The National Register. — London, England, 1817-11-17 00:00:00

um 111 V, 17 Itsow; but I heard there was and believe it.—Do you believe tbey were actually employed in the robbery t I cannot say I have no other reason tor believing St but a monies et's oath. Did you hear it prayed, or attempted to be proved, where they were bought ? No.—Do you remember a MAO swearing that those arms would he found is your son's room ? I read so in the papers. —Did you account to the jury were thirst arms were originally Rot? One of them was accounted for You said that yon had no vindictive feeling against these men ? No ; only fur the ends of public justice.—Yon know that if they had sworn true, yon would have been hanged ? I lay uo blame whatever to their charge, but only to the conspirators, who seduced theist. You say you have no vindictive feeling. Pray do you feel any interest in the event of this cause? Not the slightest; ex sew that it may not go abroad to the world that that man did not perjure himself: and that the allegation against me was true. I hive uo other motive ; and indeed if that fellow were to be punished now, I should rather he went abroad than he should be hanged.—Do you mean to say you feel nu interest to clear your character? No, Sir. My character requires no clearing. I disdain such a motive.—You heard Mr. *Nally state your case? I did.—Did you correct him, when he stated that this indictment was brought forward, because whispers had gone abroad to your prejudice ? Yes ; but I said at the time, that it was wrong, and I sin very sorry that Mr. APNally said so ; I a.n above all imputation or calumny.—Then what h your motive? Mere public justice.—Did you tell that to the Grand Jury who ignored the bill? I did : they not only examined we, but cross - examined me. thus travelling oat of their duty.— Do you think so? Ido —I suppose their object was to get the truth? Do you w ish for my answer ?—I Then I do not believe it was.—Yon mean to say that twenty three gentlemen on their oaths were not influenced by a de sire to come at the truth? Aye. (By a Juror.) How far from your residence were the bags found? I suppose Irons the way to get at it. aboat a mile.— There was a river to cross.—(ily a Juror.) Was it in the cen tre of the demesne or in the corner? No. It was in the public part of the demesne near the road, and near a potatue garden. —You said you got the first intelligence of the robbery when you were in bed? On the Sunday morning the maid rapped at toy door, and said that the gardener had told her that many extraordinary things were found in the island.— understood it was Mr. 11•Keon who discovered them ; it was s dot to search ; he saw a pile which induced bias to go in.—Did lie conic to you• house to tell you this ? No : I sup pose lie told the gardener.—Phis was on the Sunday morning? Yes.—The day you sent for John .Allen? Yes. HORRID MURDERS AT GOD UMING. Tuesday morning, a matt who had ordered some shoes at Mr. Chennera, shoemaker, at Gottalining, called for the purpose of ascertaining if they were done. On opening the door the first object that caught his sight was the body of Mr. I:lientiers housekeeper stretched on the door, with her throat cut in a shocking manner. He was terrified at the sight, and called in somb of the neighbours ; they fot:nd the floor covered with blond, and the old woman quite dead and cold. They proceeded up stairs, and were horror-struck at the sight of Mr. Chemed lying on the ground, with his head nearly severed front his body. His body was bruised in va rioua parts, as if very recently done, from which it may be inferred that he must Moe had a severe straggle with the 'murderers; hr was quite cold, which circumstance led the parties to suppose that the diabolical attack and int murders wei e committed on the pi reeding night. Upon a farther examination of the body of the housekeeper, it was found that her skull was fractin ed ; a hammer that was tnund en the ground, which Mr. Cheiniel used in his business, up ' eared to have been the instilment with which the blow was riven, as the face of it exactly corresponded with the mark upon the skull. Immediate information was given to the Magistrates in the neighourhood of the dreadful transaction and they Kith great moininness caused ten immediate hives. ligation for the purpose of discovering the perpetrator or per peuators of the murders. Lord Middletou, who is a Magis trate for the county, was indefatigable in his exertions to acquire information. lie summoned every person whose evidence could atfurd the least clue to the discovery of the offenders. The son of Mr. Cheiinel, who is married. and lived at some distance from his father, was apprehended on suspicion of being concerned, and lerwent an eaamina• then; when it appeared by the evidence, that on Monday night he vt.:s drinking at a public house a short distance from his father's, and that between 9 and 10 o'clock he left the public house for a short time, and returned, and remained there driiikiiig a considerable time. He solemnly denies all knowledge of the atiair. It appears that his habits of living have been rather dissolute, and occasioned great uneasiness to his parent. The deceased was well known to possess con siderable property, and that is supposed to have been the object of those who committed the murder. COIIONCR'S INQUFST. On Wednesday an inquest was held at the George tavern. Godalming, before C. Jetninett, Esq. on the bo dies of Elizabeth Wilson, aged 60, and Mr. George Chennel, aged • 66, a master shoe-maker, residing a few doors from the above house, The investigation commenced at half-pint one o'clock on Wednea- day, and did not conclude until half past eleven oil the same night. John Earl, a labourer, deposed to the discovery of the murder of the man and woman. Chennel, jun. went up with him to the toorn where his hither lay dead, when he sat down in a ehair,covezeil his face with his hands, arid seemed much agitated. Wm. Chaleroft, carman, sworn,—Lived as servant with the de ccaaeil Mr. Chennel. On the evening of the 10th iast., as I was leav ing buns he was unbuttcning himself to go to bed, hut could not go then. for he expected his son George home, who lodged oat of the house, but came there to his meals, and always to his supper. I went house to bed, and got up the next morning at 6 o'clock to call my son, when we went together to Mr. Chennel's house. I went to the stables to look after my master's home. I went down the passage iutoining the house after I had fed and cleaned the 1107SeS, and was going home to breakfast, when I saw my son waiting at the door for deeesawl to get up, that he might light the tire for Min. I told him to stop there till Mr. Chennel got up. I then went house, and re tunnel in half an hour after, an d saw my em with George Sweattaan and Thomas Mintier, all standing in the street, at the front door. .My son told me that my master hail not got up vet. I told him to gts harness the horses. and he would he up by that time. We bar reseed the hums, and heeight them out. when Currimon, a neigh bour, who was standing by, said the kitchen door was open ; 1 went to see if the door was open. and &and the lower kitchen door was on the latch, I opened it and went in, when I looked to the lock to see if it had bran forciel, but it did nit appear so, as other doors wire ' on the latch, and the door that .emes nut of the cellar in the front kitchen, was an likewise. I then opened the door that leads info the cellar, and also the dour in the front kitchen where the place was covered with Wood. After calling the decea:;ed (Chennel) three or four times, and receiving no answer. I went into the house through the passage, and went to the window of the room where my master usually slept. got a whip and tappedat the window ; receiving no answer, I thought sennethiug was the gloater in consequence of eve- _~ R ~ _ -..c;G/STER, kTas die — blood, I went into the front kitchen, and saw another puddle, intlasksd what it was, when Currinson dipped his finger into it, and said all was not right. I went out of the house with Currinson, and saw Karl, whist:awe and opened the window- shutter, and on looking through he said that Betty was dead, and apparently had been mur dered. James Tidy, of the Richmond Arms, Godalming, sworn... 4 am • victualler, and keep the sign of the Richmond Arms, Godalming. About b o'clock on the evening of the loth inst. G. Chennel the younger had two pints of beer and some tobacco at my house ; after is had smoked two pipes, he went away with Charles Fisher, about 9 o'clock, and returned in about half an hour, anal satin the tap room with other persons, when lie hail a glass of brandy and water, and after, that -another, and then another, as well as tobacco and two or three japes. I partook of the liquor with him, and he called ha another glass, which was a shilling one, which we drank between u s ; lie oaid we 2s. 3d. and then he and others had a put of beer, which they drank, and had another, oval young Chennel and the persons in the house went out togeth.:r about half-past 11 o'clock. Chennel was dressed in a round dark colourist frock and trow,crs. Chennel d un. ' was in the habit of using my house, and lie drank more that night than he usually did at any one time. On Friday evening he was at my house, and he then said, in the presence of several persons, he wished his father's d—d old housekeeper was dead. Charles Fisher sworn.-1 ant a Lbourer, and live in Godahning ; on the both, about half-past eight in the evening, I was :A the Itich nand Arms at Godalming, and found George Cher.nel the younger snioking a pipe of tobacco : I stayed there till nine o'clock, and Chennel said tie would go down to get a girl ; L then went out, and Chennel went towards his own house. THE NATIONAL AF, Benjamin Keane, constable of Guildford , sworn.—On the 11th instant I searched the house of G. Cher.nel the younger, and in his room found a till, in which the deceased used to deposit his money, in which were two pound notes, and 14s. in silver ; on the notes were evident marks of blood ; I also found a crow-bar belonging to the deceased, which on examinatn,exiictly corresponded with the impression made intoning the till open, and a s pot of bl oo d cause d by taking it front die place in which it was in. I also found a ham mer, and the shop-tub with the appearance of blood on the hinting, (all of which were produced before the jury). which are supposed to be the instruments with which the murder of Mr. Chennel, the elder, and his housekeeper was perpetrated. The Coroner ir. summing up the evidence to the jury, said, that the evidence produced was not sufficient to substantiate the charge against George Chennel the yoanger. The Jury were of opinion, that as the suspected persons were safe in custody, anti ors the facts adduced did not exceed suspicion, they had better leave it to anotherjury to decide upon their guilt or innocence, and returned a verdict of—Wilful Murder against some person or persons unknown. TOWN-HALL, GODALMING. George Chennel the younger was brought up, charged before Lord Viscount Nlidd'emu, on suspicion, with the wilful murder of George Chennel, his father. and Elizabeth Wilson, an elderly woman, house keeper to the deceased. 'the young man was put to the bar : he is about 30 ; he looked much down, and paid great attention to the evidence adduced, from which it appeared that he was in the freqmmt habit of quarrelling with his father, which, when the dreadful event was ascertained, caused great suspicion. A pair of stockings damp with blood, shoes, and other articica, were produced. The prisoner said, that on Monday night at nine o'clock he was absent from home, having gone to a slaugnter-house near Godalming. On his being questioned, lie said he was positive in this fact, that he was not in llrytige-street the night mentioned by the witnesses ; that the shoes produced he did not wear ; the shoes he had on were those he stood in : lie wore the shoes produced last Saturday : the stockings he has not worn some time. On being asked what occasioned the damp appearance, be said they were wet when they were put by in the closet : be could not say any thing of the specks of blood. It further appeared, that the prisoner on the night of the murder had passed Elizabeth Murray very hastily, and pushed against tier elbow paming by the Richmond Anne. Sarah Carter, another witness, often heard the housekeeper. Eli-. zabeth Wilson, say, she dreaded the prisoner ever coining home. The prisoner was remanded for further examination. POLICE. MANSION-HOUSE. HORIMILE DEPRAVITY.—A wretched looknigereature, named Margaret Crouch, was on Friday week brought up on a charge, the detail of which excited at once the pity and indignation of all who !laird it. The particulars are as follow :—On the day of Camber-, well-fair, about three months ago, Mrs. Allen, a respectable woman, living in St. Martin's-le-grand, sent her daughter, a child, nine years old, to Fleet-market to purchase provisions. She did not return, and the mother being dreadlidly alarmed, not only went herself, but dis patched others in all diructiorus in search of the infant. No tidings . however, could be gained of the child until It o'clock on the night following, when she returned in the care of a 111:421 named Griffiths. an acquaintance of the mother. The story told by the child to her mother was, that on her way to Fleet-market she was accosted by the prisoner, of whom she had some little knowledge as a neighbour, who asked her where she was going. She told her • upon which the pri soner said the was going to Camberwell-fair, a nd with much persua sion induced the child to accompany her, upon a promise to return at night. That night„lhowever, and the next day passed on, and still the prisoner delayed to return, until about 10 o'clock in the evening, when they set oft on the road home. They had not proceeded far before they were joined by a well dressed man. who had pre viously had some conversation with the prisoner at the fain-- They had got about half way between Camberwell and the Elephant and Castle, when they suddenly turned into a lone held. Here &con sultation ensued between the prisoner and her hiend, which ended in the latter pulling out a purse, front which he took a Bank note and handed it to the child, and some silver to the prisoner. These •• mon sters in the human form" then seized the defenceless object of their diabolical designs and threw her OR the grass, where by her cries and struggling she soon became exhausted. The poor infant was at length suffixed to rise, and immediately, with all the strength she had, be gan to cry out •• murder." A patrol passing at the time heard the cry, and ha aening to the spot succeeded in securing the prisoner, but the man escaped. The party then proceeded homeward, but had not gone far when they were met by Griffiths, the man mentioned above ; and the little girl on seing him, instantly recognised him, and leal.ing into his anus, cried out, *• Oh, Sir, I know you! pray take me to illy dear mother." They kept on the. journey until they came to Black friars-bridge, and here the trod left them. The prisoner was taken charge of by Griffiths• flout whom, however, she emtrived to escape before they got to their journey's end. The child was put to bed ex tremely ill, and surgical assistance procured, butt ws , of no avail. She lingered until about 5 weeks since, when she expired; and from the testimony of the mother, backed by the opinion of the medical attendant, no doubt can be entertained but the violence she experi enced on the night in question was die immediate cause of her death. She never afterwards left her room. A neighbour of the mother stated, that the deceased ch:l.l was of delicate apprarance, but good constitution, and remarkably reserved and decorous in her manners. Another woman named Davis stated, that the prisoner had several times attempted to lure a child of her's about the same age from her home, hut t'utnnatcly without Abet. The prisoner defended herself in these words, •"fhere was nothing done to die child at the fair." Mr. Alderman Ansley, who sat for the Lord Mayor, said he could not had language su'Eciently strong to express what he felt at hear ing the horrid detail. The worthy Magistrate ordered the prisoner to be brought up on a future day, when the medical gentlemen by whom the body of the child was examined, snbsequent to Its 'leash,. would bciu &mac/Alla. Martha Crouch underwent a second examination on Wednesdly.—. The mother appeared in deep mourning, and was in the deep 'A af fliction. A letter was produced signed by the surgeon of the General Dis. petwary, stating, that the child had been immediately after the vio. lence which formed one of the grounds of the charge, afflicted with a n inflammation in the bowels, which subsided alter some time, but was succeeded by a consumption that prom! fatal. The letter also stated. that the inflammation was not produced by external violence. The mother of the deceased here cried out, ticit her child had been mur. dered by the prisoner and the villain to whom the prisoner sold her babe for 11. ss. ; that if there W:IS justice to be found on earth she should have it, as well sea lion Heaven where the crime was regis. tcred. The Lord Mayor expressed much compassion for her situation. and asked in what manner she thought his interference could be ser viceable. She said that Martha Crouch had admitted her villaitip and that she had given to an officer, who upon hearing the .hrieks of the child tan up, a part of the money received from the pollutot as a recompense fur his silence. The Lord Mayor asked who that officer was One of the city police said, that upon application at Union-hall every inquiry had been made. The officers of the district were all called out, but the accomplice after the fact was not identified amongst them. The mother of the infant begged for the love of mercy, that One vengeance of the law might be visited upon the prisoner, and said there was sufficient argument of her guilt in her aesnowledgement. The Lord Mayor said the case was a truly dreadful one. lie had no doubt of the abandoned conduct of Crouch ' • but the child , who could be the oily evidence, was dead; and the letter of the surgeon who had attended her, stated the opinion, that her death was not caused by the violence she had described to her mother as having taken place. Under such circumstances, the prisoner must be con signed over to her own conscience thr her punishment. It was, in deed, a pity the law could not interpose a more effectual means of pro:uring public justice. The mother said, the wretch at the bar bad admitted every thihg of which she was accused. In the presence of God here stands," said this distressed parent, " the murdererer of my child." Upon hearing that Crouch was to be discharged, she cried most bitterly. "I'll pray for the justice of Heaven, since there is no security on earth—no protection against the shedding the blood of infants." The Lord Mayor observed, that there was no alternative. It was a needless task to addrtas Crouch upon her wickedness. The crime was one without a parallel ; and sorry he was that sho must be left to conscience, which, howevq, would one day, most probably, per form its pal t. She was discharged. - ' "4 i UNION-MALL. N FAMOUS Ciss:.—Tuesday, Mrs. Ware, the keeper of a brothel. in Johnson's -court, Westminster road, charged Mrs. White, of et. Regency-place, Kennington, with enterin her house on the night of 'lliursday sennight, and stealing some chintz curtains and a coun terpane. Mrs. Ware said, that she went towards the prisoner's house, and tact her with the property wrapped in a bundle, and she irnuiediate4 gave her in charge to an officer. The prisoner, who is a respectable woman, said in her defence, that on the sth of Nov. the property in question was brought, wrapped up in a bundle, to her house, by a man who she was acquainted with the complainant. She suspected that some trick was being played her by Mrs. Ware. for she had sworn in the presence of many person, that she would be revenged, on account of some quarrel which took place between them some time ago. She therefore took the parcel, and was going with it to Mm. Ware's house, and on the way met Mrs. W. and said to her, that she had a bundle belonging to her ; Mrs. \V. received the bundle, charged her with a robbery. and immediately sent for an officer. The officer xte,...1, that he was going along Kennington-lane on Friday morning, and saw the prisoner and Mrs. Ware. Mrs. W. insisted on his taking charge of the prisoner for felony. At the time he took charge of her she said that the bundle had been left at her house by a man who was known to be a bully at Mrs. Ware's. she hadlormerly sold some articles to Mrs. Ware, and had been to her house ter the money; remembered having seen the furniture con. tamed in the bundle at Mn. Ware's, and suspected immediately after the man left it, that sonw conspiracy was in contemplation, and thought the best way to prevent rt was to take the articles imago.- diately to Mrs. Ware. The Magistrate took great pains for the theroughlavectigation of the ease ; and in conclusion discharged Mrs. White, awl said he had no doubt but there had existed a most.infainous conspiracy, between Mrs. Ware and her Mall to convict Mrs. White of a felony. The Magistrate directed the officer to use every exertion for the appro. benders of the man, and that an indictment for a conspiracy s h ou ld be preferred against the parties.. We lately gave an account of an immense fortune being left ' to a youth, by a gentleman who had accidentally met him in a stage coach, on his was to school, at Shrewsbury. We have now before us a letter on this subject, from a gentleman in Cambridgeshire. dated Oct. 29, Awn which we extract the following particulars : " I delayed this letter till !could give you some particulars- of the most extraordinary of all extraordinary affairs that ever came to my knowledge. The young Mau who hail frees ) , spoken of in tbe newspapers as having lied a fortune of 500,0001. left him, is one whom I know very well, as well as his family. They are respectable farmers at Chippenhans, near Newmarket, and their farm is part of the Thorpe es tate, of which Mr. W, is receiver, by appointment of the Court of Chancery. When the finings were first made pub lic here, it was considered as a joke upon the father of the young man, and after it began, in some very slight degree, to be credited, no one could think it possible that the property bequeathed was so immense as it has since proved. The tte counts you have seen in the papers are pretty correct as far as they go, with the exception of this partienlar. The person who left the property never knew the family, nor the forte- - nate object of his bounty, any further than seeing It;in going to and from Ilse Shrewsbury school. But now for the amount. The Duke of Devonshire's income is 133,0001. a year, and that of the Duke of Rutland 116,0001. by rent roll. The in come left to this youth is more than double that of these two* tines! Mr. W. (the receiver above mentioned, and • who is a gentlem.n of great respectability] was requested on 'Thursday by the father of the youth to go to Chippeultum im mediately to meet the family : end he stayed with them till Saterday. I have had much conversation with hint since on the matter. It appears, the person who left this property was named Develneaux : that lie lived recluse, anti whs little known. I■ the funds have been found minions, his property not one or two, Mr. W. says, but anthems! The estate in Spain is valued at 100,0001 a year; the Scotch estate immense, besides an estate of great value in the West 'maws • There is not a sovereign in Europe but wlhatisbidel.:editulsint , and that to an immense amount; scarcely a loan That he has not a share in : or a nobleman's estate in Great Britain involved, but this man has a claim upon. What -ver yon may think of this statement, it will soon be found. to be true. Air. W.. says, it is a property of must tiangercas amount ; bd. it is more than sufficient to overturn the state.' lam %w.f!, to add that within the last few days. the faeuared yowl s (,%1 10 Is abort 18 years of age] has taken to his bed, and eaanot be persuaded to get up. It is feared that his good fortune has affected his mind, and great uneasiness and alarm are felt tot. him. In my next you shall heattnore.'!---(tHristol Mirror.)