THE END OF A SUFFOLK MURDERER.
About a week ago an infirm old man named John Mickleburgh, in the sick ward of Kenninghall Workhouse, was severely beaten by John Revell Burrows, who was acting as sick ward attendant at the time. Mr. Cole, the master, reported the matter to the Guardians on Monday week, when proceedings were ordered to be taken against Burrows. This is the second occurence of a case of fatal violence in the Kenninghall Workhouse within the last thirteen months, an inmate named Rivett having been sentenced to death at the Ipswich Assizes last April for the murder of another inmate named Henry Baker, but subsequently reprieved. There is, therefore, a somewhat remarkable complication of violent deaths. The circumstances under which the deceased was found guilty of murder are recorded in the Suffolk Chronicle of March 27th, 1852; the trial taking place on March 24th before Lord Chief Justice Campbell. He was then 41 years of age and carrying on business as a farmer at Thrandeston, and the person he murdered was a domestic servant in his employ named Mary Baker. She met William Bootman, her sweetheart, at Thrandeston Fair, and prisoner and others encountered them in a booth there. They parted company again and the two lovers went to a cottage which was used for the sale of beer. Whilst they were in the kitchen, Mickleburgh entered, and the room was full of people. About twenty minutes later Mary Baker called out “I’m dead!” “I’m dead!” which attracted the attention of the rest of the company, who saw the prisoner standing before her with an open knife in his hand. She was seen to be seriously wounded, and she ultimately died. Mickleburgh on the night of the occurence, said, “I wish my arm had been a little stronger and I would have given her four inches more of it,” adding “I have done what I intended to do.” He intimated that the act had been done out of revenge. Mickleburgh, whose conduct was very strange at the trial and on whose behalf a plea of insanity was set up, grounded on strong evidence, was convicted and sentenced to death, but afterwards reprieved through the exertions of his wife, the Society of Friends, and others. The sentence was commuted to a transportation for a term of years, and Mickleburgh had now been at liberty for a considerable period.
An Inquest was held on the body of Mickleburgh by Mr. H. E. Garrod. Among the witnesses was Edward Leech, who said he heard deceased call out “Pray don’t hit me no more, you'll kill me.” Burrows said “No, no. I shall not kill you.” Mickleburgh said, “Good Lord have mercy upon me, I must die. You have knocked my stomach in.” He afterwards groaned for two hours, praying to the Lord to take him.
Mr. J. W. Wilson, surgeon, said he examined the deceased and found evidence of bruising and extensive tenderness over the chest. Burrows denied that he had hit him. Witness was of opinion that the blow accelerated death.
The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against Burrows.
