him in the public streets as he went along.
It is a singular fact that this tragedy took place within a few yards of the spot where Mr. Bellchambers was murdered.