The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-24 00:00:00

MURDER NEAR OXFORD.

In our paper of Saturday we gave a brief amount of the murder
Mof a young man, named aley, at Ensham, in the vicinity of
Oxford. The following is a report of the Coroner's Inquest on the
body, abridged from the Oxford Herold of Saturday.
The Jury viewed the body, which had not been removed from
the house of Arnatt, and also examined the premises, so far as re-
lated to the mom from which the gun was tired, the passage, Ac.
Hannah Harper stated that on Monday. the 17th instant, she
went to Arnaten house, between eight and nine in the evening, at
the request of hie daughter Ann, to appease he father, who was in
a violent passion. 1i hen witness came to the house, Arnatt was
up stairs. In about ten minutes he came down, took a large stick.
and struck her twice. Mary, another (laughter of Arnett, ran out
of the house, and called to sonic young men to come and protect
the witness.—(Many persons were Resembled opposite the house.)
In consequence of this, J. Cox, R. Davis, and the deceased, T.
Maley, came into the kitchen, and took hold of Arnett, to save
witness from his violence. After he had given up the stick, the
young men quitted the kitchen, but were requested by Elizabeth,
another daughter of Arnatt, not to leave the premises, lest her fa-
ther should have recourse to further violence. In consequence of
this, they remained in the passage. After they had been out about,
a quarter of an hour, witness heard them whispering to each other.
Arnatt remained in the room, and was calm. Between the room
and the pas.age is a deal door. On a sudden Arnatt started up,
seized the gun, which hung on a beam, saying, `• D—n their eyes,
I'll shoot them."He then put the muzzle of the gun close to the door,
and discharged it. (In the door was a round hole, about three
quarters of an inch in diameter.) The whole charge enteral the
left breast of the deceased. Arnatt went back to his chair, and eat
down, and then said, D—n their eyes, I've done for them."
Mary Ilickaon said, that between eight and nine on the Monday
evening, she heard a great noise in Amatt's house, and ran into
the kitchen. Deceased and Cox were endeavouring to wrench a
stick from Arnatt. Cox took the stick from Arnatt, and witness
took hold of the latter, and endeavoured to parity him. At length
he Um one quite calm. She desired the young men to go out, and
they left the room. A short time after he suddenly started up, and
took loan the gun from the beam. The witness, seeing this,
cried out, " Don't shoot !" He swore lie eould shoot, and in-
stantly fired off the gun. She immediately t petted the door, and
saw the deceased on the ground, close to the door. He was on his
side, and doubled up. Witness turned round to Arnatt, and said,
•• You have done him ; it's Maley." Arnett replied, " I don't
care who it is. it's to my heart's content ; they had no business on
my premises." Deceased was very bloody ; when moved, the
blood ran from him as from a pump. Arnett was then taken into
custody.
J Cox (son of Mr. Cox, who keeps the Red Lion inn, just opposite
the house of Arnett) was next called, and stated that between eight
and nine o'clock on the Monday evening, he heard a great noise at
Amatee ; in consequence,of which he went into the house, accom.
!tallied by the deceased, T Maley, Its Davis, and T. Luckett. Saw
Arnett beating Mrs. Ilarper.with a large stick (which witness de.
scribed as being big enough to knock down a bull.) They seized
the stick in their hands, on which he at once gave up to them.
After that he sat down, and said several times to witness and his
companions, " 1.)--n your eye', what de you do in my house ?"
Afterwards the women begged that witness, the deceased, and
Luckett, would leave the room, which they did. Before they went
out, witness saw Arnatt look up at the gun, which hung on tha
begin, when he (the witness) said to Davis, • Mind the gun."
Davis said he would. One of the daughters of Arnatt followed the
witness and his companions when they were leaving the room, and
begged they would not go sway from the ptemises lest there should
he another row. Witness remained in the passage (leading to the
door of the kitchen) with the deceased and Davis. The door
which opened into the kitchen where .1 rnitt ass, was shut. Heard
another noise in the kitchen. on which Maley, the deceased, ad-
vanced to the kitchen door, partly opened it, and looked in ; then
hastily drew back, held the latch in his band, Red kept it closed.
In less than half a minute after deceased had opened the door and
looked into the room, the gun was fired, and deceased tell. Wit-
ness heard the deceased sag, " Oh ! to my heart !" IVitnessru hed
into the room, and saw Arnatt sitting in his chair, with the gun in
his hand. Arnett was soon after taken into custody.
A. Hickson, tanner, (son of the second witness) also heard the
noise at Arnett's, and went into the house in consequence of Mrs.
Arnatt and her daughter Elizabeth begging him and others to do so,
to prevent Arnatt doing them an injury. Deceased and witness
went to the door of the kitchen ; saw the deceased open the door
and look into the room ; deceased pulled the door to, and immedi-
ately she gun was discharged from the room through the door, and
deceased tell, the contents of the gun having entered his left breast.
15-itness knelt down, took hold of his hand, and be said, " Oh,
Lord, 1 have got it to my heart 1" and immediately died.
In answer to questions put to several of the witnesses respecting
the prisoner having been intoxicated, they said that he appeared a
little so, but they did no: think him much in liquor.
Ale. Welchman, a surgeon, knew the deceased; believed him to
be about 19. He had examined the body, and found a deg) wound
of the breadth of two inches and upwards in the left breast ; the
heart was very much lacerated ; a quantity of ..hot had lodged in
the cavity of the thorax. [Here the witness produced upwards of
sixty shots, which he had takco from the body of the deceased.]
The Jury, after a consultation which occk:ed a coosiderable time,
returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder."

LAW NOTICES.

COURT OF CHANCERY.
The Lord Chancellor alts la the House of Lords on Appeals.
VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT.
HT/ORE TIIII TICS-CHANCELLOR.THIS DAY, AT HALt-PAST TIT.

CAt'i[■.

Arkwright v. Stoveld, Drinkwuterv.Heolop RennoMoon v, Young
rehearing Sallie v. Walsh Scctt v. Keane
Davin v. Glenny Adams v. Clutton I Sykes v. Itedfearr.
Drayton v. Kuigh• Houghton v. Hardin
Attorney-General, v. I Punter v. Ranken
Fitzgerald
Ills Honour the Vice-Chancellor will hear abort Causes to be put at the
head of the paper, on Saturday, Nay 6.