What became a terrible ordeal started the day before as a visit from a former lodger at the house. Mr Moyse had gone out to consider some books for purchase and John was alone in the house, preparing some food for himself when there was a knock at the door. The caller was a seaman who asked after Moyse, and said he would come back later when the old man was back home. He came back at eight, still too early to meet the bookseller, so young John made the man some tea and they chatted. It was a nervous, uneasy atmosphere, although the stranger was amiable enough at times. The problem was that he obviously wanted to know where the bookseller kept his money.

Moyse had a reputation for being tight with his cash; a local miser is always going to be a target for robbery, and young John was used to taking care of things when his master was out. Moyse was also a loner, a private man who kept himself to himself and had no circle of friends. His book stall was on Mann Island, across from George’s Dock. He was well-known around the Pier Head, and something of a ‘character.’ John Needham, alone with the trust and care of the old man’s property, must have been very troubled by this young, strongly built man asking after a cash box. The seaman was persistent and menacing, saying: ‘It’s very funny that he doesn’t tell you where his money is for fear he might die.’ John simply said that they were not exactly wealthy, selling very few books.

But the seaman made some puzzling remarks about cash. Reading the account today, it suggests that he was distracted and trying to focus on the reason for his presence there. He talked about leaving some sovereigns in keeping there, and then he asked if the old man might let him have sixpence. The only thing that might have allayed young John’s fears is that when Moyse finally arrived, he shook hands with the stranger and told John that the man used to be a lodger there. The bookseller asked his assistant to make up a bed for the next night for the man, and said that the seaman would sleep on the sofa for that night.

They retired to sleep. But the next morning, very early, John woke up and was aware that the visitor was stirring. He was saying that he could wake up the old man, and then seemed to be investigating the premises, asking about a man-hole. He was not even fully dressed, but he swung himself up into the man-hole and then came back.

Young John was lying in bed all this time, wondering what was happening. The stranger came back to him and struck him hard on the head. Then the man carried on snooping and searching the place, before coming back to the boy again and this time as John looked up, the man standing over him cracked his head with a poker. Even in terrible agony, John recalled later that the seaman slammed doors, called ‘Good morning’ as he walked past the old man’s room, and then went out.