The Sun. — London, England, 1828-07-26 00:00:00

MYSTERIOUS MURDER. ".7 - ,L'LIIER ASSIZES--NORFOLK CIRCUIT. REDFORD, JULY 24. John Eastaffe was indicted for the wilful minsder of Janette Eastaffe, his wife, at Tilsworth, grove Wood, near Dunstable, on the 14th of August, 1821, by making a felonious assault upon the said Janette Eastaffe with a knife, and thereby giving let a mortal wound upon the throat. The oisoner pleaded not guilty. This case strongly excited the public curiosity, from the mysterious circumstances attending the murder, and the lapse of time (now seven years) since it had been committed. The prisoner is a middle-aged man, of dark complexion, and a comae. Hance haggard and sullen. In the dock his manner was quiet and observant. :Sergeant STORKS stated the case for the prsetotioti, Charles Carter, examined by, Mrs Mat 'l3!'..—'Lives at Leighton Buzzard, in the count? of Bedford. Went to London and apprehenrkd the prisoner in March last. Had a conversation with the pri soner as to whether he was a married man, and he stated he had been marries:i at St. James's Church, Piccadilly. That tt, e ' marriage took place in July I B sh girll9. That t '..rs wife's name was J ane L ync h,. an ri Witness searched the registry iit that. ehure' s Attu r s ounu a marriage entry to that effect. eiot a true copy of the marriage entry, which he examined with the original.--('lre copy of the entry was here produced.) Samuel Bunker, examined by Sergeant. STORKS _W as in 1821 overseer of the parish of Tilawristh. There is a place called Black-grove Wood in that parish. It is a long narrow wood—the lower part is about half a mile from Tilsworth village. The wood lies between Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable. 'Witness was at Tilsworth in August, 1821. In consequence of something he had heard he went to Black-grove Wood, on the evening of the Isth of August ; it was on a 'Wednesday, He saw a dead body in the wood. Dunstable fair was held on the preceding Monday. It was about a quarter of an hour before sunset when a gamekeeper .nanied Rickett, who was with him, found the body.' The body was found at the bottom of the wood. He observed, when he saw the body first; that the bushes on the top of the gate had been knocked aside. The body was that of a female. She lay psi the standing wood with her face to the earth. There was the mark of a blow on one cheek. It was very much bruised. Isler throat was cut right across. She was quite dead. Saw blood on the ground in the riding, about a dozen yards from where the body was. It must have been dragged into the zganding wood by some person, as there was blood in the riding. Charles Fare—ls a surgeon at Dunstable ; recol lects the body of a female being found in August 1821, in Black-grove Wood. The wounds were sailficient to cau se d eat h ; cannot say whether they wereinflicted by herself or by another ; has seen wounds inflicted by the persons themselves equally extensive; does not think it would be possible for a person who had inflicted such wounds on herself to move from where the blood was, in the riding, to where the body was found. It was not the body of an unmarried woman. Hannall Roome lives at Dunstable, and is a straw hmin'...-L-Maker, residing with her mother : was living thete with her mother in 1821. Witness remem bers Dunstable fair was held on a Monday •in that year ; recollects also the Sunday preceding: On that Sunday an application was made to her fur lodgings. It was about twelve o'clockait noon. Two persons applied for the lodgings; they were a man and woman. Witness was at the door, and the two persons came down the road and made up to her at the door. The man spoke first ; the woman was then about four or five yards off. Witness did not see the man again until she saw him at the Markets house at Dunstable, in the present year. If she saw the person again she could not know him so well as to swear to him. Noticed what sort of man lie was. Witness fainted away when she was before the Magistrate arid asked as to the person of the man. The person who appeared like the man who asked for the lodgings was then within two yards of her.'. There were about sixty persons in the room. Wit ness was looking at one person in particular when she fainted.—(Witness was here desired to look round the Court and see if she could recognize the person again. Witness turned round, and on looking at the prisoner in the . dock turned deadly pale, and, pointing to him with the expression of marked terror en her countenance immediately fainted, and was carried out of Court. The prisoner turned from her psis with evident alarm.) Thomas Rodwelb—Lived at Dunstable iu 1821. The Dunstable fair on that day was held on Men day the 13th. Recollects being in a field of Mr. Guttridge, on the Sunday before the fair-day, that is but just out of the town of Dunstable; saw three persons coming along the road ; there were two men and one female. They were in conversation with each other, and were rather jangling (wars:- hng). Sees here to-day one of the two men. • He is the prisoner at the bar. Their mariner induced him to pay considerable attention to them. The prisoner asked the woman whether " she would not rather lie in a barn than in a bad bed."- This was quite close to the town. The next day was Duns table fair. Witness was at his house on that day (the Monday), between 10 and 11 o'clock in the night. Saw two persons pass his . heuse at that time; they were a man and a woman. The woman was the same he saw with the prisoner at the bar on the Sunday, and the man who accompanied her was the prisoner. The two persons went towards the stile. The woman was not very tall ; she might be about thirty years of age. Saw the body of the woman that was found in Black-grove Wood on the Sunday after. It was the body of the woman whom. he had seen in the fair, and who passed by his house. When the prisoner and woman got to the stile they stopped. He wanted her to go over the stile, and the woman was not willing. He swore she should. She begged amid prayed not to go that way ; and he swore if she did not, he would kill her. The Words he said were, " me, if you don't go this way I'll kill you." They at length went both over the stile. 'Witness saw them go about 10 poles along the path, which was as far as he could see them. By the JUDGE—Did not interfere when he heard the prisoner threaten the woman, because he once got into trouble for interfering .between a man and woman, arid resolved never to mterfereagain. Never saw the prisoner from the time " the job was done" until the prisoner was examined at Dunstable - Hannah Roome, the young wornan,•who fainted, was here re-called—Has seen the person within the was looking at when she fainted before the Magis trate since she came into Court. Cannot Meetsr that the prisoner at the bar was the man she hail seen with the WOITLUI on the day in question, but , he is more like that man than any other person she has seen.—(Witnes s here again, on looking at.the pri soner, betrayed strong .feelings of agitation.)—The prisoner is like that man as to. his hair - and Roman nose. Saw the body of the Murdered woman in Black-grove Wood, 'and . knew it to -be the body of the woman who was in company with the man that asked for lodgings on the day incitieSiion.." David Pantling, jun.--Lives at „Egginton,, about four miles from Dunstable. Was at the fair of Dun stable. Saw the prisoner at .the: fair. Saw the body of the murdered woman found Black-grove Wood. The prisoner was at the Black Horse when he saw him at the fair. There was a woman With him. Cannot swear that the body found The wood was that of the woman who was with thepri:s sorter at the Black Horse. Witness noticed t h at the woman was of a dark complexion, and that she wore a light gown spotted. She had low shoes an d white cotton stockings. She had a light beaver hat or bonnet. Saw the woman with the prisoner twice that day. Saw them the second time afterwards, they were at the gate on the Hockliffe-road. The man was on one side of the gate, and the woman on the other. There is a path from the field, into which the gate opens that leads to 'Black-grove. Tile woman was standing on the road-side of the , gate. When Ire saw the tiri3biler4t tie gate, he had a little bundle nOer hi) arm. ( Witness was here desired tO Igo C Mond, and he identified the soder tlte man whom he had seen At FitiestiOn.) the dead body of the first on the Fri day. If it Was the ettltie weinan he saw livith the prisoner, she had not the same geoWii on. If it was tlr came woman, her features were straiigely altered. The stockings seemed CO be 'cleaner thali those worn by the when bnestabte: %Main It:Witt, examined by Mr. MALTBY— at Stanbridge in 1821. It is about a mile !tom Tilsworth. Was at the Dunstable fair that year. 'I he fair was on Monday, the 13th. Oh 'served a man an d woman et the 'Allite kart on that day. The last ttint he saw them it was pretty nigh !-:jektn ti'eto l / 4 1 At night. They were in the passage. Ike Were talking to each other. They appeared to be wrangling. The woman had a light small printed gown on. She had a light brown beaver hat on. Afterwards saw the body of the murdered woman. The body of the murdered woman was that of the woman he had seen at Dunstable. ,Charlotte Church—Was living in London in 1820. Lived at Lisson-grove in 1819 and 1820. Was then acquainted with the prisoner at the bar. Recollects the prisoner at the latter end of 1819, or the beginning of 1820, coming to call on her at Lisson-grove. There was a female with him. Pri soner told her she was his wife. Witness knew the prisoner from a child. Saw his wife twice, but can not say she saw much of her. Thinks - the prisoner told her she was an Irishwoman, but is not certain. They did not talk much, but he behaved very friendly to her. Did not hear him address her by any name. ,When he spoke to her he said, " my mistress." heard him address her in no other way. The hair of the woman whom he called his wife was rather dark. Believes she had false hair. Thinks the false hair was rather lighter than the other. Thinks her eves were hazel. Her cheek bones were, to the best of her knowledge, rather high. Thinks she was from twenty to twenty-three years of age. When the wife came a second time to the house of witness the prisoner was there, having just called in to see witness. Never saw the wife after that time. It Was, to the hest of her knowledge, almost nine years ago. Did not see the prisoner at the bar after that for two years. When she saw the prisoner at the bar at that time, she asked him "how his wife did?" and he said she was dead! The prisoner never told witness where his wife was buried. Heard the pri soner say that he is not married now. Knows a woman of the name of Emerton. Has known her for years. Knew Emerton living as the wife of a person named Henry Burrell. He is dead. Has seen the prisoner and Emerton keeping company to gether for three or four years. This witness, when first placed in the witness box, appeared to be in a convulsive state of agita tion. Her countenance was rather pretty, and she gave her testimony with evident reluctance. John Morgan, examined•by Mr. M.turnv—Ws living at Leighton Buzzard, where he is a house holder, in 1821. Recollects the murder at Black grove Wood. Leighton is about four miles and a half From the wood. Recollects the - prisoner coming to his house either in the latter end of 1821, or the be ginning of 1822. The prisoner came in the evening into the shop of witness to see a person named Ri chardson, and sat down in a chair. He appeared uneasy in his mind. He laid his head upon his arm, and said he had been married to an Irishwoman in London, and that they lived very uncomfortably to gether. lie said there was jealousy between them —that he was jealous of some other man, or some thing of that sort, and that she had put him in a place of confinement. That he was in prison about a month, but she did not appear against him and he got out. 'He said he came down into the hay coun try, that he heard she was ill, and 'about a month after that .he received a letter stating that she was dead. • He said a deal more that witness could not recollect. He said that the letter stated his wife was buried at Chelsea. • He said there was a young man in Dunstable who knew the same as was said in the letter, and that letter, says the prisoner, Ri chardson, show to you.' After this Richard son went up stairs, and something occurred. about the murder. •The prisoeer said be was reaping for Smith in Statibuey s field on the day the body was found, to the best of witness's recollection. Wit ness asked him.. whether he had gone to see the body that was found, and he said, No, 1 did'nt like to go and see it. He added that' he was not afraid to go into Black-grove Wood, for he had beer there nutting with .a man named Rigby. He went away after that from the house of witness, along with Ri chardson;, they said they were going to chapel at Headon Reach. Cross-examined—;—The talk of the murder came up in conversation, witness having happened to mention it. Witness saw prisoner a few days after the murder at Leighton. The conversation took place the winter following. Never saw the prisoner at his house after thartime. The prisoner bore hs good a character as other persons in his situation of life. John Richardson corroborated the evidence of this last witness. Richard Church—Lived at Leighton Buzzard in 1821. Knew fripi the prisoner at the bar, before the murder, that he was a married man. Has had conversation with witness respecting his wife. He often said, if hiS wife was dead, he would give witness a pot of beer or two. He said his wife and he could not live happy together. It wets said in the year that the murder was committed.— _. 'Recollects the prisoner coming to witness after the murder, about latter end of November. Witness was 'digging in the garden, and witness came to him, and said he had received a letter stating that his wife was dead ; and he added, you can't hinder me from marrying now ; you did hinder me once before. Knows a girl named Harris living at Headon Reach. Never saw the prisoner in her com pany. When prisoner told him of his wife's death, he said he would treat witness with a pot of ale if he would go and have it; and he said he treated him because his wife was dead. Cross:-examined--4-las known the prisoner ever since he was born, arid he always bore a good cha racter. Believed him to be of a humane disposition. William Webster—Remembers the time of the murder. Knows the prisoner. Saw him at his house before the murder. Witness asked hint, after he had been *there about an hour, John, have you got married ? He said, yes, I have, and I wish the devil had my wife. Witness said, volt are joking. He answered, can you tell me how to get rid of her ? Witness observed, John, I am sorry to hear this. The prisoner said, I can't be happy, for when I am absent my wife goes with other men. Witne , s said, John, is it so ? He replied, yes, it I have got another girl in my eye.that I could have. • Witness asked, who is it ? He said,• it is Harris's daughter, of •Headon Reach ; she is troubled with fits, but, perhaps, if she had a child or two, her e fits might leave her. Witness said, I would advise you to put a halter about your wife's neck, and sell her at Smithfield. Prisoner asked him, • w ill t he law stand good ? Witness answered, it Priso ner t h en sa i d, when has stood (rood for ma n y. I go back try. Wm. Harte—Lived at Leighton Buzzard in 18-)1. Recollects the discovery of the murder. The pri soner worked with witness on the March before. Witness is a shoemaker, and prisoner worked in the garden up to the latter end of June. In the begin ning of June he told witness he was going to L on _ don. At the end of June.he returned to work, and gathered the peas in the garden of the witness. Ile said he had seen his wife in London, and she was suffering under disease; that she was in distress, and said she would come down to his parish in the country. And prisoner said, " if she did come down among his friends, he would be very apt to knock her on the head." Jane Smith—Lives in South-place, Somers•town, London. The priioner lodged at her house some years ago, but can't recollect the year. Remembers the Coronation, and thinks the prisoner lodged with her at the time." He had a bed in her house. Told her he was mvtitd to an Irish girl; that " she was as fi, gitl as ever stood in two shoes ;" but she %,s so acquainted with the soldiers at Knightsbridge, that he could not live with her. Witness used to be very much disturbed by his hallooing out at night about his wife, and thought it was in consequence dl' their ndt living comfortably together. Witness asked him often to bring his wife to her house, but he never did. lie told her she was about her (the witness's) height. It being now seven o'clock in the evening, the trial having - lasted from nine in the morning, and there being several witnesses to call on the part of the prosecution, the Learned JUDGE considered it impossible that the trial could be concluded to-night; and, lest 'excessive fatigue might render the Jury incompetent to the satisfactory discharge of their duty on so solemn an occasion, his Lordship ad journed the Court until nine o'clock to=morrow morning; and a bailiff was sworn to take charge of the Jury in the mean time. SECOND DAY.—Jura 25. Mr. Justice HOLROYD came into Court at nine o'clock. The prisoner was placed at the bar, and the trial proceeded. Charles Carter recalled—l saw the body of the woman at the public-house, and I wrote on paper a description of the deceased. .1 have the paper.— ( Witness read it.)—" On Wednesday, 15th of August, 1821, between the hours of seven and eight o'clock in the evening, a female was found in Black Grove Wood, near Tilsworth, with her throat cut, and answering the following description : Small in stature, dark brown hair, but wearing false curls of a much paler colour ; hazel-coloured eyes, her teeth large, bad-coloured, and pointing rather outwards"; she had a small hand ; on her right, the first joint of her little finger was crooked and en larged ; she had remarkably small feet, high insteps, and her toes pointing a good deal inwards. From her general appearance, supposed to be about thirty two years of age, and was dressed as follows : Black velvet low shoes; cotton gown, small pattern of three colours, lilac, blue, and red ; white petti coat, and cotton stockings ; her bonnet, cap, and shawl were taken away, which it -is supposed she wore at the time of her unhappy fate." Witness continued :—ln March last I saw the prisoner at No. 50, George-street, Battle-bridge; he was living with a female who passed as his wife, but I did not see her ; I bad a conversation with the prisoner con cerning his first wife ; he first told me that she was dead, and buried at Knightsbridge ; I wrote down what the prisoner said, and he told me if I would burn the paper, he would then tell me the real truth : he told me afterwards that he did not live with his former wife above three months, and they separated : he said his former wife was named Jane -Lynch ; he said that he thought he had seen his wife about four years ago, and be had been told that she had got married; I told him that if he would tell me where his relations were, and I could find out the truth of his statement, I would get him set at liberty again ; I asked the prisoner if he was at Dunstable Fair in 1821, and he said he was not there ; I asked him if he had any relief of the parish of Leighton in 1821, and he said he had not, for he had plenty of work; he told me that he had married his former wife at the parish church of St. James's, Piccadilly, and told me to inquire of Mr. Lynch, at Knightsbridge; he also gave other addresses where I made application. T asked the prisoner where he was at the time of the murder at. Black Grove Wood, and he said he was reaping wheat that day for his brother Smith, at Gig Hill; Gig Hill is a short distance froth Leighton, and live miles from Black Grove Wood. By the JUDGE—I was not present when the mother of . the prisoner's wife- was examined at Hatton-garden. , - Elizabeth Morecroft—ln .1821 I lived at Leighton, and knew the prisoner;' I -recollect the murder at Black Grove Wood; the prisoner lodged at our house before' the murder; heard him say he had a wife; this was about March, 1821 ; he told me that he should go and see his wife in London, Ivlio was not very.well he told me that he did got like hi; wife, and he said one day, " if a man did not like his wife he had X right to put her away ;", he was reading a passage in the Scripture at the time, and had a Bible or Testament in his hand at the time; I understood his observation was, that a man had a right to put away his wife if she committed adultery. Cross-examined—He was a mild well-disposed man; I do not recollect how long he remained at Leighton after the murder, but it was .a very little while. James Cosby—l remember the Spring of 1821; I saw the prisoner about Lady-day that year ;he was on the road to London, and told me that - he was go ing there; we were talking on the road,together; we had been on very friendly terms, in fact, companions; as we were going along, I said, " John, how could you come for to go for to think to have another wife, iF they found you out they would transport you?".— The prisoner said, " why, she is a bad one, and how to get rid of her I don't know, but have heard say the lawyers in London would do any thing for four or five pounds, and I would get her divorced away if I could, for live with her I can't, and, how to get rid of her I don't know." Cross-examined—The prisoner bore a goo character, no man abetter, and w as m ild and humane, Mr. David Lee Willis—l am a solicitor at Leigh ton Buzzard; I have searched the burial registers of the parish church of Knightsbridge and Chelsea, from January 1821 to January 1826, inclusive, and the names of Janet Lynch or Eastaffe, were not in the register. John Durham . —lti 1821 I was high constable of Manshead, which includes Black Grove Wood, and Tilsworth ; I recollect the murder ; an inquest was held on the body at Tilsworth ; the clothes which the body had on were put into my custody; and I have kept them ever since. I produce a gown, petticoat, shoes, and handkerchief. The gown is not in the same state as when taken from the body, small pieces were cut off by me, and persons were sent to different places to try to ascertain where it ,was purchased. The shoes are of black cotton velvet. Cross examined—On the handkerchief which I produce, which was found round the deceased's Week, are the initials T. S. No. 1. There were no marks on the rest of the clothes. The clothes are those-of a pretty well dressed persongood of their kind, and not the "dress of a person in extreme poverty nor wealth. They are not the dress of a lady. Hannah Itoome recalled (looked at the gown mid shoes) = l • notieed the gown and shoes of the woman who came to my house in. company with the prisoner, on the Sunday morning; I remarked that, her shoes were black velvet ; I noticed particularly the gown ; I believed this to be the gown, from -the pattern, the bottom, and the make of it; I noticed the' make of the gown particularly •that Morning observed the woman's featureg; she had high cheek bones; her mouth projected; and her teeth rather stood out ; I noticed hl r r hair; she bad'a false curl in front of a brown colour ;, her. hair was darker Iliad the false curls,; . saw the false cur l s that were en the corpse, and they were the same she wore when she came to my house with the prisoner. William Tewitt recalled—l observed the dress of .the female that I saw with. the prisoner at Dunstable Pair, in 1821. The grown produced is exactly of .he same pattern which she wore. Mr. Sergeat STORKES—That is my case, my Lord. Mr. Justice HOLROYD said, it was to be regretted :hat the mother of Janet Lynch, who h a d b een ex- . . unlined in London, and had_ given very important evidence, had not been produced as a witness on the trial. There did not appear to be satisfactory evi dence that the woman found murdered in the wood was the daughter of Mrs. Downing, otherwise Lynch. Et had been laid down in two very memorable cases by Lord Hale, that in case of murder, it was indis pensible that there should be a body found, and also that the body should be identified to he the indivi dual mentioned in the indictment. Had the mother been brought forward, she could have given better evidence than had been elicited by the other wit nesses as to the identity of the female. If Janet Lynch should be stilt alive, and should, after the conviction and execution of the prisoner, appear, what a dreadful condition would he and.the Jury be placed in. The female found in the wood might have been robbed of her bonnet and shawl, and murdered. Mr. Sergeant STORKEs thought there was preg nant evidence to go to the Jury, sheaving that the female murdered in the wood was the wife of the prisoner, and that he murdered her. The descrip tion of the person of Janet Lynch corresponded with the female found murdered. There was evidence given of an admission the prisoner made, that his wife was coming from London, and that he should be ready to kill her if she did. There certainly was • no evidence how she came down to Dunstable : but there was evidence of the prisoner having intro duced the woman as his wife, arid that he asked for lodging for himself and her. There was no motive for the prisoner murdering any other woman ; but there Wilt an apparent motive for his murdering his wife, if the witnesses were to be believed, who had spoken to threats the prisoner had used towards her. [Mr. Sergeant Storkes was interrupted in his address to the Court by a most extraordinary piece of evi dence. Mr. llawkin, a solicitor, was examining the shoes of the deceased, which the last witness had produced, and he found the initials " I. E." in both shoes on the lining.] The Learned Sergeant informed his Lordship of this discovery, and proposed to give evidence of it. Mr. KELLY objected to it, as the case had been closed ; but his Lordship said it was admissible. Mr. Durham re-called—l have had possession of the shoes and dress produced, ever since the mur• der, sealed up, and they are now precisely in the same state ; I did not examine the inside of the shoes at the Coroner's Inquest, nor• have I noticed till the present moment the initials inside ; I see the initials are " I. h." on the lining of both shoes.— [His Lordship and the Jury examined the shoes, and the marks were quite plain.] Mr. KELLY contended, that there was not legal evidence of the identity of the deceased, and it was quite consistent with all the evidence given on the prosecution, that Jane, or Janet Eastaffe was still alive. He contended that the best evidence of the identity of the woman ought to have been given by the prosecutors; and if they had called the mother, she could have stated if her daughter had a crooked finger and a protruding mouth like the deceased, and that evidence would have put the question of identity beyond all doubt. He also objected to the misdescription of the deceased in the indictment ; she was described as Janet Eastaffo, whereas the evidence given proved that she was called June. Mr. Sergeant STORKES replied, still urging that there was sufficient evidence of the identity of the deceased to go to a Jury. Mr. Justice HOLROYD said, that he would reserve the point taken by Mr. Kelly, as to the misdescrip tion of the deceased, and send the case to the Jury, and if a conviction took place, Mr. Kelly might af terwards move to quash the indictment on the ground of misdeseription. DEFENCE. Mr. Justice HOLROYD called upon the prisoner for his defence. Prisoner—My Lord, on Monday, the 13th of March, 1821, I was employed in reaping at Mr. Smith's, at Gig-hill, near Leighton, and I worked there all the week. I have witnesses to prove that I was not at Dunstable fair, but I was at work at the time. I came from London to Leighton in February, 1821, and remained there till the following July. William Smith, examined by Mr. KELLY.--I am a butcher, and live at Leighton, and have 15 acres of field land; I married the prisoner's sister, and have knownlier from a child; I was at Leighton in 1821, I remember the murder; Eastaffe was working for me on Monday, - June 13, 1821, the Dunstable fair day ; he began to reap between five and six o'clock on that morning ; he dined with me on the Sunday, between twelve and one; he went to the chapel in the evening, and supped with me the same night, about nine o'clock ; he went to work, at reaping, for me the next morning; and worked for the all the week • I went to Dunstable fair on the Mond a y, a n d left the prisoner at work ; on my return home I found he had done a good day's work; I returned about four o'clock, and found him reaping; he supped at our house at nine o'clock on Monday night, and went away to go to his mother's; 1 saw the prisoner again on the Tuesday and Wednesday, and the rest of the week, • and he continued at Leighton for about 15 months afterwards ; the prisoner wore a fustian jacket, and went about his business after as usual ; I have taken great pains in finding out Mrs. Downing, otherwise Lynch, in London, and believe she is gone to Ireland ; I have written letters to her; I have known Eastaffe since his birth, and he was kind and humane. Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant STORKES —I am a relative of the prisoner; I did not think of these particulars till after the apprehension of the prisoner; I believe I made a mistake before the Ma gistrate—l substituted Tuesday for Monday, but afterwards rectified the error. I cannot say that the prisoner went to London shortly before the murder; I do not know that I swore he went to London the Michaelmas after the murder ; but I might have done so, and therefore my statement that he con tinued 15 months after is not correct. I cannot say how the prisoner spent the week after that when the body was found. I bought a cow at Dunstable fair on the Monday; I might have said to Mr. Wroth, that I did not know of whom I bought the cow, and that I could not say .what I gave for it; the prisoner left my home on the Sunday night, be tween nine and ten; I did not see him go to his mother's house; it was an acre of land the prisoner had to reap the week the murder was discovered; I do not think it was ploughed ; I will swear it was wheat. I gave an incorrect account of the days of the week the murder was committed,to the Magis trates; I made a day too much in the account gave to Mr. Horseman, and he pointed it out to me; I was flurried and hurried when I was before the Magistrate, and could not so well remember then as I can now. I might have said I finished reaping on the 'Wednesday, but it was Thursday, Re-examined—l am•the son of a Sheriff's officer; I have been twenty-three years in Leighton, carry ing on business as a butcher. Sarah Smith—l am 22 years of age ; I was living with my. father at Leighton in 1821, and . knew Eastaffe; some time before the murder, to the best of my recollection, the prisoner was work ing on Gig Hill for my father; I saw him there; I heard the murder cried at Leighton on the Thursday morning; I•went 'to - carry the — prisoner beer and . bread and cheese to on . Dunstable fai r day ; I said that I did not know if it was Monday or Tuesday when I was. examined before the Ma-, .gistrate at Dunstable; but I now know it was on the Dunstable fair day when I took his .luncheon. The prisoner is a man of mild disposition. Crops,examined—lam a niece of the prisoner's; I have not recently recollected this . ; I recollected it . at. the time, and all along; I remembered the sorer reaped the field because of the murder that week; he was at our house on the Sunday morning, and dined 'there; he also dined there on the Monday, the day of the Dunstable fair; he left our house a little after nine o'clock on the Simday evening; I have not talked to my father and mother about what I was to, say here; I do not know what the pri soner was doing the week after the murder; I went to the Methodist meeting on the Sunday afternoon, and to the school in the morning; I left the school about 12 that morning; I cannot recollect how recent I had seen Eastaffe before the Sunday; I have heard the prisoner say that his wife in London was called sometimes Jane Lynch, and sometimes Jane Downing; I cannot say how soon the prisoner left Leighton after the murder; I have said what is true, .and shan't say further; I never heard the pri soner elll his wife by the name of Janet; he always called her Jane. Charles Sheppard —I am a grocer and cheese monger, 24, Exeter-street, Sloane-street, Chelsea, formerly No. 1G; I have lived there, near the Knightsbridge barracks since May 13, 1823 : the I female who went by the name of Jane Lynch used , to live at my house, and her mother also ; the tno ther lodged in the house when I took it ; her name was Downing, she had a second husband living at that time with her; . when I first took the house Jane Lynch was not with her tnother, but in a situ . ation ; she came home to her mother in July or Au , gust, 1823; she might have remained there a month or more, but I cannot say ; she then left; she was a short woman, of fair complexion, and I rather think she had hazel eyes, but I cannot exactly say, though I knew her well ; she had light hair, rather sandy; believe she had a good set of teeth—there was nothing remarkable about themthey did not pro ject; she had nothing the matter with her hand; she had not a crooked finger, I swear; a person who was represented to be her husband came to see her while she lived with her mother; she would not see him ; I saw that man at Dunstable; the priso ner is the man, I pointed him out to the constable ; I have not the least doubt the prisoner is the man ; I saw him on a - Sunday before I shut up my shop; Mrs. Downing remained at my house after her daugh ter, who had absconded 'on suspicion of a robbery ; this young Woman .1 did not believe to be very mo dest; she was rather gay : she had more than one man paying her attentions; I have never seen her since she absconded, and that was about April, 1824 —no, it must have been May, because it was shortly before her mother left me; she appeared about twenty, but I had heard site was more; she was born in England, and her mother was Irish ; I do not know that it is the custom of the lower Irish to retain their maiden names ; if Jane Lynch had had a projection in her teeth I must have observed, for she came frequently into my shop : when the mother of Jane Lynch re turned from Dunstable she went to live at the house of Mr. Baines; the corner of Keppel-street, Fulham-road ; I have no knowledge of the prisoner, except from his calling at my house at the time have mentioned, and I have no interest in his fate; I have the lease of my house in my .pocket; the young woman went by the name of Jane Downing, but I understand her name was Lynch; there was another daughter,. which Mr. Downing had had by a former wife; I had seen her twice. Cross-examined—l had become acquainted with Mrs. Lynch, or Downing, in 1823, and I knew no thing of her or her family before that time ; I did not know any young woman called Janet Lynch, or Jane Lynch, in 1819, or 1820, or 1821 ; lam not aware that the prisoner introduced a woman (Janet Lynch) in 1819, or 1820, to a person named Church, or Townshend, as his wife ; I am not aware that the prisoner had told five persons (named) between 1821 and 1823, that his wife was dead; Jane Lynch wore her own hair; she was fair, and was rather pitted with the small-pox; the female I speak of I believe was born in England; she was always called Downing; I heard the prisoner's name was Eastaffe from my wife, two or three days after the prisoner called; the name was quite new to me; the woman named Downing. lived 13 months in my house; I don't remember that I ever saw the girl write, but I believe she could write a good hand ; I never received any letters for her at my house; she generally wore black. Mr. KELLY said, that he had a question to sub mit to the Court. It was necessary, to sustain this indictment against Eastaffe ' not only to show that the woman deceased was his reputed wife, but it must be shewn to be the fact, as in case of bigamy, and positive evidence must be given of the marriage. Mr. Justice 1 , 101..R0vp said he would not trouble his brother Storkes to reply to the objection of Mr- Kelly. His Lordship cited from East's Reports the case of Norwood, for potoning her husband, as a decision conclusive on the point against the:objection, but as he had reserved one point in the prisoner's favour, he would reserve this also. Robert Salmon said, I keep a ham and beef shop at 12, Queen's-buildings, Knightsbridge, opposite the barracks; I knew Mrs. Downing, who had a daughter, who came into my service in July, 1823 ; I am a taylor, and my wife conducts the shop; the girl's name was Jane, but she was called Mary, because my wife was named Jane; the girl remained about three months with me; she left my seri-ice about Oct. 1823 ; she was ill, and went home to her mother, at Mr. Sheppard's; she was well conducted while she was in my house; but I have reason now to believe she was not so well behaved as she should have been. She had young men to follow her; she was rather short, her hair was light ; she never wore false hair, and seldom wore a cap. Her teeth did not stand out from her mouth, and she had no crooked finger. She came to my house to get a recom,- mendation to a situation in Rawston-street, Bramp ton, after she recovered ; I afterwards heard of a robbery, it was about March or April, 1824, and I did not see her again till I met her in Sidney's alley, Leicester-square, three months afterwards ; she appeared to be a street-walker ; I got an address from her; it was at a bad house. I afterwards met her in the Strand ; I believe she is now living in Blackfriars-road; she gave me a card of her address in Francis-street, Blackfriars-road ; I heard from her mother that she had been married. Mr. KELLY said this was the case for the defence. Mr. Justice HOLROYD commenced summing up the case a little before three o'clock. The indict ment charged the prisoner with the serious offence of murdering his wife, by cutting her throat ; and as the crime was committed so long as nearly seven years ago, it would be their duty to be satisfied of the corpus dclicli ; they would, before they con victed, entertain no doubt that the woman found murdered in June, 1821, in Black Grove Wood, was the wife of the prisoner, and also that she was murdered by the prisoner. his Lordship cited two cases mentioned by Lord Hale, showing the danger of relying upon presumptive evidence only, and of the danger of convicting a party of murder, without the body being found and identified. His Lordship con tinued his address, and proceeded to read through the whole mass of evidence. Verdict—NoT GUILTY. The OBSERVER of To-morrow will contain the Report of the Select Committee of the House of Com mons on the London Police.—Price of the OBSERVER is Sevenpence only. Some very large Estates of Sir GODFREY WERBTER, hi Sussex, are announced in our columns to day, by GEORGE ROBINS. It includes the ancient Castle of Bodiam, of which it is said there is not in England a more beautiful specimen of the masonry of feudal times. Mr, GEORGE ROBINS, the Patentee of the " Royal Filter" for Cisterns, has (we perceive by his Ad- vertisement) extended this "God-send" to the reach of every one, by having Portable Filters of all dimensions, and upon a plan whereby all the water a large family can possibly want, is filtered as fast as it can be placed within, and the effect will be a water as fine as chrystal, and en tirely free from smell and taste. After this, it will be idle to complain of bad. water with so cheap a remedy at hand. The Grand Sale so long announced, and which circumstances rendered necessary should be post poned, issnow peremptoi ily fixed for next Tuesday, the 29th instant. There are many conjectures afloat, and mach curiosity excited, to know the name of the "dis , tinguished.Earl" who, at this late season of the year, will encounter the dreadful sacrifice of property which is the natural result of Sale protracted to such a period. How ever, on this point GEORGE ROBINS is as silent as the grave; and although we have heard the names of at least a dozen, we are too much in the dark to venture our un authorised opinion. The amount of this sale, it is said, will exce e d 50,0001. ; it will con ti n u e 12 days, and pro • bably be very influ e ntial in k e eping the great folks in town longer than usual. The public view commenced exhibition th a t was commenced on Thursday evercongregated :it probablyis on n o th e ezi c o ai s : splendid . It ;,:v. MR. DI LLON.—We perceive by au advertisement in to-day's Times t ha t the Rev. Mr. DILLON (who is, we believe, the author of that deservedly celebrated work " The Lord Maynr's Voyage of Discovery to Oxford) is a Candidate for the situation of Morning Gentleman's Sermons be equal to his History, they must Preacher to the Westminster Asylutn.—lf the R e v e rend be of a truly orthodox and composing quality. The latter was literally stet Ted in laudanum —every page was an opiate. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, FRIDAY, JULY 23. The Royal Assent was given . by Commission to the Exchequer Bills Bill, the National Debt Bill, the Military and Naval Pensions Bill, the Welland Canal Bill, the Custom s Bill, the Pilotage Bill, the Abolition of Slavery Laws Consolidation Bill, the Charitable Lands Bill, the Lunatics Estates Bill, the Criminal Justice (India) Bill, the Irish Bankers Composition Bill, the Promissory Notes and Lighting To wns (I re l and) Bill, the (Ireland) Bill, the Butter Tr a d e (I re l an d) B i ll, the Watching Children (Ireland) Bill, t h e Turnpike Road Holyhead Road Bill, th e M arqu i s o f L on - Bill , the Deserted Lon donderry's Estate Bill, the, Duke of G or d on ' s Estate Bill, and another Private Bill.—The Lords ,Corn missioners were the LORD CHANcELLoR, the Earl Of SHAFTESBURY, and Lord MELVILLE. The Appropriation Lill, and the Waleot Charity Estates Bill, were read a third time and passed. Mr. CHARLES PALLIIER and ot hers, from the Com mons, brought up the Savings' -Banks Bill, with the Lords' Amendments agreed to. . , Lord CALTHORPE presented petitions praying for the gradual Abolition of Slavery, from Chalford and East Combe, Fenny Stratford, Kirby in Bed fordshire, Rochester, Uxbridge, Chatham, and from the female inhabitants of Chipping-Norton. The petitions were laid on the table. - Their Lordships then adjourned till One o'clock on Monday next. HOUSE OF COMMONS, FiuDAv, JULY 25. A few minutes before four o'clock, the House was summoned to. the House of Lords. The SPEAKER, upon his rettirn, acquainted the House that his Majesty's Assent had been given to different Bills. Mr. Tomlins, from the Treasury, presented several accounts relating to the Customs and Excise. Mr. C. GRANT presented a petition-from Man chester, against the practice of Infanticide in India. On the motion of Mr. C. GRANT, was ordered a return of the quantity of raw and thrown silk im ported into this country during the last five years, up to January 5, 1828. -On the motion of Mr. C. PALL MER, the Lords Amendments' to the Savings'Banks' Bill were agreed to. - Mr. WM. SMITH presented petitions from Rochfort, Fenny Stratford, and Torbay, for the abolition of slavery. Mr. W. O'BRiEN presented a petition from the Grand Jury of Clare, against the Bill increasing the Duties on Glass in Ireland. Sir GEORGE MURRAY presented (by com mand of his Majesty) the correspondence relative to to our commercial intercourse with the United States of America. Also a report relative to the administration of justice in the West Indies. Mr. FYLER gave notice that next Session he would Move" for the French Tariff in 1824 and 1825. SLAVERY. Sir J. MACKlNTOSl7,in . presenting a petition from Chalford, Gloucester, praying the House to carry into effect the resolutions of the House rela tive to the amelioration of the Slave population in the West Indies, took occasion to observe, that the frequent changes of Administration during the past year, and the sudden indisposition of his Hon. And Learned Friend the Member for Winchelsea, had prevented this g reat que s ti on f rom b e i ng b roug h t fairly before the House during the present Session, but if the subject was not satisfactorily adjusted be fore next Session, he gave notice that some specific measures of reformation would be proposed by those with whom he had the honour of—acting, and he sincerely hoped that his Hon. Friend (Mr. Brougham) would be sufficiently recovered to undertake a task for which no man was so well fitted. Sir G. MURRAY thought the House would Con cur with him that it would be extremely inexpedient to enter at present into the subject introduced by the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir J. Mackintosh). This much, however, he felt himself bound to state, that as e h a ien r, hear.)oelffles H ouse ' n the esooumttioryn:sstpoaosds ed Government, pledged ii a i s Bw2et3lol. carry and humanity d eman d ed that those Resolutions should be c arr i e d i nto effect, as well to secure the interests of th e s l ave owners, as for the comfort and den t he ee- and advantage of the slaves themselves. These were the views of his Majesty's Government, butt at this period the House would not expect him to declare what specific measure the Government was disposed to adopt in furtherance of those views. Mr. FOWEL BUXTON was extremely happy to hear what had fallen from the Right Hon. Secre tary, especially as it had been represented that a Noble Person in another place had uttered senti ments somewhat 'different on the same subject. What was attributed to the Noble Duke was, that he dwindled down the pledges of this House to a mere idle recommendation to the Colonists. Mr. WILMOT HORTON wished to . take this opportunity of informing the House that, for reasons which he would not enter upon, he had determined not to propose the resolutions which he had in tended to submit to the House on the condition of the slaves in the West Indies. Under the pre sent circumstances he thought the House would agree with him that it would be highly inexpedient to enter into such a discussion. Air. Sergeant ONSLOW said he had never heard any speech with more unmixed approbation than that which fell from the Right Hon. Secretary. He thought the subject would be best if left in the hands of Government. Mr. Secretary PEEL denied that his Noble Friend who had been.alluded to by the Hon. Member (Mr. F. Buxton) had ever sought to dwindle the pledges of the lIou&e down to an idle recommendation to the colonists. The resolutions of 1823 were as much the resolutions of the other House of Parliament as of that House, and were as binding upon the exist ing Government as upon any former Government. His Noble Friend's speech should not be judged, without also considering the speech it was intended as an answer to; his Noble Friend might have thought it necessary to check the extravagant ideas thrown out at the other side, and to condemn any --- effect thing like a sugg es ti on to carr y th e reso l ut i ons of the Legislature i n t o e ffect by th e ap pli cat i on o f physical force. All p ar ties agreed th a t i t wou ld b e , were m eaSti carried into resof reform, o great re commended advantage b y p l ia f am the ent by the Local Legisl a tive bodies(bear, hear,):--and his Noble Friend 'therefore thought it his dirty to obServe a conciliatory tone in speakin g o f t h e inten tions of Government towards the C o l on i sts : I The petition was ordered to lie on the table and to be printed. Mr. CHARLES GRANT brought up some re- turns, for which he had previously moved, relative • to the qUantity of raw and wrought silk imported. Mr. FAZAKERLY presented a similar petition from the neighbourhood of Caine. ithe Members Borough to BOROUGH OF EAST RETFORD. Mr. TENNYSON gave not i ce t h at early i n, the: next 'Session of P ar li ament b e wou ld b r i ng in a Bil l t prevent serve in. Parliament from;. and' t rgany ti,' that he w ou ld a l so m o ve that t h e town of Birmingr,.; ham sho u ld b e empowered to send two MembMembersto serve in P ar li ament . Mr. F. BUXTON p resen t e d a pet i t i on i n favour of th e a b o li t i on o f t h e s l ave tra d e, r and also another o s f e Petition praying for the repeal of the Pilgrim Tax. Mr. BUXTON asked the Right Hon. Secretary for the Home Department, why, it was that the' . Commissioners for building new Churches and Chapels had not conformed to the A c t o f .P ar liad tnent ? Mr. PEEL, as we und,trstood him, said that he was informed that whatever difficulties were in the way, hall been obviated, and the Commissioners were now about to pi weed without delay. Lord NUGENT presented a petition from the Maltsters of Newport Pagnel, praying for an altera tion in the tax on malt. Lord NUGENT preoe,i:ed a petition from a rnam. qut th e qua dui th e Co to ter the of Shi Ri g Pee Hier this coui °all' ter Cou undi Aft, were agreed Mr. !ktrerr