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Georgina Moore, Ester Pay 1882.
DISCOVERY OF A CHILD'S BODY.
Some five weeks ago, a little girl, named
Georgina Moore, disappeared mysteriously from her parents' home, in
Pimlico. She was only seven years old, and was described as having
golden hair, and being attired in dark clothes, with a dark ulster,
button boots, and white straw hat, trimmed with black velvet; a reward
of £40 was offered for her recovery. On Monday afternoon, a body,
corresponding in every respect with the missing child, was taken from
the river Medway, at Yalding, near Maidstone. The identity has yet to be
proved, but death, according to the appearance of the neck, had been
caused by strangulation, while in order to sink the body a fire brick
had been attached to it by means of wires. The remains had evidently
been in the water some days. Information has been telegraphed to
Scotland Yard.
Monmouthshire Merlin 3 February 1882.
THE MURDER OT A LITTLE GIRL. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCUSED.
At the Westminster police-court, London, on Wednesday morning (before
Mr. Partridge) Esther Pay, 35, described as of 51, Westmoreland-street,
a married woman, was charged on suspicion of having caused the death of
Georgina Moore, aged seven to and half years, late of 105, Manchester-
street, Pimlico, at Yalding, in Kent. Considerable interest was
manifested in the case, the crowd of people in the court being unusually
large. The proceedings were delayed for nearly an hour in consequence of
the non-arrival of the magistrate. The prisoner, who is a tall,
fine-looking woman, appeared quite unconcerned, and, in reply to the
magistrate, said she had no legal adviser, and did not think she
required one. Henry Marshall, Inspector of Police, Scotland Yard, stated
that on Tuesday he went to a cottage at Yalding, in Kent, having with
him Sergeant Couzens. He saw the prisoner there in her bed room. He
said, "Well, Mrs. Pay "I have come to see you again." She said, "How did
you know I was here?" and appeared very indignant. He said, "It is about
the child Moore again," and she replied "I know nothing about it." He
said, "Have you not heard that yesterday a child was found in the Medway
at the back of your house?" She said, "No." He then said, "Well, such is
the case, and I must detain you certainly on suspicion of stealing the
child, and probably you may be charged with causing its death, inasmuch
as the body was discovered near your house the third day after your
arrival here." She said, Well, you must prove it. I brought nothing with
me except a black bag and a small parcel." He then searched the room,
and also a little bag. In the bag was a copy of the Penny Illustrated
Paper, containing a portrait of the missing child, and stating that a
reward of £40 had been offered for her recovery.
The Prisoner:- "That
paper was given to me by Mr. Moore" The Magistrate:" It would be better
if you said nothing at this stage. After some further evidence the
prisoner was remanded for a week.
Weekly Mail 4 February 1882.
THE YALDING MURDER.
The mystery which envelopes the fate of the little girl Georgina Moore,
has only been partially dissipated by revelations made at the
examinations of Esther Pay, who is charged with having caused the
unfortunate child's death. From enquiries made by the special
representative of the Press Association," at the scene of the finding of
the body, it would seem that the connection of the accused with the
disappearance of the child is much more apparent than the evidence
adduced at those inquiries, tended to show. Esther Pay, the accused, is
one of eight daughters of Wm. Humphrey, bailiff to Mr Alfred White, of
Nettlestead, a village which adjoins the parish of Yalding, being
divided from it by the river Medway, which at that point is only about
20 yards wide. She has recently been separated from her husband, but for
what reason is not apparent. For some time previous to their removal to
their present address in Winchester-street, Pimlico, the parents of the
child Moore resided with the Pays in a neighbouring street, and here, it
would seem, the father of the deceased child made the acquaintance of
the accused. This acquaintance was of such a nature as to allow of Moore
paying a visit to the accused at her father's house at Nettlestead
during the hopping season. Since that time neither he nor the accused
have been seen in the village until Saturday last, but about three weeks
ago a man and woman (the latter of whom answers to the description of
the accused) went into a public-house at Nettlestead, where they were
closeted in a private room for three hours. The identity of the man has
not been established. At the point on the river's bank where the
bargeman, Alfred Penhorn, found the body of the little girl, a pathway
leads up from the towing path, over the railway, and thence across a
hop-field Mid meadow to the Maidstone road, where it comes out by the
side of the house of the bailiff Humphrey. It thus forms a direct line
of communication between the spot where the body was found and the
bailiffs house. It is by an extraordinary inadvertence that the body was
discovered by Penhorn. It appears that Penhorn was a stranger to the
locality, and not knowing the bed of the river over well, he allowed his
barge to swing round to a shallow portion of the stream near the bank,
and it was here by merest accident that he inserted his boom to push the
barge off, and by doing so brought up the object which proved to be the
body of the missing child. From the careful manner in which the body was
bound it is assumed that more than one person assisted in the
accomplishment of the deed. Several turns of wire were made round the
body, and two loops were made at the feet to hold bricks to sink the
body. One had slipped out, and it is expected will be found in the bed
of the river when the water is drawn off to day (Friday.) It is also
thought that the child was murdered before being thrown in, as the body
was quite fresh when found. The post mortem examination now being
conducted will alone decide this point. (Penhorn is spelled Pinhorne in
some editions)
Cardiff Times 4 February 1882.
THE YALDING CHILD MURDER. VERDICT OF WILFUL MURDER.
The inquiry into the cause of death of the child. Georgina Moore, was
resumed by the coroner at Yalding on Monday morning Mr. Simms appeared
for the Treasury, and Mr Dutton for the woman Esther Pay. Several
witnesses were examined, and the coroner summed up. The jury, after a
short deliberation, returned a verdict of "Wilful murder" against Esther
Pay, and the coroner committed her for trial at the assizes.
Western Mail 21 February 1882.
THE YALDING CHILD MURDER.
Ester Pay was brought up at the Westminster police-court, London, on
Monday, charged on remand with the murder of Georgina Moore. Mrs. Lutter,
examined, said it was untrue that she was out with prisoner on December
20. Her first statement to the police was incorrect. Stephen Moore,
father of the deceased, said the day after his child disappeared he saw
prisoner off to Yalding. He had had immoral relations with several
women, and amongst them was the prisoner. Dr, Bond said his opinion was
that the child was placed in the water when dead and the cause of death
was strangulation The prisoner was further remanded.
Western Mail 28 February 1882.
THE YALDING MYSTERY.
Mr Edward Clarke, Q.C., will be retained to defend Esther Pay, the woman
committed for trial at the Maidstone Assizes, on the charge of murdering
the child, Georgina Moore. It is the intention of the prisoner's
solicitor, Mr Dutton, to apply for the removal of the case to the
Central Criminal Court, on the ground of the great prejudice alleged to
exist against her at Maidstone.
South Wales Daily News 24 March 1882.
A soldier, George Euban who enlisted a few months ago in 2nd Battalion
Oxfordshire Light Infantry has surrendered himself to the police
authorities at the Curragh Camp, and made a confession to the effect;
that he, in company with Esther Pay, drowned the child Georgina Moore,
whose body was recently found in the Medway, near Yalding.
Collated from several reports April 1882.
The trial of Esther Pay on the charge of having murdered Georgina Moore,
who was missed from her home at Pimlico last December, and whose body
was found in the River Medway on the 30th of January last, was opened at
the Sussex Assize Court, Lewes, on Wednesday.
Stephen Moore, father of
the deceased, was examined. He admitted that during the time he and his
family lived in Westmoreland-street with the Pays there was immoral
intimacy between the prisoner and himself. Unpleasantness arose thereby,
and the Pays left. Afterwards he left his wife and went to live with
another woman, who passed as his wife, and it was during this period
that the deceased was missed. Prisoner having previously threatened to
take the child away he suspected and accused her, but she denied the
accusation, and seemed concerned about the child. Witness was being
cross-examined relative to his immoral proceedings when the court rose.
Weekly Mail 29 April 1882.
Esther Pay has been acquitted of the murder of the little girl whose
body was found in the Medway, near Yalding.
The chief point in the
defence was the fact that the evidence was wholly circumstantial, and
that the identification of the prisoner by the witnesses called for the
purpose was not sufficiently trustworthy.
North Wales Express 5 May 1882.
A year later Esthers husband was granted a decree nisi an £10 damages
against Stephen Moore based on statements made in the trial. |
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