John Morgan

Morgan was a nineteen year old bandsman in the 82nd Regiment who was convicted at Maidstone Assizes, of the murder of John Foulson on 6th March. The two soldiers were in the same regiment stationed at Shornecliffe camp, and on the night of the crime they were sitting in a hut with two young drummerboys. Morgan gave one of the boys a sum of money to go and fetch some sweets and both the drummers left. Within seconds of them leaving the hut, Foulson rushed out clutching his neck and dashed into another hut where he picked up a pen and wrote 'Morgan done it.' He died within minutes from the hideous gash, his last action being to point accusingly at his killer who had now entered the hut. Morgan denied the crime, claiming that Foulson had committed suicide, but this was easily disproved by cuts to the victim's hands, caused while trying to fend off the blows. Morgan wrote a last letter from his cell asking his former comrades to forgive him for the shame he had brought on the regiment. He was hanged by William Marwood on the 30th March 1875 at Maidstone.