Star Inn 1910 - 1914

Folkestone Express 15-10-1910

Inquest

A shocking find occurred at Newington on Wednesday morning when the body of a newly-born male child was discovered lying just within the grounds of the Vicarage, close to the fence of the private carriage drive which runs from the main road in the direction of the schools at Newington. When picked up by P.C. Walker, that officer discovered that the little mite had been terribly cut about the face, and it was evident that it had met its death in a cruel and brutal manner.

Judging from its appearance the child had lived about a day, and when found it had apparently been dead between twelve and twenty four hours. Its face was terribly cut about, and there is not the slightest doubt that someone wishing to get rid of it, had ended its brief life by using a knife or a similar instrument and disposing it in such a manner as to prevent identity of its parentage becoming known. He body at the time of the discovery was quite nude, and the only thing about it which could in any way be used as a clue was a piece of flannelette, which was saturated with blood. The spot at which the body was found is but a few yards from the main road which runs in front of the Vicarage at Newington, and is just inside the fence which borders the carriage drive to the Vicarage. The dead child was first noticed by a youth named Piddock, but no-one touched it till the arrival of the constable. There were no marks of blood on the surrounding grass of the bank where the body was lying, a fact which showed that the terrible wounds which the child`s face bore had been inflicted in some other place. The police, under Superintendent Hollands, are doing their utmost to throw light on the mystery, but their task is by no means an easy one.

The inquest on the body was held at the Star Inn, Newington, on Thursday afternoon by Mr. Rutley Mowll, the East Kent Coroner. Mr. W. Ainsbury was the foreman of the jury. The body was in a stable adjoining the inn, where it had been placed by P.C. Walker on Wednesday morning.

William James Piddock, a fifteen year old boy, in the employ of Mr. Kesby, butcher, was the first witness. He said he resided at 179, High Street, Cheriton. On Wednesday morning at 8.15 he was coming from Newington Street to the main road by way of the footpath and the Vicarage carriage drive. When he got near the bank at the end of the Vicarage meadow he noticed the body of a baby lying with its head to the fence, just on the bank. He did not examine the body at all. It was just at the entrance to the drive from the main road. It did not appear to have any clothing on the body. He told a boy named Ernest Cox of what he had seen but he did not say anything about him going for the police. It upset him a little finding the body.

P.C. Walker, of the County Constabulary, stationed at Newington, said about nine o`clock he went to the meadow in consequence of information received. The carriage drive was a private road, but it was used as a footpath from the main road to the village. He found the body of the child lying close to the fence, a few yards from the main road. For it to have been placed in the position in which it was found, the person putting it there must have gone into the drive. The body was in a nude state, and its head was lying towards the fence. There was a cut about three inches long across the face, and it extended from the left ear up to the nostril. He found a piece of flannelette saturated with blood by the side of the deceased. He removed the body to the stable at the back of the Star Inn. It was stiff and cold, and he should say rain had fallen since the body was put in the meadow. There was no blood on the ground round about to indicate that the cuts had been done there.

Dr. W.W. Nuttall, of Folkestone, and practicing in Cheriton, said he made a post mortem examination of the body the previous afternoon at the stable of the Star Inn. He found it to be that of a well-nourished child. It showed signs that it had not received proper attention at birth. There was a small amount of blood on the head, especially on the right side. Underneath the blood the skull was fractured. There were two bruises, one behind each ear, that on the right side being rather the larger. There was a cut extending from about one inch below the left ear downwards and towards the middle line of the face. It extended right through the cheek into the mouth, involving the left side of the base of the tongue, and it then went through the lower lip into the mouth. There was another cut from the right angle of the mouth going in a curved direction to within three quarters of an inch of the right nostril, it getting more superficial as it got to the nostril. The lower jaw was fractured three quarters of an inch from the angle. The lower jaw had also been cut through from just to the right of the middle line. That was a clean cut wound. The left side lower jaw was cut through, but not clean, it being in splinters. Between those two cut surfaces the portion of jaw was missing. There was also a small piece of jaw in fragments attached to the lower lip. The back of the mouth was filled with liquid blood, and the parts of the mouth at the back were severed except just at the very back. On opening the chest he found the lungs almost filled it. They were red and slightly mottled. On cutting them open air and mucous could be squeezed out. There was next to no blood in the chest. After removing the contents he tried the water test with the heart and lungs, which floated well on top of the water. The heart was normal. The stomach was pale and did not contain any food. The injuries received by the child and which he had described were the cause of the child`s death. In the place where the child had been cut there would be necessarily a large quantity of blood.

The Coroner said he understood from the Superintendent of the police that he would like to have an adjournment of that inquest, and he (Mr. Mowll) quite agreed with that. He was sorry he had to call them together again but the jury would see it was important that they should endeavour to get to the bottom of that matter. Their duty was to protect life, and at the present time they had only the evidence that the little child was found dead and badly wounded, and as to the cause of its death. They did not know whose child it was, how the injuries were inflicted, or how the child was brought to the spot. It was obvious that it was not injured in the place where it was found. He therefore proposed to adjourn that inquest until that day fortnight.

The jury and witnesses then entered into recognisances to attend the adjourned inquest at 3 o`clock on October 27^th.

Folkestone Herald 15-10-1910

Inquest

Newington was startled on Wednesday by the discovery of the body of an infant child, dead and terribly injured, in the drive that leads to Newington Vicarage from the main Cheriton and Lyminge road. The discovery was made in the morning by a butcher boy, and an examination revealed that the child had evidently been placed where it was found after the injuries had been inflicted. No trace has yet been found of the parents, and as the infant was practically naked it was impossible to identify it.

The inquest was held at the Royal Oak Inn (sic), Newington, at three on Thursday afternoon, before the East Kent County Coroner, Mr. Rutley Mowll, and the evidence of Dr. Nuttall, who made the post mortem examination, showed that there were many and extensive wounds, which appeared to have been inflicted with great severity. Eventually the inquest was adjourned, at the request of the police, for a fortnight.

William James Piddock, a lad of 15 years of age, said he lived at 179, High Street, Cheriton. He was an errand boy in the employ of Mr. Kesby, butcher, Cheriton. On Wednesday, about 8.15 a.m., he was in the drive by the house of the Rev. Buckwell, Newington Vicarage. He was walking along from Newington High Street to the main road. He saw a body lying by the side of the drive on the bank, with its head to the fence. He did not go to it, but passed by on the other side. The body was within a few inches of the drive, just at the entrance to the drive from the main road to Cheriton. The body did not appear to have any clothing on. Witness reported the matter to a boy named Ernest Cox, who was a lad about nine years of age. He told this lad he could tell anybody he liked. The find rather upset witness.

P.C. C.W. Walker, of the County Constabulary, stationed at Newington, said that from information received he went to where the body was found about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, and found it situated as the last witness had described. It was only two or three yards from the main road. The body was that of a male infant child, in a nude state. It had a cut across the face, which extended from about an inch below the left ear to the nose, and was about 1½ inches deep. There was also a large bruise at the back of the right ear. A piece of flannelette, saturated with blood, lay close beside the body. He removed the body to the stable at the back of the Star Inn. The body when he found it was stiff and cold, and he should say that rain had fallen on it while it lay there. There was no blood at all on the ground to indicate that the wound had been made there; probably the body had been put there after the cut had been made. There was a public footpath along the drive, and the footpath led to Newington village.

Dr. W.W. Nuttall said he had a surgery at 69, High Street, Cheriton. On Wednesday afternoon he made a post mortem examination. He found the body was that of a well nourished male child. The child had not been properly attended to at birth. There was a small amount of blood on the head, especially on the right side, and underneath the blood the skull was fractured. There were two bruises, one behind each ear, that on the right side being rather the larger of the two. There was a cut extending from about one inch below the left ear downwards, and to the middle line of the face. It extended right through the cheek into the mouth, involving the left side of the base of the tongue, coming out through the lower lip into the mouth. There was also another cut from the right angle of the mouth, going in a curved direction to within three quarters of an inch of the right nostril, getting more superficial as it approached the nostril. The lower jaw was fractured three quarters of an inch from the angle on the right side. The lower jaw had also been cut through just a little to the right of the middle line. That was a clean wound, with no splinters or fragments. The left side of the lower jaw was also cut through, but this was not a clean cut. The part of the jaw between these two cut surfaces was missing. There was a small piece of jaw in fragments attached to the lower lip. The back of the mouth was filled with liquid blood, and the parts at the back of the mouth were severed, except at the very back. On opening the chest he found that the lungs almost filled the chest. The lungs were red, and slightly mottled. Air could be squeezed out. On applying the hydrostatic test the heart and lungs floated well on top of the water, thus proving that the child had lived. The other organs of the body were normal. There was no food in the stomach, but there were indications of food in the intestines. Death was due to the injuries received. At whatever spot the child was cut and the injuries inflicted there would necessarily be a large quantity of blood.

At the conclusion of the Doctor`s evidence the Coroner said: I understand from the Superintendent of Police that he would like to have an adjournment of this inquest. I quite agree with that. I am sorry that I shall have to call you together again, but you see that it is important that we should endeavour to get to the bottom of this matter. Our duty is to protect life, and at the moment we have only the evidence that this little child was found dead, badly wounded, and the doctor`s evidence as to the cause of death. We do not know whose child it was, nor how these injuries came to be inflicted, nor how it was brought to this spot. It is obvious that the child was not injured at the place where it was found, owing to the absence of any blood on the ground. Therefore I propose to adjourn this inquest until today fortnight, Thursday, October 27^th.

The jury and witnesses were then bound over to appear at the adjourned inquest, and before the conclusion of the proceedings the Coroner told the jury that it was their duty to examine into the affair most minutely, and asked them to at once communicate with the Superintendent of Police if they heard of anything that might throw any light on the affair.

 

Folkestone Express 22-10-1910

Local News

The police have so far been unable to trace the parentage of the child whose body was found in the Vicarage drive last week, and who died through terrible cuts it had sustained about the face and mouth.

Folkestone Express 29-10-1910

Inquest

The adjourned inquest on the newly born male child which was found terribly mutilated about the face on Wednesday, October 12^th, in the Vicarage grounds at Newington, was held on Thursday afternoon at the Star Inn, Newington. No further evidence could be given as to its identity, and so far the whole matter remains a mystery, notwithstanding tremendous efforts made by the police to find some trace of the parentage of the child. The jury could only return a verdict of “Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown”, and this they did. Although the inquest is closed the police will not slacken their efforts in the least to solve what undoubtedly was a brutal murder. There was very little additional evidence to come before the East Kent Coroner (Mr. Rutley Mowll), who simply re-called Dr. Nuttall.

The Coroner said he wanted to ask him as to the deductions which he drew from the evidence he gave on the last occasion. First of all was he of opinion the child breathed?

Dr. Nuttall: Yes.

That is to say that it was born alive? – Yes.

Secondly, in your opinion, it had independent circulation? – Yes.

The Coroner then explained that the inquest was adjourned in order that the police might make their enquiries in regard to whose child it was, and the circumstances in which it came to be placed in that particular spot. He understood that the police had made full enquiries.

Supt. Hollands: Yes, and special enquiries.

The Coroner: And the police have tried to find out more about the case, but they have not been successful?

Supt. Hollands: We have so far been unsuccessful and there is no light on it at all.

The Coroner, in summing up, said it must be for the jury a source of much regret that the police enquiries had not succeeded in clearing up the mystery. Enquiries had been made under the supervision of Supt. Hollands, and he thought they might rest assured that very full and careful enquiries had been made into the matter. Obviously, in the very nature of things, the person who placed that body in the position in which it was found did not want anything more to be known of the facts. They had to find out how that child came to its death. He was sure they all felt very much indebted to the doctor for the very lucid evidence he gave at the first hearing, and they would remember how he described the cuts on the child`s face. The Coroner then read the evidence respecting the cuts, and continuing he said that those cuts were quite sufficient to call attention to the fact that the child was brutally mutilated. Some person, unfortunately unknown, took that child and by means of a knife or very sharp instrument severely cut and gashed the poor little babe`s face with it. The child must have had a considerable loss of blood, and no doubt it died from heart failure consequent upon the injuries received. Who the person was they did not know. All they knew was that on October 12^th at a quarter past eight in the morning the lad Piddock found the child in the grounds of Newington Vicarage. It was naked and there was no appearance of blood on the ground, which was a clear indication that the child had not been murdered there, but its body was brought there and thrown there either by the murderer or some person on his or her behalf in order to get it away from the probable scene of the murder. They must remember it was a very serious matter to take a life, even the life of a child who had only just come into the world, and was nothing short of murder. They all could only regret that there were people heartless enough to do an act of that sort, and they still more regretted that they had not been able to have the person traced. There was an old saying that truth would out and it may be that some day the person who committed the foul deed would be brought to light. They had the satisfaction of knowing on their part they had done their best to enable the matter to be brought to light by adjourning the inquest. They had given opportunity for further inquiries, and they hoped that they would be ultimately successful.

The jury quickly returned a verdict of “Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown”, and the inquiry closed.

Folkestone Herald 29-10-1910

Inquest

The adjourned inquest on the body of the newly born baby, found at Newington on the 12^th October, was conducted by the East Kent Coroner (Mr. Rutley Mowll), at the Star Inn, Newington, on Thursday.

The Coroner stated that he wanted to ask Dr. Nuttall a few questions. First of all, was he of opinion that this child breathed?

Witness: Yes.

That is to say, the child was born alive? – Yes.

In your opinion did it have an independent circulation? – I believe it did.

The Coroner said that that inquiry was adjourned in order that the police might make inquiries in regard to the persons whose child that was, and the circumstances under which it came to be put where it was found. Had inquiries been made?

Superintendent Hollands: Yes.

The Coroner: There have been full inquiries and considerable efforts have been made by the police in trying to find out more about the case? – Yes.

You have not been successful? – No. No light has been thrown on it at all.

The Coroner said it must be to the jury, as it was to him, a source of much regret that the inquiries had not succeeded in clearing up the mystery. They had been made under the direction of Superintendent Hollands, and he thought that they might rest assured that very full and careful inquiries had been made into that matter. Obviously from the very nature of things, the person who placed the body in the position in which it was found did not want anything more to be known of the facts. He wanted to draw their attention to the undoubted fact that that child was brutally mutilated. That some person, unfortunately unknown, took that child, and by means of a knife, or some other sharp instrument, so severely cut and gashed that little baby`s face that it had a considerable loss of blood, and no doubt died from heart failure, consequent upon the injuries. Who that person was they did not know. Where it took place they did not know, but Mr. Mowll pointed out the fact that there was no blood where the child was found was a clear indication that the child had not been murdered there. It was a very simple case, but they must remember that that was a very serious matter, the taking of life, even of a little life that had only just come into the world. It was, as they knew, nothing short of murder, the most serious offence known to the law. They all of them only regretted that there were people heartless enough to go and do a deed of that sort, and only regretted that they had not been able to have the person traced.

A verdict of “Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown” was returned.

Folkestone Herald 23-9-1911

Elham County Bench

Thursday, September 21^st: Before Messrs. E. Garnet Man, A.S. Jones, E. Tudor Johnson, A.M. Curties, and F.E. Burke.

Mr. Maycock, of the Star Inn, Newington, was granted an occasional licence for October 6^th.

Folkestone Herald 18-11-1911

Elham County Bench

Thursday, November 16^th: Before Messrs. E. Garnet Man, A.S. Jones, R.J. Linton, A.M. Curties, G.W. Tester, F.E. Burke, H. Lee, Alderman J. Quested, Commander A.B. Mansell, and Councillor J. Maltby.

Mr. Maycock, of the Star Inn, Newington, was granted one hour`s extension for November 25^th, on the occasion of a dinner.

Folkestone Herald 1-11-1913

Elham County Bench

Thursday, October 30th: Before Mr. E. Garnet Man, Sir Clarence Smith, Mr. A.M. Curties, Mr. F.E. Burke, Mr. R.J. Linton, Alderman J.E. Quested, Mr. W.G. Tester, and Councillor H.P. Jacques.

Mr. Maycock, of the Star Inn, Newington, was granted an hour`s extension of licence on November 12th for a dinner.

Folkestone Herald 30-5-1914

Elham County Bench

Monday, May 25^th: Before Councillor J.H.W. Huntley.

Charles Allard, 65, was charged with stealing 23s., the money of Mrs. Lily Laws, of Cheriton.

Detective Constable Kenward stated that at 7.30 the previous morning he received the accused in custody at Sittingbourne police station, where he had been detained. When charged he made no reply, but in the train on the way to Seabrook police station Allard remarked “I suppose I shall get a long stretch for this”. Witness replied “I do not know”. Accused then said “I hope my people won`t make it too hard for me, and I`ll never trouble them again. I couldn`t have spent all the money. Someone must have run through my pockets”.

The Magistrate remanded the prisoner until the following day.

Tuesday, May 26^th: Before Councillor H.P. Jacques and Councillor J.H.W. Huntley.

Charles Allard appeared on remand, charged with stealing 23s., the money of Mrs. Lily Laws, of Cheriton.

Prosecutrix stated that accused was her step-father, and his wife and himself had been living at her house. In a cupboard was generally kept some money in a tin box (produced). She saw the box on May 20^th, when it contained 23s. (one half sovereign and 13s. in silver) On Thursday, at 8.30 a.m., her mother pointed out that the box was under the sink in the scullery and was empty. Accused was in the house all night, and left at about 6.30 in the morning.

Mr. Albert Charles Maycock, licensee of the Star Inn, Newington, said he knew the accused, who came to his house between 6.30 and 7 on Thursday morning and asked for a pint of beer, tendering a half sovereign in payment. Accused asked what time the next train to Canterbury went from Lyminge, and mentioned that he was going on to Sittingbourne.

Detective Constable Kenward repeated the evidence of arrest.

Prisoner elected to be summarily dealt with, and pleaded Guilty. He said he was coming back to pay the money, but somebody must have taken it. He now intended to pay it back some day.

There were ten previous convictions against prisoner, chiefly for theft.

The Chairman said it was a very hard robbery, and Allard richly deserved more than the Bench was going to give him, which would be three months imprisonment with hard labour.

Accused: Thank you.