A letter from Portsmouth states that the man Clarke, a native of Hayling Island, near Havant, also suspected of being concerned in the murder, was apprehended at Havant yesterday (Thursday) morning, immediately after his arrival in that town, on his way to Hayling to visit his mother. He went into the Black Dog Inn, at Havant, and called for two pints of beer, when the landlord (Mr. Simpson), who formerly kept the Royal Hotel Tap at Hayling, immediately recognised him, and sent for the police, who lodged him in the lockup until the proper authorities could be communicated with as to his further disposal.
Prior to his removal to the station-house in custody, the prisoner denied several times that his name was Clarke, but finding that he was well known to the serjeant (having two brothers in the Hants County Constabulary), and also to Mr. Cavell, the relieving-officer of Havant (formerly for 14 years in the Hants Constabulary Force), he at length admitted his name, and that he had been at work for Mr. Henty, brewer, at Chichester, on the previous day. Prior to this, however, he had told Mr. Simpson, of the Black Dog, that he had come direct from Petersfield, where he had been in company with a woman who sold caps. When the charge from the Hue and Cry was read to him at the station-house, he merely remarked, ‟Well, that's strange,” which he twice repeated, but made no other observation. He remained at Havant last night, pending the decision of the county authorities relative to his further disposal. None of the property stolen at the time of the murder was found on him.
Hampshire Telegraph - Saturday 08 September 1855
The CUDHAM TRAGEDY.—The man Clarke, a native of Hayling Island, suspected of being concerned in the atrocious murder of Jane Bagley, and the barbarous assault upon her aged mother-in-law, on the morning of the 25th ult., at Cudham, near Bristol, was apprehended at Havant on Thursday morning immediately after his arrival in that town, on his way to Hayling to visit his mother. He went into the Black Dog Inn, at Havant and called for two pints of beer, when the landlord (Mr. Simpson), who formerly kept the Royal Hotel Tap at Hayling, immediately recognised him, and sent for the police, who lodged him in his lockup until the proper authorities could be communicated with as to his further disposal. Prior to his removal to the station-house in custody, the prisoner denied several times that his name was Clarke, but finding that he was well known to the sergeant (having two brothers in the Hants County Constabulary), and also to Mr. Cavell, the relieving-officer of Havant (formerly for 14 years in the Hants Constabulary Force), he at length admitted his, name, and that he had been at work for Mr. Henrty, brewer, at Chichester, on the previous day. Prior to this, however, he had told Mr. Simpson, of the Black Dog, that he had come direct from Petersfield, where he had been in company with a woman who sold caps. When the charge from the Hue and Cry was read to him at the station-house, he merely remarked, ‟Well, that’s strange,” which he twice repeated, but made no other observation. He remained at Havant on Thursday night, pending the decision of the county authorities relative to his further disposal. None of the property stolen at the time of the murder was found on him. The other man, Robert, alias Thomas Paling, a notorious burglar for years, before his transportation, also suspected of this murder, was apprehended on Wednesday morning, when in bed, at the house of Mark Wheeler, in the village of Whitfield, near Bristol; and under-went a formal examination on Thursday before Mr. Wells, county magistrate, at Bromley; when William Bagley, the deceased son, deposed that on searching the cottage after the murder, he missed a jacket, waistcoat, and a pair of trowsers. Those produced were some of the missing articles. James Johnson, police constable, deposed that when he apprehended the prisoner, he found among the prisoner’s clothes, in the same room, the clothes identified by Mr. Bagley as his. The accused was then remanded for a week.