September 25th: where the body was found

The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, September 25^th 1893. 

The Discovery Near Bath. A mysterious crime.

On Saturday morning the removal of the remains of the woman discovered by some boys in a small cave in Hampton Rocks, Bath, disclosed the fact that a brutal murder had undoubtedly been committed, the victim’s skull being smashed in. For the purpose of effecting the removal Sergeants Edwards and Brunt, of the county police force, attended by an assistant bearing a sack, proceeded to Hampton Down on Saturday morning, where they were met by PC Well, of the city police. The latter had already visited the spot in company with Commander Brand (father of one of the boys) and others, and he now conducted the party, which also included two reporters, to the cave where the body was found. Meeting at the rifle butts, they proceeded along the top of the down near the woods until a charming dell was reached on the Claverton side of the down, and near the boundary wall. 

The dell, which leads into another lower down the hill, is broken by rocks, some of which have a fantastical appearance. Almost in the centre grows a pretty woodland tree, and to the right is a kind of archway in the rock, through which a pleasing view is obtained of the woods beyond. To the left the side of the dell is formed by a perpendicular wall of rock which descends into a somewhat deep open space thickly grown with briars and nettles, and at the base is the cave in which the discovery was made. The opening is not particularly wide, and the depth of it is so slight that no one but a boy would ever have thought of trying to get inside. Entrance is further impeded by a sharp rock jutting from the ground. It is not surprising that the discovery of the body was not made before, for the opening is so small that the existence of more than a hole is not in the least indicated. An inspection of the interior showed that there was another aperture sufficient to admit daylight. The skeleton, for it was little more, was found near the entrance almost entirely covered up with stones, which were removed by the officers.

The scraps of clothing which remained were of a very slight character, and were scarcely recognisable as belonging to any particular garment. The skeleton lay upon the right side, the left leg being uppermost, crossed over the right and doubled up. The right leg appeared to be extended. The arms were tucked up towards the body. There was practically no offensive smell, and after making observations, the portions of the skeleton were handed out one by one end exposed to the light of day. First came a leg and foot, the small and large bones adhering firmly, and the bones of the foot being enclosed in a shoe, which was in good preservation, though the top appeared to have been gnawed away. The shoes were neat and small and afforded a strong contrast to the fragments of clothing. Next was brought out the upper part of the skull and it then became apparent that the woman must have been the victim of a foul murder, for above the left eye, a little to the right, was a terrible fracture of the skull, from which cracks radiated in several directions. The skull seemed to have been thick, and a small and almost square piece had been smashed in with great force, though it remained firmly fixed in the orifice.

Part of the scalp remained on the right side of the head, to which a small quantity of hair was adhering, and subsequently loose hair, plaited, and of a brown colour, was brought out. That deceased was a young woman was proved by an excellent set of teeth, only one being missing on the upper jaw. The under jaw on being brought out had a number of the teeth missing, but they had apparently dropped out in the cave. Generally speaking the features must have been rather small, though deceased must have had a prominent chin. The forehead was somewhat receding, though fairly high.

In the proximity of the waist were found the remains of a white garment and what remained of a pair of corsets, the busks being red with rust. Other scraps of clothing included a bit of black stockinette material, and the portion of a white collar. There were also the coils of a dress improver.

The whole of the remains having been collected, were placed in a sack. No rings or belongings of any kind were found, but in the hair were hair pins eaten through with rust. Everything was taken to the George Inn, Bathampton, pending communication with the Coroner. The stones with which the skeleton was covered appeared to be a kind of shale, and some of them were about a foot across. A gravedigger, who saw the remains at the George, remarked that the bones might have been buried seven years, but it would be rash to form any definite opinion on this point.

No person is said to have been missed from the neighbourhood, but the fact that a year ago a pair of blood-stained cuffs, with links attached, were found in the locality may have a possible connection with the affair. The spot, although at such an elevation, is very secluded. The murder could not have been committed at any great distance away, and would appear to have been premeditated and planned by someone who previously knew of the cave.