The Express.
London, England, 1859-06-21 00:00:00

TH3 mraDis IN BOUM BTAFFOIDBHIRE.

The adjourned inquiry touching the death of the
young woman who wee head in an arm of the Birmingham
Canal, on Thursday evening, the 2nd instant, under circum-
stanced already detailed in the Express, was resumed on
Saturday, at the Bull's Head Inn, Prince's End, before Mr.
G H. Hiuchliffe.

Mr. Waterhottas attended to watch the proceeding§ OD
behalf of the men who were committed by the magistrates
at Baotou.

fia;iir; wither examined was Poles-constable Williams,
who gave some additional particulars to those which he gave
epos bin Let maaelastioa. He stated that about balling
twelve o'clock on the night of Sunday, the 29th ult., he went
to the Sleet Colliery, and there saw two parse—Richard
Catstan and William Acton. Acton sated him whether
he had met • woman ; but he bad not seen one, although
there might ham boon one in to field close by whom he did
not sea on account of the darkness of the night. He examined
the bank, of the canal near where the body wae.found,
bat he did not observe any indications of a wane having
taken place slthorigh he thought the ground was in such a
data that there would have bees SOON marks if a sew/0e had
takes place. When ha apprehended the prieoner Allen, the
latter paid that he knew all about it, and he weak tell all;
but he did not tell witness anything.
John Walker, • &Dingier, residing at Tipton, deposed—On
the Sunday evening in question I was in Iligg's .1 the
Guidon Pheasant, is Tipton-street, Tipton. It was about
two o'clock in the afternoon when I went In, and I saw the
deemed there. I went to have some ale. She had • reddish
jacket an, but I did not notice an other part of her dress
except her bonnet. She was sitting Derrell, and while I
was there she had two glasses of ale. had no conversation
with her, sad she remained till the house abut up at three
o'clock. I saw her go in the direction of Sedgley-
road when she left, and I met hen stain at the
Elm Ways. No one was with her then, and 2 asked her
where she wee acad. She asked me to have a walk with her,
bet did not my where she woo going. I went fora walk
with bee, aid nossiasel with her till near 6 o'clock. She
them left eara end I watched her tato the Piddle public-
hoe" vim, I &Abated her. She did not tell me her name
or whore oho ode from. I remained in the Fiddle shoat
an hoar and a half, bat she did not aft with sin. I after-
wards went with her to Foxyards (a village), and then to
the Shrubbery Tama. No roe else went with as. la the
Shrubbery Tavern she said I bed three pinta of ale. She
wee not drunk ,• she knew whet she was doing. Walker's
wife ouss and struck her with a stick. Walker is my
brother. I saw Walker's wife come in, bat did not see her
strike the woman. My brother followed We wife out and
scolded her for doing so. The woman went in with no
about hall-peat eine, and remained till eleven. She followed
Jerry Jones and me out of the home into the shrubbery.
Neither Jones nor I gave her any money for what pared there,
and Ido not know whether dm had any. I left her In the
shrubbery with Joseph Acton, Edward Acton, sad Watkins.
Ido sot know whether she had a wedding ring on. About
ten minutes past eleven I went home and left them. I lever
saw the woman alive afterward,. At the time I left her no
one elm was pretest except the three persons above named.
There wan several others going towards her, but I do not
know bow assay, or who they were. I have not seen the
women's clothing since her body was found. When I left
her she appeared to have had some drink, but the could walk
straight. The woman made no resistance while she was
with Jones in the shrubbery, nor did the complain of the
blow struck by my brother's wife. 1
The next vdtures celled way Robert Hate,, • collier, living
at the Pantry, Tipton, whit deposed as follows : —About
belt-poet skins en the Sunday evening referred to I saw •
woman in the Moat Colliery. I saw Watkins and Alien
follow her down the road. I had been at the Sycamore Inn
with James PAW and Thomas Pardon. I was peeing the
Moat Colliery when I sew the two men in the brick-kiln with
the woman. They were walking towards the iron bridge
and both had bold of her by the arm, helping her along. I
believe the could not w.lk by horselk, as she did not appear
able to do so. I was about two yards from them, and I did
not hear thew say anything, neither did either of us speak to
them. We watched them to see what they were going to do
to her; but after they bad turned over the iron bridge I lost
sight of them. I saw Edward Acton, Richard Cstatan, ad
Edward Ferriday in the brickyard in addition to Watkins and
A 11,., but only the last two went with the woman along the
anal eds. About all an hour altar I lad might of them.
After I mate back from Summerhill I beard •
shriek as I was going over • pit mound. I
meld not tell whether it was from • woman or
• amen. I ran down to the corner of a geld, Pardon and
Priest going oils ma, sad there I saw Thomas Watkins,
Joseph Allen, Edward Acton, and Edward Ferriday with
the woman. Tits women was lying on her back, and I raw
Watkins with her, Joseph Allen holding bee down by her
head. She screamed out twice while this was taking place.
Allan struck her twice with his fist somewhere on the face.
I did not her him may anything. I then saw Allen with
her, Wathies holding her down, and striking her twice, and
she checking out at the time. When one left bee she
draggled to get up. I did not see say one elm interfere
with her. The cohere—Acton and Fereday—were standing
about two yards od. Whi'e this was going on I wee also
shoat two yards eff, bat neither I aor toy oompanions said
anything to the men, bermes we were afraid. We
reemiasid about ten minutes, and when we left there
were six lams with the woman, the other two,
in addition to the above named four, being Wit.
less Aden and Cowan. We left the woman lying
amyl Ann and Watkias sitting down sad the net standing
Zhue new seen any at them sines. The place ober*
wawa wee lard In the dad is about 240 yards from
1 the spot where I sew Me with the men. William Acton and
Ceases erne op to the place at the same time as I did,
The Conner =done et the jurymen upland their strong
1 sense of the very disgraceful moaner in which this witness
bad add in standing by end It itceeaing such an outrage
'ghost attempting to slier or obtain assistance.
Mr. Watethouse—How came you to go to the brickyard
when the worms was f - _ -

Witnees::iforan;l'ardon had salted me to go home
with him, end that was the nearest way to Summerhill.,
when be her!.

George Hi, kreans, living at Prince's End, working in •
mill as • bolter-down, deposed as follows the night of
denday, the 20th GI May. I was coming home from
Dudley with gamed Harper, William hieklies, and
Hairy Taylor. It was about half.past eleven when we
got to the Sycamore Inn, and there saw a woman
lying on the footpath about t7enty yards from the boors.
Edward Arlon, Alku, and %alums were with her. The
women appeared to be intoxicated, and the men were trying
to lift her up. I saw Allen strike her somewhat* on the face,
sad when they lifted her up Watkins struck her in the face
emo, saying, " Take that, you —, and now come on."
Then Wallace and Allen laid hold of bee, one by each bond,
and led her od. They went in the direction of the Factory.
bridge. Edward Acton followed behind. Just as they
got over the Tectory-bridge • lot of "chaps" came up, sad
they all west is the direction of the Moat Colliery. Wet-
kias and Allen were still mipperting her. We watched them
foe about tea yards, and then we told the police. We went
home aliened s. I work with Faraday, sad saw Wm on
the following day. Ile proceeded to say—l have seen the
women hied in the mom, and mu identify her es the woman
I have referred to by the colour of her hair and her clothes.
Her hair was of a sandy colour.
Mr. Waterboope—What condition was her dress is when
you sew her lying on the ground ?
Witness—One ride of her dres was torn, her hair was
down, and she bad no bonnet en.

The neit;ritaareTkalia7ciwas James Terry, • plate.
maker, liviag at Suramerhill. He stated—Oa the Monday
following the Sunday in question I saw Fereday. He worked
with ma, mad while we were on our night Man be an to
as mad scud, 'Jim, we bad a n'ce same Jut night." I said,
IRelif" sad he said "Yin." I slaked where, sad be
" Up the Beide ; we bad • nice young neon with
111174ito!il me there were Where with him, but be did not
my who they were. 11. said that when they bagen tolll-ass
bras she boa -tart "murder," but Eiwerd Acton put Lie land
on her month end swore that if she hooted "murder" be
would murder her. He proceeded to soy that they
took her doers to the Old Wharf and the 011
Hovel, sad that they left her at half-past two
o'clock. Redid not my where they left her at that time. On
Teensy night I heard of • woman baying soma men up
for a rape, at Tipton, and I open to Fereday about it,
and raid I believed it watt the on he wee t dkiag about, tut
he said " Oh, it is not her." On the Tburaday when the
body wee found liereday came again to me end told me that
• women had been Wand in the end with a brown worsted
jacket, whits stockings, sad lace-up boots on. I said to him,
" What do you think of it now 1." He said, " I can hardly
tell." On the following Monday he said to me, " I hear
you have talked all about what I said to you." I replied that
1 bad told one or two, sad he asked me If I had told the
police, I told him I had not, and be said they would moon
! know, I have bad no conversation with Adam or Feeney
' since. The spot when the woman was found was about four
or en yard. from the Old Witmer.
Thomas Mason, • miser, living at Summit-la, deposed—
I know the Joseph Allan mentioned by the witnesses, but I
have had no ronvenation with him about litigates., nor with
Acton, nnr Feeney. I saw Allen on Sunday morning, the
29th of May, and I did not ate bim again the same day. On
the following day, while I was sicking my pipe et my don,
he was telkiag tomes people sten in g round, and I heard him
" I held her for sixteen, and than I lamed het —eye."
Robert Davis, a paddles, was next sworn, basis( ban "-
wad to have said at Bilston on Tuesday evening last, that
be bad seen • woman put into the renal ; bat when quer
tossed by the newer he stated that he was Intesqtated at
as dmy and that be did not me the women, tor remember
OWN basin said that hada. If he had said all)thiag of the
met, it must have been when he wu too drunk to know
what he was talking about, ea he knew nothing at all about
W 'air.

---Tbam;• Felton, a millwright, deposed that on Ttierday
maw bat ho beard the last warless say, ^ I am a mor-
dant., the gallows is my do n4"lle also told his brother-
in-law that be had helped to sourtlee the woman. On the
Wednesday night he ask. d witness whether he had heard
anything more of what he etid on the preceding night, or
whether the polke knew about it.
Is answer to a uuesti.,u pat by the coroner, Felton raid
that be did not thank Davis knew what ho was talking
about at the time he made nee of the language referred to, as
be was drunk.

The potion not being prepared with any more evidence,
sad the jury expreaning a wish to have the men who are
in gaol prriment before the Meshy closed, Mr.
adjoersel the tequeet till neat datarday, stating that la
the latenio be timid write t f Ile Some Secretary, 'aft
kr Ina pernleloa to,v4er the plies authorities toproftedie
oun at that ocaske,