The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-07-15 00:00:00

A REMARKABLE CASE.

At the Hertford AssiZeg, a very singular ease has been
tried, which, however, appeared to have no real inundation,
it being a charge against a lady, of conspiracy to hire pers,,m,
to commit murder.

•
Annie Ball, described As a gentlewoman, of the age
of 40, of Wallingford, Berks, and of St. Albanti,
and John Garratt, described as a seaman, of the age of
28, of Sealey, Cape Breton, were indicted in one
count, for conspiring to murder Lady Ball and Thomas
Slattery, in another count for feloniously soliciting a
third person to murder them, and in a third count for
pr sing to a third pemin to murder them.
'I he prisoner Annie Ball was married, and her hus-
band, who lived at St. Albans, was a nephew of Sir
W. Ball, who lives in London. Mr. Slattery is a
builder at Shepherd's Bush, and a cousin of Mr. Ball's.
The story told by the principal witness, a young man
named Lea, WWI extraordinary. He said he lived at
Derby, but worked in London, and was at St. Albans,
on his way to Derby. He there, at some istl,lic house,
made the acquaintance of the prisoner Couvatt, who
hie, been in the service of Mr. Ball, and who pm
posed to hint, he said, to join with him not Particu-
larly to do anything, but to look after and "-pump"
some one, aud that, if it were well done, it would be
£5O or 1.100 in his pocket. He acceded to the proposal,
and saw Mrs. Ball, who then, he said, proposed to him
to " pop off" Lady Ball and Mr. Slattery, the builder.
He stated that she told him that her husband's uncle,
Sir W. Ball, had lately married a young wife, and
that, though before lus marriage he had been very
kind to them, since his marriage he had done nothing
for them. 'She proposed, he said, that Garratt and he
should " pop off "Lady Ball and Slattery, but that they

were not to hurt Sir W. Ball; and she promised them
1430 apiece for the job. She suggested, he said, that
they should not usrs a pistol, as that would make a
noise, but that they shituld use a dagger, or some weapon
of that sort. She told them that Sir W. Ball and his
wife often treat to the Alhambra. She davit them a I
sovereign as earw-A, but they %Wire wit ZO receive the
£3O apiece until the thing was date. The with.ss went
to London and saw Mr. Slattery and told him some-
thing which caused hint to take out a warrant against
Garrat for threatening to kill him, but afterwards,
li, said, Lea asked him for money, and title altered his
opinion if the case. Lea then tried to see Sir W.
Ball, who, however, did led admit hint. He did not
act at all as though lie had seriously entertained the
project, and in cross examination admitted that he did
not really believe he should receive the money, and it
was suggested in Ceo.l-eXttlllillittioll that he and Oarratt
had been drinking together, and that this strange story
wart the result of drink. He admitted that he had been
thMking, and that Literati was the worse for liquor,
Outwit he himself said he knew what he was about. It
appeared, however, that the men had been at flair or I
publichouses, drinking at all of them, and it was
stated by more than one witness that Garratt was
drunk, and this was his defence. A female witness
put it thus to hint, " 1 kw. you were drunk, and
• Lea was lint sober," which seemed about the truth.
Mr. Slattery, who was called air a witness, stated that
he hail It-en on goon terms with his cousin Ball awl his
wife, list there hail been a little coolness between him-
self and Mr. Ball, but there was no enmity ; and Mrs.
Ball, the prisoner, had nothing to do with it, nor had
he ever had a word or Ituarrel with her. He stated that
Mrs. Bull would be entitled to her uncle's property if he
4lied without children; and he was 84 years of age. It
came out that Mr. Slattery actually was bail for Mrs. Ball
moon this charge, alio Ihe smiled at the iileatif her wanting
to " him " tiff. On the other hand, he stated that
the witness Lea hail come to hint again and again for
money, and hail impress.' him with the idea that
money was his object, and this, he said, had quite de-
cided his view of the ease. When 4:arratt was appre-
hended on the charge of using threatening language he
lieeliled surprised, said he had not i:een hint, and asked
who had stated that he had used such language. He
also said he hail been drinking. And when Mrs. Ball
WWI apprehended she also seem.' astonished, awl ex-
claimed " Oood Cod, I know nothing of such in matter !"
She said also to Oarratt "You know I know nothing
of such an accusation." _
. _ .

At the close of the case for the prosecution the counsel
for the prisoners' defence submitted that there was no
ease, and
The learned Judge observed that if the questions were
am to the credibility of the witness Lee, that, if C 01.11,1,
was for the jury. But, assuming the story to be true,
then, his own showing, he was a co-conspirator 11.11 d
accomplice, and his evidence required cort,butath., of
which there was none. He did not think, however,
that it was worth while to discuss the matter, for he
was very sure that the jury would not, upon such
evidence, convict the prisoners.
The jury intimated that they quite took that view,
and at once pronounced a verdict of Not ()Mile.