The Express.
London, England, 1859-01-08 00:00:00

THB BIZOOS MURDER.

EINCITTION OF WILLIAM BURGNBS.
TAUNTON, FRIDAY.

The last sentence of the law was this morning
earned out upon William Bargees, who wee convicted before
Mr. Justice Bytes, at the Somerset Winter Andre, for the
wilful murder of hie daughter, at Exmoor, In July last.
It will be remembered that Burgess was a widower, work-
ing in one of the mines in Exmoor Forest, and in the month
of July lest he lodged at Marley's cottage, near the Rad
Deer, or Gallon House Inn as the mom. The little girl,
Hannah Maria, his youngest daughter, who was about six
years old, lodged with him, the patent paying the oottager's
wife 2a. ed. per week for her support. This weekly charge,
however, trifling as it was, Burgess did not pay very cheer-
fully—at any tate, on one wooden he asked Mrs.
Marley to take a less sum. Oa Saturday, the
24th of July, he gave Mrs. Marley orders to
have the child cleaned, and her little wardrobe packed up,
blending, as he said, to remove her to his sister's, at Por-
lock, about seven miles from the cottage. Hie regime was
complied with, and about half-past three on the Sunday
morning Burgess set out with the little girl, and she was
never again seen alive. He reached the house of his sister,
when he breakfasted between seven and eight o'clock, hut
then was no child with him, and he returned to Malay's
elms the same afternoon. A fortnight elapsed, during which
no tidings were heard of the child, and at this time there
were no suspicions that she had met with foul play. Sons.
neatly It was ascertained that a fire had been kindled does
to a hedge in • field near the cortege, and among the ashes
were found moms hooks and eyes, and the remnants of
some of the wearing apparel which was placed in the bundle
=by Mn. Marley, and carried away by Burgess when
ha cottage, on the 26th July. The prisoner was
found by the police working at the new dock, at 8
and when charged with the murder be said " he did it,
must die for It;" and if the superintendent had not come
after him he should have saved film all farther trouble by
making away with himself; and a day or two afterwards the
unhappy man attempted to commit suicide by cutting his
throat with • pair of scissors at the police station at Delver.
tan. The body of the murdered child wee, after great exer-
tion., extending over two month., found at the bottom of the
shaft of an old copper mine in the vicinity of the forest. This
search was accomplished at a cost of nearly 4001., and the
remains of the little girt clearly showed that she bad bees
murdered, while her body was wrapped in an old mackintosh
belonging to the prisoner.
The culprit was • most ignorant DAD, and for 18 days,
notwithstanding the prayerful entreaties of the chaplain (Mr.
Hone), the Rev. W. R. Clerk, of Taunton, sad Mr. Thorn-
ton, a clergyman, belonging to Oxford, where Burgess lived,
no impression was made on him. On this ground the rev.
chaplain thought proper to deny him the celebration of the
holy communion. He made • full aid explicit confession to
Mr. Thornton. from which it appears that Borgne interved
the body of the child in a grave on the moor, and that he dug
the grave on the morning of the murder (July 26), while the
poor child's corpse remained clads by ; and two or three days
afterwards he threw it into the shaft of the Wheal Ellen mine.
Although the wretched culprit confessed his crime, and
said he committed the act • through drink," the ordi-
nary of the prima declined to administer the saoreantert
to him. He peeped a restless night, and was around by the
warders a little before six o'clock this morning. He seemed
much dejected at has approaching fate. At eight o'clock he
attended divine service in the chapel, and on has leaving the
chapel he err pinioned by Calcraft, the executioner. The
proceance then moved towards the drop, the chaplain reading
the burial service ; and on the way the unhappy man was so
overpowered that he was obliged to be supported to the scaf-
fold. The usual preliminaries having been gone through,
Caloraft placed the fatal noose round the neck of the culprit;
at a given signal the bolt was withdrawn, and the wretched
man was launched into eternity. The body, after banging
en
hour, was placed la a shell, and intend within the pre-
cincts of the gaol.

THE FATAL COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT
PANDLERWIT.

The inquest on the bodies of the seven persons
killed by the accident at the Agecroft Colliery, near Man-
chester, was held on Thursday afternoon by Mr. W. 8.
Rutter, at the Packhorse Inn, Irlatos-o'-tlicHeight. Mr.
Dickenson, the inspector of mines for the district, was pro-
em, ; end Mr. Taylor, of Bolton, appeared for Mews. A.
Knowles and Sono, the owners of the colliery.
Dan. Parkinson, the bankintan at the colliery, mid the
three neon and tour boys who were killed descended the pit on
Tuesday morning before witness arrived there. At half-
past nine, however, be was on the bank, about five yards
from the pit's mouth, when he saw the cage come above its
usual plaoe, dash against the pulley, and the rods of the
cage mapping, it dropped down the pit. All was done in a
couple of seconds. There was a regular bell signal to indi-
cate when the cage was 60 yards from the mouth of the shaft,
but witness did not hear it, and thought he should if It had
sounded. The men went to work that morning at half-past
seven. About 14 cages of coal had been wound up. Men
had come op three or four times before the deceased, and on
ell these occasions the bell bad 'minded. Witness saw the
engineer, perfectly sober, a few minutes before be began
winding. The engine could not be stopped instantly when
going at great speed. The cage was one of Owen's safety
cages. The engineer said he had not hosed the bell.
John Jolly, the manager, said that after the accident be
went to the drum above the engine-house to see where the
strap which worked the bell-weight had broken. Be saw
that the end was draws out of the slit, whose it had been
fastened into the axle by a wooden wedge. One wedge was
placed in them year. and a half since, and never taken out
till last Tuesday. The sad of the strap was hanging about
sight Melee over the axle. This was the came of toe bell
not ringing. The time that the strap must have beendrawn
out was when the oage had !arrived half way up the pit, and
when the axle around which it worked we. empty. Nothing
of the kind had occurred before in the collieries.
By Mr. Dickenson—Booth (the engineer) told witness that
be had altered the bell•weight on Tuesday to ooresepond
with a recent alteration in the drum., so as to make the bell
sound at 60 yard.. as usual. He only told witness this morn-
ing that he had done so. The engineer had a perfect right
to have three alterations mode.

Thomas Rowe, the joiner, said he altered the drums on
Woodsy to wake the ewe acme up faster. On Tneaday
morning the engineer caned on him to alter the 'trap which
worked the belbweight. Ile feniened it as it had been tee-
tened before, driving a new wedge in with it, and stayed to
see it work.
By Mr. Dickenson—lt was a new and emoted wedge
which the engineer gave him, and it fitted tight.
The subsequent evidence proved the finding of the bodies,
that the engineer was quite ruler, and that the new wedge
could not be found.

The Coroner, in summing up, Paid if any person was blame-
able it appeared to be the joiner, so the wedge seemed not to
have boss put in eccurely, which was the cause of all the
mischief.
After a short consultation, the jury returned a verdict of
Accidewal death."
The CORM, censored:Rowe (the joiner) for not being more
careful ; and Mr. Dickenson wed so many aocidents had
occurred ut Messrs. Knowles's celliiries that they ought to
get wane very competent auperintendetat. The inquiry occu-
pied four hours and a half.

LIEUTENANT HIGGINSON.