The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-14 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 14, 1866.

tabu Entelliiatntt.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

—....errONlt 111.11C110F.—ALLEGLD PERJURY.
After the ekes of our yesterday's report,
Formal evidence was adduced relative to the election
iu, question, and to the examination of the defendant,
Henry Chambers, before the committee of the House of
Commons, and the evidence he gave upon that occasion.
Mr. James Whatman said—l am one of the members for
the borough of Maidstone, and was elected last year, with
Mr. W. Lee. A petition was presented against my return,
but it was unsuccessful, and I and my colleague, Mr. Ise,
were declared drily elected. I represented the borough of
Maidstone on a former occasion, and an. well known at Maid-
stone. lam not able to say whether I canvassed the deism-
slant during the election, and I did not recognise him until
I saw him at the committee room of the House of Com-
mons. It is not true that I ever said to him at his own
' forge or any other place that he could have 301. or 401. if
he would vote for me. I never said anything of the kind
to him, nor did Mr. Lee say so, ir. my presence. I never
• made use of such an expression to any one, and cer-
' tainly nut to the prisoner. I swear that I did not. at any
time offer the prisoner two sovereigns, and that Mr. Lee
did not say if lm would not take the money from me, he
would take it from him, and at the same time say that he
' had had some conversation with him the night before.
Mr. \Vhatman then went on to negative in the
I must positive manner every statement that had been
• made by the defendant before the committee in reference
to the alleged bribery, and be declared that no money was
given by him to any one in reference to the election.
Cross-examined—Witness commenced his canvass in
May or June, and the election took place in July. He
did not canvass a great usany people during the week
previous to the election. He did not remember having
- -.--- ~...Y• I attended a ward meeting at the Sun Inn about a week be-
' fore the election. There were a good many ward meetings
NORTHERN CIRCE IT. —LIVERPOOL, Aarausa 13. . before the election took place at which he attended —a
(Before Mr. Baron Martin.) ! good many more then he liked. (A laugh.) He was un-
THE HORRIBLE MURDER AT A COLLIERY THREE YEARR AGO. able to say whether he attended one of the ward meetings
The cause ead.re, known as the " Wig an colliery tour- on the Friday before the election, but it was very probable
der," was sp... to' the subject of judicial investigation to- j that he did do so, and also that the meeting
day, and the mystery and complications which have was held at the Sun tavern. He was quite sure
surrounded the crime led to every part of the court being that he never canvassed alone. He could not re-
filled to overflowing, and excited the most intense interest. collect where he was between ten and eleven o'clock on
Two prisoners, Thomas Grime and Thomas Walton, the Thursday night before the election. He did not know
were each indicted for the offence, but the trial of Grime a voter of Maidstone named Henry Richards. (A person
Was first proceeded with. He was quietly and respectably was introduced into the court and shown to the witness as
dressed, and during the trial was attentive and Richards, and he said he did not recognise him.) He re-
watchful. ' membered going on horseback to the house of one of the
The case for the crown was opened by Mr. T. B. Aspi- voters and asking him to vote for him, but he did not re-
nall, Q.C., who stated that the deceased man, James member that the voter told him he could not vote for him,
Barton, was an engineer employed at a colliery, called as he had already promised his vote. If any voter had said
Balkhouse Pit, between Chorley and Wigan. He was so to him he should have told him to keep his promise.
lest seen alive on the night of the 2nd of January, He did not know a person named Richard Coker, or recog-
lati3, when he went, as was usual with him, nise him as the person now brought into court, but it was
to take his night turn at minding the fires possible that he might have canvassed him at the railway
of the pumping engine attached to the cofliery. station, where he was employed. If he did canvass the
At 8 o'clock that night the old man was seen in the cabin voter in question he believed that some one was with him.
belonging to the colliery, but at quarter to 3 or 3 o'clock • He generally went directly home after attending the ward
next morning, when one of the men caner to work, he meetings.
could not be found. Search was made everywhere, but . Mr. W. Lee was then examined, his evidence being to
unavailingly. During the search a muffler belonging to precisely the same effect as that of his colleague. He said
him was found in the cabin, and it was noticed that it was that he had represented the borough of Maidstone for
burnt, but no suspicion was excited by the circumstance at many years upon the liberal interest, and he declared in
this time. When the furnaces were looked at to see if the most unequivocal and positive manner that he had
they required firing up, some appearances were noticed, ' never, either directly or indirectly, made any offer of
and when further investigations were made later on at ' money to the defendant. He said he would not swear that
and near the tirit furnace, unmistakeable signs of portions he Lad not been to the defendant's forge, but he certainly
of • human body having seen consumed there were dis- ' was not there at the time he represented, and that it was
closed. Witnesses could speak to traces of blood, not true that he was present when Mr. Whatman offered
portions of flesh and bones, which could be identified the defendant 22., and that he (Mr. Lee) said that it would
as human bones, being found there, as well as ido him good, and that he was a hard-working man.
buttons andother indestructible portions of a man's dress, : Cross-examined—There was a meeting in each of the
and the jury would no doubt be satisfied that these were four wards of Maidstone, and he attended the wbole of
portions of the body and dress of the man Barton and . them. He was present at the meeting that took place at
reward
that he bad been murdered on the spot. A was • the Sun, and he would not say that he did not attend at
offered for the discovery of the murderers, but a long thee two meetings that took place at the Sun on the Thursday
elapsed without any result ; and it was not until a year or I and Friday before the election. Witness and Mr. What-
so ago that some circumstances arose which led to the ' man had a joint agent for the election. After the ward
apprehension of certain persons, who had from time to' meetings witness used to go straight home, but he wax unable
time been brought before the present tribunal, but had not 1 toasty who accompanied him home on the nights he referred
yet been tried; and for various reasons it had been thought , to. He never went out to canvass alone upon any occesion,to
desirable that the prisoner who was associated with Grime the best of his recollection. He made the same statement
in the present indictment should he tried sepa- before the select committee of the House of Commons, and
rately from him. During the course of the inveatiga- •he adhered to it now. He knew Mr. Frederick Jarrett,
tiers against these other persons it became necessary il the tobacconist, and he would swear that he did not call
to search a canal in the county, in order to discover a : upon him about a week before the election alone, and
watch which it was known Barton had with him at the , ask bins to vote for him,
time he was murdered. This search caused a greet deal of Mr. Sleigh, at the close of the case for the prosecution,
talk in the neighbourhood
', and ultimately coining to the ' made an energetic appeal to the jury on behalf of the de-
knowledge of the prisoners brother and father, who lived . fendant, and said he should call witnesses to show that
at Chorley, they recollected that the prisoner (who had the evidence given by him before the committee of the
come home about five o'clock on the morning of the House of Commons was the truth. He reminded the jury
murder) had been dealing with • watch, which, as far as . that, after all, notwithstanding the testimony of the two
their memory went, corresponded in all particulars with honourable gentlemen who had been examined in support
the watch which had been taken from the murdered of the charge, the question was whether they or the de-
man. The evidence with respect to the watch would ' fendara were speaking the truth. If the defendant
be that the prisoner arrived at Chorley about were allowed the opportunity, ho would again,
5 a.m. on the 3nl ; that he had a watch • that this watch as he had before, state upon his oath that
was shortly afterwards pawned, either by the prisoner or , what he had previously stated was the truthall •,
some other person, in the name of John Walton ; that this , d it was for the jury to decide, upon
pawning took placean
on the 7th of April; that the prisoner , the facts that were laid before them, which side was
got into some trouble after this and was gent to prison ; :reeking the truth. He said it would of course be impel-
and that before he went away he told his brother that he . ble for him to negative the evidence of the chief wit-
might have the watch if he could get it oat of pawn. nesses for the prosecution as to what actually did take
There was some difficulty about this,as the tickets were lost; . piece between them and the defendant, because no one
but ultimately it was released, and sold by the prisoner's else was present ; but he should call witnesses who would
brother to a person named Akers • and after the . contradict both Mr. Lee and Mr. Whatman with regard to
circumstances transpired relative to the searching of the seine of the matters to which they had deposed ; and he
canal, the prisoner's brother and father, after consulting should prove that they did go to the house of the defendant
together, thought it advisable to get the watch back from about the time to which he had referred in his evidence,
Akers anti hand it over to the police, which was done. and the jury would my whether it was not extremely pro-
Meanwhile the prisoner had been sent to Dartmoor, where table that the circumstances the defendant had deposed to
he was serving • term of penal servitude for another
offence, when he was arrested for this crime. The in his evidence really did take place.
The following witnesses were then examined for the de-
learned counsel then read several statements (which faiaaat.
have already been published) made to a police- . Mr. Abraham Hawkins deposed that he was an inde-
officer named Peters by the prisoner, and re- cadent gentleman residing at Maidstone, and he remem-
ferring to the murder of Barton. One of these was a red being in a public-house in Pudding-lane, where the
very circumstantial account of two men—Thompson defendant resided, • few nights before the election last
and Seddon—and the prisoner going to the Bulkhouse Pit. year and saw Messrs. Leo and Whatman come out of
Barton was in his cabin, and while the prisoner and Seddon • the defendant's forge. He made an observation upon the
stood at a little distance Thompson struck Barton on the ' subject to some persons who were standing by him in the
heat with • crowbar. Barton groaned. Thomson said, : public-house. This witness also said that on the Thursday
" He's not dead," and gave him another blow, after which . night before the election, between ten and 11 o'clock, he
Barton never moved. Thompson then carried him by the '.
saw two or three gentlemen in the defendant's forge talk-
legs as far as the stokehole, and then, assisted by Seda ' pug to him. He could not say who those gentlemen were
put him into the fire-place. Thompson said, "I will that he saw talking to the defendant.
chuck about ten shovels of slack upon him," which was ' Cross-examined—Witness had taken an active part in
done. The prisoner said he tremblea all the time. They ' election proceedings at Maidstone, and he was examined
then escaped, and the prisoner said he arrived at Chorley
about five o'clock. His father asked him where he on a former occasion when a petition was presented against
the return of Messrs. Lee and Buxton. He gave certain
had been, and warned him "to keep out of that Thomp- ' evidence in support of that petition, but the members
son's company." In another confession which was read were declared duly elected. He took an interest in the
the prisoner described a man called Sapper as helping • petition that was presented against the return of Messrs.
Thompson with the murder ; and in a third statement he Lee and Whatman, and he heard &portion of the evidence
mentioned that Thompson had before broached the that was given by the defendant, and was aware that he
question of murdering old Barton, whom he suspected of swore that Messrs. Lee and Whatman had been to his
having accused him of poaching. The learned counsel said forge, and offered him money. Witness acted as inspector
that in all these statements the prisoner, though he ad- of the King-street ward at the last election, and was
mitted being present at the murder, very carefully ab. paid a guinea for his services. He had no
stained from saying that he ever struck any blow, or took occupation at present and lived on his means,
any personal part in the outrage ; but he (Mr. Aspinall) but he was brought up to the law. (A laugh.)
submitted that if the prisoner accompanied the mnraierere, .Ho was quite sure it was as late as 7 o'clock
and shared in the common object of committing the in the evening when he saw Messrs. Lee and
murder, even though he did nothing with his own hands, Whatman go into the defendant's forge. The witness on
he was equally guilty. being pressed as to the time said he would not swear that
Evidence was then adduced as to the identity of the it was so late as six o'clock in the evening when the trans-
watch; as to the finding of the muffler torn and partly action occurred to which be had spoken. He said he
burnt on the floor of the cabin ; as to the finding of a would not swear that there were not five persons in the
crowbar under the seat of the cabin ; as to the marks of forge at the time.
blood on the bricks outside of the cabin ; and as to the The witness was then asked whether he would swear that
finding of burnt bones amongst the ashes under the furnace. be did not see six persons in the forge, and he replied that he
The bones comprised a skull, and thighand arm bones, and did not understand such a mode of cross-examination. (A
small lumps of ashes were cemeted together with laugh.) He afterwards said that he believed there were
what Dr. Edwards (analytical chemist) pronounced to only five, but he would not swear positively that there
be blood. Then the buttons, buckles, and shoe nails were not six.
which were found were described. The prisoner's , In further cross-examination, the witness said that
brother detailed the circumstances alluded to by Ml' while the petition was going on, he mentioned what he
Aspinall with respect to the watch, and Peters, the police- had stated that day with reference to seeing the persons
officer, narrated the facts attending the confessions made in the forge, but he did not make a formal statement upon
by the prisoner at Dartmoor, the confessions themselves the subject until a week ago. He would swear that on the
being read. first occasion it was Mr. Lee and Mr. Whatman that he
Mr. Pope, for the defence, urged that the confessions saw come out of the defendant's forge, at least to the best
made by the prisoner should be regarded with the greatest of his belief. (A laugh.) He had known Messrs. Lee and
suspicion, as his diseased imagination might have led him Whitman for several years, and he was, of course, well ac-
to glory in a great crime. The conclusion he asked the . quainted with their persons.
jury to come to was that the prisoner was an involun- : Mr. Joseph Brown deposed that he was an implement
Lary witness of the murder, and if so, however aeprehen- maker residing at Maidstone, and he remembered being in
sible his conduct might have been in not interfering to pro- Pudding-lane, Maidstone, about a week before the last
tea the murdered man, he could not be considered as an election, and he saw Messrs. Lee and Whatman go up the
accomplice, lane, and be followed them and saw them go into the dc-
The jury, after a brief consultation, brought in • verdict fendant's shop. He knew them perfectly well, and was
of °Nifty. quite sure that he was not mistaken as to Messrs. Lee and
The prisoner exclaimed. "lam as innocent as a child!" : Whatman being the persons he saw. He went into a
The learned judge, in sentencing the prisoner to death, beer-shop in Pudding-bane and saw the last witness there,
sad he was as clearly convinced of his guilt as if he hay and he said something to him in reference to what he had
seen him commit the act. Though he might not have seen. The witness then went on to say that one night be-
struck a blow himself he had evidently accompanied some tureen ten and eleven o'clock, about five nights before the
persons with the combined intention of committing the election, he saw Messrs. Lee and Whitman in Chambers's
murder. A more cruel and barbarous murder had never forge talking to him.
been proved in a court of law. The prisoner was then Cross-examined—The observation he made to the people
removed. - ' at the beershop in reference to Messrs. Lee and Whatman
Thonacuaralten, also indicted for the murder of Barton, ' goingto the defendant's forge was, "That they would worry
was arraigned during the afternoon. Counsel for the pro- that man's inside out." (A laugh.) The other witness, Haw-
secution, however, declined to proceed with the case, and king, had as good an opportunity as he had of seeing every-
the prisoner was discharged. Walton, it will be tatol- thing that took place. He was unable to say where it was
lotted, also made a confession when intoxicated, but when . that be first mentioned what be had seen, but he did not
sober he denied its truth. I say anything about it at the time the petition was going
on. He had a good view of the forgea and he could not
sec any one in it at the time he alluded to, except the de-
fendant and Messrs. Lee and Whatman. If any one else
was there he must have been hidden behind the bellows.
(A laugh.)
Be-examined—After the report that appeared in the news-
of the evidence that had been given by Chambers
rerc,r7 the committee there was a general talk in the town
upon the subject, and be stated what he had seen. The
proceedings created a good deal of interest in the town,
and placards were posted on the walls with " Where's
lying Jemm ?" printed upon them. (A laugh.)
William Diprose, • cutler, residing opposite the defend-
ant's forge, proved that he had seen Mears. Lee and
Whatman three times at the defendant's forge shortly
before the last election.
In cress-examination the witness said that upon some of
the occasions when he saw them they were accompanied by
other gentlemen, and appeared to be canvassing the votes.
Bliss Morris gave eimilar evidence with regard to Mews.
Lee and Whitman having gone to the defendant's forge on
two or three mesaions prior to the election.
Mr. Denton, a gentleman connected with the firm
of Xeyward and Co., the satiation who bad the sr.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.—AuGuar 13.
(Before Mr. Commix/mer liolroyd.)
ne It ?HAMM. _

Mr. Seed appeared for the bankrupt, and Mr. Sykes foe
the official assignee, at this sitting for examination and
discharge.
The banlcrupt had bean in business for several years as a
potato salesman in Covent-garden, and he succeeded by
dint of industry and attention to business in amassing
1,300/. Being desirous of investing his money profitably,
he took shares in the General Exchange Bank, for which
he paid ; he also took shares in the Oriental and
Commercial Bank, and is the London and Hamburg Bank ;
his total outlay being 1,3;51. He fondly imagined that the
investment would prove remunerative, but unfortunately
all of the companies had become involved in difficulties,
and, in addition to losing the 1,375/. the bankrupt had
been called upon to pay calla on his shares. To these
causes the failure was attributable. The creditors had
known the bankrupt for several years, and some wbo were
present expressed their sympathy.
His Honour granted an immediate order of discharge.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT. —GUILDPORD, ArarsT 13.

Mr. Justice Wilk* has been engaged the greater part of
the day in trying a special jury cause, "The Glamorgan Iron
and Coal Company (Limited) v. Irvine," to recover some
calls, and which is not yet concluded. Baron Channel!
was engaged for some time in trying a part-heard common •
jury cause adjourned from Saturday, but nothing of the
slightest interest took place during the day.

NEW REGULATIONR AT THE JUDOES' CHAMBERS.
—Yesterday Mr. Baron Bramwell attended chambers, and
will sit on Wednesday and Friday during the present
week. Next week his lordship will be sucoeeded by one
of the learned judges from circuit, and the sittings
will be twice in each week._

ATTENDANCE OP A VACATION MASTER.—Yester-
day notice was given that •vacation ameterof the Common
Pleas would attend on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday in each week during the month of September.
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144 asi