The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-10-11 00:00:00

MURDER AT BIRMINGHAM.

An inquest was held here (Birmingham) on the body of s vo.
man named Timpson.
The Jury were summoned to the Wordpsek Inn, Hone. g_
After they had been sworn. they proceeded to the house if William
Timpson, situate in Bushy's.court, Park-stuet, to view the body.
On returning to the Woolpack, the first witness examined true
Gideon Taylor, who satd—l sin a yroliemotlicer of Birmi
ri ngham,.
and dung tip. last week I have resided at the prison in fit
Yesterday afternoon, about three o'clock, the prisoner cans into the
room of the prison called the chair.mom. He said, "I an your
prisoner." I said, " For what ?" Ile said, " Fur murder." j
asked hint whom he had murdered. Ile said, his wife. .1 aged
him how he murdered her. He said he had cut her timet.
asked him whet he lied cut it with. He said, a case knife. I asked
him where the knife was, and searched him. I found no knife. Ha
said it was in the house. Ills sight hand wait bloody, higher than the wrist two inches or mire. Spots of blood were on his 4ft hand, and on the bosom of his shirt. The shirt lie has now on
is
not the same lie then wore. (The shirt was Mere produced, and
appeared spotted with blood.) He Paid he lived at No. I, Para.
street. I went to No. I. It proved to be a lodging-house, and au,
the right house. I had locked him up with the other prisoners.
I returned, and inquired again where lie lived. Ile then gave his
tigast address, No. I, Busby's-court, Park-street. lie said the key
was in the door. He said the neighbours knew nothing of the mat.
ter. I went again with George Benbow and James Stni:h to Nee
Ilusby's court. Found the door locked, but no thumb-piece to
hft the latch. so I burst the door open with my knee.
Here the Coroner was informed that the Reporter was taking
notes. Ile immediately interfered, and said he cuuld not permit
notes to be taken.
Reporter —" Mr. Coroner, I am here peaceably sitting, a sprat,
toe of the proceedings of she Court ; I will not, in the slightest de.
pee, intertere to disturb these Proceedings; and I hope my peak
actiots will not be made matter of petite inquiry. if i fin any
thing ilegal, I am responsible for my conduct. The Government
papers give the most ample details of these inquiries; and I bops
in the country we may enjoy the same privileges.'
Coroner—" The Judges have solemnly Cleared that it lea Ws.
demeanor to report these proceedings."
Here the headborough said lie should turn the Reporter out if he
persisted. The Coroner, however, said he had no figlit to order
him to be turned nut; but he should think it very disrespectful,aftet
he had expressed his opinion on the subject, if he proceeded to tako
notes. The Reporter said he was desirous to pay every respect en
the Coroner. He was maintaining a point of principle, bat certainly
VMS very desirousto avoid any breach of politeness. The inquiry
Wen pmeecclecl.
' Taylor—The wife lay before me as I entered the house. Her
head was toward the fire.place, one knee rather heat, and the other
straight. She was bleeding profusely from the neck, in which
there was a wound u broad as my band. She rattled a little in the
! throat. She was not quite dead. Blood lay on each aide of the
shoulders, and in the holm( of the broken floor ; • knife lay by bet
a:de, which Benbow picked up. (The knife was produced, whidt
the Coroner said was a small dessert knife.) The knife lay on bey
left side, close by her. There lay a bonnet on the right rifle of her,
with some spots of blood on it, and the crown knocked in, as whit
' a How.

_
Taylor further mated that he asked the prisoner this morning
whether he had buttoned the collar of his wife's gown after it had
cut her throat. He said he had not touched her after he had cut
her throat. Taylor had known the prisoner for several yearn, who
had been tried, if not convicted, of a felony. He had seen, but did
not know, the prisoner's wife.

The Coroner here asked the prisoner whether he had any ques.
tiro to put to the witness. He said very calmly, "I du not.
I told him what ha has said nearly. lie might misunderstand
me."

(ho' `• Benbow was then examined—l went to the house of pri.
seiner a Ith the last witness. Taylor broke open the door. I ow
before me • woman, lying on her bark. about two fret from the
fire-place; her throat was cut, and she wu bleeding very much,
anti a great deal of blood was lying near her. I felt her pulse ; it
beat gently ; she was not quite dead ; she died directly ; I us
cut on her left arm, about the middle. inside, in a slopirg direction;
there was a large bruise on the left hand. The right arm wag
arms.. the body ; the knife lay on the left side near the body, and
the left arm lay along the left aide. The knife was about three or
four inches from the body ; I picked on the knife and gave it to
Taylor. I examined the house after Taylor was gone. I went up
stairs and found things in disorder.

(The prisoner here said hi. wife had been sweeping the room, and
had put the things on the bed while ahe did so.)
- - -

ilrnbow—The bir was clean, but not wct. A bonnet was by
her. I think it was or. her right side near her head. The crown of
her bonnet was beaten in, anti there was blood on the outside of it.
Taylor moved the body about two feet out of the blood. lo other
respects it was as it now is.
Prisoner-1 have no question to ask cf the witness.

James Smith examined—l live at the Tantwonh Arms, Moor.
street. I accompanied Trylor and Benbow to the house of the poi•
soner. I saw Taylor burst open the door, and saw the body of the
murdered woman lying about half a yard from the fender. The
throat was cut, and the blood was running towards the fender. She
was quite dead. Some women put a glass before the face to aster.
t tin whether she breathed. The crown of the head appeared as if
it had had some severe blows. Her right hand was not across the
body. The legs were not tied as they now are.
Mr. George Bedfern examined—l am the keeper of the prime in
Birmingham. On returning from the Oratorio, I called up Timp.
son, and said this was a bad job. Be said it was. I asked ban
what was his reason for committing such an act—was it jealousy?
He said, no. I asked him if he and his wife quarrelled ; he said
sometimes. I asked if they had any words that day? He said
they had.

111 r. James Wilcox examined—l am a surgeon, and reside in
Birmingham. I saw the deceased about four o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon. She was quite dead, but warm. She had a very large
wound in the throat. Two incision had been made, one through
the larynx, the other divided the trachea or windpipe, as well as
the oesophagus or gullet, and. the carotid artery ou the left side.
There *as a slight wound, cut with a dull Instrument, in a slant-
ing direction, on the left arm. I think such a knife as the one pro-
duced would cut such a wound. Ile has no doubt the wound in
the throat produced the death of the unfortunate woman.

The Coronet• here said that the prisoner was at liberty to say what
he pleased, but informed him that, if necessary, his deCaration
would be brought against him on his trial.

Prisoner—l have nothing to nay. lam guilty of what has been
said. I did the crime; and I wish to suffer for it.
The Coroner proceeded to recapitulate the evidence. and pointed
out those parts of it from which their inference as to the guilt or in-
nocence of the prisoner would be drawn ; and in one minute the
Jury returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against the prisoner,
William Timpson, who.'sdler a very proper admonition from the
Coroner, was emnroitted to Warwick gaol, to take his trial for the
offence.