Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-08-05 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL ,POLIOE COURT.-YESTERDAT

(BEFORE MIL MANSFIELD.)
THE CHARGE AGAINST MR. WOODS; • PAWNBROKER.--
This case was resumed. The facts of the charge for re-
ceiving stolen goods have been already published. Detective
officer Horne was the first witness, and gave evidence respect-
ing getting the coat. Bendeno was examined by Mr. Clough.
He deposed to losing the coat in question, and.posting bills
respecting it at the police-office. Mr. Deighton, barrister,
who appeared for the defendant, said that
.111 r. Clo Ugh
must put legal questions., It was very hard,for an advocate
to come into court to argue points of law with a policeman.
Charles Gietee, (who stole the coat,) and late a servant boy
of Mr. Bendeno, deposed to having gone with the coat to the
pawn-office, and Wood would not take it without a mite
from the owner Mr. Deighton said there was not a particle
of evidence before the court to implicate Woods. Mr.
Mansfield : Tnere is this evidence, which cannot be got
over, that the coat was found in Wood's possession, and
that it was not his property. I must fine Woods £5, or,
in default, . he must be imprisoned for two months:
Mr. Deighton : Your worship, we have witnesses to pro-
duce to disprove the charge. The boy brought the coat to
have it pledged, and. Mr. Woods would not take-it in with-
out a line from the owner of it. He had also evidence to
prove that Mr. Woods had mentioned to a policeman the
fact of the coat being in his possession twelve months previ-
ously, and that he had stopped it. Riley, an ex-policeman, was
then called. He stated that he had been in the police force
twelve months back, and Mr. Woods told him he had a coat
in his office for which there was no owner, and that he had
marked it "stopped."- The witness also said that he had,
mentioned the matter to one of the inspectors at the time,
but he could not new recollect which of them. In. answer
to Mr. Clough, Riley said he had left the force- with credit
to himself; and the reason he did so was owing to Majoc.
Greig waiting to deprive him of part of a reward which
the Major desired should be shared with another man. The
reward he (witness) referred to was. given him by officers of
the ship Hastings. It was principally owing to the conduct of
Greig that he left the police force. F. Kelly, a boy in the
employment of Mr. Woods, 'on being examined, deposed to,
a boy coming with the coat in question to pledge, and de-
manding £2 upon it, which Mr. Woods would not give

until he : brou;lit him an order from the °Avner of the
• 9
coat. Mr. Deighton : I now submit, your worship, that
Woods has been clearly exculpated from the charge made
against him. Mr. Mansfield:: I don't think so. Why keep
the coat so long in his possession without letting the police
know of it ? Mr. Clough : And, your worship, there is
another charge which I had intended to bring against
"Woods. Mr. Deighton : You must sit down, sir ; your
conduct is not what it. should be. You must be put down.
Mr. Clough : I'll not be put down. The ends of justice
must be :obtained a:-.d vindicated. Mr. Mansfield : The.
evidence for the defence has not influenced; my former de-
cison in any way. Mr. Woods, the party charged, acted-
very carelessly in the matter all through.. He must he fined
£5 and costs, or be imprisoned for two months. Should
you feel aggrieved, Mr. Deighton, by this decision, you can
appeal to the sessions.

DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT OF Two MILITARY MRS.—Two
soldiers, of her Majesty's 22nd Regiment, Lawrence O'Neil
and Terence Doherty, were brought up on a charge of as-
saulting Inspector Smith and police officer No. 4, in. White-
chapel, on 'the previous night: Their conduct was most
disgraceful, and when remonstrated with by the police, one
of them (O'Neil) drew his bayonet on the officers, •It ap-
peared they were on-.their
_way to Dublin with their regi-
ment, and were billeted in Liverpool for the night. Mr.
Mansfield : Are any of -the officers of the regiment in
court ? No reply having boon made, Doherty was ordered
to be discharged, and directed to proceed to his regiment..
O'Neil is to.be re-arrested.

AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER.—Joseph Ferns, a diininutive,
ill-looking being, appeared in the dock on a charge, by officer
734 of being drunk and disorderly the previous night. Pri-
soner: What am I here for—where is the officer ? (Laugh-
ter.) Tr.-e officer -having appeared, stated that he was not
only drunk and disorderly, but that he kicked him. Pri-
soner Me kicked you—now, recollect, and tell the truth?
It was you kicked me: I:never did harm to any one. Mr.
Mansfield : What does the prisoner follow ? Officer :He
goes begging through the-streets. Prisoner: Did ever any
one heard the like of that ; what an insult ? :(Laughter.)
Mr. Mansfield : Let the prisoner be fined 10s. and costs, or
be imprisoned for one month ; he appears to be the char-
acter the officer represents.

DESERTING HER MAJESTY'S NAVY.—A man named
Witoberts waS 'brought 'tif on the 'charge of having
deSerted her Majesty's ship' Hannibal, where he was in the
capacity of shipwright. On being interrogated by the
court as to why he had thus acted, he stated that he had a
wife and family, and could not Well support them from his
earnings in the navy: --His worship desired the prisoner to
be remanded, se- that Captain Goldfinch might be made
acquainted with the facts of the case.
A DEonAnti, SOLDIER.—O'NeiI alias Dailies, one of the
soldiers of the 22ml.11egiment, having been re-arrested, at
the i•eqnest of the Commanding•officer of the regimerit with
whoin Mr. Mansfield had been in confcrenee, when he was
asked by liar. Mansfield, what excusolie had to offer, for the
manner in which he had conducted 'himself the 'previous
night, said, I liaS'drunk, your worship. Mr. Mansfield: 1
have just had a bonference with your commanding officer,
who states that you Are a most incorrigible man,. and one of
the worst 'characters the regiment. " 110 also stated to me
that holding a court-martial upon' you Wolild, be attended
with much inconvenience, as the 'regiment is on its way to
Dublin, and has, consequently,„ expressedo
inquirya
before'desire
thata eyourva
conduct should be the subject,
of I must state my conviction,
on that youare ndisgrace
to her. Majesty s service, and I shall therefore sentence you
to, three month's imprisonment in kirkdale gaol,
.with hard
labohr..:.

A YOUNG. ADVENTURER CAUGHT.,-.o4.cai
A'
SPelOwsky,
German, appeared before his' worship aa ~ van-rant an a
d
swindler. ;Ire said he was a German, and should be tried
hy.German laws. When he was asked why he haddeft his
country, he did not think that he was bound, to tell every
one why he had done so and came over here, 'wicither as a
political refugee. Or in a fit of love. (Loud iauglit'or, in
which Mr. Mansfield joined.) It was roved that he woof
about as a vagrant, and had no settled Phlce of residence.
Mr. Mansfield sentenced him to one month', impiisenm„t.
A FATE ;. IN MARRIAGE.-WIthaIII Wat.
builder, residing in 86, .Clarence-street, crson a boat-
Jane Daniels with stealing from him a £5 note,
. the 26th July last. Mr. Cobb appeared for the p'
--Ed''.l6,o•4liii, charged
on Tuesday;
. and Mr., Black for the prisoner. He stated that the
prosecution,
cuter had.been in the company of, the-prisoner prose,
thiehaperriielinilei
.
in- question, . when she took from, hint a £5 in.
she had never yet: returned. He could not 4iltel:e night
whichny that
she was a respectable young woman, and he ie.,ret-
tea to observe her placed in the humiliating polio,
pslrtioolnyears:
,walntrsaonus answer
dt°thatir.hentivuasel'a wshhi;bdueilfde'eard,e4 the
masslngolpn,..aiavuo.
ry,respectable.
Tr
eltsep e
gal
e. .prisoner
man.w s ther hdaadugb giventer
the £5. on the Tuesday,stated, and never ;charged
the offence until the Monday following.
.The, real facttill
the prosecutor .gave .the -prisoner the £5 to purchased.'
wedding dress... .Mr. Gluck : -Did . you not, sir, prerniie'W
marry the-prisener ? Witness : ~I did. not. . Mr: Cobb'
objected to such questions being..pat, as they ,night
involve his client in nn_action hereafter in the Civil Causes
Mr. Gluck : 'he ,question is a perfectly legitimate one.CY-.80..
'f9d was he Of-Miss Daniels thdt he got both his likeness,
and hers takei-together---I(lfere the, photograph Was handed
about)-:---and, no dOubt; they= would have. w
lived comfortably,
and. contentedly together, - butt we will not have him no„at
any Price. (Loudlatighfer.) After 'some further jocular
questitins put by Mr. Blink to the prisoner, Mr. Mansfield
said, that the case all through 'was a most disagrecable, One
On the part of the plaintiff, • Here was a young lady
_placed
in the dock of a criminal court, and for what he did.not
know. The prosecutor flirts with her
,in such a
,way as to
leave no other impression on her mind but that he tilts.,
ardently attached to her. It was barbarous treatment on
the part of the prosecutor,
,and a 'gross outrage hail been.
retrated upon the young female. Let her at Once be
discharged. . . . .
, .
FRAUD ON A BURIAL SOClETY.—WilliamLee was
brought 'up 'charged with having appropriated £4 to.. his
(Ain. .use, the property of the -Liverpool -Victoria Legal
Burial Society, Mr. Deighton appeared on behalf of, the
society, and_ Mr. Aspinall for , the prisoner. The facts of
the case were simply these.. Mrs. Morris, on the death of
her husband, in Januaiy last, it appeared, became entitled to ,
£l6, £l2 of which she was paid, and afterwards, Lee, 'the
prisoner, who was a collector, received the remaining. £4 to
give her, but up to the present niornent he had not done so.
The .iiresident, secretary, and treasurer to the society Were
exammed,.and all proved that Lee' had 'got the Money,
After a lengthened investigation, and sonic.".crogs firinr,ll.,
between the advocates engaged on both-sides, Mi. mans.
field said he would send the case to the sessions, but would
admit the prisoner to bail. - • .

(BEFORE MESSRS. BUNN AND J. D.;`IEPPgRY.)
Several eases of street nuisaueefr and asbault 'came belom
these gentlemen, and were disposed'of.
HAnen TREATMERT.--A respectable looking woman,
named Ann Grimshaw, residing in Shaw-street, and having
her infant in her arms, complained of the harsh conduct of
a man named Fitzpatrick living in Meorfields, towards both
herself and her mother. She said he had been guilty of
using the most degrading epithets towards them, d polio

THE LEDBURY MURDER

staptial and irtconclulYe•

r; c? the jury in

officer having borne out the statements of the complainant, LIVERPOOL pocic,l39Atp,
,Tyiteryrfiried'the'deipildant and costi The 4"'
trate said that the conduct of the defendant towards Mrs.
Grimshaw was intolerable, and he should always mark his
disapprobation by inflicting:a heavy penalty on those who
indulged in snch debasing conversation

At the Hereford Assizes, on Tuesday, John Isaac Jones,
the solicitor's clerk, who was committed by the magistrates
for the wilful. murder, of Harriet Baker, at • Ledbury, was
arraigned en that charge before Mr. Justice. Byles. Great
excitement nrevailed in the city on account of this case.
Large. numbers of. persons thronged the ball at an early
hour of the day. On being brought "up frorn the cell„-the
prisoner lools.ed" very pale; and seemed much more agitated'
than on auy previous occasion during the preliminary in-
quiries at Ledbury.- To prevent a very marked appearance
of his agitation, the
,prisoner held his lower lip in his teeth,
and, •trembling, chttehed the rail of the dock firmly by both
both hands.. •

Mr. Skinner, in stating the case; said that there were.
found on the table in deceased's sittingrmom a sugnxbasin.
and two drinking glasses, out of` one of the latter of which
gin and water-had been drunk. These appearances the room
did not present when the laSt friend who was with the de-
ceased left her late on the night of the murder. A friend
therefore must have entered the house after-Miss Jackson, the
young person who had visited the-deceased on the night of
the murder, left it.. That requirement the prisoner com-
plied with; asi he was not only a clerk in the offices. of
which Mrs. Baker was the keeper;; but- he was also on.
friendly terms with the deceased. ' The prisoner bought a-
pint and a half of gin just- before going hone at ten o'clock;
Now the prisoner lived at the next..house to the offices
where he was emplOyed, and where the deceased' was killed;
and had to pass the offices to get to his own dbor. He was
not at his lodgings- at twenty minutes past ten; when Mi..
Bowkett,, his landlord; got into heit 'What more. likely;
then, than that the prisoner. should tap at thedbor of the
room in which Mrs. Baker was sitting, say he had come
for a pain of. trousers he had left there, obtain, an entrance;
and then have afforded to him an opportunity-of -taking
gin and water. ' DUring thistiine there would be plenty of
opportunity.. for- the murd'erer to have renderedhis victiin,
insensible with a blow on the. head;.which be.would seem
to have done. Now. there. had- been found in the pri-
mer's clothes-box at his. lodgings a Widgeon, the
form of which correspondbd witir the marks- upon the,
deceased's head. On the morning'after the, murder the
prisoner rose earlier than usual, and went to the back of
Mr. Bowkett'shouSe to dean his shoes.. At about the time
that- he went out into, the shoe-house there 'ma found in• a
footpath, not far from the- shoe-house, a packet of small
coins, one of which would be proved to have been in the
drawers that were broken open- in. Mr. Masefield's
If the . prisoner was the- robber .and murderer, he would
have reason to .believe that there, was a verylarge stun of
Money in .Mr: Masefleld's desk.. That, however, did not
prove tp 'be correct; ' as. much of that large sum had been
taken to the bank. Then, if' the prisoner committed the
murder, he- would be anxious to remove -all' trace of the.
robbery and murder. • What more likely to effect this
than to fire the:body. of the murdered woman ; and in
so doing fire the 'building- also. The body of the mur-
dered woman had been, set on fire, paper , out of Mr.
Masefleld's paper basket having been placed, upon the
body when it was fired. He (Mr. Skinner) was • pre-
pared to show that during the murder there. was no
candle used up stairs, which a person acquainted with the
premises would know would excite suspicion. This being
so, the murderer must haie gone in the. dark and taken the
money (in notes tied Coins) from the only drawers in which
there was money, the position of which would be known to a
clerk. There were -also postage stamps stolen frotn
Masefield's drawer ; and a large quantity of stamps were-
found in the prisoner's possession, some of which, in the-
parts' at which they 'had been divided' -from' others, corre-
sponded with certain stamps left in Mr. Masefields draWer,
Ashes of paper had ,been found in the
.firegrate of the

prisoner's bedroom: and these ashes under a microscope,
seemed to be ashes of Bank of England notes, two of which
had been stolen. The whole of the facts of the case were,
however, circumstantial, but such as pointed very strongly to
the prisoner. - _

A plan of the premises having been- exhibited, the...exam-
ination of witnesses was proceeded with.

Mr. Masefield, solicitor of Ledbury, deposed to the' fact of
his leaving Ledbnry 'for, London,
,pn 'Tuesday,' the day be
fore the murder.' • He Antednut :on the model of hiS offices
the places where the moneYVai kept, and said his ettstoth,
was, when the money received came up to a considerable
sum, to send it to the bank by his son Edward. ()nth()
Tuesday,-before 'leaving for London, he gave cr224 Is. sd.
to his son to take to the bank. Heard of the murder in
London, on Thursday morning, and. immediately ;came
home. On the 2Ath'june he foniid sok.° aihes'in the'grate
of the- prisoner's bedroom, which .appeai'M to be-th4se of
bank notes.

Mr. G. Edward Masefield, son of the last witness, corro-
borated a portion'. of father's "teitimony:, It was, the
duty of the clerk, Dcw,_to pay him the money received in
the course -of the day,. and witness• accounted for it to his
father. On the'inight,pf the murder,, £44.45, Bd. was left in;
the box in the drawer. There I,v,als. also *V,' lbs. in a pen-.
box in the drawer. lieft the office -about -eight'at
went again at nine text morning., when the po'iee had
already arrived. -Witteks 'also' sp'oke to some receipt and
postage stamps being'' left in thd drawer. Nothing -was
touched but the two drawers—viz., his own drawer, out of
which £44 &s. Bd..was talcen.; and his father's; from which.
£6 I.os. was abstracted. • . .

'On the resumption. of the trial; oa W
was crowded to suffocation. The prisoner was -accommodated
with a seat in the dock. . -

„ .
The first witnesses (-r
examined were those who ave evidence
at the coroner's inquest; and the:proceedings detailed' at the
time will still be freSkin mind„ so that they need not be now
repeated. • • .
J. Williamson, an officer Of the metropolitan detective
police, next..gave evidence. Ire apprehended the prisoner,
and found in his box money, which prisoner said he had
saved. ',Tones said, "I suppose you've got the right
Witness told•hinuit was his duty to tell him that what he
said would be taken in evidence against him. On which
Jones said, ” nen I shall remain neutral:" -He also told

the witness the same story about stumbling and. falling. on
the stairs, and then seciugibe ;door of Owen's office open.
Witness thought it improbable that he could' have ,fallen in
.the position. which he .described. 'When. he searelied the
irisoner's.box on the Friday after the, murder he fiannd three
lank cheques in it; two of the'lsTational Provincial. Bank of
ngland, and one of Webb's, :of j..;edbury. On searching the
box some days afterwards he,iiissed the cheqUei.
• Polibeman :Biddle prodOed the fidginents of three'cheqUes
—two of the National Provincial Bank, and Ode of .Webb's
—which he found on the privy at Bowkstt's. . .
Evidence was then taken to' prove that the priSoner had.
borrowed money of otherparties: - . •• :. ' '
Mr. Cooper, master of the, union workhouse at Birming-
ham; proved that the :prisoner :entered that. workhduse .an
November, 1555, as a pauper, and remained therb until
Oetoer, 1856, having during the latter part of the time.
been employed as the sehOolmaster. Ire leqt him £1 on
1. his ving...____ _ . , .

. ,
Edward White, cook at the Birmingham workhouse,, also
Int' him £1 ss: .
Mr. Hughes, clerk to the, Ledlniry 'union- workhouse,
pro.-;.cd that the prisoner clinic- there from Birminghain, and
was e.i.ployed-a§ porter tti:the Ledbury Union. '
Several tradesmen ot.Ledblitr proved that the'prisoner
had paid them sums of money since the. receipt of his last'
salary on March 31, and others that he;owed.thom money
at this time, • • 4.., • Mr. Charles James Soyer, of London, examined the ashes,
found in the prisoner's grate. He had Jooked. at them
through a microscope, and believed they werp,aShes of the
National Provincial Bank notes,,
'Mr. Thomas, of the engr4Ving department of that hank,
also gave,evidente to the like 4feet.
The learned'jttdge 'and counsel examined the ashes through
a 'tnieroscoPe; but Could-not satisfy themselves of the proof.
Mr. W: Mayhew, fat:rh;r, proved that on the 14th,11fay
•he paid a cheque to Jones for Mr. Masefield, to.the,aMount
of £ll 14s. The cheque was' taken from the oheque-book‘
produced.

_
His lordship here examined the postage stamps found in
Mr. Masefiehra roSra with these found in
the prisoner's
possession,. And it was then. announced that this was the cas
for the CrOWII, -
Mr. Huddlestoa aipa
when

1 his address to the jury,

4n-im ta t witness had been omittedbe., palled. P

. . .
„ .
'Caroline Bank(); granddawrhier of the old parish clerk;
Was then called. She lived iyiliti'liei'granafather, and it :was
her duty to make the beds. The prisoner's bed had' beeil
slept in on the nL.;,ht of the murder, but the chamber utensil
had not been used.
At, Truodtp,to;) Cam actit

pn,Terful
was entirely eircum-

LEIV/S AND COW/OWN NEW EFITABLZERIMENT POE
CLOTHING.—Number of boys clothed for the week
endiag Saturday, July 9th, 1,025 ; corrospeoading. week last
year, 989,—Inelease, 36 boys,

Mr. Char:es Turner presided. at the weekly meeting of the
Dock Board, held yesterday. The other members present
were—Messrs. Shand, Smith, Tobin, *Bushell; Farnworth,
Bold, Hubback, Forwood, Brocklebank, Monde', -Laird,
Lockett, Evans, Graves; Inman, Maaver, Langion, Hut-
chinson, Moss, Arnold, Boult, Rounthwaitc.