The corpse of a boy

[Baynes]

Whilst researching another matter I found the following from the Cardiff Times, December 15, 1888 concerning the murder and disfigurement of a boy that had gone missing from Maidstone.

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF A BOY

"The corpse of a boy named Harris, who has been missing from his home near Maidstone for about a fortnight has been discovered in a wood near Chatham on Wednesday. The body has been terribly disfigured. The child is believed to have been decoyed by a female tramp, he having been observed with a strange woman on the day he first was missed."

I can't find any other reference to this crime in publicly searchable sources. Does anyone have any further information?

[Robert]

Hi Baynes

It was reported in a few other papers but seemingly just the same Press release.

I have looked at Kent deaths for the final quarter of 1888 and cannot find a boy Harris listed there, unless deceased was Alfred Harris and for some reason his death was registered at Greenwich. Perhaps the papers misspelled his name in some way.

[Rosella]

The only murder and mutilation of a boy I've ever read about for December 1888 occurred in Bradford Yorkshire.

8 year old John Gill was found with his throat cut, abdomen slit open and stabbed, all his limbs hacked off and his ears removed. A William Barrett was put on trial for his murder but was acquitted.

As the Harris boy's body was found in woodland a fortnight after his disappearance perhaps small animals had been chewing away at it for some time so that it resembled a mutilation murder?

[Baynes]

Thank you both for your responses. I was under the same impression. I thought the death of Master Gill in Bradford was the only known murder of this type that occurred near the time of the Ripper scare.

I also considered that animals could be responsible for the disfigurement however, this was also why I was seeking further information.

[Mayerling]

Thank you both for your responses. I was under the same impression. I thought the death of Master Gill in Bradford was the only known murder of this type that occurred near the time of the Ripper scare.

I also considered that animals could be responsible for the disfigurement however, this was also why I was seeking further information.

It does not seem to me that the disfigurement is as likely as done by hungry animals as that would appear - the real problem is the mysterious woman seen accompanying young Mr. Harris on the day of his disappearance.

Gill's death was later linked by possible connection to Walter Lewis Turner, who was hanged for the murder of Barbara Waterhouse, a little girl, at Leeds in 1891 - this at least was mentioned by criminal historian Guy Logan in his 1929 book "Guilty, or Not Guilty?".

Jeff

[Baynes]

I believe Turner was 36 when he was executed and his mother was prosecuted as an accomplice and given a life sentence.

Leeds is certainly close to Bradford but Chatham has to be over 200 miles away.

[drstrange169]

The same story was printed in the Evening Standard on the 13th December, word for word.

In the following Saturdays edition, this letter appeared, make of it what you will.

[Rosella]

Well, there's a clear indication of the stunning accuracy of the Press in reporting news! Nevertheless, what a terrible thing to happen and it's rather strange that a two year old would be able to walk for two miles, especially in terrible weather.

[Mayerling]

Well, there's a clear indication of the stunning accuracy of the Press in reporting news! Nevertheless, what a terrible thing to happen and it's rather strange that a two year old would be able to walk for two miles, especially in terrible weather.

We're dealing with Victorian England here, Rosella. Parents leaving their children unattended for awhile were not prosecuted as they'd be today in 21st Century America or Britain. It was expected that a mother might have to leave the house for a few minutes to do some chores outside, and that the kid would be left to it's own devices unless someone could be watching it like a trusted relative or neighbor.

But it does show how bad the accuracy of the original report was in getting garbled like it was. Makes one think of all those mistakes in the newspapers reporting the activities in Whitechapel.

Jeff

[Mayerling]

I believe Turner was 36 when he was executed and his mother was prosecuted as an accomplice and given a life sentence.

Leeds is certainly close to Bradford but Chatham has to be over 200 miles away.

You are right about Turner's mother being given a prison sentence (she was assisting in transporting and hiding the corpse of the little girl).

Jeff

[Rosella]

Oh I'm not surprised about the toddler being left for a while by its parents, Mayerling. Even when left in the care of older siblings Victorian children frequently came to grief, tumbling into open fires etc. I was just wondering at the ability of a child of that age to walk two miles in what was apparently awful weather.

[Baynes]

Many thanks to the good DrStrange for the additional information. Very much appreciated and a testament to the people of these boards.