The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-14 00:00:00

!MURDER IN DERBYSHIRE.

At the Httoaeter petty sessions yesterday, Wil-
liam Stone, alive " Barney," aged about 20 years, and
William Barker, alias " Stepham,. aged 16, of Church
Bruughton, Derbyshire, labourers, were charged with the
wilful murder, at Church Broughton, of Joseph Hanson.
The circumstances of the crime were nal rated in the deo-
sition of the deceased, taken previous to his death. He
said :—" On Saturday the 25th ult., I met with the two
prisoners, Stone and Barker, at the Holly Bush public.
house, in Church Broughton. There were several other
persons there at the same time. I don't know that I had
any words in particular with them whilst in the house.
Inspector Joliffe was there, standing outside. I saw him
at the time I was coming away. He said to me: 'Go
curay home, Joseph,' and these chaps, Stone and
, made answer sad said, We'll see him home,' and
I was going home, and they followed me close behind,
and piur= and kicked me all across a pasture; And
when they got into the Slang, near here, they fell bodily
upon me, and kicked and abused me to that degree that I
asked them if they were going to murder me on the spot.
They both did this. I was not able to tell which was the
worse. I shouted for help when they were abusing me, but
I was not within reach of anyone, and no one cisme. They
hit me before and behind, and in all fashions. I don't know
that they used weapons, but their heavy boots and hands.
I was also beat about my head where there is not a free
place. They had me down upon the ground. I asked
them their reason for abusing me like that ; and they
made answer, both of them, 'Well kill you.' There was
not a pin to choose in them. I feel myself to be in pmt
pain and peril of my life at this moment. It might be
about 12 o'clock at night when we left the Holly Bush.
It was not a dark night. I could see the persons very
distinctly. I was in no other company but theirs from the
time I left the Holly Bush to the time I got home. I had
gone to the Holly Bush public-house and Samuel Adams's
beerhouse in quest of William Smith, who owed me some
money for beer—Se. I cannot say that the prisoners tried
to rob me. In feet, they hadn't the chance, as I hadn't
much about me, sad I don't know that they offered."—
Inspector Joliffeeorrobonited the statement as to what took
place at the public-house, and said that when be appre-
hended the prisoners Parker admitted that he had hit
Hanson, but said be did so in self-defence. From the
evidence of other witnesses it appeared that the prisoner
Stone and the deceased quarrelled in the publie-honse
be
fore Haneonleft, and that Stone then threatened to " put
a tightener on him," and to "drop on the old man " that
night. The medical evidence showed that the injuries
which the old man had received were the cause of death,
and that they would have been produced by such violence
as that described in the deposition of the deceased. The
• were committed to take their trial at the neat
assizes ea the charge of wilful murder. William
Barker, the youngest of the two, only made reply, and
said, "He did not kill Joseph Hanson." Both pnsoners
appeared comparatively indifferent to the proceedings
spinet them.

SUSPECTED MURDER OF A SAILOR.— A mysterious
affair has occurred art Jersey. A seaman named John Marett
bas been found dead, under circumstances which clearly in-
dicate foul play. The deceased left the town of St. Helier's
on Friday night, at 9 o'clock, to proceed to his home shout
two miles along the seashore, towards St. Clement's Bay.
He never reached home, and was found the next day at
noon among the rocks, near the Greve d'Azette. An inquest
was held on the body on Sunday, and a verdict of " Found
drowned" was returned. Certain marks upon the deceased's
face led to the supposition that, having missed his way, ho
had wandered among the rocks, fallen down, and thus been
drowned, death having clearly resulted from drowning.
After the inque.st, a mediftl man who saw the body ex-
pressed a confident opinion that the wounds on the fate
were the r. suit of gunshots. This being reported to the
Deputy-Viscount, soother inquest was appointed I. be
held on Monday afternoon, and a post-mot tens examination
ordered to be made. The result was positive proof that the
deceased had been shot at before his death, though none
of the shots bad penetrated the skin. The presumptioe is,
that the deceased had interrupted a party of smugglers—
that part of the coast being known to be frequented by
them—who had taken him for a Coastguardsman, and that
they had endeavoured to kill him. It is supposed that in
escaping from them he had run on to the rocks, fallen down
from eahaustioD, and been drownel by the rising tide. The
deceased was 45 years of age.
FUNERAL OF MRS. CLARK. —On Wednesday
afternoon the mortal remains of Mrs. Mary Clark, who
was recently murdered at Birmingham, were laid to rest
in a quiet nook of the cemetery at Witten. It will be re-
membered that on Saturday, the Ist September, a poor
mad seamstress, who had solicited aid at the house of Mr.
St e, stabbed her mortally in the neck. There for.
• few days of suffering, borne without • ;
and on the night of Friday, the 7th inst., she peacefully
expired. The funeral was conducted according to the
method of Friends. The coffin having been laid
beside the open grave, the relatives and friends
formed around, and a few moments of solemn silence
ensued. Then the voice of Mr. Samuel Bowly, of
Gloucester, broke the stillness. He spoke of the sad event
which bad robbed them of the deceased ; then re-
ferred to the drowning of the schoolboys at Brighton;
exhorted all present, whatever their age. to prepare
themselves for death; and finally, comforted the mourners
upon whom the bereavement bad fallen most heavily.
Till• coffin having been lowered into the grave, and Mr.
Bowly's address (*minded, the Friends moved into the
General Dissenters Chapel. There was a large number of
Friends present, and the chapel was quite filled. When
all were seated, silence was maintained for • few mo-
ments, then Mr. Bowly spoke main, and delivered an
adder. He was followed by Mr. Wilson Waterfall,
of Leeds, sod Mr. Lundy of Birmingham, and the pro-
melding/ eland with prayer. Mr. Clarke, husband of the
murdered lady, died yesterday morning, at 3 o'clock. The
desesead gentleman bed been ill for some time past but
if is believed that his death was ascaderated by the armful
death of his wife. Mr. Clarke will be buried on Monday
next, at Witten Cemetery, beldam his wife.

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