William Newton Allnutt, a boy 12 years of age, was charged, at the Worship Street Police Office, with having stolen a gold watch and appendages, a gold eye-glass, and other articles of jewellery, of the value of 70 guineas, the property of his grandmother, Mrs. Sarah Nelme, widow of the late Mr. Nelme, of Grove-place, Hackney. This, however, was the least charge against the prisoner; for an inquiry before a coroner's jury into the mysterious circumstances attending the death of Mr. Nelme resulted in the committal of this depraved youth for the murder of his unfortunate grandfather.
Mr. Nelme was a retired City merchant, in his seventy-fourth year; with him and his wife resided Mrs. Allnutt, who was a daughter by a former wife, and the boy, Mrs. Allnutt's other children being at school or in the country. This lady is a widow. Some time since, ten sovereigns were missed; inquiry was made, and eventually William Allnutt confessed that he had taken them, to buy a watch; but he said that they had been stolen from him. This offence was overlooked. More recently, while the old gentleman and his grandson were walking in the gardon, a pistol was fired close to Mr. Nelme's head. The boy called out that he saw a man, who had fired it, escaping over the wall; but for some days the affair was a mystery. A pistol was found, however, in the next garden; and this weapon has been traced to the grandson, who had bought it in the Minories. Shortly after this, Mr. Nelme was taken ill, and soon died in great agony. Mrs. Nelme and Mrs. Allnutt were also attacked by sickness. Suspicion was excited; and it was found that a large quantity of arsenic had been mixed with some pounded sugar that was kept in a vase. It was surmised that William Allnutt had placed the poison there; having obtained it from a bureau in which his grandfather kept it for the purpose of poisoning rats. In consequence of these suspicious circumstances, a coroner's inquest was held on the body. A post mortem examination showed the organs in a state denoting the presence of poison; and Dr. Letheby found by chemical analysis that the poison was arsenic: there were traces of the poison in the brain, which led the doctor to believe that the victim had been swallowing it for a week or longer; while its presence in the intestines showed that a dose had been taken recently. A key of the bureau was found in a hiding-place, and the boy confessed that he had hidden it. It appears that Mr. Nelme used to eat the pounded sugar with baked apples. Mrs. Nelme stated that William was hardly twelve years old; he is a clever boy, but mischievously inclined. On the last occasion, he pounded the sugar and placed it in the vase; but the old lady stood by. He had ample opportunities of being alone in the dining-room, where the vase was kept. Mrs. Nelme's suspicion rested entirely on the boy.
Mrs. Allnutt said that when her son was very young he had fallen on a ploughshare and cut his nose severely, so that his recovery was deemed hopeless, and his health had been delicate since. She thought the boy was aware of the deadly properties of arsenic: he had asked her about it. The day before her father died, she had sweetened his gruel with sugar from the vase. She herself had some of the gruel, and was very sick in consequence. Mrs. Nelme was ill after taking arrowroot sweetened with the sugar. Her son was subject to walking and talking in his sleep; and he had complained of “hearing voices in his head.” Her husband was decidedly insane when he died, two years since. Superintendent Waller stated, that when the boy was taken into custody for theft, he said that he had been tempted to do it - a voice had said to him, “Do it, do it! you will never be found out." The Jury returned a verdict of “Wilful murder" against William Newton Allmutt, and he was committed for trial.
While in prison, the boy confessed his guilt, and was found guilty on his trial. The learned Judge said he would make a representation which would have the effect of sparing the prisoner's life; but it would only be that he might pass the rest of his days in ignominy.
Old Bailey Online.
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