THE RAMSGATE EXPLOSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7808, 12 September 1903, Page 4

THE RAMSGATE EXPLOSION.

♦— HENSON SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR THE MURDER OF HIS£ON. Samuel Henson was sentenced to death recently at the Kent Assizes at Maidstone by Mr Justice Darling for the murder of bis son by blowing up his htouse with dynamite at Ramsgate on February 25 of this year. The prosecution's case against Henson was that he was jealous in regard to his wife, and a series of quarrels resulted in hia wife removing to another liouse with her son, and living apart, from her husband. The prisoner then left Ramsgate, and, after visiting Liverpool, Birkenhead, Birmingham and other places, he went to Derby, and was there employed on some sewage works, where high explosives were used, and where the prisoner obtained a quantity, which he removed ina-smn.ll parcel in a bag, of which he was very careful wherever he went. TJie bao-t portion; of the house was . demolished. Afterwards the son's body was found with the left arnii and leg shattered through his attempting, it was thought, to get the infernal machine out into the open. The prisoner was found with his throat cut, and there were wounds also on his wife's throat. Counsel pointed out that, if the prisoner took thfe explosives into the house with the intention of killing his wife, and killed his son, it wasj, still murder, and his lordship said that ithe took tlie explosive there and lit it in the presence of his wife and sonthere was ample evidence of malice towards the son. A man named Wells who was sleeping in the liouse, in evidence said that soon after he went to bed he heard tins prisoner and his wife quarrelling downstairs. Henson asked, "Is this, to be the finish?" -and the witness heard Mrs Benson ahd her son reply, "Yes." The prisoner said, fWell, theni" Mrs Henson shrieked, and a second later an explosion occurred. Sergeant Creedy stated that the accused made a complaint to him in Christmas week about someone talking goods from his house, and witness replied, " You know it is your wife -and son who have been there. You can apply to the magistrate if you are not satisfied." The witness stated that prisoner answered, "I will settle the job myself. I will show them all. Blow them all to— a ' The prisoner gavp evidence. Ho said he bought about 21b of tonite* from a man- at Chatham. He wanted the explosive because he expected to get a job at Ramsgate, where it would be required. WhHe talking to his -wife he remembered striking a fusee to light his cigar. The fusee must have dropped on tlte parcel containing thfe tonite and caused the explosion, which was a pure accident. He was so upset by what occurred that he cut his throat- with a knife. Mr Justice Darting, in summing up, commented on the fact, that this was tho first time prisoner had suggested that, his son's death was due to an accident. . The jury, after ten .minutes' deliberation, found prisoner guilty. , His lordship, in -passing sentence of death, which the prisoner heard quito unmoved, said he quite approved of the verdict. Henson wasi to have been hanged on August 4.