Today’s Barbarous Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
Let’s go Wayback today – to the May 20, 1748 edition of the Derby Mercury in Derby, Derbyshire, England:
COUNTRY NEWS:
Ipswich, May 20: Last Monday William York, a Boy something less than ten Years and five Months old, was committed to the County Goal in this Town, by John Cornelius, Esq; for the Murder of Susan Mayhew, a Child about five Years of Age, who was his Bedfellow in the Town-House belonging to the Parish of Eyke. He confessed on his Examination, that a trifling Quarrel happening between them in the said House on Friday the 13th Inst. about Ten o’Clock in the Morning, he struck her with his open Hand, and made her cry: That she going out of the House to the Muck-hill opposite to the Door, he followed her with a Hook in his Hand, with an Intent to kill her; but before he came up to her he set down the Hook, and went back into the House for a knife: That he then went out again, took hold of the Girl’s left Hand, and cut her Wrist, all round and to the Bone with his Knife; then threw her down, and cut her to the Bone, just above the Elbow of the same Arm: That after this he set his Foot upon her Stomach, and cut her right Arm, round about and to the Bone, both on the Wrist and above the Elbow: That he then thought she would not die, [he’s not very good at this sort of thing, is he? – DeSpair] and therefore took the Hook, and cut her left Ham to the Bone; and observing she was not dead yet, struck her about three Times on the Head with the Hook broadways, and then found she was dead.
William Doing His Worst
This is the Substance of his own Account of the Affair; and the only Reason that he gave, on his Examination, for all this astonishing Barbarity, were, that the Child fouled the Bed (in which they lay together,) that she was sulky, and that he did not like her. [Can you think of three better reasons? – DeSpair]
When he had thus compleated [sic] the Murder, his next Care was to conceal it. He said, that for this Purpose he filled a Pail with Water at a Ditch, and washed the Blood off the Child’s Body; that then he buried it in the Muck-hill, together with the Blood that was spilt upon the Ground, and made the Muck-hill as smooth as he could; and that afterwards he washed the Knife and Hook and carried them into the House, wash’d the Blood off his own Cloaths [sic], hid the Child’s Cloaths in an old Chamber, and then came down and got his Breakfast.
We are informed, that when he was examined he shewed [sic] very little Concern, and that he still appears quite easy and chearful [sic].
Young William was sentenced to death but the sentence was postponed many times due to his young age, and eventually he was pardoned.
Post-Mortem Photograph Du Jour!
Postmortem photograph of unidentified child in bed with flowers, a cross, and lit candles.
Anson’s Studio, 589 Broadway, New York, ca. 1840-1850s.
Daguerreotype, 1/6 plate.
Culled from: Secure the Shadow: Death and Photography in America