Read Online Cambridgeshire Murders by Alison Bruce - Free Book Online Page A

confessed.
    The under-sheriff consulted the judges who concluded that the stay should remain in force and so should the new execution date of 1 September. The confession was written down by the county clerk, Mr Sweeting, and witnessed by Charles Margetts and John Thomas. Later Slade made an addition that he would have confessed sooner except for the thought of facing his family once they knew he was guilty.
    Slade’s confession clarifies all the points made in the trial:
    On the morning of the 3rd of July 1827, I went direct from the Swan public house, at a quarter past two, and got over the garden wall. I was then fresh. I saw Peter Sabey at his door; I went to a straw wall near the dove-house, and laid there while five o’clock in the morning; I had a sword hid in the straw wall about four or five weeks; had stolen it from the Horse and Jockey public-house, Huntingdon; drew the sword out; and left the scabbard in the wall, and put the sword down my trousers by my thigh.
    I went into the garden; saw Mr. Waterhouse then in the yard, but he did not see me; the garden door was not fastened. I opened the door, and went in up stairs and hid myself in the wool-chamber from five o’clock until ten, for the purpose of plundering the house; I meant to have robbed the house at night of any thing I could.
    I was asleep from five to ten among the wool; Mr. Waterhouse, happening to come up stairs, heard me breathe; I dare say I was snoring; upon which Mr. Waterhouse came up to the chamber, and called ‘Holloa! who are you? What do you do here?’
    I then got up, drew the sword, and laid hold of him. Mr. Waterhouse tried to go in at the chamber where his blunderbuss was, but I would not let him. I led him down stairs, Mr. Waterhouse trying all the way to get up stairs. No conversation passed in coming down. When we got down stairs, I said, ‘Now Mr. Waterhouse, if you’ll forgive me, I will forgive you; and if not, this is your death warrant,’ holding up the sword. Mr. Waterhouse said, ‘No, I will suffer any thing first.’
    I was standing opposite to him in the lower passage: When I let him go, Mr. Waterhouse went to run by me to the kitchen-door to call somebody; upon which, just as Mr. Waterhouse was turning into the kitchen, I struck him a back-handed blow, the great cut across the jaw, and he reeled back, caught himself against the tub, and fell backwards into it; he guarded his head with his hands when in the tub; I struck him several blows with the sword; he laid hold of the sword twice; upon which I drew it out of his hands and cut his fingers; I also stabbed him in the throat, which was the last blow.
    Mr. Waterhouse then said, ‘I am done,’ and died immediately. There was no blood whatever upon me except on my finger, which I spit on and wiped it on the grass, and also one spot on my waistcoat, which I scratched out with my nail immediately; it never was seen. I have heard that blood of a murdered person will not wipe out, but I am sure this did. I did not hear the dog bark all the time; he would not bark at me; he barked once when I first got over the wall, but as soon as he heard my step he knew me, and was quiet.
    The kitchen-door leading into the yard was wide open all the time; no person came into or near the house all the time. No other instrument was used, excepting the sword, and no other person was present, or knew any thing about it, until I made a confession to the Chaplain yesterday.
    All that passed between Heddings and myself on the Wednesday and night of the inquest was as follows. I asked Heddings whether he would go and drink with me; Heddings drew me on one side, and asked me ‘what do you think of this concern?’ Heddings said, ‘I have strong suspicion of old Wright, and, I am sorry he (Mr. Waterhouse) is dead; I would as leave all the folks in the town should be dead as him, for I counted of having a quarter of barley from him this