Extracts from the London Morning Chronicle
Wednesday 14th December 1808
Murder. - On Sunday evening, about 8 o’clock, as Mr. Wm. White, a respectable farmer, of Hoo, near Upnor in Kent, was sitting in his parlour reading, a shot was fired through the window, which instantly killed him. The alarm being given, immediate search was made after the perpetrator, but without effect. A gun, recently discharged, was found in a ditch about 40 roods from the house, near the Medway; from which it is presumed that the villain escaped by water. The deceased was a widower, and bore an excellent character: he has left a family of 11 children to lament his loss. The most delibrate aim must have been taken by the perpetrator, as he had placed a hurdle before the window to rest the gun on. The elder branches of the family were sitting near the unfortunate man, and his eldest daughter had just risen to reach something from an adjoining cupboard when the shot was fired, which entered at the back part of the head, and came out under his right eye. The gun is an old musket-barrel fastened to the stock by a nail in the breach, hammered down double in the wood; the lock will not stand at whole cock but was fastened back by a piece of twine, which is supposed to have been cut at the time of firing, as it appeared in that state when found.
Extracts from the London Morning Herald
Thursday 15th December 1808
This was an exact repeat of the article published in the Morning Chronicle the previous day.
Monday 19th December 1808
Mr. White of Hoo, whose murder we have already mentioned, it appears, a short time since, detected a neighbour’s servant in the act of robbing his master, to whom he gave information, and the man was discharged. The fellow vowed revenge, purchased a gun, and is supposed to have loaded it with pebbles. The piece found is proved to have been the same sold to him; and, what strongly corroborates the suspicion that he was the perpetrator is his absenting himself from home ever since the murder was committed. - He has been taken into custody at Babchild, and removed to Rochester.
Wednesday 28th December 1808
After a long and very close examination, the man taken up on suspicion of the cruel murder of Mr. White of Hoo, in Kent, has been discharged. The Coroner’s Jury returned a verdict of wilful murder, by some person unknown. The murderer is therefore yet at large, but as diligent search is making after him, we hope shortly to hear of his being in custody of the law.