Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Thursday 28 May 1857, page 4


THE MURDERS BY BACON.

We have been disappointed in searching for a complete account of the various mur-ders alleged against Thomas Fuller Bacon, within a space suited for our columns. The following extracts from a series of papers, will, however, give a pretty clear narrative of the whole. The enquiry into the death of Bacon's father does not appear to have taken place, up to the date of the latest papers now to hand. The murder of the two children is spoken of throughout as

THE DOUBLE WALWORTH MURDER.

(From the Home News, Feb. 4.)

It will be recollected by our readers that some weeks since Mrs. Martha Bacon was arrested on a charge of murdering her two children. Her explanation was, that " a man" had got into the house, killed the children, and carried off divers things. She was thought to be mad. On investigation, facts came to light casting suspicion on her husband. He was interrogated about the missing property, and he gave very con-flicting answers. On the 22nd of January, husband and wife were brought before the Lambeth magistrate. Bacon again pre-varicated. In the midst of the proceedings, his wife cut the matter short by handing up a letter, which at her request Mr. Elliott read

as follows :—

" Sir — I must confess I am an innocent person, and he who committed the dreadful deed is my husband, and there was no money on the drawers. He took the little boy down stairs, put him in a chair, and there cut his throat; he then went up stairs and cut the little baby's throat.

"MARTHA BACON."

The letter produced a sense of horror in the court, and had visible effect on the nerves of Bacon. Both husband and wife are remanded on a charge of murder. Mr Elliott directed Inspector Young to write and request the authorities at Stamford to ex-hume the body of Bacon's mother, who it is suspected, had been poisoned with arsenic a

year ago.

Further evidence has been discovered tend-ing to show the guilt of Bacon — blood-stained garments hitherto concealed, Mrs. Bacon states that her husband attempted her life at the time he murdered his children ; which would account for the marks of a knife on her throat. She now manifests the greatest horror and fear of her husband, and has begged that he may not be allowed to approach her. Bacon, it is stated, bears an ill name at Stamford, where he carried on business as an ironmonger. He was not only guilty of seduction there, but has been tried for arson, and suspected of the murder of his mother.

The prisoners were again examined on the 28th of January. In the course of the addi-tional evidence given, it was stated by a wit-ness, that about a week after the murder she washed several shirts belonging to the pri-soner, and that they were smeared with blood on the right wristband and on other parts. The prisoner (Bacon) attempted to account for the appearance of the blood on the shirts by saying that he suffered from a complaint which would cause such a conse-

quence, but the witness told the prisoner that such could not be the case. The wit-ness added, that Bacon appeared timid and nervous, and said he hoped his wife would not be punished, as he was sure she had not murdered the children. In another conver-sation which Bacon had with this witness, he said that if his wife laid it to him he should kill her. Other witnesses were examined. The prisoners were again remanded.