心 情 暸 望 台

Murder at Enstone, Chipping Norton 
2008/07/18 00:01

Enstone是個典型的英國村莊，從事著英國是的農牧業，人口不太多，就連村裡的學校也只有100學生，村中比較重要的建築是個教堂，離Enstone村比較近的大村落是Chipping Norton，不過也大不了多少。Enstone距離牛津市約15英里，有公路從牛津通過Enstone，就因為如此，現在的Enstone也可以見到一些科技公司在此。不過，Enstone仍然保持著從古以來的農村氣質。有關Enstone的歷史與現況，可以參觀他們的網站：http://www.enstonevillage.co.uk。

儘管現在的Enstone就像英國小說家筆下的迷人農村，一般的村民過著與世無爭的安閒日子，不過，在90年前，這裡曾經發生過一起駭人聽聞的謀殺案，即使現在要忘掉這個慘劇，可是謀殺案的動機仍然是個不解之謎。

這件恐怖謀殺案發生在1921年6月21日。受害者是Susanne Alathea Hay-Bolton，九個月大的嬰兒，殺害她的則是蘇安(Susanne)最親近的日本保母。

Susanne在1920年8月出生於上海，她的父親是諾曼.波頓（Norman Hay Botlon）醫生，在上海與其它幾位英國醫生共同執業。蘇安出生沒多久，她的父母決定回英國休息一年，因此，特定來上海探望兒子和媳婦的婆婆就到上海的一家英國旅館找來了一名日本保母。

在當時，不少高級旅館都提供這種旅行保母的仲介服務，多半的中上家庭出遊時，不願被小孩給牽絆著，所以都會僱請旅行保母，將小孩一路交給保母照顧。不少的保母只雇用一段時期，通常是橫渡大洋的時間內，一到了岸，保母就離職，自己作自己的事。然而也有的家庭的旅途長達一年半載的，有時這類的旅行保母也會跟著一起旅行，照顧小孩。

一般而言，外國人在中國生了小孩，同常會雇用一名中國的奶媽，可是看來蘇安出生後，父母就要離開中國一段時間，所以很可能根本沒有替蘇安請中國奶媽。不過，話又說回來，只有很少數的例外，一般而言，中國奶媽多半不會跟著雇主離開中國一年之久，畢竟他們在中國還有自己的家庭。

蘇安的祖母(Jane Bolton太太)在Astor House Hotel找到一名日本保母，名叫Otoki Skabe，年41歲，曾經結過婚，不太會說英文。Jane Bolton給了日本保母20英鎊的製裝費，除了提供吃喝和住處以外，每個月的保母費是5-英鎊。在出發回英國以前，日本保母先在波頓醫生家照顧蘇安5個星期，讓蘇安好好熟悉保母。嬰兒與保母之間似乎相處的不錯。

將到英國家鄉Enstone的時候，一切都還不錯，不過因為語言不同，日本保母與家裡其它的人互動並不多。日本保母在1921年6月的時候，直提到她的牙痛，無法入睡，所以6月20日的時候，波頓家的人帶她看牙醫，疼痛的情況好多了。

6月21日下午，日本保母頭很痛，但是她要帶著蘇安去散步，家裡替她拿阿司匹林，不過找到阿司匹林以後，日本保母已經帶著蘇安不見了。到了晚上，兩個人還沒有回來，這實在不像是保母會做的行徑，所以家人就外出搜索，並且也報了案。

晚上八點忠，鄰近農莊的長工在Enstone的溪水裡找到找到了蘇安的屍體。蘇安整個身體泡在冰冷的溪水了，她的衣服很整齊，只有頭上的小帽子有些不整，她的嬰兒推車就在附近。她的叔叔，另外一名波頓醫生檢查了蘇安的屍體，發現在蘇安的下巴有一個很深的傷口，雖然不是致命的傷，但是可以看出是用很銳利的東西造成了。蘇安的脖子上也有一些傷痕和抓痕。蘇安在溪水裡泡了好幾個小時，她的氣息就在溪水中慢慢的流失了。

沒多久，搜尋人員也在附近找到了日本保母，她的衣著不整，鞋子也不見了。可是沒有人能和她溝通，好瞭解到底發生了什麼事情。但是，不少人懷疑她的激動情緒。所以，決定次日再繼續搜索，看看能不能找到一些其它的線索。

第二天早上，警察和一些附近的鄰居又到小溪擴大搜索範圍。他們在蘇安屍體附近找到了日本保母的鞋子、她的剪刀，以及不少英鎊，越來越多的證物指向了保母。同時，也有附近鄰居出來作證，在21日下午那段時間，只看到日本保母帶著蘇安經過小溪那段路。接下來，警察的調查的調查在在指出殺死蘇安的兇手就是她的保母。

由於波頓醫生一家是上海居民，蘇安的謀殺案又震動了英國社會，上海的英文報紙就在1921年8月20日將英國報紙上有關蘇安謀殺案與公聽會的經過給印了出來。這也是一個研究近代社會歷史的好題材，值得深入研究。更是值得根據這件事情的來龍去脈，寫出一本小說。

不過，令人好奇與不解的是，日本保母為何要謀殺一名無辜的小嬰兒，她的動機到底為何？

來源：The North China Herald
日期：August 20, 1921

Death of Dr. Bolton’s baby

The verdict of murder against the Japanese Amah: inquest and full details of the tragedy

We have received the following report of the inquest on Dr. N. Hay Bolton’s baby, found drowned in a brook near Chipping Norton on June 21, in consequence of which a verdict of murder was returned by the Coroner’s jury against the Japanese amah.

On Tuesday week a tragedy of a distressing character occurred at Enstone, near Chipping Norton, when a Japanese woman in the employ of Dr. and Mrs. Norman Hay-Bolton, as a nurse, was arrested on the charge of murdering the nine-months-old baby daughter of her employers. The occurrence created a profound sensation in the village, where the parents of the deceased child are well known and highly esteemed. The father, Dr. Hay-Bolton, is a nephew of Mr. Edward Bolton, J.P., and is a member of a firm of doctors in Shanghai, China, having recently come to England on furlough. The child was born at Shanghai last year. The mother, Mrs. Bolton, is a granddaughter of Mr. J. J. Adams. The circumstances are the more pathetic on account of the fact that the parents, who had been staying at Enstone on a visit, were away for a short holiday at the time. It appears that on Tuesday afternoon, the Japanese nurse, whose name is given as Otoki Sakabe, took the baby out in a perambulator, complaining before she went of pains in the head. She did not return, and the relatives became anxious, and, with the continued absence, the anxiety grew into alarm and a search was instituted and information of the missing nurse and baby was giving to the police. Towards eight o’clock a woodman on the Heythrop Estate found the child in the brook which runs from Heythrop towards Enstone. It was quite dead. The perambulator was lying on its side under the bushes. The missing nurse was found not far from the scene, was arrested by Supt. Page, and brought to Chipping Norton.

The Inquest

The Divisional Coroner (Mr. E. C. Fortescue) opened the inquiry at the Litchfield Arms Inn on Wednesday evening, with a jury of which Mr. Frederick Peachey was foreman.

Annie Carlotta Horsfall said she lived at Halifax, in Yorkshire, and had been staying of Enstone since June 2. She identified the body of the deceased baby, which was here grandchild. The name was Susanne Alathea Hay-Bolton, and she was born in August last. The parents of the child, Dr. and Mrs. Norman Hay-Bolton, went away from Enstone on Monday last, leaving the child in witness’s charge. There were two nurses, one for the little boy, who is three years of age, and the other, the Japanese nurse, who spoke very little English. The nurse had been with the deceased since the child was two or three weeks old. On Tuesday morning the nurse complained of toothache, and witness took her into Chipping Norton, to Mr. Pearce, a dentist. They returned to Enstone about 11.30, and the nurse said she felt much easier, and, having tad dinner, went out with the baby about 1.30. Witness saw them start. The child then was well and happy, and was particularly fond of the nurse. When she went out witness was certain there was no mark on the child’s neck. It was not the custom of the nurse to take the baby out at this time, as she then usually slept, but on this occasion the nurse said: “Take Susanne a little walk. No sleep. Back in few minutes.” She also complained of her head being bad. Witness said she would go and get her an Asperin, but she made the Japanese remark for “Doesn’t matter,” and before witness returned with the Asperin she was gone. She did not return at 3.30, the time for the baby to have a meal, and they at once made search and reported the matter to the police. Subsequently the police made a statement to her, and the parents were communicated with. Witness said, as she was taking “Amah,” the name by which the Japanese nurse was usually known, to Chipping Norton, she made a remark on passing the police station. This was probably because she had previously had to got there for registration.

Thomas Edward Bennett, woodman, in Capt. Brassey’s employ, and residing at Enstone Lodge, said he was working near the carriage drive leading from Enstone at the mansion on Tuesday afternoon. About 5.30 the undernurse called at his house asking if he had seen anything of the baby and the nurse. He said “No.” Later in the evening, while witness was on his allotment, Mrs. Horsfall came running and seemed very upset, and asked witness again if he had seen anything of the nurse and baby. After what Mrs. Horsfall said witness made up his mind to walk along the brook which runs up the park, in some places parallel with the drive. About three hundred yards up the stream from his lodge, he found the deceased lying face downwards in the middle of the brook, which was ten or eleven inches deep at this point, the width being seven or eight feet. He took the child out and laid her on the bank. She was quite dead. A young man named Trinder came along soon after, and witness asked him to inform the police and the relatives. From the drive to the spot where he found the body would be ten or eleven yards, and down a sloping bank. Witness noticed the boot of a grown-up person on the bank about five or six yards further up the stream. There was also a perambulator turned over on its side. Later on P. C. Dorrell and himself went back and found another boot, which, with the one he found on the bank, amd a pair. They were women’s boots.

A wound in the chin

Dr. Alfred O. Bolton, Medical practitioner, of Leighton Buzzard, cousin of the father deceased, said he arrived at Enstone on Tuesday evening on a visit to his father. Mr. Edward Bolton. He heard that the nurse and child were missing, and, having been told that the baby had been found in the brook, he at once went down. This was little after eight o’clock. He saw the child on the bank, and examined the body, having been taken to the spot by Bennett. The baby was fully dressed, and the only derangement of the clothes was that the string of the bonnet was pushed up over the face. Life was extinct, and to all appearance had been for some hours. He had since examined the body again, and found a small wound under the chin about half an inch in length and half an inch in depth, which appeared to have been caused by some sharp instrument. This, how ever, was quite insufficient to cause any vital injury. There were also some small scratches on the neck and chin, two of them radiating out from the wound referred to.

The Coroner. Can you form any opinion as to how they were caused?—Dr. Bolton: They wee too severe to be cause by the child’s nails. Quite considerable form must have been used to cause the main wound. Dr. Bolton added that he was present when the Japanese nurse was apprehended by the police, and heard what she said.

The Coroner said he thought they had better reserve that until the further hearing. The nurse should have an opportunity to be present if she wished to. The police were making further investigations, which they hoped to complete shortly. He therefore proposed to adjourn the inquiry until Monday evening at the same hour.

Discovery of the Amah

The adjourned inquest was held at the Lichfield Arms, on Monday evening.

The first evidence taken was that of Thomas Edward Bennett, who was recalled. He said he was not working on the afternoon of June 21, near the spot where the body was found, although he did pass near during the afternoon. Several people went up or down the drive, but he did not take any particular notice of them.

Oliver Frank Thompsitt, an employee on the Heythrop estate, stated that about 1.30 on June 21 he was having his dinner on Mr. Bennett’s lawn at the lodge house, close to the drive road, when he saw the Japanese nurse come through the lodge gate from the direction of Enstone. She was wheeling a perambulator containing a baby. The nurse was walking very fast. He noticed this because on the previous day when he saw her she was walking very slowly. He watched her for some 40 yards until she disappeared round a bend in the drive. The nurse did not look at him, but kept straight on. About four o’clock one of the maids from the house where the Japanese nurse was staying came a little way down the drive and then returned.

William John Allen, of Leys Farm, Enstone, said that on Tuesday evening, June 21, he was walking round a barley field known as Bricknill, at about 8.15. He saw a Japanese woman lying down in the barley, apparently hiding. She was lying on her side and was smothered with mud. She had no boots on and she appeared very wet. She did not speak to him, and he thought it looked very strange. He kept his eye on her, and when he was sixty yards away she sat up. Later, as he got further away, she stood up. Witness heard some talking and felt that there must be something wrong. He beckoned to the woman, and she came towards him. Proceeding still further, he came up with Supt. Page and told him he found the nurse up in the barley field and left her with him.

Supt. Page said that in consequence of information received he went to the Heythrop drive on the evening of June 21. He saw Thomas Bennett and Dr. Bolton, and near them the body of a child lying on the bank of the stream, which Bennett said he had just recovered from the stream near by and eight yards from the metal part of the road was perambulator lying on its side. This was about seven feet from the edge of the stream. Six of seven feet from the perambulator he found a left-foot shoe (produced). He made arrangements for the removal of the child’s body and made a search for the Japanese nurse. He spoke to Allen and then saw the nurse coming towards him through the undergrowth. He told the nurse the baby had been found in the water and was dead. The nurse put both her hands to her head and did appear to understand what he said. He motioned to her to get into the sidecar of his motor bicycle, and he then noticed she was wet from head to foot and that she was wearing no shoes. He took her to P.C. Dorrell’s house, where he obtained some dry clothes for her and conveyed her to Chipping Norton Police Station. On Wednesday, June 23, in company with P.C. Dorrell, he searched the spot where the child was found. About eight yards on the opposite side of the stream P.C. Dorrell picked up five £1 Treasury notes and a 10s. note, and a little further on a shilling, and still further on two keys and a ring.

What was found in the GRaxxx

P.C. Dorrell said that about 9 p.m. on Tuesday, the 21st instant, he examined the spot where the child’s body was found. In the centre of the stream he found the nurse’s shoe for the right foot (produced). He again visited the spot the following day with Supt. Page, and then found the £5 10s. in notes, which were wrapped round with a piece of paper. He also found the other articles mentioned by Supt. Page, which he produced. On Friday, June 24, he again visited the scene and caused a portion of the stream to be drained and then examined the bed of the stream. He found the comb produced and sticking in the near side bank about eight yards from where the body was found, a pair of scissors. The next day, in company with Mrs. Horsfall, he examined a box belonging to the Japanese nurse and tried the key produced in the lock. This key fitted. Mrs. Horsfall identified the whole of the articles produced, with the exception of the money and the scissors.

Mrs. Jane Bolton, wife of Joseph Shepherd Bolton, of 88 Lansbury Road, Nottingham, stated that she had been on a visit to her son in Shanghai. Her son was Dr. Norman Hay Bolton, father of the deceased child. The child was born on August 31 last. She was present when the Japanese nurse was engaged. They obtained her name from the clerk of the Astor House Hotel. They found out the nurse was a traveling ‘amah’ and had been to Europe before. She was willing to go again. Her age was given as 41 and she had been married. She was with them five weeks altogether before they sailed to England. She got on well with child and was in every way satisfactory. She was, however, at times excitable. The child later seemed to get very fond of her. During the whole time on board ship the nurse was quite satisfactory. The terms with regard to the engagement of the Japanese nurse were quite generous. She was given about £20 to buy her outfit, and was to be paid about four or five pounds a month. She recognized the writing on the paper in which the five £1 notes were wrapped as her son’s. The scissors produced she could identify as of Japanese or Chinese pattern, but she could not state that they were the property of the nurse. The comb was similar to those which the nurse wore.

Verdict of murder

Mrs. Horsfall, who had given evidence on the previous inquiry, was again called. She had stayed with her daughter and son-in-law at Pournemouth since their arrival in England. The Japanese nurse had always looked after the child well and was very found of her. It was nothing unusual for the child to be left under witness’s care during the parents’ absence. There had never been any disagreement between the Japanese and the other nurse. She identified the shoes produced as belonging to the Japanese nurse, also the paper in which the notes were wrapped. She could not swear to the scissors, but the ring was similar to one the nurse wore.

Dr. Bolton, in giving further evidence, said that the scissors produced, if closed, would cause a very similar wound to that which he found on the child’s neck. He did not attempt any artificial respiration when he first saw the child after it was taken from the water because he formed the opinion it had been dead some hours, and it would have been useless. The cause of death was asphyxia from drowning. He was satisfied that the child was alive when it entered the water, and that it had not lost any considerable amount of blood from the wound in the neck.

The coroner summed up the evidence at some length. He said they must exclude anything they had heard outside the evidence given, and not take into consideration any other statements which might have been made. They might, perhaps, wonder why the Japanese nurse was not present. It was sufficient to say that she had had notice that the inquest was being adjourned, and she did not desire to attend. There was no power to compel her to be there, and there must not comment in their minds or to each other on that point. The fact was that she was fully entitled to be there, or to stop away if she wished. Therefore, the fact of her absence should not affect them in the least. Their duty was first to consider the cause of death. Was the primary cause of death due to accident or misadventure, or was there a felonious act of any other person.

The jury retired for some few minutes, and on their return the foreman said the jury found a verdict of murder against the Japanese nurse. They wished to thank the police for the manner in which the case had been put forward. A similar expression of appreciation was made by Mrs. Horsfall and Mrs. Bolton.

Police Court Proceedings

On Thursday morning the accused was brought up before Capt. J. H. Waller, M.V.O., (in the chair), and Mr. Vernon J. Watney, at the police station, Chipping Norton, and charged with the murder of sasanne Alathea Hay Bolton, at Enstone, on Tuesday.

Professor S. Shunda Tachibana, Solo-Sec College, Tokio, Japan, of 98 Southmoor Road, Oxford, was present as interpreter, and explained the charge which the Magistrates’ Clerk (Mr. Andrew Walsh) had read. The professor also interpreted the evidence given by Supt. Page. The prisoner appeared excited, and talked volubly in her own language.

Supt. Page stated that on Tuesday he proceeded to Enstone, arriving there about 6.15 p.m. He went t oa stream which runs down Heythrop Park near the Enstone drive. About three hundred yards down he saw a man named Bennett and Dr. Bolton, and quite close the body of a child which was lying on the bank about six feet from the stream. The clothing was wet and the child was dead. Bennett had just taken the body out of the water. He had previously ascertained the name of the child as Susanne Alathea Hay Bolton. Witness made arrangements for the removal of the body, and then searched the stream towards Heythrop. In consequence of information given him he looked up to wards some fields through some undergrowth, and there saw the prisoner coming along a track to wards him. He beckoned to her, and said to her, “The child has been found in the stream and it is dead.” The prisoner put her hands to her head and did not appear to understand what he was saying. He pointed to his motor-bicycle and side-car and she walked along and got into the side-car. Witness then noticed that her clothing, from her neck to her feet, was wet and dirty. Her hair was also wet. She had no boots or shoes on, and her stockings were muddy. He took her to P.C. Dorrell’s house, obtained dry garments, and brought her to Chipping Norton. He did not then charge her with anything, because he could not make her understand.

The prisoner was remanded in custody.