The Express.
London, England, 1857-02-28 00:00:00

THE MURDER OF A GAMEKEEPER IN CUM-
BERLAND.

At the Carlisle Spring Assizes, on Thursday, before
Mr. Baron Martin, 1‘ m. Graham warn tried fur the murder
of Thome Simpson. peuekeep in the service of Mr.
Festliontonhaugh, of Statileld -Hall.er, in the county of Cum-
berland. Mr. overend, Q.C., and the lion. Mr. Liddell
were rouneel for the prosecution, and Mr. Mood, Q.C.,
with Mr. Leecuing, for the prisoner.
The widow of the murdered man, Margaret Simpson,
would have been called settee first witness, but the was
confined on the very day of the trial. tier evidence, taken
before the magistrates, was read, and stewed Clint, on the
night of the 11th November last, her husband came in from
watching about 9 o'clock. He had been out several times
the the evening. He heard severil guns tired, but
thought they were on Sir Geo. Iffusgraie'a side, over the
river Eden, He put en his upper coat about ten. He
drank up his coffee, and went out in • few minutia. lie put I
his pistol in hie inner breast puthet. lie said he was going
to the place where he generally went to *auk at night,
behind some wall. He was shine. lie went out, and she
heard him run up the garden. In • very short time she
braid a doable-barrelled gun fired close et hand up the
field. She heard nothing more. He never returned. She
heard him say on the day before his death, or the day before
that, that he had Well one of the GralinniA ewagerering with
his gun, but that he (her husband) did not let Graham see
him. He said he believed they were poaching, and he was
going le look after them. On the morning of hie death be
got up before daybreak to look out for the Grahams. He did
not say that he avapected any other peersone. Next day,
which wee a Sunday, men went out to search for Simpson,
who bad not been men anyabere Mare ho left home. His
top coat wee found that day. Janies Elliott, the farm I
bailiff, end John Pluemah, one of the county pokes, on Mon-
day found the mono dead body lying in the river. There
were marks of blood from the river to a ',pot near it, where
brains and a piece of skull were found scattered about. The
111,112'S head had been =soiled to pieces. It was proved that
Gramm, who way a farm labourer, on the vvemng of the
murder told another man, Francia Boustead, that he was
going out to shoot that night. Ile said be knew whew their
game eat. lie knew every foot an 1 track of the ground, end
If their keeper romm to me this night out goes leis
tenth. • but I will speak once to him. I will tell him to
stand hack, and if he stirs en inch towards me after I epeak,
out goes his brains. I neither fear heaven nor hell, Gud nor
devil. I will be in either heaven or hell before a month is
over. I will never die with my ohne. off. Now, mark my
words—this night, this very night, I will be the end."
He then put his hand op to his breast and said, " I am the
man that'll do the deed. Thou knows all about it. There
never shall a about Staffield-hall tube inc." lie tiled
put his hand up to hie neck and turd, " I don't care a
If I be hung up by the neck to-morrow." lie turned and
went straight out. An hour or two afterwards he came very
very tipsy to the house of a woman he knew, Susan Ho-
gaith, with a gun. Ile said it was fine rind lest and he
would fetch them down. She said, " William, go home raid
go to bed ; that man will be watching.- She meant Mr.
Frathcrettinhangh'e keener. The prisoner replied, "Let the
—eland back," She maid, „W rhino, p' home and go to bed.
God bkiss you! Go home and go to bed, do." And he said,
" I will, Swan, I will," and Phut the dour, and she saw him

no more.
After prisoner was taken in custody, he made, on the 2let
December, the following statement :—" I was very drunk,
and I went out to shoot, in Eden Banks. I saw a Mall. lie
told me to stand. I ran away, and he fired a pistol, which
did not hit me. After :naming ten or n dozen yards, I
tumbled. He mine up and got hold of me. end we hod a
seek. He tried to get the gnu from me. I ekered myself
of him, and then struck bin* Iwo or three times with the
small end of the gun. The third blow felled him. and the
gun broke off behind the lock. I then took the stock from
the barrel, and brayed hint till he was dead. I trailed him
to the water, and put him in."
The prisoner's brother, Henry Graham, stated, that on the
day after the murder prisoner 141 him the some.
This being the evidence, the learned judge observed that
I there woe but one point in the ,Are which respired consi-
demtion. If the pistol were really fired, the man had a
tig.l,lt to act in self-defence.
Monek then addremed the jury for the defence, stig-
matising AN a grom fabrication the story of Bousteod. upon
whose testimony alone the charge of malice aforethought
could be sustained.
His Lordship likewise in summing up treated dew' wit-
ness's evidence as a vile concoction, simplv and role'y for the
I pwposse of obtaining the reword of lON. which hod torn
I. offered. If the jury were of the same Minion, it would
be
duty to bring in a verdict of matlelengehter ; if tot, it
MOW require a jury of lawyers to distinguish the case
hum me of wilful murder, were it even ituaceptible of ouch •
aketz consulted for a few minutes, and then fund a
wad of "jlinslaughter."
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