Sussex Express       Front page story                  21 February 1857 

Dreadful Murder & Suicide at Alton

Inquests have been held at Headley, on the bodies of ESTHER FULLICK, a child eleven years of age, and Abraham Keeling aged 68.It appeared that Keeling had kept the public-house at Headley called the Bush (Holly Bush) but had retired, and resided for the last 12 months with his daughter and her husband. From the evidence it did not appear that he was in any degree of unsound mind. He went out for amusement and exercise in the usual way, and on the 2nd instant had been to Alton and back, nine miles from his residence. On the 3rd, his daughter having occasion to go to the village, left her father in the house after breakfast with the child, Esther Fullick, who lived in the house to look after the young children. About three o’clock in the afternoon the mother of the husband went to call on her daughter- in- law and on reaching it she tried the back door, but found it locked; and the key inside; on which she looked in through the windows of the front room and, saw Keeling lying on the floor with his throat cut, weltering in his blood, and a bloody razor lying on the window sill. She then gave alarm and the neighbours broke open the door, when they found Keeling as discribed, not quite dead, but speechless.

On looking further, they discovered  a track of blood leading from the front room into the adjoining one, where the child, Esther Fullick was found quite dead, in a pool of blood issuing from her throat, which had been cut. Keeling died shortly afterwards. He must have cut the throat of the child in the same room which he was found. A piece of work on which she had been engaged was found covered in blood, but it did not appear any other violence had been committed on her person.

Keeling had taken off his round frock and had attempted to wash it in a basin, which was found full of bloody water. There had also been an evident attempt to wipe up the tracks of blood on the floor. He must have killed the child, therefore, sometime before he destroyed himself. whether he intended removing the body of the child  and was prevented by hearing some one at the door, of course could not be ascertained. The jury after due deliberation, found a verdict of ‘Murder’ against Keeling in the case of the child, and of ‘Felo-de-se’ in his own case. The coroner issued his warrant to the churchwarden to bury the body according to the statue.

His death certificate reads, “Self murder, throat cut”.  Keeling was buried the day before Esther Fullick, it was intended to bury him at the crossroads on the edge of the village, however, he was buried just inside the church wall opposite the church porch at midnight with every mark of dishonour.
( ie just in the churchyard) stones being flung on the coffin by onlookers.