An inquisition was taken at Guy's hospital, on the body of Elizabeth, the wife of Edward Hascar, otherwise called Sarah Bartlett, (for by that name she was brought to the hospital) when it appeared, by the evidence of Elizabeth Aldridge, servant to Patrick Dawson, of Bermondsey-street, surgeon and apothecary, (the only witness as to the fact,) that the deceased was formerly housekeeper to her master, and that she used frequently to come to his house and cohabit with him; that last Thursday evening, on his coming home, he asked the witness whether the deceased had been there, who informed him she had not; he then expressed a great desire to see her, and directed the witness to rise early next morning and fetch her, which she did, and on coming in, her master being in bed, the witness informed him the deceased was come; whereon he desired them to come up stairs to him, and a boy was sent for some brandy, which being drank, he ordered the witness to make some chocolate for their breakfast; and on the witness's quitting the room for that purpose, the deceased immediately followed her into the kitchen; that soon after her master came down, and he and the deceased breakfasted together in the kitchen; that after breakfast, Dawson saluted the deceased, saying, My dear, I love you; I have something in particular to tell you: to which the deceased answered, the maid would go out of the kitchen; he replied that would not do. The deceased then proposed to go into the little parlour, and several other places, but none would do besides his bedchamber, to which, at length, she consented to go; and on their going up stairs, she said, it is not the first time I have trusted myself with you alone, by many, and expressed a great desire of knowing the secret he was to communicate to her: That on her entering the bedchamber, the door was immediately fastened, and they continued very quiet about a quarter of an hour, when on a sudden the deceased cried out several times, murder! murder! Betty! Betty!
That the witness ran directly up stairs, and found the bedchamber door locked, and heard Dawson say, Betty, you are too late; that she burst open the door, and saw the deceased lying on the floor in a gore of blood, her master standing near her with a bloody knife in his right hand; and on the witness crying out,You wicked, blood thirsty man, what have you done!
He moved the knife, aiming at her, as if he intended directly to stab her, and d_d her, saying, he would stab her too. That on the witness asking the deceased, what occasioned her master to use her so? She informed her, that because she had refused to permit him to be criminally concerned with her, he on a sudden opened his bureau, and from thence tobk a knife, with which he stabbed her.
The surgeons, on examining the deceased's body, discovered three wounds in her belly, which they made no doubt were mortal, and confirmed the above witness in the deceased's declaration as to the occasion. The deceased was sent to Guy's hospital, and there died the next morning; where she also declared the reason of ill treatment, and acknowledged she was above five months gone with child, but was uncertain who was the father of it.
The jury brought in their verdict, wilful murder. The above Patrick Dawson is not yet taken.
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