The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-17 00:00:00

Jew tat, mead over so the ether side of the rood t the one that ponding. with tbose hatted lost. He also identified On hammy
. perapstet ' hill eils • of
and the fork.
-' -esaustood--TMisiras ea the high road_ bat in bread day. Mary Spicer proved that the hammer and the potato-fork were
the Learned Juntaltl 'bee examined before the Coroner, the same site found, which fitted the marks on the door.
hutlllattialk
did Dot then as, that them lime twit Men. The men might Mr. William Junes recalled—There were no mark, of Mood on
!sure beetithetweekerseity yitreltrapart. bite mart I sappme to be i either the hammer or the fork, but the hammer when found in the
we prisoner had ro bundle, and did not cross over the read. Both house had been recently rubbed in brick.dint ; that is rut a usual
ti.en had frocks: tarn toed. • 1 don't reintlither styli, at the Coro- t practiee.
sees Inquest that I was not sure whethes theveteces I met wore a AD. John Fowke said—l am a surgeon, residing at Woleer-
ftatir we • jacket. The man I spoke eif before the Coroner as the hampton. I examined the body on the day Aft( r the murder. On
pinion who crossed the toed 'Win Dot the person ! belie** to be the left temple there tn..* several severe bruises, and the Akin
skeprinknev. Before the Cersuertbeatt were two others besides the broken, atid beneath these bruises the skull was fractured. The
peeper. I think now that the priesear win the other titan, and fracture extended into the socket of the etc, and down to the upper
rat oho who tied the -bundle,' bet belies the Coroner I swore j jaw. Behind the right ear was a lacerated wound, about an inch
age like: yolsooer had the bundle: I think the former account 1 in extent, with bruises much round it. There were also bruises on
ate pee I rdttg, .bealtise I- Wow fetched so the Inquest to agteat each shoulder, and on the pit of the stomach. Haring remarked
bum. the external anpesrances, I opened the head, anti found a quantity
The Isearosd Jendv—Hme east anytluri believe auth a rite- of blood pressing on the brain. These injuries, in my judgment,
Inlatli this?. duo man is telling a totally chtferrnt story from the i would cause almost instantaneous death, and I have no doubt that
eel he told at the Coroner's Inquest. In this instance they did cause death. The injuries were inflicted
Apo Itlitthols said, /five in • Canatetteet, WolvetharnMon. I by a heavy blunt instrument, such as a hammer, as they were
the prisoner. On Wednesday, the k2d December, I was at heavy round bruises. The frac:utes of the skull were produced by
Bottle publleJtouse at about half-past three o'clock, repeated blows. The fracture's and bruises were inflicted by a
its tto four. I was at the window, and saw the prisoner hammer, or something of that sort. The wound behind the ear
geriptiptiveee ici a direction towards the 'market-place. He had was inflicted by a blunt-pointed instrument. The prongs of the
Mt • hod.and hod a bundle under bit arm. His fmcic was tucked i potato-fork would inflict such a wound as that; but that wound
spectra his end the bundle ander it, but I saw the corner of the would nut be sufficient to cause immediate death, though it might
bridle, witch was In a yellow handkerchief or a butt' one—l ant have ultimately causal death.
stmoshich. I did not me him again till I saw him at The inquest. Croes.examinetl—Whatever instrument was used to produce the
1 Mis Sure the prisoner was the man; I had known tun' before, wound would hive been bloody; but the instrument that inflicted
hens hie playing at cards at the public houses. the bruins and fractures would out.
• Cema-mantined—TLe prisoner is welt known in Waiver- Re-examined—If the instrument with which the wound was
hampton. and was coming up the middle of the road. inflicted had been wiped before the blood had coagulated, there
latitifiSlnare said. my husband is a pawnbroker, carrying on would be no mark of the blood left on the instrument.
at Darlington-street, Wolverhampton. On the Wednes- The prisoner, in his defence, said that he was quite innocent of
day before Christmas-day (the day of the murder) the prisoner the charge, anti tight have got away if he had chosen; bet that
came to my hu.bend's at about four o'clock, anu pledged some about three weeks before the murder he met the witness Diggory,
articles. I don't know that 1 ever saw him before. He asked me the constable, in the' churchyard at Wolverhampton, walking with
to lend some money on the things he brought; they were a suit of a gill of the town, and on his saying, " Oh, Mr. Diggory, ts that
clothes and two shawls. lie also brought an old silk waistcoat, but you ?" Diggory came up and knocked him down, saying, * I will
that I would not take in because it was so very Md. 1 gave that back take care to lix_you very soon."
and left him 17s. on the other things ;he took a pair of gaiters Mr. Justice LITTLLDALE said, in his charge to the Jury, that
out of pledge ; they had been pledged for eighteen pence, and I in a case of this grave nature they mutt give the greatest consiclera.
dodueted that and gave him the difference. I asked hint his name, lion to the circumstances of the case, before they brought in a str-
and he said it was Thomas Powell. As he took the money, he dict which would subject the prisoner to forfeit his life to the laws
mid he wanted at to get off a brother of his who had enlisted; he of his country. It s!a old be observed, that there was no evidence
then went away. I think he wore a dark dress, but lam no; sure ; of the actual fact of the commission of the murder, and there was
he then went away, and I next saw '.im in the custody of the con. also no evidence dial the prisoner was seen nearer the spot than a
stable, who asked me in the presence of the prisoner if I knew distance of three or tour miles ; and further to observe, that nothing
him, and I said. " That is the men that pledged the things." I which had behmited to the prisoner had been found in the house of
WI now 'sum that be is the man ; I showed the things to Edward the deceased. Three were all circumstances much in favour of the
Spencer. priso- 2r, but still it was for them to nay whether, from the facts
'eoss-exarnineti—l don't know that I had ever seen him before. already In evidence, and from the declarations and conduct of the
'Do suspicion of the man ; I us his hands. It was not a Primmer,
_.. .. . . - .
which were already in proof...they wen or were not fully

eross-e----- xamineti—l don't taw.. .
/ hail Do suepictou of the man ; I saw his a...__
hairy day.
By the Learned JUDGE—The gaiters were pawned in a different
same.
Mary Harding said, I live in Stafford-street, 'Wolverhampton.
knew the prison et, and on the Wednesday betide Christmas the
prisoner came to my house between six and seven o'clock. I had
'eked the persona for a patch to mend a shirt, and he then said a.
ihe Came in, " You have asked me for s patch, and I will give you
a shirt to make one," which he did. He bad on a velvet jacket and
a dark striped waistcoat. His left hand was all bloody. He asked
fin water to wash it, and he pulled out a cloth from his pocket and
washed it off' his hand. I asked him how he came by it, and he
said his nose had bled ; and I replied, I know your ease is apt to
bleed ; but there was no mark of anything about his nose. The
prisoner stayed at my house. While he was at my house at sup.
per, he appeared very much frightened, and appeared as if the
kr.ife would have dropped out of his hand. I t F w no mote of him'
that night ; he went away at about seven o'ce .
Cows-examined—]n the house where I live here are three ladies,
i
myself, Maria, and Eliza. I don't know ho they get their living,
but a young man keeps me. Frightened as he was, he told me
where he was going.
Reexamined--1 saw Sarah Puree! and Ann Richards.
Ann Richard. said, I was at Harding's house on this evening,
aria I saw the prisoner there. Mary Herding went in to another
MOM, and the.prisoner went with her. I was employed in getting
supper. When the prisoner returned to the room in which I was,
he • took a bloody cloth out of his pocket ; I asked him what be 11
bad been doing. and he said his nose had bled, and he then tied it
up and threw it into the fire, and burnt it. His nose did not look
as if a had bled. harsh Parcel was there and saw the cloth, hat'
she did not see it burnt. I could not tell whether it was a cloth as
handkerchief, it was so bloody.
Sarah Pureel said—l was at Mary Harding's; I Yaw the primal!'
there, I stayed to supper. While I was there, the prisoner took sa
cloth our of his pocket; it was covered with blood. I exclaimed...
" Lord bless me, what hare you been doing ?" He said, his '
Lad been bleeding. I soon alter that went away.
Cross-examined—This is a house of ill fame.
John Sparrow said, I am an assistant constable at Wolverhatnp.'
tOn the night of the murder I searched the lodging houses
about the tdwn, and among them I searched a house rear the Bowl.
Tg.green, and found the prisoner in company with Ann Griffiths.
he prisoner looted very Told. On the next evening I found him
in the custody of a constable named Diggory. William Edwards
was there, and I saw him again on the Friday morning in the Crib
at Wolverhampton ; the pnsoncr said that tt Cotsal Will" (a nick
name of Edwards) had given hint the clothes and eighteen pence to
go and pawn them ; std I immediately fetched Edwards, when the
priertmr told Edwards to his face that he had given him the clothes
fa tbc day of the murder ; but Edwards said, that he could prove
' where he wee on that day. To which the prisoner replied, that he
was at the Three Crowns from twelve till one o'cleck. I walked
from the Leathern Bottle to the cottage, to see how long it took to
walk the distance, and I got to the cottage in fire minetcs less than
an hour.
Cross-examined—l did not apprehend the prisoner; I searched
bine ; 1 asked hitn where he came from, and he said from Stafford,
and that he was a brewer in the Three Crowns ; I found nothing
upon him.
Aen Grifflths said, I know the prisoner; he was at my lodgings
on the night in question ; we were together when the constable
searched the house ; the prisoner trembled very much ; I asked
him what was the matter, and he said he thought they were coming
for him; he wore a velveteen jacket, but the night before that be
had worn a frock.
John Diggory, a constable, said, in consequence of information
I received, I went round to all the pawnbrokers, and at Mr. Moore's
I found a quantity of wearing apparel, and 1 saw the prisoner 00
the same evening in the market-place ; I went towards him ; he
saw me sod he mended his pace, and as I got towards him I saw
pin throw something away ; I took him into a shop, and I desired
three young men to keep him, and I went back and found that he
had thrown down some duplicates, all in different names; I went
back and asked him his real name; he hesitated ; I said why not
tell me your name? and he then' said his name was Powell; and I
said you are the man I am In seereh of; it was you that murdered
the woman ; he denied it ; I took him then to 3loore's shop to see
ifbe was the person that brought the clothes ; I asked elra Moore
if she knew him ; she said yes, Mr. Diggory, this is the man that
brought the clnthes here; the prisoner and that site was mistaken ;
I then told Alm. Moore to be very particular, as it was a very
serious charge ; The avid she was sure he was the man, and I then
told him he must go with me, and I secured him at the Crib; on
die nett morning when I took him his breakfast, he said that he
was the man that pawned the clothes, and :hat Edwards had given
selem to hire ; I sent for Edwards. who said he would account for
where he was the whole day, and the prisoner said that he was at
the 'rhrce Crowns at the time the Murder was committed; I pm-
doczel the clothes delivered to me by Mrs. Moore, and also tee ham-
mer and a potato-fork. The cottage is situated in the parish of
.Jflrrehbury, is the county of Stafford.
Mary Spilsbury said—l keep the sign of the Three Crowns at
Wolverhampton. I had employed the primmer I remember the
Wednesday before Christmas. I got up before nine o'clock, and
was in anti out of my house all the morning. I was at home be.
tween twel re and one, and stayed in for the rest of the day. From
twelve till two there was not above six peesons in my house. I did
am. see the prisoner there ; if he had been there 1 must have seen
him. The prisoner was not in my house till half•past four o'cinck,
and when lie came in lie said he was just come front Stair ird, where
his brother was one of' the keepers at the Asylum. On the next
morning the prisoner came again, and asked fora pint of ale—an-
other young man came with him. The prisoner asked me if I hail
heard of the murder ? I told him I had. lie asked where it was?
and I told him I had heard it• was at Tepper itarden ? Ile asked
how far off that was ? and I slid six or seven miles. He then asked
me how long I thought a man would be in going there or coming
batik ? I told him any man could do it in a little above an hour.
The other man greened in great distress, and the prisoner said to
him. t' Shalt we go and see the body i" 'f he other man said he
would go ; and 1 toad them that It they would go to Jackson's,
which is a house opposite. they avoid find the constables lookirg
aft* the murderers ; and I then heard the prisoner say, tt Liter.
poel, Liverpool," to the other man. They left my house, but a-nt
an a contrarydireciion from Mr. Jackson's.
Cross-ertaininad—l do lot know how long the prisoner stayed
al-Wolverhampton. , • t
Jane banedate said—l am niece to the last witness. I know the
Plilatier.--.1 saw hint on the morning of Wednesday before Christ.
sitas-day. Ile wore a hrock, which reached down to his knees. It
was about eight o'clock when he was there. But Taw quite sure
that the reenter was not in the Three Crowe, on that day from
tweire o'thwir till four.
Won. Ed werite said—l know the prisoner ; I never saw him on
the day oe wleee the trunkr was coeimitted. Charles Leakeand
I. were in the co thpite, and se the Minerva public-house, which is
segekner of a Filla out of Wolverhamptor, on the Shrew.tady
read. We went trent there to the Spread Eagle in Wolveeliamp.
ton. The ethrestelauy read is not tbewayeep !;smock. Mr. Ken-
rick tied Mr. Phillips came in. to
• Cross-examined--1 air a laboureeP I hare never been in
peiroa.
In:vies Leake—l am a labourer—Mil witness merely corro-
boramtlehe evieence of Edwards}.
• Wei. Tamer, older of the Aliveava, proved 'hit Ceske and Ed;
inn* were ar the Minerva on the day in question. •
John pedlipe and Jarnesalleenrick siso corroborated the evidence
of Edwards.
Aelliim Eistraleks mcalled-t-I never gave the prisoner any clothes
to take to the pewnheaker.
Jena Ilirtigery prink:teed the clothes—ore coat and waistceet, a
pair of eanturoy brreeltes, one shirt, and twn %he .
Mrs. Aloore Identified them as oho articles pawned by the psi.
sone at her husband's boom. .
The prosecutor identified the coat ; he knew It by a pocket put
in an unusual part of it, and be its fastening down the (root with
imeke sae eyes, Be knew the other articles from their Coerce-

satisledof the guilt of the Prisoner. Upon the evidence there was
no doubt that the deceased did come to an untimely end by the
means charged in the indictment ; and, in considering the guilt or
intiocer.ce of the prisoner, it was important for them to bear in their
minds the circumstances connected with the rubbery at Spencer's
house; for they had it in evidence that the prisoner, within a
very short time after the murder, pas found pawning the clothes
which were takei from the house of Spencer; and they would
have to say whether they believed that these articles were stolen
at the time the murder was committed; and if they were satisfied
of this they would have to consider whether the prisoner stole
them : for if they thought he did not, there was little evidence
against him on the present charge. His Lordship then recapitu-
lated rite different points proved by the evidence, and left It to the
Jury to say whether, on the whole, they were satisfied that the priv
soner was guilty.
The Jury having deliberated for nearly a quarter of an hour,
found the prisoner Guilty.
The usual proclamation having been made, tie Learned Judge,
after a concise but very feeling address, passed sen.eace of death
on the prisoner, whom he ordered for execution on' Thursday
morning.