The Express.
London, England, 1848-12-22 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTHERN CIRCIIIT.—Yonn, Deo. 20.
llikee Er. mien Platt.
Ten MUADIS AT LAMM —Thomas Makin, 17, was
charged with the 'wilful murder of Esther Inman at Leeds.
The prisoner pleaded Not Guilty. Mr. Hall, Mr. Hill, and
Mr. Wheelhouse appeared for the prosecution ;lir. Overend
and Mr. Johnson defended the prisoner. After *friary had
barn sworn and charged,
Mr Hall stated the ere. The doessald, Esther Inman,
• girl between 16 and 17 year§ of age, ived at Hunslet, near
Leeds, with her step-father, Thomas Watson, • tailor then.
The prisoner, a boy between seventeen and eighteen, lived
also at Hagan with his father, who is • glassblower. The
prisoner was working sea wood-tuner with Mr. Holdswortb,
and had been there two years in that capacity. Both wen
members of the Methodist Connexion, attended the same
school, the same chapel, and he believed the same singing-
seat in the chapel, and eventually became lovers. The mur-
der took place on Sunday, the Bth of October. Esther Inman
had been to • village near Leeds, called Kirketall, to see a
sister of hers, and about ten o'clock that night we find
her sitting as home with her father-in law, and her elder
dater wee there, and two women named Smith, mother and
daughter. While they were all sitting there a whistle was
beard from tbe garden, but if that was a signal intended to ,
be beard in the house, it was not noticed, it seems, by Esther
lonian. Shortly afterwards one of the party left the house,
saw the prisoner, remind a message from him desiring the
•
doomed to come out, upon which she returned to the house 1.
and delivered the message. The deceased hesitated • little
at first, but she put her boots on and went out. The two 1
visitors, the Smiths, left the house, and then passed the pri- 1
lour and Esther Inman together at the garden gate. t
That was a few minutes after ten o'clock. Very shortly
after the step-father, Watem, had shut the door when „,
the two Smiths went out, a cry was heard calling upon ",
the father to open the door. He rushed out, and he found
Esther Inman laid prostrate in the garden ' • he took her 2),
in his arms, bleeding from two wounds. She cried, "0, he it''
has stack me." He carried her into the house, and after a
few ejassktions, she instantly died She bad two mem& 1
on her bread. In her dress was a dagger, an instrument r
which we my gave her these wounds. Let us now tarn to 3
the peYmer. We left him and Esther Inman standing 2
together near the garden gate, alnioat at the instant of the
catastrophe. A witness of the name of Rayner saw them a
some yards within the garden, and the prisoner at that time I
wasstanding with his left hand on the breast of the young
woman, and hieright hand in hie jacket pocket ; and he must
at that time hue been actually preparing to inflict the blows.
Within two or three minutes after that • cry of murder was
heard from • finale voice. One other witness then went
up and saw the prisoner at the bar running out of the garden, .
after the cry of murder. By another whores, named Wat-
son, he was son running towards his own heme. Another
witness had his attention attracted by the conduct of the
prisoner, and that witness followed him into that home.
Prisoner was standing in the middle of the floor, and
looked very white in the face. His brother said,
" Tom, what's thou been doing ?" He said, " Nay,
nought." His brother said, " I'm sure thou km ; thou's
done something." Prisoner said, " Yes, I have ; I've dose
her job at last." His mother said, " Tom, thou surely hem's,
has thou 1" Prisoner said, "If you won't believe no,
you must go see for yourself." The mother then went out.
An alarm was given, the police were on foot, and an inquiry
was made where the prisoner was expected to be found, but
he was net found until the night of Monday, when he was
discovered in the Fres Market, in Leeds, in a very desolate
condition. He was told why be was apprehended, and he
distinctly denied that he had been with the girl on the Sun-
day, or sent the message by the younger Smith. Prisoner
was busily engaged in making an instrument like a dagger
some weeks before.
Them fats were fully proved by various witnesses.
Mr. Overend, in defending the prisoner, ingested that
deceased bad esmmitted suicide, but
His Lordship, in summing up, said, looking at the evi-
dance given about the deceased calling out " murder," there ii
was little room for supposing that she caused her own death. 1
In conclusion, the learned Judge said, if the jury could find 11
any eirermsuutoes which bore out the suggestion that the
prisoner's from was excited on that caution, then they j
must find him guilty of manslaughter, but be was afraid he
could not point out any such circumstances, and if they
thought there were none, however painful it might be, they I
must find him guilty of murder.
The jury, after being aheent twenty minutes, returned
into court with a verdictef Guilty, but, in consequence of the
extreme youth of the prisoner, strongly recommended him to
the clemency of her Majesty.
The prisoner was then asked if he had anything to say
why the sentence of death should not be passed upon
said: ';My lord judge and gentlemen of
the jury, I can truly and perfectly say that
am perfectly innocent of this crime. It seems to be
rather difficult for me to have nothing found upon me—no
blood, nor anything of this kind. I can't really, I can't talk
for myself: but I am perfectly innocent' of the crime. I
never had thoughts of doing
.what I call -• my lover, Esther
Inman,' any injury—never in my life. I always intended
and strived to do the best I could for ler, and I
thought any ill of her. I cannot say any more, my lord
judge."
His lordship than amused the black cap, and passed oen-
tenoe of death.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.—lysersansr.)—Before Mr. Baron Rolfe.
Tux OOLD•DUST nOIiNZILY. T. Powell, G. 11.1Valt, and
J. Lewes, all mariners, were indicted for stealing 1,700
ounces of gold dust, value 6,8001.; two chronometers, value
1051. ; a boat, value 301. ; and other articles, the property of
Lucas Bluer, from a vessel upon the high seas and within
tie jurisdiction of the Admiralty of Begland —The whole of
the falls have recently appeared in the ',slice reports—Mr.
Clarkson, who defended Powell, said that as far as th.,t pri-
soner was concerned, he did not feel himself in a condition to
say anything to the jury in answer to the ci arge.—Mr.
Parry, few the other prisoners, urged that they had merely,
as common seamen, acted under the orders of their surrior
officer, Powell, who had the power to put them in irons,
end punish.them for disobeying his orders—The jury re-
turned a verdict of Guilty against ali the prisoners, and they
were sentenced to seven years' transportation.
EMBIZZLIMINT.—S. S. iliekelburg, who war convicted
on Wednesday of embenlement, was brought pp to receive
sentence, which was that he be transported for seven yeah.
ASSAULT.-0. Moran, J. Brea, J. Barnes, and W. Jones
were indicted for a felonious assault upon Anne Coufield.
The facts have lately been made public. The jury found all
the prisoners Guilty; and the Judge, after mating some
appropriate remarks upon the enormtty of the outrage they
had committed, sentenced Moran and Bread to be trans-
ported for life, Barnes to be kept to bard labour for two
years, and Jones for one year.