Another Murder 1914 MOORE

[Robin]

COR/1/3/28 dated 22 Dec 1914



Inquest on Oliver Lydia MOORE of Upper Walland Farm, Wadhurst ,daughter of Ellen MOORE, widow, 3 years and 3 months; found drowned in a pond close to Brinkers Lane, Wadhurst.

Verdict: Wilful murder by her mother


Found on the A2A site
Anybody got anything on this one

[lucretia]

Yes Robin I do have that one, and so does MH I sent it for the newsletter. Will post it to forum.

[emma@esh]

Records of the Coroner of the Western [LEWES] District
Catalogue Ref. COR/1

[Access Conditions]
Closed for 75 years from the last date of a document.

FILE - MOORE - ref. COR/1/3/28 - date: 22nd December 1914
Olive Lydia of Upper Walland Farm, Wadhurst, daughter of Ellen Moore, widow, 3 years 3 months: found drowned in a pond close to Brinkers Lane, Wadhurst, wilful murder by her mother Ellen Moore.

THE COURIER JANUARY 8th 1915

THE WADHURST MURDER CASE

Another remand.

Mrs. Ellen Moore, of Walthamstow was again before the magistrates at Mark Cross on Tuesday morning charged with the wilful murder of her three year old daughter, Olive Lydia Moore, at Wadhurst on December 17th.
The Magistrates present were Mr. H.G. Dixon [in the chair], Admiral Finnis, and Mr. J. Hallett.
The accused woman was recently staying with relatives at Wadhurst with her daughter. The body of the little girl was found in a pond near the village, and at the inquest a formal verdict of “Wilful Murder” was returned. When Mrs. Moore was before the Tunbridge Wells magistrates recently she was found to be insane.
Mrs Moore appeared in court at about noon. In charge of a wardress.
The delay was due to the fact that court awaited the arrival of a prosecuting solicitor from the treasury, but after about an hour an intimation was received to the effect that another remand was desirable.
Supt. Criddle thereupon formally applied for a remand until next Tuesday.
The application was granted.

[emma@esh]

THE COURIER JANUARY 13th 1915.

Mrs. Ellen Moore of Walthamstow and recently staying at Wadhurst, made her fourth appearance before the magistrates at Mark Cross on Tuesday to answer the charge of wilfully murdering her child, Olive Lydia Moore, aged three at Wadhurst on December 17th.
Mrs. Elizabeth Annie Puttick of upper Walland farm, Wadhurst stated that the accused was her sister. She had been living with witness for thirteen days prior to December 17th.. Her husband had died a few weeks earlier previously. Accused took her little girl to Wadhurst with her. She had threatened to commit suicide. She had told witness that she [witness] was too good to be bothered with her, and that she had better disappear into a mad-house. She said her life was worthless, and witness reasoned with her, after which she promised not to try to take her life. On December 17th her sister went out with the child: saying she was going for a walk to Wadhurst to give the child a little fresh air. Accused was strange in her manner and stood at the door looking at witness for some time before she went out. The child was about three years and three months old.
Henry Stephen Puttick dairyman of Upper Walland Farm, Wadhurst, stated that he had left the farm on the afternoon of December 17th for the purpose of taking milk to Wadhurst. He overtook Mrs. Moore and Olive in the first meadow on the way to the main road. She said it was very muddy, and that the child did not like the mud, as she would get her boots dirty. Witness gave the pair a lift as far as the main road, and they went towards Wadhurst, witness taking the opposite direction. While in the milk cart the accused said Olive wanted a little exercise and that she would walk into Wadhurst with her. Witness saw Mrs. Moore again that day about 4.15 pm. Near the Belgian hospital at Wadhurst. The little girl was still with her, and they were walking towards Durgates. Mrs Moore and the child did not return to the farm at the expected time, and witness went out between seven and eight o’clock to look for her, but without success. He thought she might have gone into Tunbridge Wells. Where she had an uncle living., or that she might have gone to Eastbourne where she had another relative, or back to Walthamstow. Witness said his wife thought it was strange she did not return, but did not attach any particular importance to the matter. However he informed the police and also wired to Tunbridge Wells. Latter on he was informed that a glove had been found, and he thought it looked like the little girls glove.

[emma@esh]

Edward James Thomas of Ingoldsby Cottage, Wadhurst, a greengrocer and general dealer, gave evidence that when driving through Wadhurst High Street on the evening of December 17th, about 6 p.m., the accused, who had the child with her, asked him the way to Walland Lane. He did not know what place she wanted-Upper Walland House or the farm- but directed her as best he could. In response to a request by her , he gave her and the child a lift as far as Brinker’s Lane. When she got into the cart, accused handed him a bottle wrapped in paper. She stated that it was brandy and she wanted it for Christmas.
Arthur John Lockyer, a painter from mount pleasant, Wadhurst, stated that he saw the accused , who was in an excited state, at Wadhurst between 8 and 8.30 p.m. on December 17th. He recognised Mrs. Moore, because he had been working at the farm. When he saw her she was walking from the direction of Brinker’s Lane. Which was on the Ticehurst road. Mrs. Moore was swinging herself about, and seemed very excited , she was alone.
Thomas Frederick Powell, a grocer’s assistant to Messrs O.T.Corke and Sons, at 2. Mount Pleasant Wadhurst, said a lady with a child entered the shop at about 4.15 p.m. and purchased a bottle of spirits and some bananas. She paid for the things with a pound note. Witness did not know the woman when she entered the shop, but she told him she was Mrs. Moore.
An empty brandy bottle. The neck of which was broken, was produced in court, and witness stated that it was similar to bottles of spirit sold at the shop.

[emma@esh]

P.C. Tucker of the Tunbridge Wells Borough police, stated that he was on duty in High-street at four o’clock on the morning of December 19th . He saw prisoner wandering and said to her. “What are you doing here?” she replied, “You had better take me to the Police Station. I murdered my child two days ago, and threw her in a pond at Wadhurst. I lost my husband about a month ago. He died of consumption , and after his death I went to Eastbourne to stay with a sister, and from there I went to Wadhurst to my other sister. I left there on Thursday afternoon [December 17th] with the intention of murdering my child and then committing suicide. I had already bought two penny-worth of oxalic acid from a chemist at Wadhurst. I took hold of my child to strangle her , but my nerves failed me. I had got a bottle of brandy with me, which I had bought, so I had a drink, and that seemed to buck me up a bit. I then took hold of my child and strangled her with my hands and threw her into a pond “Witness took her to the Police Station, and on the way she said “May I take your arm? I am done up. I have had nothing to eat or drink since I left my sisters on Thursday.” Prisoner was in a more or less collapsed state.
P.C.Knight said he made a search for the child. At about 9.45 a.m. on December 20th. He went to a pond just off Brinker’s Lane, Wadhurst. Where he saw the body of a child partly floating in the water, about three ft. from the bank and in about 2ft. of water. He recovered the body from the pond and found it fully dressed except for the right- hand glove which was missing. The coat was unfastened with the exception of the top button. The other two had been torn off, and were found by the witness on the bank of the pond. Portions of the cloth adhering to the two buttons were dry. Witness also found an empty brandy bottle [the one produced] with the top knocked off. It was floating in the pond. The pond was about 20ft. Long by 25ft. Wide, and had bushes on three sides of it. To approach the pond from the road one had to open a gate and cross a field. On Friday December 18th a childs right-hand glove, a purse containing 18s.3¾d., a piece of paper, on which was written: Thomas Henry Moore, interred in grave No. 183 “D” ground, were taken to him, by Charles Giles, and were identified by Mr. Hy. Stephen Puttick the same day as being the property of Mrs. Moore.

[emma@esh]

Charles Giles, a blacksmith of Ashurst Wood, East Grinstead, stated that on December 18th , when he was living at Wadhurst, he was going along Brinkers Lane, Wadhurst, about 11 a. m.. He was carrying some meat in a parcel, which came undone. He went to the side of the road to do it up. This was opposite to the pond in the lane. He did not know at the time that there was another pond across the field, but he know understood there was, in a holly hedge near the first-mentioned pond witness found a childs purse and glove, and handed them over to P.C.Knight.
Dr. Charles Herbert Fazan, of Wadhurst stated that he was called to Brinkers Lane on Sunday, December 20th. He found the body of a child lying at the side of the pond. Its age being apparently four to five years old. The child was wearing a jacket and two of the buttonholes had been stretched in a direction contrary to to the ordinary pull of the button. The expression on the face of the child was tranquil and the eyes and mouth were closed. The woollen scarf [produced] was folded round the childs neck. It was not knotted but simply looped over the shoulder. Underneath the scarf was an imitation pearl necklace with very fragile glass beads. None of which were crushed. Nor were there any marks of the necklace on the skin of the neck. The childs bonnet was hanging round the neck by the string: here was no compression at all. The only marks on the body was a slight scratch on the right eyelid. Which was probably caused after death.. The childs right hand was gloved and her right hand bare, and the thumbs of both hands were turned in towards the palms. The limbs were bent and the body rigid. There were no signs whatever of pressure on the throat. Witness had since made a post mortem examination, and found that the child was very well clothed and nourished. Looking much older than the years stated [Three Years and Three months]. Considering the state of the weather, it was impossible to say how long the body had been in the water. The body was nearly frozen. The conclusion he came to was that the child had died from the combined effects of drowning and shock. He could find no evidence whatever of either strangulation or poisoning.
P.- Sergt. Edgeler, of Mark Cross, stated that at 5 p.m. on Monday December 21st, he saw prisoner at Tunbridge Wells police station, and said to her “am going to take you to Mark Cross on a charge of murder.” He conveyed her to Mark Cross and charged her with the murder. She replied “I have swallowed a ring, so that I may die.”
This concluded the evidence, and prisoner, who said nothing throughout the case , was committed for trial at the assizes.

from Rosemaries records

[missleisha]

Is there any more updated information on this Case? I am looking for information on Ellen ( was she/when was she released from Broadmoor Asylum...did she remarry? date of death and any and all information on her son Stanley Thomas Moore brn: 1908. thank you ~Leisha

[hepzibah]

what a tragic event. did the lady have other children at the time of her husbands death? and was she commited to asylum on the grounds of insanity, or of temporary insanity, due to grief and probably exhaustion, after nursing her husband? i feel almost as sorry for her, as for the little girl.

[georgiep]

Original post said Oliver...

georgiep