The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-07-22 00:00:00

12c ,*tour4ri.4tie 04serber.

THE INQUEST.
lAn inquest wag held on the body at Mr. Ast-
. ! ley's, the Cross Keys Inn, before R. Docker,
TWO SENSATIONAL TRIALS. Esq., Coroner, on Thursday afternoon.
-- Walter Aston Wright said he lived a ith his
Simultaneously and for a considerable time father at Stafford, and he knew deceased, who
two deeply and interesting trials have occupied was • sou of Mr. Benjamin Wooldridge, soo-
the public mind during their progress. and shit- tioneer, of Stourbridge, and assisted him in the
ultaneously the verdict in both eases WAS given- office. He was 17 years of age last Octo:(er.
We refer, of course, to the ease of Edmund Wel- Witness was with him, and Thomas Roger., on
ter Pook, charged with the wilful murder of wedsesday. at Brown Pool. They went into a
Jane Maria Clouse!' at Kidbrook lane ; and of fiat-bottom boat. Whilst they were in the boat
Hannah Newington, alias Flora Davy, for the they paddled about, and then Rogers said he
manslaughter of Mr. Frederick Grave Moon. would swim to the shore. Deceased followed
It might be easy to draw a contrast and parallel after him to get to shore. He sank before he
between the two cases, but we prefer to make a had got half a dozen yards from the boat. They
few remarks upon each on its own merits. went to the pool for the purpose of bathing.
In the case of Pool:, the jury, we conceive, Rogers and deceased were undressed at She time
could have arrived at no other conclusion than they were in the boat, and they were betwei II
that which they gave. Had we, in our English 30 and 40 yards from the shore when they got
jurisprudence, such a verdict as " not proven," into the water out of the boat. Witness it is just possible—some may even say that it is mained fin the boat, and he was partly dressed.
probable—that the jury would have returned He could not swim himself, but the other two
this verdict. But be this as it may,the evidence . could. Deceased sat on the edge of the boat,
was certainly insufficient to convict the accused and gradually let himself into the water. His
of wurder—of a" murder most foul," as this un- head did not go under the water until lie began
doubtedly was,—be the murderer who he may. to sink. Ile called out as though lie was calling
Shall we be wrong, however, if we say that it for help, and he said what witness thought was
certainly was not the fault of the police that
the
1 "oh' and sank immediately afterwards. Wit-
evidence was not strong enough to convict the ness held the oar out, but deceased did not rise.
accused ? The trial of Pook has proved what Rogers swam to his assistance, and witness
has been moore than suspected in other cases, . pulled ashore and ran to the top of the field for
that the police have a tendency to form a theory I assistance. Rogers did not dive as there were
hastily as to the guilt of one particular person such a quantity of weeds. It was P 2 feet deep
and then to bring all the evidence they can in where deceased sank. Assistance came and de.
support of this theory. Where such conduct is ceased was got out, after being iu the water one
indulged in, we naturally expect to find the sup- hour and ten minutes. Witness had not been
pression of any evidence that may militate in the water with deceased before. Deceased
against a foregone conclusion, and this trial was went to Birmingham Baths on Monday, and find.
not without this suppression—so evident indeed jug he could swim better than he expected, it
that the Chief Justice spoke very strongly on was arranged that they should go to Broom Pool
the subject. But the police testimony and all to bathe. He did not seem heated, but lie had
the other evidence combined were insufficient to been in the water about three-quarters of an
convict the accused, and his horrible suspense hour altogether. He appeared to be able to
and that of his family and friends was at last swim ashore. The weeds are very thick where ,
relieved by a verdict a acquittal. It is hopes- he sank down. Witness was not present when
sible to estimate or describe the dreadful sus- the body was got out.
pense and anguish of mind that a trial for moor- By the Foreman : Deceased did not complain
der produces. In this case, however, added to of anything, and he seemed quite well. Witness
all this, there has been persecution of the inn°. did not think there was any probability of saving
cent, and this in a shameful way. The father deceased, without there had been a very expert
of the acquitted young man has suffered terribly diver there. %%Ames tried to persuade the do.
throughout the trial of the son. The father ceased not to try to get to land until they were
thus writes : 'My name has been brought into nearer.
unenviable notoriety. My solicitor, iny son, uIY Thomas Grove Rogers said he lived at Hag.
family, my friends, and I, have been hooted at, ley. He was with deceased and last witness on
yelled at, in the public streets, in a most fright- Wednesday. He had heard the evidence of the
ful and significant manner, and for the past last witness, and it was quite true. He was not
twelve weeks an agony and suspense have been present when the body was got out
endured by me and my family which rarely fall John Winder said he lived at Broom, and on
to the lot of mortals.- No language can be too hearing of the unfortunate occurrence, he went
strong in condemnation of such conduct as this, to the water. He got into the boat, and after
It is not "the wild justice of revenge, but the searching about for some some time with a har-
blatant and ignorant outpouring of misdirected peon hook, he managed to get the body up, hilt
passion. life was extinct. They met Mr. Hobbs the
The ease of Mrs. Davy, as she is rightly cal- surgeon, from Clent, at the top of the field, but
led, is one "to point a moral or adorn a tale " his attendance was not requisite, for deceased
• sad tale indeed. The deceased is deeply to be was quite dead.
lamented. He VMS evidently a kind-hearted, The Coroner said it was a purely accidental
generous, and genial man. He had qualities of affair, and the jury returned a verdict of o Ac.
heed and heart which might have adorned a cidental death.-
virtuous and happy home. He was beloved by
his companions and esteemed by his friends, in
......

spite of he unfortunate and OCR passion which
consumed him, and brought a somewhat wild
and turbulent life to and end. The connection
. .

which he formed was one which is, alas ! too

common in the richer ranks of society, and its
miserable progress and disastrous end ought to
be a warning to young men who are likely to
fall into the same snare. For the unhappy
woman we may have pity, but she cannot have
our sympathy. She had all to aiin and nothing
to loose by the continuance of her unhappy re-
lations with the deceased; and therefore it can-

not be believed that she intentionally killed him.
The grand jury, in fact, at once precluded any
such serious charge. Nor indeed. do we c0n-
.... ...

ceive it satisfacto;ily proved that she killed him.
either intentionally or unintentionally. But

that she caused his' death is as certain'as that

the is the.suthor of her own terrible punish-

ment. There was a quarrel which proved a
fatal quarrel, and the jury believe it was she
who, though it may be in a moment of unpre.
meditated passion, indicted the mortal wound.
The exact circumstances under which this wound

was given can be known only to the searcher of
all hearts and to the unhappy woman who has
now received the awful sentence of eight years'
penal servitude. Her fate, too, is a warning to
luir clam We believe these liaisuns are on the
whole as unhappy as they are immoral; they
frequently lead to bloodshed, and must always
produce more or less misery. Both parties to
such an unholy contract are ashamed of it, and
under no possible circumstances can it have a
happy termination.

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