The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-03-28 00:00:00

THE SELBY MURDER.

Frederick Parker bag been indicted for the wilful murder
of Daniel Driscoll, at south Driflieid, near Selhy, in the East
Riding, on the Ist of March inst.
The prisoner, a young man of about twenty-one,
was up to Saturday, the 29th of February last, im-
prisoned in Beverley Gaol, where the deceased man
Driscoll was also detained. On the 29th of February
the period of imprisonment of both men expired.
Driscol left the gaol at about bine a.m., having pre-
viously hail delivered to him by the governor £4 lie.,
of which 1:4 10s. was in gill, a silver watch, silver
watch-guard and key, a trowel, and some other articles,
his property. The prisoner left the gaol a few
minutes after Driscoll, and also had given to him
Is. 4isl. in money, which he had had upon him when
brought to gaol, and 4s. worth of postage-stamps,
which had been sent to him by his friends during his
imprisonment. Between tell and eleven the same
morning Driscoll went into the Red Lion puhlic.house
at Beverley, and the prisoner came in to the same
house a minute or two afterwards. They remained there
two hours, and had refreshment together, for which
Driscoll paid. During that time Driscoll, in the presence
of the prisoner, told the landlord of the Red Lou that
he had "four quids" (sovereigns), and the landlord
then noticed that Driscoll was wearing a silver watch-
chain. The prisoner and Driscoll left the Red Lion
together, and were next seen at a public-house at
Bubwith, about eighteen miles from Beverley. At
this public-house they arrived together about seven
in the evening of the same day. They left after having
had one or two glasses of ale, which *Driscoll paid for,
and as they were leaving the prisoner said he was going
to Hemingbrough, where it seemedhis relations reside.
Driscoll and the prisoner were never seen again
together, nor was Driscoll again seen alive. On the
morning of Sunday, the lot of March, about nine
o'clock, a witness named Jackson, who was going along
the Cliff turnpike-road, about three miles from Bub.
with, noticed a bundle lying in the road and a trowel,
and almost immediately afterwards saw in the ditch
by the road-side the dead body of a man, which was
afterwards identified as that of Driscoll. By the side
of the body was an immense hedge-stake, and on the
head of the deceased were several severe wounds which
might have been caused by such an instrument. One
of those wounds, which had fractured the skull, was
no doubt the cause of death. There was no watch or
chain upon the body, and the only money found upon
it was twopence. About a quarter to nine on the same
morning the prisoner came alone to the house of a
person named Bentley, at Brind, which is about five
mileofroin Bobwith. He then had with him some money
in gold and silver, and Driscoll's silver watch and guard.
He told Bentley that he had been in Beverley Gaol,
and that the money, watch, and chain were his pro-
perty, and hail been given opts him on his discharge
from prison. Bentley's wife said that the prisoner ap-
peared very restless and uneasy, and asked more than
once whether the police ever passed the house. The
prisoner was next seen on the same day at Long New
land, a village in the neighbourhood, where he saw a
person named David Dilcock, to whom he offered the
watch, which, however, Dilcock refused to tab a. The
prisoner then offered him four sovereigns, which he
took and afterwards spent. According to Dilcock's
evidence, who, however, contradicted himself very
much, and who had, when before the coroner, denied that
he had received any money from the prisoner, the pri-
soner then concealed the watch in a hedge, where it was
afterwards found. On the next day, the 2nd of March,
the priscabir ni-t William Dilcock, a brother of David,
and proposed to give him a watch which he said was
"planted." William Dilcock, however, refused to have
anything to do with the watch. On the lid of March
the prisoner went to the house of his sister at
Barmby-in-the-Manh, a neighbouring village, and
left there a pair of trouser', upon which it was