Herbert Nottingham Turner

Herbert Turner was murdered whilst sleeping rough at a works at Swadlincote near Burton-on-Trent.

During the struggle he had the thumb on his left hand cut off whilst warding off a blow.

He was found by a watchman at Woodward Limited whilst making his rounds in a drying shed, as he thought asleep. The watchman said that as he looked like a man that had previously been warned off the premises, and not caring to tackle him alone, he went off for a policeman.

When the policeman arrived, he applied the usual half-kindly, half-stern admonition, 'now then, there', and then stooped to awaken him, only to find that he was dead.

Herbert Turner had been a conjurer and was better known as Mexican Joe although he was born in Pontefract.

It was soon apparent that he had undoubtedly been murdered, and across his forehead there was a terrible gash, seemingly inflicted by a sharp instrument. At the back of his neck there was another deep wound, and his throat was cut. It was noted that either the former or the latter injury would have been in themselves sufficient to have caused death.

At the coroner’s inquest his brother was unable to corroborate whether or not Henry Turner had ever been treated in a London hospital for swallowing a sword.

Earlier on the night he was killed Henry Turner had been to a man’s house to get a place to stay but was told that it was too late for a doss house. Henry Turner had asked if he could sleep in the pipe works but was told that he couldn't because of the watchman and was directed to the other works which were just under the hill where his mutilated body was later found.

He was noted as having been known throughout the Midlands and to have presented a picturesque figure, with long hair dropping over his shoulders. He was said to have been in the district for some days giving conjuring entertainments.

He was known to have left a Swadlincote public house on the Friday night about 11pm.

He was also known to have, a short time previously, begged of a tradesman, saying that he was starving, but when his body was search, his pockets were found to be full of coppers.

No instrument by which the wounds could have been inflicted was found.

When he was found he had been in a sitting position, with blood all round.

A doctor said that his wounds could not have been self-inflicted or caused accidentally.

Woodward Limited had been a brickworks, and it is thought that the works in question had been just off the High Street, located where the Morrison's car park is today.