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From the Kentish Gazette, 29 August 1865.
CORONER’S INQUEST.
On Thursday Mr. Thomas Hills, the coroner for Chatham, held an
inquiry at the "Sun in the Wood Tavern," Brompton, adjoining
Brompton barracks, to investigate the circumstances attending the
murder of Major F. H. de Vere, R.E., who was killed by a rifle-ball,
fired by Sapper John Currie from one of the barrack-room windows at
the time Major de Vere was in command of the officers and men on the
parade-ground. The inquiry attracted considerable interest, and, as
will be seen, some additional evidence of highly important character
was adduced to the Jury, which would tend in some decree to throw
light on the prisoner’s object in shooting down his commanding
officer.
Currie, the accused, was not present before the Jury, the
prisoner having been removed the previous evening on the
magistrate’s warrant to the county gaol at Maidstone, to await his
trial for the wilful murder of Major de Vere. During his removal
from Chatham to Maidstone he still maintained the same dogged
demeanour which he has displayed throughout, which would appear to
arise not so much from ignorance as from a kind of bravado, the
prisoner being described as having, in common with all the sappers
and miners of the Royal Engineers, been fairly educated. Only once
has he alluded to his crime, and then in terms in which he maintains
that he has done right in murdering his commanding officer.
The Jury, of which Mr. Honey was the foreman, was selected from
among the most intelligent of the tradesmen in the neighbourhood of
Brompton barracks. After they had been sworn the Coroner briefly
alluded to the nature of the inquiry on which they had entered. They
were all, doubtless, acquainted with the melancholy circumstances
under which Major de Vere came by his death, and therefore there
would be no necessity for his taking up their time in detailing
them. Their first duty would now be to view the body.
The jury then proceeded to view the body, which lay in the same
room at Brompton barracks to which it had been taken immediately
after Major dc Vere had received the fatal bullet wound, and where
the unfortunate officer died.
On the return of the Coroner and jury the following evidence was
taken:—
Lieutenant Arthur George Durnford, R.E., examined:- On Friday,
the 11th inst., the officers and men of the Royal Engineers were on
the parade-ground at Brompton-barracks. The deceased, who was
first-captain of Royal Engineers, and major in the British army, was
in command. He was 36 years of age. I was also present on the
parade-ground. Soon after 1 o’clock p.m. I heard the repot of a
rifle, and on looking round I saw Major de Vere in Captain Hime’s
arms, apparently in a fainting condition. I went to his assistance,
and helped to carry him off the parade-ground. Just after I heard
the report I heard Major de Vere say "Oh my God!" twice, and
immediately became insensible. We got about half-way across the
parade when, by direction of Dr. Seddall, we laid deceased on the
ground. I then heard some one say the shot was fired from one of the
windows, on which I went to the guard-room and sent men to be posted
at the back doors of K and L houses on that side of the
barrack-square, to prevent men leaving the houses. I also posted men
at the front doors. On arriving at K house I saw Sapper Mason
running out, and on my stopping him he told no the man who fired the
shot was in that house I went upstairs to a front room, and there I
found Sapper John Currie, R.E., standing in a room by himself. There
was a smell of gunpowder in the room, but no smoke. I said to
Currie, "Did you do this?" He said, "Yes, Sir."
I then asked for his rifle and pouch, which he pointed out to me,
but did not give me. The rifle was in the armband and the pouch
hanging up by his bed. The rifle had been just discharged, and there
was deficient from the pouch one round of ball cartridge and two
caps. There was an exploded cup on the nipple of the rifle. Nothing
more passed between me and the prisoner, and I then went with him to
the guard-room, where he was placed in custody.
By the Coroner:- When I saw Major de Vere in the arms of Captain
Hime I saw blood on his trousers, coming from under his coat, and I
found blood on my own coat and glove from assisting him.
By the Jury:- Currie did not attempt to assign any reason for the
act, and nothing more passed beyond what I have stated.
By the Coroner:- The rifle and pouch are now in my charge.
William Mason, Sapper, R.E., deposed:- On the 11th of August
inst. I was cook’s mate in No. 3 room, K house, Brompton barracks.
About a quarter past one I heard a noise, but did not know what it
was. At first I thought it was the noise of a wall of some building
falling. I looked out of the window, and on the parade saw Major de
Vere in the arms of some of the officers. I went into No. 4 room to
call Currie’s attention to it. I expected he would be there, because
he was cook’s mate in that room.
I found him there, and I said to him, "My God, Currie, there’s
Major de Vere shot! Did you see it?" He said, "Yes I did it." I
remarked, "You did it!" To which he replied, "Yes; why shouldn’t I
shoot the old ----?” He did not say anything more. I then left the
room, leaving Currie there sitting on his bed. I met Mr. Durnford,
the last witness, near the door of K house, and told him what I had
seen. I then went into the room before him, and found Currie still
sitting on his bed. I heard Mr. Durnford say to him, "Are you the
man?" or somethin to that effect. Currie replied, "Yes, Sir." I saw
Currie point out his rifle and pouch to Mr. Durnford, who took
possession of them. I did not hear him say anything else to
Lieutenant Durnford, who took him to the guard-room.
A Juror to witness:- Had the prisoner been drinking that morning?
I had seen Currie several times before that morning, and he was
quite sober. I saw him the last time about a quarter before 12, and
I then noticed nothing peculiar in his manner; he was quite calm and
composed.
By the Juror:- He made no observation to me about this matter
before it happened, and never spoke to me about taking the life of
Major de Vere. He was quite cheerful and joking that morning.
A Juror:- Did he ever say anything to you as to how he had been
treated by Major de Vere?
He may have spoken of Major de Vere’s harshness, as some of the
men had, but I cannot recollect his saying anything to me about it.
By the Jury:- I cannot say whether he left the room that morning.
A Juror:- Do you know if any lots were drawn by your men to do
this?
I never heard of any concocted plans to take Major de Vere's
life, and I believe the report to that effect to be a lie.
A Juror:- Was Currie under punishment before this, and if so,
state what it was?
He had six days in the cell?, I believe, for refusing to work.
Why did he refuse to work?
I believe it was because the Major checked his pay.
A Juror:- There are a great many floating rumours about this
case, and the jury would like to have the matter set right.
Why Currie refused to work was, I heard, because his pay was
checked.
The Coroner:- I can’t have what one man or another told him. The
rules of evidence won’t allow that kind of secondary evidence. Pray
don’t ask the witness questions he does not know of his own
knowledge.
A Juror to witness:- Who had the power to stop his pay?
Major de Vere had, but whether it was done so by his orders in
this case I cannot say of my own knowledge.
A Juror:- Do you know if his hair was cut short?
It was cut short when he was sent to the cells; this is part of
the punishment.
Had the Major power to punish him without calling in another
officer?
No, he had no power to sentence a man to punishment without the
sanction of the colonel.
Lieutenant Durnford:- That is not, quite right. The colonel alone
hears the evidence and always orders the punishment.
A Juror:- When an officer is Field Instructor can’t he inflict a
punishment?
Lieutenant Durnford:- He can only check him his working pay, but
not sentence him to the cells.
By the Jury:- Currie was a sober, well-conducted man.
I knew Currie had been punished two or three times.
A Juror remarked that it had been stated that the deceased
officer had been rebuked by the colonel for his undue punishment of
Currie, and it was right that that should be cleared up.
The Coroner said he could not go into that. This was a matter in
which the Jury could ask any questions they pleased, but it was
hardly fair to put these questions to the witness, who could not
answer them of his own knowledge.
A Juror:- In what estimation was Major de Vere held by the men in
the corps?
The Coroner:- That is an unfair question. To ask a private sapper
what was the general opinion of his commanding officer was not
altogether proper.
A Juror:- This is an important inquiry, and it is proper that
this matter should, if possible, be cleared up.
The Coroner:- But I can’t take that kind of evidence.
One of the Jury suggested that the "punishment-sheet" should be
produced before them, and Lieutenant Durnford accordingly proceeded
to the barracks to procure it.
On this document being produced it appeared that Currie had
formerly been in the 5th Lancers, in which he enlisted in March,
1864. While in that corps he was confined for 28 days for a breach
of his duty, and was also awarded other punishments. On the 1st of
September, 1864, he was transferred to the Royal Engineers, since
which it appeared he had been four times under punishment for
"exceeding his pass and returning drunk," for which he was
admonished; on the 26th of May he was charged with disobedience of
orders and refusing to work, for which he was ordered 144 hours’
garrison duty; on the 26th of June he was absent from tattoo, for
which he was stopped one day’s pay, and was confined for 10 days to
the cells; on the 6th of August, a few days before his shooting at
Major de Vere, he was sentenced to three days’ cells, and to mount
extra patrols, for being absent from patrol for 50 minutes.
Corporal George Pring, Royal Engineers, deposed:- I was in the
non-commissioned officers’ mess-room on the 11th of August, when I
heard the report of a rifle. I afterwards proceeded with Lieutenant
Durnford to No. 4 room, K house. I there saw Currie standing by the
side of the table, facing the square. Sapper Mason had been there
before me. I heard the officer ask him if he was the man that had
done it. Currie said, "Yes." The officer then asked him where his
rifle was, on which Currie pointed his finger to the place where it
was standing. He also pointed to his pouch hanging over the rifle. I
heard no other conversation pass between the officer and Currie. I
cannot recollect having seen him before that morning, and he was not
in my company.
By the Jury:- Currie had no appearance of having been drinking
that morning. When I seized him by the arm he never spoke.
Superintendent Thomas Robert Everist deposed:- From information I
received on the 11th inst., I came to Brompton-barracks, and took
the accused, John Currie, in charge from the guard-room. I conveyed
him to the police-station, when I charged him with shooting, with
intent to kill, Major de Vere, and read the charge to him. He said,
"Very well," and made no other remark. Since he has been in custody
I have visited him frequently in the cells, and told him how the
Major was. On one occasion he said, "I am happy for what I have
done. I think I have done right, and I hope God will forgive me." On
Wednesday I informed him that the Major was dead. He replied, "Is
he? What time did he die?" I answered, "At a quarter to 10 the night
before," and that he (Currie) would now be charged with the murder.
He said, "All right," and the sat down.
By the Jury:- When I took him in charge he was quite sober. He
has never given any reason for what he had done beyond what I have
said. He has always behaved in a very quiet manner since he has been
in custody.
James Balfour Cockburn, M.D., deposed:- I am surgeon of the Royal
Engineers. The deceased came under my care on the 11th inst. He was
then suffering from a gunshot wound of the chest. I continued to
attend him throughout up to the period of his death, which occurred
on Tuesday night at a quarter before 10, at the quarters in
Brompton-barracks, to which he had been removed. I have made a
post-mortem examination of the body of the deceased. I found that
the bullet had entered posteriorly the costal space of the fifth and
sixth ribs, going in a direction slightly outwards, perforating and
passing completely through the left lung, coming out immediately at
the inner side of the left nipple, smashing the fifth rib in its
progress outwards. That is the course of the bullet. The left lung
was almost completely disorganized from the intensity of the
inflammation. The other organs of the body were principally healthy.
The condition of the lungs was the cause of death, and that state
was brought about solely by the gunshot wound. I have known the
deceased all the time he has been at Chatham, ever since he first
joined this establishment. I knew him before in the Crimea. At the
time Major de Vere received the bullet he must have been standing
slightly on one side, towards the Crimean Arch, for the bullet to
have taken that course.
The Coroner said that was the whole of the evidence to be laid
before the jury, and, if they wished it, he would read over the
whole of the evidence to them; but he really did not see that there
was any necessity for his doing so.
The jury intimated that there was no necessity for the Coroner to
go through the evidence.
The Coroner then proceeded to remark that the points to which it
would be necessary for the jury to direct their attention were
first, whether the wound which the deceased, Major de Vere, had
received was inflicted by Currie; and, secondly, whether it was
sufficient to cause death. With regard to the first point, the
accused admitted that he did it, and they had the statement he made
to the officer after the occurrence in evidence, and therefore it
would be absurd for them to come to any other conclusion than that
the shot had been fired by Currie. Then they had the evidence of Mr.
Cockburn that the deceased died from the effects of the wound he had
received. The law held that whenever a person came to his death at
the hands of another the party who so caused it was prima facie
guilty of murder. There were, however, circumstances which
occasionally reduced, murder to that of manslaughter, but in this
case no such ingredient arose, as it was either wilful murder or it
was nothing. It was gratifying to know from the lips of one of the
witnesses that the statement of there being a compact among the men
to shoot Major de Vere was, as he forcibly expressed it, "a lie." He
(the Coroner) was glad to hear it, for nothing, he believed, could
be worse for this country than that a number of men should conspire
together to commit a crime of this nature. But even had that been
the case it would not have reduced the magnitude of the crime which
Currie had committed, while it would have shown that others were
equally guilty with him. The Jury had the whole case now before
them, and they would now consider the verdict they would return.
In answer to the Jury, the Coroner said if a man died within a
year and a day after receiving his injuries at the hands of another,
the accused would be deemed guilty of wilful murder the same as if
he had died immediately afterwards.
The Jury, after deliberating about half an hour, returned a
verdict of "Wilful murder against John Currie."
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