The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-08-30 00:00:00

•‘.
dered to Mine up elegy other article of property
of which he was possessed ; when he put his hand
is his waistcoat pocket, and took out a shilling, a
stoteh-chain, some halfpence, and a kuife, and
said he had nothing else salient hittv..--04 further
searching him, there were found in his watch-
pocket a crown piece, four half-crown pieces, and
3I shillings. One luilf-crown-pieh was of the coiu-
age of William and Mary, marked with M.P.
All these articles were put in a paper, iii the pre-
sence of the Prisoner, and sealed. Two hours
after, he was taken before Sir William Douglas,
Messes. 6i-twin:rat, Hodgson, Forest, and witness,
Justices of the Peace, and examined. Nothing
was said to the Prisoner, either by way of threaten-
ing or promise, to induce 1 to inuie confession ;
on the contrary, lie was told that he was not ob-
liged to answer any question which would crimi-
nate hilwelf. The Prisoner, when examined, made
a conlei.sion, which was taken down in writing.—
This, when tioished, \gni read over to him, to which
he agreed, and signed his name before' the afore-
said Magistrates.
The Prisoner's confesision was produced in Court,
and wussworn to by the witness.
On Ina crus-s-examinationf.the witness said that
the Prisoner wits very collected at the time, and not
much worse for the liquor he had had ; and that
Wood, the Prisoner, with the greatest apparent in-
, dinerence, said, that he bad Wiled the womeu folks,
and after committing the murder had broken open
the chest.

•
To the best of witneses knowledge, the Prisoner,
,after Insviii4 the papers read over to him, was asked
if the'coulessiensvas all tine Ile said it was.
John B..:1 and, that he was present at Annan
when the Prisoner was searched : that the watch
was found in his hat ; that the half-crown had two
heads en one side, and was marked with the name
of Mar: t. Pattinson ; that hiereinembered the paroel
being given to Mr. Scott,. and that Mr. Scott gave
it to the Under Constable, and that the Under
Coastable kept it till they came to Lo4ll6toWil ; he
delivered it to hint in the same state that he received
- it from the Justice; that when be arrived wide the
Prisoner et Carlisle, on Moaday meriting, ha took
him to a 1)1'1AM-house, and sent for Mr. Hodgson,
the Clerk of the Pesee, when he was examined be.
f..re the Rev. Mr. Brown ; that from the time of
leaning Ammo with the Prisoner, to the examina-
tion takiii4 place hefore Mr. Brown, ea promise or
threatening of any kind had ever been need to ex-
tort confession.

Mr. tlodg,on said, that when he went to the Pri-
soner, Mr. Brown had begun his examination, and
that witness re id over what was written to him, and
asked hint if Vie examination (which contained the
Prisoner's own confes.ion) was right, or if he would
retract any part of it ? He said it ass not right.
lie was asked la what particulars.
Rev. Mr. Brown said, he was sent for to the pub-
lic-horse where the Prisoner was, and proceeded to
examine bins, smite take the examination in writ-
ing. Mr. llodgson elute iu when the examination
was timely finished ; that he (Mr. Hodgson) took
the examination into his hands, and that some al-
terations were made by him and the Prisoner ; that
no premises or threatenings of any kind were used
to induce a confession ; hut, on the contrary, he
was cantinuod hot to big a.sy thing which would
condemn liiithelf.

Mr. Hodgson said, that the alterations were
made by himself, agreeably to what the Prisoner
wished, and after it hod been again read over to
hint, he repeatedly asked the Prisoner if it was right,
and was ansocied in the affirmative. The altera-
tion which witness made fur the Prisoner was, that
he said he did not kill both the women with a bill-
hook, brit that lie had killed Margaret Smith with a
flail. -Witness etid, that the Primates appeared
perfectly collecteil.
The ciatnination was then read in the Court.
John Bell said, that he arrived at hoer
on 'fliunalay night, after having ledgeil &lie
Prisoner in Carlisle gaol; that he went to Suiith:s,
searched the barn, and found a flail.. stained with
blood, standing by the &new.
The flail was proslueed in Court,. and had the
appearance of.blosid on it iii_teo places.
John Fell, comitable, said, that he received Abe
flail from J. 4.11,-imil that .it was Jaliondy._
witness then produced the hill-hook in the Court,
which was stained with blood and bent ; that
he found it in theisaiiour of Smith's house, and
that ever since the time of the Coroner's inquest lie
had
Jahn.,Beib, oft Its cross-exanansatian, said, that he
did not get Mr.. Scott give the parcel to the consta-
ble ; that the Prisoner made no objection, when
overtaken, of returning with the witness.
The parcel was produced in. Court.
Mr. Scott swore to the marked half-crown, and
all the othet articles tallied with those found on the
Prisoner.
John Maltruan, la watchmaker at Antiiin.) said
that he sold the &itch, (which was - produced in
Court amongst the ether artieles), on the morning
of January 19; or !" between seven and sight
o'clock, to a voting- dies, who came to his shop,
but whom he had never 'teen since. Ile said that
ha received in payment for the watch four guinea
notes, out of which he returned to the paeg man
two shillings.
Thomas Smith produced the hoc in a broken
state in Court, out of which the money was taken—
said it was whole when he went to li igton market,
swore to the marked half-crown.

The Prisoner, bring called upon for his defence,
said, that he left the two women in the hou.e, the
morning when he departed ; said he bail nothing
more to say, but left the rest to his Counsel.
Mr. Stamp was called forward to speak to the
character of the Prisoner. lie stated, that about
three or four years ago, the Prisoner, when a boy,
was employed under him ; but, as his knowledge of
the Prisoner was so exceedingly scanty, not even
knowing him by narue, previous to hes being ap-
prehended, he was unable to say any thing posi-
tively in his favour. •
The Prisoner's defence being closed, the Learned
Judge proceeded to sum up the evidence, and to
orisament ou those parts which might afford the
strongest light to the Jury. He reinarked, that as
the Prisoner, on the morning of January 19, re-
quested his master to bring him home it knife or
a book, the probability was strong that he had not
then any intention of leaving his 'enavterN service ;
con►etueatly, it is probable that he bad then no