The National Register. — London, England, 1812-03-29 00:00:00

MARCIV29. 195 THE NATIONAL REGISTER. PROVINCIAL ASSIZES. SUFFOLK, MARCH 11. HORRID MURDER. Edmund, alias Edward Throuvr, was indicted for the murder of Ella. Carter, at Cratfield, Suffolk, on the 16th October, 1793. This prisoner was brought to justice by a chapter of accidents. He confessed the murder to one Heads soon after it was committed; but Heads, accord ing to his statement, knew he was so much given to speaking falsehoods, that he disbelieved him.—The prisoner went alone, and knocked out the brains of Eliz. Carter, as she was fastening her window shutter, and then he went into the house and killed her father in a similar manner, whilst the old man was sitting in his arm chair. Some years after this, Heads, who had never before heard from any one but the prissier that a murder of that sort had been committed, heard a bro ther telon in Norwich jail lamenting that he had always been suspected cf that murder innocently, and Heads recollected the confession the prisoner had made to him several years ago, of which he made de positions before two Magistrates eleven years since; but Thrower, the prisoner, was never heard of, and supposed to be dead. There is a com mon observation, that 64 murder will out," and the manner by which the prisoner was brought to justice is extremely singular. At the time of the national alarm at the horrid murders of the Marr and Williamson families, Mr. Archdeacon Oldershaw, a Magistrate, was observing to Mr. Fox, in common conversation, that a murder resem bling those occurred at Cratfield 19 years ago, and in mentioning his taking the depositions of Heads, he observed Thrower was suspect ed, but he never was found. Now Mr. Fux had a legacy to pay. Thrower's wife, which could not be done without her husband's signa ture, and through this incident the prisoner was taken into custody, well as Heads, both of whom bad been transported. Heads, in hi&evidence, told the same story he had done eleven years ago, of the prisoner's confession, and a person proved having heard a female shriek on the night of the murder, and that he saw a man run from the house. The body of the young woman was proved to have been found in the garden, which corroborated Head's story. There being other strong circumstantial evidence, the prisoner was found Gailty, and ordered for execution on Monday at Ipswich, and after wards his body to be dissected. STARVING THEIR CHILDREN. John Smith, aged 39, and Eli.;:abeth his • wife, aged '27, were indicted for the wilful murder of Mary Anne Smith, daughter of the male pri tyner, at Cookley, in the cotinty of Suffolk, by starvation, beating, and expoong her three successive nights w a shed, in the mouth of Decem ber last, by which her feet became mortified, It appeared in evidence, that the Male prisoner had there children by a former wife, who died about three years ago, and. he married the female prisoner on the Bth of last November, and an-the 11th of February, lsl2, the eldest of the three children, the subject of this ualittment, died. Previous to his marriage with the female prisoner, the three children were admired by every one for their cleanliness and ruddy cheeks, and the male prisoner was marked. for his parental kindness and affections towards his offspring. Their health, it was proved, became gradually on the decline after the' marriage of the prisoners, and they were at length reduced to skeletons; and the child which died was represented ut evidence as the most deplorable object ever witnessed. Lucy Smith, sister of the male prisoner, proved, that on the 4th of remuary, the male prisoner called on her in tears, and said his eldest child was dying. Witness found two of the once-healthy children sitting hy v. the fire in a state so completely emaciated, that they appeared wufferent to any objects. On going up _;tairs, a shocking object pre sorted itself in the person of the eldest child, in bed, who was unable to stir from her emaciated state, and she was the picture of death. The poor child called out, " Aunt, aunt don't leave me." Witness challenged them with starving the . children,and they agreed that they had not much drink. It also appeared afterward-, that the child's feet - were in a sta:e of mortification, from having been exposed three nights in an out house, by the unnatural father. She wits also much bruised about neck and body by beatings, and her father confessed having hung her up to a b eam b y t h e m iddl e, w i t h out cause . Th e ot h e r two children i were m a shocking emaciated state, and the witness took them under 11 , :r roof. Mrs. Clark proved completely that the children were :;11 in a state of starvation. She often carried diem cake and a little wine, which they all ravenously devoured. Three surgeons gave it, as their opinion, that the child died from the effects of barbarous treat mein and want of food. No disclosure of the mortified feet was made until it was found the child could not be saved ; and one witness stated that the female prisoner had said they could live.better without the children.—To enter , 14 !' ) a minute description of the barbarities towards the children would n 1 a voluine. They ware of the ages of four, seven, and nine years. The prisoners were found Guilty, and orderssd for execution at Ips wick on Monday next. BURY. __A Young wom an servant , named SNith, was capitally convicted of Tong lire to h e r master ' s h ouse . Th e pr i soner , it appeared in evi uente, got some straw ont of the stable of Ler master, and after light • ing it, by the aid of a pitch-fork, she communicated the•same to the thatched roof of the dwelling-house. On the alarm of fire, wken the inmates of the house were endeavouring to extinguish it, the Trisoner set fire to a bed furniture within. She made a full confession of her guilt, and said she had no interest or motive for her conduct. In addition to the horrid murders already reported, and other wicked offences which the Calendar of this County furnished, a moister was capitally convicted, on Monday, of a rape on his own daughter, a child nine years old. SUSSEX. HORSHAM, MARCH 24.--John Kennard was tried, on the Coronet's Inquest, for fnanslaughter, in killing and slaying Benjamin Grigg. The prisoner was a respectable miller at Lewes,tin this crounty,who had given an ostler in that town a blow or two on the head for impertinence. and the man died a few days afterwards. It was, however, proved, that his death was occasioned by another cause ; for a few days before that time he had quarrelled with a soldier of the 72d regiment, who struck him on the head with his sabre. As the man - felt no immediate ill effects from the wound, it was thltight to be of no consequence ; but after his death, his head being examined, it was found that the sword had pe netrated through the skull, and a splinter of bone had entered the mem brane of the brain, which the medical men were clearly of %Anion was the cause of his death. The Jury found the prisoner—Not Guilty. Henry Sundalls was indicted fur an assault upon Mary Gaston, in the parish of Newick, on the 13th of June,lBlo, with intent to ravi-h The prosecutrix, a young g;rl, not then more than fifteen, stated, that she and another servant were on the ConnuGn at Newick with their mistress's children, on the 13th of June, 1810, when the prisoner came up to them to inquire his way; they went across a field with him, when he seized the prosecutrix, and threw her down.—The however, could not proceed to state further particulars, for she fainted, and for two hours remained stupihed and insensible; at length it was found impossible to proceed with her examination ; her companion, however, stated sufficient to show the violent conduct of the prisoner towards her. He was not taken into custody for some weeks afterwards; but the women of the place one day caught him, and they put him iNto a tub and pumped upon him; they next tossed him in a blanket; and after they were tired of that. amusement, they threw him into a horse-pond ; they next rolled him in the mud, and scrubbedshim down with birch brooms. At length, the Parson and Churchwardens, hearing of the case, insisted on a legal inquiry, and after a length of time be was apprehended. The Jury found him Guilty, and be was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. KFNT. Mains rose, MA it CH iltirton, a farmer at Kiogsnorth, near Ashford, was indicted fur the wilful murder of John Manley, a drummer-boy of the 7.:d regiment, by giving him a violent ble.)w on the head with a stake. By the evidence it appeared that the deceased was one of four who vent from the barracks at Ashford, to gather w:ld plumbs on the hedges, on the evening the sth of September last, and trespassed on the prisoner's orchard at Kingsnorth. The Jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter, and the Learned Judge lined him a shilling, and ordered him to be discharged. Jain lVebb, alias Core/wean, was indicted for the wilful murder of Thomas Wylde, by shooting him, on the 2d of Octoberlast. Mr. lu t- LANi)conducted the prosecution, and the facts of the case were as fol low :—Mr. Wylde, on the ‘2d of October, had been at Croydon fair, and was returning home to Wresterham, in comp:my withla young man, his son, and his grandson, a lad of 15 years or age. About seven o'clock they reached flettsom-hill, when they heard a voice calling " stop, stop !" His son George desired him to stop, observing, probably they had dropped something, or that some part of their harness had broke. They accordingly stopped, when a man came up, presented a pistol, and demanded money. Mr. Wylde said he came at a wrung time, they had been to the fair, and had spent their money ; the robber, however, ir sisted on having some, and Mr. Wylde produced a dollar and a canvas bag. After he received it, Mr. Wylde exclaimed; " There ; you cow ardly rascal and cut behind tie chaise, where the robber was standieg with his whip. The lash streak him in the face, when lie immediate .ly levelled his pistol, and fired—two balls entered his head, and Mr.Wylde instantly dropped and expired. His son and grandson got him home, and the robber e=eaped. The evidence to fix the charge upon the pri soner rested chiefly on the two young men who were with the deceased, one of them spoke to his perton, but they both agreed to the resem blance. This statement was supported by much circumstantial evi dence; hut the prisoner gave a very particular accoont of himself at. the time of the murder, from which it appeared that he could not have been the perpetrator. This account was also sappofted by evidence. 'the Learned Judge summed up with gi eat precision ; and the Jury, afusr considerable deliberation, found their verdict in favour of the alibi, against that of the identity of the prisoner, and consequently re turned a verdict of—Nut 1 ORKSHIRE. A curious trial came on at the York Assizes, in which the Gilbert, was plaintiff, and Sir M. Sykes, Part. M. P. defend:lll, for the recovery of a bet on the life of If uonaparte ; the condition of whicbs was, that the plaintiff on paying 100 guineas, should receive oin•gbinti per day so long as Buonaparte 51tould live. The e ,, zitract 11 , 1(.1 httn t • my 0W d to t the 11(.a . the .. fil ;tuts 4f