Diss Family History Group

THE SUFFOLK VILLAGE TRAGEDY.

William Gardiner, foreman carpenter Peasenhall Drill Works, has been brought charged before with the magistrates again wilful murder of Rose Anne Harsent, a servant girl, who was found with her throat cut and burnt on June 1st.

Alphonso Skinner, a fitter, deposed to overhearing a conversation in May last year between the prisoner and the deceased girl in a building known as Doctor’s Chapel. An inquiry was afterwards in Sibton Chapel as to this matter, prisoner being the Sunday-school superintendent. Witness gave evidence, and prisoner threatened him with proceedings for libel, but did not follow out his threat. The Rev. John Guy, who conducted the inquiry, said no result was arrived after evidence been given, the prisoner stoutly denying the allegations. Afterwards, however, Gardiner admitted that he had been indiscreet with the deceased.

Further evidence shewed that the envelope one containing the letter making a midnight appointment meet the deceased on the night she was murdered was similar to those in use at Peasenhall Drill Works, where the prisoner was employed, and which the prisoner had access to.

Thomas Henry Guerin, a handwriting expert from London, gave it as his opinion that the letter with the envelope making the appointment was in with the same handwriting as the other documents admitted to be in prisoner’s handwriting.

Dr. Richardson said deceased had three wounds about the neck and throat, which could not have about been self-inflicted. The pocket-knife taken from prisoner would have been able to cause the wounds.

There were wounds on deceased’s hands caused in all probability by warding off blows.

Dr. Stevenson, analyst to the Home Office, said he detected traces of mammalian blood on prisoner’s pocket-knife, notwithstanding that it had been scraped.

Prisoner was committed for trial.