The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-11-12 00:00:00

Could, never prove a crime or a murder eicept by direct
evidence, it would almost always follow that prisoners
Would escape and aluxdprers
,WoUld Often eseape justice
because the , 'evidefice, tiraa c rcttastantal But entll-
- there is no such. rule Of law. Circumstantial evi-
dence varies in its degrees—from a light amount of pro-
bability, on which no sensible man would convict any one
of the smallest offence, to a very high degree, on which
you may safely ad even in an affair of life and death.
The question is one of degree of moral probability, and
in this case the question is, Does it amount to that
reasonable certainty which the law retiuiresl And
that JR to follow from the whore a it taken together ;
It in hot this fact or that, but does the whole taken
together prove it? Is the evidence against the prisoner
reasonably and fairly consistent with the prisoner's inno-
cence ? If it is so, then lie has a right to be acquitted.
The doubt, however, must be a reasonable doubt, and if
there is none, then you must nit as men of honour and
censdente, and in this, as in every other case, act upon
the evidence whi.-.1 brings conviction to your mind. Gentle-
men, throughout this long trial I have observed sour
attention to the case. I know you to be men of in-
telligence; I believe you to be men of probity and in-
tegrity ; and I need hardly remind you that it is your
bounden duty to hold the scales equally if you can, between
the prisoner, who is entitled to be acquitted, if not proved
to be guilty, and the Queen, who in this case represents
the country, and who has a right to claim a conviction,
in case of guilt, for the repression of unbridled violence
and the punishment of atrocious crime. The question is,
is it proved that this crime was committed by the prisoner?
Is it, or is it not, proved that this atrocious crime was com-
mitted by him? If not he is entitled to be acquitted ; but,
if otherwise, he must be found guilty; and I trust that in a
case which involves such a momentous issue it is not taking
the awful name of God in vain if I pray that He may guide
you to a right verdict.
The Jury retired at twehty-five minutes to three o'clock,
end after an absence of about ten minutes, returned.

Lefroy stepped to the front of the bar, looking very pale
and agitated. He wiped his mouth in a nervous manner
with his handkerchief, and controlled himself with an
evident effort.
The Jury having taken their places, the Clerk of Arraigns
called over their names and each answered in his turn. Then
he said, Gentlemen of the Jury have you all agreed to your
verdict. _

•
The Foreman replied—We have.
The Clerk of Arraigns : Do you find the Prisoner at the bar
Guilty or Not Guilty?
The Foreman: We find him GUILTY.
The Clerk of Arraigns: And that is the verdict of you all?
The Foreman: It is. _

The prisoner, -Wii-o-s-e face had assumed a deadly pallor,
though it could hardly be said to be paler or more gloomy
and despairing that it had been all through, arose, came
forward to the front of the dock, and muttered something
(as was understood) to the effect that he was thankful for a
long and patient triaL
- •

- -
The lips of the prisoner were seen to move, but no
audible sound reached the gallery, and directly after the
usual proclamation was made for silence, while sentence
of death was passed.
The Lord Chief Justice, having assumed the black cap,
amid deep silence, spoke as follows :- Percy Lefroy Mapfeton,
you have been convicted on the clearest evidence of a most
atrocious murder, a murder committed upon an old man,
a harmless taltn, a man that had done you no harm, a man
whose movements may possibly have been unknown to
you. You have been justly and rightly convicted, and
it is right and just that you should die; and the
sentence is not the sentence of the judge and jury, but of
English law. I will not harrow /you nor endanger my own
self-command by going into the facts of the murder, or by
attempting to estimate your moral guilt. He only who
knows the temptation can estimate the sin, and it is not
sin but crime which lam here to punish. The law punishes
your crime; your sins, whatever they may be, will be
judged hereafter. The sentence of the Court upon
you is that you be taken from hence to the place from
whence you came, and from thence to the proper place of
execution, and that you be there hanged by the neck till
you are dead, and that you be taken to the Sheriff of Sussex
for the execution of this sentence ; and may God have mercy
on your soul.
At the conclusion of the Judge's impressive words the
warder, who was standing on the right of the convict,
touched him on the shoulder and made a gesture to him to
follow him down the steps from the dock.
Lefroy made a movement as if to carry out this order, and
then, by a second thought, turned full to the Jury, and in a
voice that had become perfectly firm and audible said,
"Gentlemen of the Jury, some day, too late, you will learn
you have murdered me."

He then disappeared down the steps of the dock amidst
the murmur of the audience in court.