The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-16 00:00:00

THE MURDER IN NORFOLK BY A BOY.

OUTWELL, Aram 14.
Thu coroner's inquiry into the death of William
Day, a little boy, aged 11 years and a half, who was mar- ,
dewed by another boy, named James Pearce, said to be of
theorem, sr (but upon which point some doubt exists), while
erewkieging in Oilmen Fen, on Saturday lest, nearly as
described in my letter of yesterday, terminated lest night,
haviag lasted two days. It was held at the Rose end Crown
lan, in this parish, before W. Townley,o coroner for
this district of the county, and a respeMableßa jury. A great
number of witnesses were examined, the principal of whom
gave evidence as follows :
John Day, leather of the deceseed, deposed that on
Saturday even with other members of the family, he
became alarmeing, dby the non-appearance of his heather at
the usual time of his returning home. Went in company
with a young man named Sangster to look for him in the
village, and not finding him there went on to Pearce's
house, which wee star the field where the deceased was
known to have been employed during the day. Saw a
sister of the boy Pearce, who mid she had seen witness's
brother leave the field in company with his master, Mr.
Reeve, about four o'clock. Witness afterwards went to
the hoses of Mr. Reeve, who mid that the boy did not
leave the field at the same time with himself,
he having given him orders to stay there, crow-
keeping, till dark, and that he had not seen him
slam. Witness then went home, and finding his bro-
ther had hot yet returned, went out again, and wandered
about in match of him till daylight, when he resolved to
go again to Peirce's cottage. Did so accordingly, still ac-
companied by Sangster, and found that Charles Pearce,
about 18 years old, a brother to the boy James Pearce, wee
already up. Asked him why he was up so moon ? Pearce
replied that be had been drinking at herdelph on the fia•
turday sight, and returned home so late, although quite
sober, that he resolved not to go to bed at all, but to sleep
in a chair. Pearce then agreed to accompany witness and
Sangster to the field, where the witness's brother had been
crow-keeping, to which they all proceeded. They walked
about it for a little time, till they came to a spot near the
drain, when Pearce said, " Dig down here ; here's some holes
down here " They accordingly commenced digging, and
almost immediately turned up a cap, which within knew
had belonged to his brother. The rods which they dug up
had evidently been recently turned over, as if to hide the
clots of blood with which they were covered. They found
not lag more there, and wore going away, when witness
saw something to excite his suspicion a few yards distant,
near the drain. Witness said, "Let's dig here;" but
Pearce replied, "Oh, no, there's nothing there;
it's only where the boys have been digging for
amusement." Witness, however, insisted upon digging,
and the spade almost immediately struck upon something
which proved to be the body of his missing brother. The
brains were blown out evidently by the explosion of • gun.
The body was buried about a foot deep, and about 20 yards
from the spot where his cap bad been found, and where ho
had, no doubt, first fallen. The cap and loose rods above
it were partially burnt, and would probably hare been en-
tirely consumed but for the dampness of the turf. Witness
afterwards went to the village for a cart to convey home
his brother's remains, sad subsequently gave information
to theysilee.
&nester corroborated the above evidenee, as did also
Charles Pearce, brother of the accused boy, Jas. Pearce,
with regard to the finding of the body. Beyond that wit-
ness knew nothing personally of the transaction.
The father, mother, and sister of the accused were sever-
ally examined, but utterly denied all knowledge of Day's
death until after the discovery of his body.
Wm. Pearce, however, ten years old, and heather to the
accused, gave more important testimony. Ile Mated that
he went to bed with his brother (Jes.Posece) en Saturday
night as usual, when his brother told him that he had shot
Bill Day. They were sitting in the field by the in, which
boys are accustomed to keep up while 11110w41/Ntii, when
they quarrelled, and Dall Muck him a deka blew over
the eye (his eye was blaebltei and brand whoa taken
into cuotody); and that be then ha up the ma sad Mowed
Day's brains nut. Day did not die directly, but lay upon
the ground bleeding fest. My brother, osetehmod the
witness, said, " I did not know what to do whit him.
I lifted him up, and held him sitting on the gawk end
I spoke to bim, hut he could not speak to me. Aber a kvi
minutes I saw he was dead, and I dug a hale in the dada
and buried him ; and after envering tint op INeepel as
him and jammed him down. I did not Ukelele see the bleed
on the rods where he fell, and so I pet thea altogether,
with his cap, and tried to burn them.'
William Gowlett, a little boy eight years of who had
been at first taken into inmeedy ea In of birdie beat
oracerned in helping to bury the , gave althea he
a most satisfactory manner to the ing effect: On
Saturday afternoon he was at work la a field adjo. that
in which deceased and the aesased ep Peens were pl ying
over a fire. Did net ip is play wilt then himself, be-
cause his master had threatened to leg him if he did not
gather up the chiekweed. They were both Mending up
when witness saw them, shortly before • gun went off,when
witness looked roust Re sew tho smelts of the and
Parse shmadacrug is the same leek bet natase
Dey. neve wee hat between then
whisk would
kin been easing cosy use lying as the ground.
Wise. was alma hiS yank km the spa whim the de-
mand had made ble ire, sod when he was MAL It was
dad half-pad ice when the gun went sic mkt* witness
'appeal te ham beea lad te frights* Oa arm. Fa
11111116 ties aienreade taw Pewee vralkkg sal maiming
eistrak bet did met "wpm wayakg wen yam. Law
nothing about Day's death. adi ianday raeraing.
Au eater of the Norfolk euestabutlary (whole we the
reporter did not learn) kraal that he had the boy Jana
Pearce a his ethemail
dage at ab yolks Moira at Dasnams-
market, Item aei haulms marimed Mimed,
Williaa Day. Os Ihe pram day mamaOa mate to
Ontwell, and on ble sawn to Downlink the Ideas' asked
him if he had lean bh tether and mallasa, r tali witness
replied Ism
the alkastive.
Ity Primer alberwards
replied
KIM ra elf pea allb D again
in the aftmative, wises lie seisrWilms Poor little
fellow. I have told • geed army Use aka' it, but I will
now tell yea the truth. Ida ad dad Ida, tat I helped to
bury kit by the dials ids." Alleavarde he admitted that
he did shaft Day, who lad bet get awes they were sitting
by the ibiN and has hies la the eye.
Other lasee lark( been esomakal, and a medical
=nbevies tbqkia at to the IMO tithe death of the
uke bees "awed by the merge of wadding
bout a gun dam* the brain,
The Coroner armed up, pointing eat the distinction
between an set of rawaskagliter and GM of wilful murder.
Thajney emenesMl that is TIM MAFIA be cleared,which
wee aseadhigly deer, tad some is. elapsed before the
mesa was we admitted, when the hams Mated that the
lisp_ agreed apes a wad " Ibralnaghter against
Nem.
The 0411111161 expressed SUMO surprise at the verdict,
which be esedended ought dearly to have heal one of
wilful messier; and for which offence, notwithat aiding the
' verdict just returned, the boy Pearce would no doubt have
to take hi trial.
Pewee was not produced before the jury, the police
!oldieg him in custody for examination before the megis-
! trates of the district.

rriernelt PARTICVLAWS.
Subsequent to the conclusion of the inquest, the sister of
the boy Pearce, who in her ezantination hail denied all
knowledge of the murder until alter the discovery of the
body, is said to have admitted to a neighbour that the
winds family knew of the event as early as 6 o'clock on
Saturday night, or within half an hour of its occurrence,
as her brother James went home at that time and said he
had shot Bill Day; and that thereupon her brother Wil-
lies, who had also professed to know nothing about it,
went out and buried the body. This statement has been
made known to the police, who, we are informed, went this
morning to arrest William Pearce as having been an aces-
' wry to the murder after the fact. It iv not yet known
whether they have succeeded in arresting him

THE EKAUTIFEL EPTATE. OR ARBIGLANII, in the
&tunny of Kirkcudbright, has hi en sull for the sum of
woo/. litr purehaser is Cotom! Balfour, a gentlemen
connected with lifeshire. The house ou the property
affords one of the finest residences in the south of Scot-
lend.—Dumfries Courie►.