![]() The two last were the dreadful charges imputed to the prisoners - the one being the son, and the other the servant of the deceased. In his preliminary observations, he said, that even the horrid crime of murder had its gradations of atrocity it was aggravated when committed by the strong upon the feeble and unresisting - when by the servant against his master - and above all, when by the son against his aged father. Mr Gurney, as leading counsel for the crown, stated the case to the jury in a speech most admirable for the lucid arrangement of the circumstances. Wilson by fracturing the skull with a hammer, and cutting their throats. Chennel, at Godalming, on the 10th of November preceding and, on a second indictment, for the murder of Eliz. Chalcraft were arraigned for the wilful murder of O. The zeal and activity of the magistrates, succeeded in producing a chain of evidence which converted the floating suspicions against both prisoners into almost absolute certainties and Chennel and Chalcraft were ultimately committed to take their trials for the parricide and murder.Ī variety of circumstances procrastinated the trials of the prisoners charged with these atrocious murders till the 12th of August, 1818 when George Chennel and J. CHALCRAFT, a man of universal bad character, and the constant associate of the accused parricide. ![]() On the following day, a coroner's inquest was held on the bodies and the evidence elicited on that occasion tended to fix more strongly the violent suspicion already existing of George Chennel, the son, having been concerned in the murders, although the crime was not sufficiently brought home to him to induce the Jury to implicate him by their verdict they accordingly returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder against some person or persons unknown," in full confidence that another Jury would decide upon the guilt or innocence of the accused.Ĭhennel had undergone one or two examinations before the magistrates at the Town Hall, before any suspicion was excited as to his having had an accomplice in the horrid deed hut circumstances at length transpired, which involved in the same suspicion of guilt his late father's carman, J. He solemnly denied all knowledge of the affair, and no other evidence then transpired to implicate him than the circumstance of his being absent from the public-house on the evening when the murders were committed, although it appeared that his habits of living had been dissolute, and had occasioned great uneasiness to his parent, who was well known to possess considerable property. The son of Mr Chennel, who lived at some distance from his father, was apprehended on suspicion of being concerned, and underwent an examination when it appeared by the evidence, that on the Monday night previous to the murder he was drinking at a public-house a short distance from his father's, and that between nine and ten o'clock be left the public-house for a short time, and returned, and remained there drinking a considerable time. Immediate information was given to the magistrates in the neighbourhood of the dreadful transaction, and they caused an immediate investigation for the purpose of discovering the perpetrator or perpetrators of the murders and every person was summoned, whose evidence could afford the least clue to the discovery of the offenders. Upon a farther examination of the body of the housekeeper, it was found that her skull was fractured and a hammer which Mr Chennel used in his business, that was found on the ground, appeared to have been the instrument with which the blow was given, as the face of it exactly corresponded with the mark upon the skull. His body was bruised in various parts, as if very recently done, from which it was inferred that he must have had a very severe struggle with the murderers and he was quite cold, which circumstance led the parties to suppose that the diabolical attack and inhuman murders were committed on the preceding night. ![]() They proceeded upstairs, and were horror-struck at the sight of Mr Chennel lying on the ground, with his head nearly severed from the body. ![]() He was terrified at the sight, and called in some of the neighbours they found the floor covered with blood, and the old woman quite dead and cold. On opening the door, the first object that caught his eye was the body of Mr Chennel's housekeeper stretched on the floor, with her throat cut in a shocking manner. 10, 1817, a man who had ordered some shoes to be made at Mr Chennel's, shoemaker, at Godalming, called for the purpose of ascertaining if they were done. CHALCRAFTĮxecuted August, 1818 for the atrocious murder of Chennel's father and his Housekeeper, at GodalmingĮARLY On the morning of Tuesday, Nov. The Newgate Calendar - GEORGE CHENNEL AND J. ![]()
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