Skegness Magazine

TRIAL of SAMUEL MOODY for the MURDER of ELIJAH LYNN

Tuesday, March 13th at Lincoln.

Samuel Moody, described as a fisherman, stood charged upon an indictment with the wilful murder of Elijah Lynn at Skegness, on the 5th February, 1860. He stood further charged with the like offence upon the Coroner’s inquisition, and pleaded ‘not guilty’ to both charges.

Mr Fitzjames Stephen and Mr Huish were counsel for the prosecution, Mr Flowers for the defence.

Mr H Stephen, in his opening address, at once proceeded to state the facts of the case. Prisoner and Lynn were neighbours, living at Skegness, a small fishing town on the coast, Moody was a fisherman, Lynn an machine man. From the Vine hotel, kept by Robert Chambers, where on the 4th February, Moody and David Howard were drinking. The road, besides which the little inn stands, runs northward in a line parallel to the coast and, where the road branches off to Wainfleet, the three men went to another turning, called Smith’s Corner, some 2,085 yards from the Vine Inn, which they had left between 12 and 1 o’clock on the night of 4/5 February. David Howard then left the others to go home along the Wainfleet Road. Moody’s house being 600 yards further along the road, about a mile from the vine Inn. All three were drunk when they left the Vine, and took a bottle of neat gin, and drunk some of this on the way home.

Howards evidence was confirmed by another witness who, looking out of his window at about 3 am, and this was the last time Lynn was seen alive. Mrs Lynn said she waited up for her husband, and she heard nobody walk past their house. At about3 am she heard somebody walk past, and in the moonlight, saw Moody walk past.

The same afternoon [the 5th] a boy named Senescall discovered the body of the deceased lying in a dyke near the west side of the road past Lynn’s house. The road itself is some 5ft above the level of the land, with a steep bank either side. The body was lying on its back, arms by its side, the hands were clenched, but no grass or reeds that grew by the side of the bank. It seemed to have been placed there by somebody, as there were no marks of a struggle, and the reeds undisturbed. Keys and other items were found nearby, together with a 1 inch thick stick, and feet marks were nearby, possibly caused by a struggle.

The body was examined, when it was found to have a fractured skull near the left temple, the bruise and swelling above it indicated a blow, not fatal, but could have knocked the victim out, death being from drowning. The bruise most likely was not caused by the victim falling on the ground unless it had struck a stone. The fact that there was no signs of a struggle in the water indicated the deceased had died from drowning whilst insensible. Two caps were found on the road near the body, one the deceased, the other the prisoners.

During the afternoon three people spoke to Moody about Lynn’s death. One said to him ‘this is a strange thing, where did you leave him?. Moody answered ‘I left him about 3 am trying to bargain with Howard about a machine. To Crofts, a shoemaker, who asked him if he was with Lynn the previous night, he said he was. Crofts then told Moody that Lynn had been found dead, and asked him where he had left him. Moody replied ‘Against his own door’ Crofts queried that Lynn should have been found so far from his own door, to which Moody replied ‘It is so’ Moody then said he asked Lynn if he should go into his house with him, to which Lynn replied ‘No don’t you go in, it will make my old woman cross; we’ve got company. Moody then expressed surprise that Lynn was drowned.

To another enquirer Moody stated that he had left Lynn at Smiths Corner, and did not know what time he got home. The trousers worn by Moody on the night of the 4thwere wet almost to the top of the thigh. A bruise was noticed on his cheek, which he said had happened when he had fallen down on the road, and a scratch, which Moody said was caused by shaving, but it was recent and he was unshaved. Lynn had not been robbed, several sovereigns, which he had displayed at the Vine, were found on him.

It was then said that the motive was a grudge. Mr Kirkman, Lynn’s employer, had purchased an additional machine, which Moody wanted to be employed working it, but Lynn had stopped this, saying Moody ‘was of no use’. A quarrel then took place between the two, Lynn, who was more powerful, getting the better of Moody. To other people Moody said he would wait for Lynn and get the better of him. People told him he could not do this if Lynn was sober, to which Moody replied ‘I will get the better of him when he is drunk.’

Mr Flowers then addressed the Jury on behalf of Moody. From the evidence it was clear that Lynn was the more powerful, but also very quarrelsome man, whilst Moody had distinguished himself in saving life in the lifeboat service. The whole evil arose from drinking in the public house, and in the short time between drinking and death made it impossible to consider Lynn’s death was caused by Malice or premeditation, and urged that it was the result of a sudden quarrel, and a struggle in which both had fallen and rolled through the hedge into the dyke. It had been proved that Moody was more drunk than Lynn, for whom, while sober, Moody was no match, and it was only by chance that he was not defending Lynn against a charge of murdering Moody.

The learned judge then summed up, directing the jury to what was legally necessary for the crime of murder, and left it to the jury whether, upon the evidence, Moody was guilty of the crime or murder or of manslaughter only.

The jury then retired and after half an hours deliberation, returned a verdict of guilty of manslaughter.

Moody was then sentenced to 15 years penal servitude.

This appeared in The Times for March 14th 1860, page 12, cols b & c.