The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-12 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY.

(Before Mr. RAFFLES.)

TIM POOR-BOX.

His Worship acknowledged the receipt of £1 for the
poor-box from " Anonymous."

BREAKING INTO A PAWNSHOP.

Eliza Flanaghan, Mary Anne Naylor, Joseph
Naylor, Jane Woods, and John Woods, were brought
up on a charge of being concerned in breaking into and
robbing the pawnshop of Mr. Empson, Scotland-place.
Mr. }Muck appeared for the prisoners Woods. The
details of this case were published two or three days
ago, when the prisoners were previously before the
court. The shop of Mr. Empson was broken into some
nights since, and a quantity of property stolen. Por-
tions of the property stolen, rings, Ste., were found with
the prismieti. The prisoners were arrested by detective-
officers Smith, Scaife, and Wilson, who got the articles
With theni. Pawn tickets, relating to other portions of
the prdperty;,_ were found on some of the prisoners.
he women Woods and Flanagan were discharged, as
the evidence was not considered sufficient, and Mr.
Bluck contended that the evidence against the man
_ . .
Woods was het Conclusive to send him for trial, ana
therefore he ought to be discharged. His Worship
committed Woods and the two Naylors for trial ; but
said he would take bail-, tvio sureties in X2O each, for
*clods.' appearance.

(Before Messrs. S. B. Lthiri and onlim:rart.)
, . •
PUBLICANS' ANP PEERMLEitf?'
Thomas I3aily, publican, Brownlow-hill, was Chalied
with having supplied a drunken man with a glass of
rum. Mr. Cobb (to the officer) : Did you drink any of
the rum ? Yes. Mr. Cobb : Then let me tell you, sir,
you stole it.. Mr. Lloyd : He wanted to distinguish the
liquor. Mr. Cobb : Oh, they like to do that—to distin-
guish the liquor. How would you (to the officer) like to
have rum you paid for taken by another man? Officer :
I only took a spoonful. Mr. Cobb severely cross-examined
the officer, and called witnesses to disprove the charge,
and the magistrates dismissed the complaint.
Aim Harker, pUblican, Scotland-road, was summoned
tbr selling spirits aiid Ale at, ntila*ftil hltirst and for
having drunken people in the house. Mi:. ritihtfci.cit
called evidence for the defence, and the bench dismissed
the complaint.
Samuel Postlewaite, publican, Plumb-street, was sum-
moned for selling ale and spirits at prohibited hours, It
*As till'ego that the liquor was given away as a gift;
isminstd,

Thomas Weit, Siiitalfields; beerhOtise.-keeper,
charged with Sunday trading. Acquitted:

Isaac
summoned for selling ale on Sunday 1;1 11
ss. and costs.

Michael Tynan, Ilornby-street, beerhouse-keeper, was
charged with Sunday trading. Fined ss. and costs.

Anne Seddon, Wolfe-street, Park, beerhouse-keeper,
was charged with doing business on Sunday morning
last. Fined ss. and costs.

Thomas Williams, Norbury-strect, beerhouse-keeper,
was summoned for selling ale on Sunday morning. Fined
20s. and costs.

ATROCIOUS MURDER NEAR BRISTOL.

A most brutal murder was perpetrated on Wednesday
night at bunchy, a Small ivillage near Bristol: An aged
couple named George and Sarah -Waterman, resided in
a secluded 'cottage in that hamlet. The old man was
pensioner, and ivtis torinerlY iii the 9th Poot ; he had
become the owner of the cottage, iti *Mat he hhd lived
for the last 30 years, and to which is attached ahotit
acre of land, and carried on the business of milkman
and small farmer. The age of Waterman is 75, and
that of his wife 73.

Shortly after 7 o'clock on Wednesday evening a man
named Lovell, a butcher, residing in the neighbourhood,
was alarmed by Waterman coming to his house and
imploring assistance. The old man was bleeding pro-
fusely about the head, and stated that his cottage had
been entered by two men, who had beaten him and his
wife, and then robbed the premises. Loirell at once
accompanied Waterman to his cottage, and there found
the wife lying insensible from the blows inflicted on her'.
Mr. Shorland, surgeon, of Dundry, was at once sum-
moned ; but medical skill was unavailing, and the poor
woman died in about two hours. Two large maple sticks,
about a foot and a half in length, and from two to
three inches in circumference, were found on the pre-
mises. A pair of tongs. with which it is supposed the
unfortunate woman attempted to defend herself from
her assailants, showed stains of blood and traces orhaif
upon them, and two pools of blood were discovered out•
side the cottage. The head of the unfortunate woman
was almost beaten to pieces, and from the time she was
discovered till her death she was perfectly insensible.
On Thursday morning Mr. Mordaunt, one of the
acting magistrates of the division, took the depositions
of Mr. Shorland, surgeon, and Waterman. Mr. Shor-
land stated that in his opinion Waterman was in a very
dangerous state from blows on the head, producing
extensive lacerated wounds, and that he might not be
able to give evidence at any future time. Waterman,
who, though much exUausted, was perfectly sensible,
then made the folloiving statement :—" I am aware that
I am very dangerously ill, and that I may not recover.
About seven o'clock on the evening of the 9th of January
somebody knocked at my door. I asked who it was,
and they answered It is John, the Winford policeman.'
I opened the door, and some one immediately struck me
on the forehead with a large stick. I ran back into the
inner kitchen ; two men followed me, one of them
knocked me down, and struck me on the head several
times. When I got up they told me to go upstairs to
show them where the money was. They went up
stairs, pushing me before them ; they asked me where
the money was. I said, What I have is in my box.'
They searched the boxes, and from one of them took out
my money—about ss. or 65., and out of the other they
took a silver watch. They broke open my• chest of
drawers, and took out a black wine bottle ; they
tumbled over the things, and took a silk handkerchief.
They also took a Waterloo medal, with riband and
three silver bars attached. They followed me down
stairs, and took a loaf of bread and piece of bacon,
which they cut off, and packed up in the handkerchief.
They then asked me for a cord, and I gave them
one. The shorter of the two men tied my hands
behind me, took me into the milkhouse, and fastened me
to the bacon-stand. They told me to remain quiet for
20 minutes, and then to call my wife to let me loose.
They then left me. From the time I was first struck
till I let myself loose I did not notice my wife ; but
while I was being struck I said, Spare my wife.' The
taller man said, ' I have put her to sleep.' When I got
loose I went to the kitchen, and there saw my wife lying
in the middle on her right side. She was quite insensi-
ble. I tried to lift her up, but could not. I was bleed-
ing freely fromthe head. I managed to get to William
Lovell's to call for help. He lives about 300 yards from
me. He helped me home. I think I should know the
men again, especially one of them—the shorter of the
two. I looked at him very closely. I think I have
seen him before. He wore hair under his chin, and
was a young man, about 35. I noticed that the taller
man had a thin, pale face, and wore a large jacket, like
a shooting jacket, with large inside pockets. They left
their sticks behind them. After they had broken open
the drawers they turned over the bed to search for
money. A brace of pistols belonging to me fell on the
floor. The taller man took them up and presented one
at me,•and threatened to shoot me. The pistols were
loaded. I missed a silver watch, which was downstairs.
I saw it about 6 o'clock [the same evening, and had it
in my hand at that time."
Waterman attached his mark with his left band to
the deposition, his right hand being so severely injured
that he was unable to use it. His head is frightfully
beaten, and in the opinion of Mr. Shorland, if erysipelas
were to supervene, death would inevitably ensue. Mr.
Shorland expresses astonishment that after the fearful
treatment Waterman must have experienced he should
have retained his consciousness.

Superintendent Jones, of the Somerset County Con-
stabulary, within whose district this deliberate murder
has been committed, has placed Henry Morse, acting-
sergeant, and Police-constable Andrew in charge of the
case, and from inquiries he has prosecuted something
like a clue to one of the perpetrator of this foul deed
appears to have been ascertained. A man named John
Keevil, formerly stated to be a policeman at Dundry and
Winford, but now in the service of the Rev. C. Bout-
flower, incumbent of Dundry, as coaehman, states that
on Tuesday week a man dressed as a soldier, apparently
between thirty and thirty-five years of age, came to
the stable where he was at work about seven o'clock
in the evening, and asked if he knew a person
named George Waterman, or another named Wid-
more. The soldier said that Waterman was his uncle
and Widmore his brother. Keevil told him to wait
a few minutes and he would show him where both
parties lived. He accordingly accompanied the soldier to
Waterman's cottage, and knocked at the door. The
deceased woman came to the door and asked who was
there. Keevil answered, "It is John, the policeman."
Mrs. Waterman then said, "I know your voice, or I
should not open the door." She then opened the door,
and they both went in. The soldier stated that he was
George Widmore, brother of William Widmore, and a
nephew of the Watermans. The old woman, however,
did not appear to recognise him, and Keevil afterwards
took him to the house of his brother, William Widmore,
a working gardener of Dundry. He there stated that
he was on furlough, and that his regiment was stationed
at Portsmouth ; he was rather intoxicated at the time.
He remained with his brother some days, during which
time he paid another visit to the Watermans, and had
an interview with the old man. While there he pur-
loined a cutlass belonging to Waterman, and shortly
afterwards left for Bristol, bat was followed thither by
his brother, and the cutlass was found in his possession
and given up. It has been ascertained that George
Widmore is a deserter, and that he was not at his usual
lodgings on Wednesday night. The police are making
active search for him, and it is believed he cannot long
evade apprehension.