The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-03 00:00:00

SOMERBETSIIIRE.

•
DELIBERATE MURDER. The coroner for the
eastern division of Somerset and a jury were engaged on
Saturday in holding an inquest on the body of a cottager,
named John Wall, wile) was murdered in his own house at
mid-day The deceased, who was an industrious and well-
:9P."aucied man, occupied a piece of ground and a cottage
"about a mile distant from the Naihea-road station of the
Bristol and Exeter Railway, and the motive which i+ sup-
posed to have actuated his murderers was plunder. Wall's
wife was in the habit of attending the Bristol market with
country produce, and the poor fellow had been engaged
during the autumn in fattening. some pigs, which it was
generally understood in the neighbourhood he intended
killing about the middle of December, so as to provide for
the payment of his rent on quarter-day. On the afternoon
of the 18th of that month, at about three o'clock in the
afternoon, he was in a lower room, and his wife being from
home, he was engaged in boiling some barley-meal for
his pigs. As he was stooping down to lift the saucepan
from the fire, he heard a pane of glass broken in, and on
looking round saw the muzzle of a gun thrust through the hole
and pointed at him within a yard of his person. He started up
and immediately received in his right thigh the charge of
the gun, which, hut for his sudden change of position, would
have entered his head, at which doubtless it was aimed. On
looking towards the window he saw a man in dark clothes
and a cap, and having a curious mark over the right eye,
looking in as if to ascertain whether the murderous intent
had been completed. Wall made towards the door, upon
which the fellow scampered off, and on looking from his
garden, Wall saw him and some others running away across
the field. Having no means of giving an alarm, or no one
in the house to send for aid, and fearing that he might bleed
to death, the poor fellow stopped the blood a+ far 89 he
could, and determined to make for West-town, a distance of
nearly a mile' for medical aid. With great exertion and
pain he reached the surgery of Mr. Macey, and got his
wound dressed. He was then sent home, and having given
a very minute description of the person whom he saw at the
window, suspicion immediately fell on a youth of sixteen or
seventeen years old, named Charles hlanfield, who, although
so young, is notorious for his lawless and flaring conduct. The
constable, upon making inquiries, found that this youth, with
a brother and a cousin named Robert Jakeways, bad been
seen about the time of the offence in company, going first
in a direction to and subsequently from Wall's dwelling,
and he accordingly resolved upon apprehending them. Oa
Monday Charles Manfield wan taken by a Naiiseaeonstable,
who also found a gun in his ion. The assistance of
a magistrate was procured, and he
confronted with the
dying man, who at once identified him, and nifuNi a deposi-
tion to that effect. Lock-jaw came on, and after lingering till
the evening of Wednesday last Wall died. The prisoner
admits that he was a participator in the crime, but mys it

was Jakeways who proposed to shoot the old fellow, snit
who actually fired the gun. He looked through the win-
dow to see if Wall was killed, and afttrwards took the gun
from Jakcways because he could not run so fast as he Gould
with it. His .ounger brother Anthony (a nitre boy) he
says was not vaunt, as they sent him into an orchard to pick
some Christmas—telling him, in order to account for the
firing of the gun, that they were going down into a drain,
which runs near Wall's cottage, to shoot a wild-duck. Man-
field has been sent to gaol, and the inquest was adjourned
tor a few uayatolenable the surgeons to make a post mortens
examination of the body, and to procure the attendance of
trezzi.strate's clerk, who took the dying deposition of
d
CHANNEL ISLANDS.
ALDERNEY, A POST-TOWN.—Witit reference to a
paragraph which appeared in this journal on Wednesday, re-
lative to the Channel Island packet service, we have every
reason to believe that Alderney will be immediately consti-
tuted a post-town like Jersey and Guernsey, preparatory,
no doubt, to its receiving a mail direct from England.

UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL.
CAWBRIDOIL—TRINITY HALL.—H. Latham, 8.A., 01
Trinity College los been appointed fellow and tutor of this
J society, vice H. .8. Maine, LL.D., resigned.
KINO'd COLLIOIL—C. Welley, scholar, has been elected
I fellow of this society.

PREFERMENTIL—Rev. 8. Andrew, to be principal of the
Orilnane. School, Carib&lton.—Rev. Dr. Berrington, to be
master of the Grammar School, lloniton.—Rev. E. J. Car-
ter, to be catechist of Celsten's Hospital, Bristol, vice Rev.
P. Peace. res.—Rev. W. Earle to Cockermouth Assist. C.,
Cumberland, die. Chester.—Rev. W. P. Fleming, to the
chaplaincy of Weedon Barracks, Northampfonsh.—Rev. A.
Kent, to tipton.upon-Sevem C., co. and die. Worcester.—
Rev H. Roberts, C. of St. Botolph, Colchester, app. a surro-
gate of the commissary for parts of Essex and Herts, dio.
Rochester.—Rev. G. A. Rogers V. of Leominster, to be a
i•urrogate for the dio. of Hereford.—Rcv. M. F. Smyth, to
Sr. Andrew C., Wakefield, dio. Ripon.—Rev. J. &ninon,
to be chaplain of the military garrison, Fort Clarence.—Rev.
J. Switbenbank, to Great Houghton C., Hants, dio. Win-
chester.
V ICANClEs.—Birmingham, Kiag Edward V I.'s Grammar
School, head mastership ; about 1,1001. ; pet., the governors;
Right 11ev. J. I'. Lee, resigned.—Buckworth R.; 3301., with
residence; and Minium' R. ; 1981., with residence; Hunts;
dio. Ely ; pat., R. E. D. Shafto, Esq.; Rev. S. 1). Shafto,
dec.—Dunkeswell P. C.; 421.; pat., Mrs. M. Graves;
Devon ; dio. Exeter ; and Sheffeombe R., Somerset ; die.
Bath and Wells; 1431. ; pat., Earl Poulett ; all vacant by
the death of the Rev. J. Clarke.—Grantehester C. Cambs. ;
dio. Ely ; Rev. J. Townson, dec.--London, Archbishop Te-
nison's Chapel ; dio. London ; 3201. ; pats., the R. of St.
James's and trustees ' • Rev. C. 11. Gaye, promoted.—Strat-
ford-Tony, Wilts; dio. Salisbury; 3031., with residence;
pat, C. L. Coll., Oaf. ; Rev. H. Shrubb, resigned.