Trying to solve a 150 year old murder of Sarah Watts

[Lyndon]

No Len, I hadn't thought of looking for the inquest, but as you say it may contain extra information that wasn't presented at thye trial, so will certainly check on that. Thanks for the idea.

--
Lyndon

[dawnwas]

What an interesting thread...and goodluck with your " cold case", research Lynden.After all these years it is still sad to read of the fate of poor Sarah,and even sadder to think who ever did it got away with it .
It would be strange if it turned out that researchers on this site were descendants of  Hurd Maggs and Sparrow.
Fantastic to see that you are being helped by fellow researchers....I hope more evidence comes to light, and I will follow your progress!
Dawn

[Lyndon]

Thanks for the encouragement Dawn. Yep, the help from other rootschatters as always has been fantastic.

I am busy trying to trace the family of Sparrow, but since he was shall we say 'economical with the truth' I don't think this will be easy.

It's going to be a long job, but well worth the effort.
--
Lyndon

[nicktamarensis]

Hello,
Just found out about this case, Sarah having a family connection.
In 1861 an Australian newspaper reported the confession of Joseph Seer to this murder.  Seer had known Sarah since childhood.  After the deed, Seer joined the Army (4th Kings Own Regt) but after he was invalided out in 1861 he confessed to the murder and was remanded. Apparently in 1851 he attempted to confess to the crime but for some reason this was either not believed or not reported. So far I have not found any sequel to the story. 
Nick.   

[FrankieFoo]

Re; Joseph Sear/Seer. I think I read somewhere that at the time of the murder he was in Bombay. So the case against his confession was dropped.
I'm still not sure why a soldier would confess to a murder 10 years later and say he did it for love... Was Sarah romantically involved with him or any man? Perhaps Sear/Seer was wounded and had some kind of PTSD that made him mentally unstable... Hmm.

[nicktamarensis]

Thanks very much FrankieFoo for taking the trouble to reply.  Much appreciated.
I have since found a later report from a newspaper in Salisbury saying the case had been dropped.
The history of these events since the original murder still remain elusive and what is actually known as fact distinctly odd. The perpetrator(s) of the crime evidently remained at large and as far as is known  never brought to justice. 
Many thanks again.
Nick.   

[FrankieFoo]

 Joseph Seer was mentally unstable - a "hopeless lunatic" after being discharged from the army in July 1854.
I still can't get over how the 3 suspects (and there was also a 4th - Sergeant) got away with such a terrible crime with so much evidence against them. RIP Sarah Watts. 

[majm]

live links to some of the 1861 Australian newspaper coverage 

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149718925
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/30631939
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62401124

and the 1862 coverage
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60509466


Here's a live link (free to search) for digitised Australian newspapers
http://trove.nla.gov.au/

and (as an aside) for free to search New Zealand newspapers try :
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast

I think they were copying from Lloyds Weekly Newspaper, which likely was shipped out to the colonies on a regular basis.

JM

[Redroger]

I can't understand how they managed to find them Not Guilty if there were so many witnesses!

Carol

Re-reading the original query there were no apparent witnesses. She had been left to look after the farm while her parents went to market.
(written before i had read the subsequent posts  to avoid misunderstandings)