The National Register.
London, England, 1817-09-15 00:00:00

SEPTEMBER 4.

Jahn Nuttall, aged 20, was charged with the murder of
Aun it bite, at N eweliii reit, on the evrel day of June last.
Mr. Rains rose to address the Jury on the charge.
The Judge.—ltas the priswier any counsel
Prisoner.—No. I hope, my Lord, you will lie so kind as
to be comisel for me.
The J endeavour to see Justice done to you.
Mr. Bailie.— Mr. Williams is so kind as to promise to lie
culineel for the prisoner while he Call remain in this Court.
He them proceeded iu an accoitia of the enormity of the
crime. He &Misled the laxity of morals, especially in the
inierconrse of the SOWS, that prevailed in the district of
Rossington, where this crime was c • al. Parents suf-
feted their children to associate with others of a different
sex at all hours of the night, and the natural consequence of
this shameful laxity was such as threw dishonour on the
children, and disgrace on the parents. The deceased was
!Wind with her head in a well, and the marks mfaingers deeply
impressed round her 'leek. She was then seven months gone
with child to the prisoner. It was on the Sunday morning,
and she had expected the banns of marriage with the prisoner
to be proclaimed that day.
Alice and Martha White deposed that the prisoner was ac •
cnstomed to visit Ann White ; that he came on the night of
the murder, and that she was found dead in the well at four
in the morning.
The next witnesses were John Hayworth, and Mr. Lees, a
surgeon, whose evidence related principally to the state of
the body of the deceased.
James Aslibrook.—l live at a distance of e or 300 wards
from the prisoner. I have knots ii hint for I t years. on
the Friday, before Ann White's death, he Came down to our
house ; we were sitting with some others outside of the house.
It was a very tine night. After they went away, one by one,
he and I went into a corner of the field : lie said " I ain going
to carry some stones for James Lord for Is. the rood, bin I'll
not take them, as I dare say I'll not be long to this country,
so you can have them." At the saint• time we had some con-
versation about Ann White. I said if 1 were lie, I would be
married to her lie said lie thought he would, and eras eme
es. and said I must lend the rest and go to church on Sunday
morning and put up the askings. On Sunday morning lie
came to our house, there were several others out of doors.
was iii the house getting my breakfast. After breakfast I
joined the company. The prisoner was with them. 1 went
to look at a cow of my uncle's ; the prisoner went with me.
from 1 - he prisoner
After we went a piece he said, have you heard any news ?
I said about what? He said about her : understood. Ann
White). We met Richard Nnttall, anal John Nuttall, Richard
said " Thou haat done with Ann While maw."
Biiiiyfiod
ilier
.
said," Nay, I think not yet." He seenstil down in die heart
and low spirited. I never saw hint so before. We returned,
and found Laurence White's wife coming
I said," Let us go and meet her, and see what she says about
this job." Heeaid, " I dont care if we do." I asked-her if
she bad been to Sunnsrfield. I asked, " How are things
there?" She said, " she is dead, that is all I can say." µ.e
went towards Haverthills. I said, " I must go home now."
He said, " Nay, come with me till I get my breakthst."
went. I said, "'there's three lasses come from Sunnylield,
let us meet skein, and see what the.y'lleay." He said, " Nay
thou mayest go it' you like." I went away. They timed
away. I went to hint ; lie was at his father's barn-end. We
saw Ann Mittell coining from Sunnytield. He refused to go
awl meet her, and desired me to-go, and to tell hint what she
said. I went to our house. He came to inc and said, between
II and.l2, "Suppose I have killed her, what inay'n I be-done
at ?" I *midi" thou morn be hanged." He said. " Suppose
I have not, what will be done then r" I said, "
.Why, they'll
have you up on suspicion." We went to our bootie both to-
, gether. At Clifton (where tny father's is) the company were
I talking of Ann White's death. 'On the 2nd or 3rd of April
I was ditching, and the prisoner with me. I asked him if hie
was going to Boceup Fair. He said," Nay, I must be saving
some money." I said, "What are you lads doing with these
lasses at Sunnyfield ?" (meaning Ann and Betty White). He
said," Have you any money ?" " Yes" Wilt lend me some ?"
" Yes, what areto do withit ?" "'There is suck a thing as
causing a child .to be born?" " I don't know."
his fist and .struek the ground, and said, "I'll be d---d if
I don't kill-her then."
Cross examined by Mr. Williams.—He was taken tip at It
o'clock on Sunday. He might have run away before thatif
he had a mind.
Oilier witnesses gaveevidcnce to the same effect.
John Knowles (a prisoner, not yet tried, upon a charge of
felony). The prisoner was here two days before use. I was
in the same yard. I had heard nothing of this murder. I
saidatothing to him, that it would be better for him to confess.
I think .it right to confess, lint I said nothing of that to him.
He said. he was charged with the murder of Aim 'White, his
sweetheart. He said her father had murdered .her himself.
" I wan coining down from a in ighbour's house, end aaw the
father carrying her under his arm; she said, 'You devil,"
and her father flung her into the well. ' I went home and
went to bed. Next morning my father told .me she was dead,"
Next morning.lie asked use to go into Ilse said, and said,
" Jol n, I am very niicasy,•' and • said, that night he: had come
from his companion's hostile' and went an the back window
and ea p.al at it, and AnoWhite came out into the.hatai fold:
tioliods e add hear her, here father and Atwitter were 'too far
.4 4. Is. sr lire: lie began so say to her that some of his come
panions bad said e child was not his ; ibey.had some worth,
about it. flhe asked I • •f he would marryher. He told
her he. bad given money to one of Ids companions to have the
asking. put up. They haul then some. words, he beat her,
and knocked her down w th souse :weapon, which he did not
know. -He wits:n such a ragealtet his passion destroyed her.
He throttled let till she was dead, wad then took :.er up and
flung her into the well, that she might- be safe, people think-
at -is. .uad drowned herself. H. then went twine, and
to 1.1 $1 ; 41141 his seLjer came. well morning, and told bias
• e WAS dead or drowned, anus 'wished him tego.and see het;
the prisoner said& was stupid, -and slid. ne go ; .if he bad
they would cet•aospeet him. i told this to the clergyman
next day, Itvid Mr. HiggiGimmediately of it.

SEPT 15.

Rev. Mr. Rowley.—The witness tots! me distinctly the same
circumstances, the neat slay or about that.
The prisoner.—l never said one word of what Knowles has
said since God gave me breath. lie is told it only to amend
Lis own grammar. Two brothers will tell that I was in bed
at half past twelve.
James went to bed at half past ten, and never
awoke till half past five, I cannot tell when my brother
came home. _ _

11;;nas11ittall, (quite a boy).—l went to bed between ten
and eleven. I did not sleep till past one. My brother John
came home between twelve and one. _ _ .

Cross examined by Ur.Raine.—lt was not fearful long bc•
fore one, when he cause to bed. It struck one as lie came to
bed.—Guilty.
The prisoner is quite a youth in his appearance. On his
first appearance at the Bar, there was a wild smile upon his
countenance. His face gradually reddened into deep crim-
son. He occasionally bit the nails of his right band. There
wasno additional symptom of agitation when the verdict was
returned.

The Judge said, the proof of the prisoner being the person
who had committed the undottlsted murder rested entirely on
the evidence of Knowles. The 3ury deliberated about live
climates. The Court was deeply affected with the whole de-
tails disclosed.

Henry Schofield, aged 3.l,charged with the murder by poi-
son, of Robert Schofield, and Mary Ann Schofield, at Roch-
dale, pleaded not guilty. He was first tried fur the murder
of the girl.
Mr. Williams opened the case. The prisoner was a weaver
in Rochdale. He lived with a woman who had been previously
mariicd to a soldier who had not been heard of for nine or ten
years. By her he had the two children mentioned in the in
diet neut. The soldier returned, and his wife joined him.
She afterwards came back to the prisoner, and lived with
him when the murder was committed. On Sunday the 20th
of April, he administered poison in porridge to the mother
and the two children. One of the children died on Monday,
the other on Thursday following.
Ann Deny.—l know the prisoner. He lives in School-
lane. I live in the house, he in the cellar ; he lots lived there
a year and a half. In April last he had two children, Mary
Aim Schofield and Robert Schofield. I went into his cellar
on Sunday morning the 20th of April, Mary Ann was in bed
very sick, she vomitted very much. The prisoner was there.
asked Ann Buckley the mother, what was to do. She said
she was very sick, that Henry had done it ; he bad gone out
and left them vomittiag, and when he came in he said," What
thou art as bad as the children. I asked it liehad had porridge
that morning," she said," No, he had stew." She said some
sort of soot hail been put in, she could nut tell what it was,
it tasted very bad. 1 went in again Omagh the day, Mary
Ann continued bail. I went in on Monday night. Robert
was dead then. 1 went in several times. Mary Aun was
very ill. She eon, jutted to get worse. I knew site milked.
She seemed to he quite insensible. I went in on Thursday be-
tween eight and nine in time morning, Henry was there. I
said, " this child will not live long." He said," No" I be-
lieve. The prisoner came in at another time with Susan
Butterworth. Ann Buckley said, they were well before
they had time porridge. Henry told her to ' I her busi-
ness and he would make the porridge. I saw Ann Buckley,
the mother, sick.

Ann Buckley.—l was married to John Buckley 15 years
since, in the Chinch. There were several persons present.—
We lived tolether about six years, unit lie went lot u soldier.
Ile stayed away 13 or 14 years—l thought he was dead. I
was married to the prisoner seven years since. I saw Buick-
ley not 12 months ago. I lived with the prisoner, had two
children by him. 1 have two now by my first husband. 1
lived with the prisoner in a cellar al Rochdale. We were
not so well off. On the Saturday night we were hearty: we
gut up as well as usual ; Henry Schofield got tip first ; 1 think
about six o'clock. lie stopped a few minutes and went out.
He came back before eight. We had no breakfast ; I and
the two children were in bed. The children had porridge
and small beer for breakfast ; Henry made the porridge. He
put the water on the fire. He did not used to make the por-
ridge. When 1 was going out at the door he said," I'll make
the porridge, art thou fur having any ?" I said, Aye, for I'm
like to have soothing else." 1 was out a quarter of all hour.
When I came in the children were having their pomoildge.
The girl said—" Dad, lists given me much naughty p*tdge,
I caul eat it ;" Henry said," if you dont eat it, I'll whip you."
I asked what ailed the porridge : it was a very bad taste :
can't tell islint it was, I never tasted the like betide; nine or
ten minutes after they began to vomit. The boy died on
the Monday ; my vomining after tasting the porridge, con-
tinued fur a week. I was nut well for three weeks ; the eta
kept vomitting all along; sliealways cried fur water; she never
looked up; she died on Thursday ; 1 wanted to send fur the
doctor. Henry said I was a fool, and said a doctor could
do them no good ; the boy was buried on tVednesday, I
think. A doctor, Ale. Buckley, came au hour and a halt be-
fore the girl died.

John Buckley.—l am surgeon iu Rochdale. The prisoner
rime for me un the Mid wished for me to go and
visit a child of his that was very poorly: 1 got there between
tea and eleven in the 1110111 i up. The child died. I opened it,
and the child that had been buried, the girl in the house, and
the boy in the church. I found the girl's stomach, the jolter
coat, in a state of mortification. The mortification was suffi-
cient to produce death. and u as the cause of the child's death.
It was,that sort of indamarition that is produced by corrosive
poison, swallowed. By experiments, I found that arsenic, in
a small quantity had been swallowed ; the violent reaching
is the action of poison. It is accompanied with extreme
thirst ; I believe no ounce of white arsenic is enough to poison
CO or lOU persons. Both children died by poison, and that
Was arsenic. The prisoner attempted to represent that
Mr. Buckley had ascribed their death to water in the
head.

John Holt.—l live at Little Clegg. I saw the prisoner on
the 2011,, :Wont half past six. He asked Irt' some arsenic for
rats and :Mee, for they had almost eaten their clothes out of
the house. Ikt hint have a half ounce ul• white arsenic for
a penny.
The Judge here said to the witness, if the prisoner is guilty
of ntitrifei, 'on have inneti to allS.Alir liar.
John Clin.ley, a prisoner tor debt, was called by the pri-
soner to toy, that Holt hail said he had sold no poison to the
,prisoner.
Cro,i.examined by Mr. Williams.—l Was foreman of the
Jury when Holt was before the Cm• r iti November a end,'
having died of poison. I heard of the insit•,. of the pris iiiii •r's
ehildred, and said to Holt, •' You bare 111.?4,.11 selling poison
again to Scholl, Id." He said," I have not."
dies Williatua. --I have no doubt Wit, that Holt said so.