The National Register.
London, England, 1812-03-29 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

PROVINCIAL ASSIZES.

SUFFOLK, MARCH 11.
HORRID MURDER.
Edmund, alias Edward Throuvr, was indicted for the murder of Ella.
Carter, at Cratfield, Suffolk, on the 16th October, 1793. This prisoner
was brought to justice by a chapter of accidents. He confessed the
murder to one Heads soon after it was committed; but Heads, accord-
ing to his statement, knew he was so much given to speaking falsehoods,
that he disbelieved him.—The prisoner went alone, and knocked out
the brains of Eliz. Carter, as she was fastening her window shutter,
and then he went into the house and killed her father in a similar
manner, whilst the old man was sitting in his arm chair. Some years
after this, Heads, who had never before heard from any one but the
prissier that a murder of that sort had been committed, heard a bro-
ther telon in Norwich jail lamenting that he had always been suspected
cf that murder innocently, and Heads recollected the confession the
prisoner had made to him several years ago, of which he made de-
positions before two Magistrates eleven years since; but Thrower, the
prisoner, was never heard of, and supposed to be dead. There is a com-
mon observation, that 64 murder will out," and the manner by
which the prisoner was brought to justice is extremely singular. At the
time of the national alarm at the horrid murders of the Marr and
Williamson families, Mr. Archdeacon Oldershaw, a Magistrate, was
observing to Mr. Fox, in common conversation, that a murder resem-
bling those occurred at Cratfield 19 years ago, and in mentioning his
taking the depositions of Heads, he observed Thrower was suspect-
ed, but he never was found. Now Mr. Fux had a legacy to pay.
Thrower's wife, which could not be done without her husband's signa-
ture, and through this incident the prisoner was taken into custody,
well as Heads, both of whom bad been transported.
Heads, in hi&evidence, told the same story he had done eleven years
ago, of the prisoner's confession, and a person proved having heard
a female shriek on the night of the murder, and that he saw a man run
from the house. The body of the young woman was proved to have
been found in the garden, which corroborated Head's story. There
being other strong circumstantial evidence, the prisoner was found
Gailty, and ordered for execution on Monday at Ipswich, and after-
wards his body to be dissected.
STARVING THEIR CHILDREN.
John Smith, aged 39, and Eli.;:abeth his • wife, aged '27, were indicted
for the wilful murder of Mary Anne Smith, daughter of the male pri-
tyner, at Cookley, in the cotinty of Suffolk, by starvation, beating, and
expoong her three successive nights w a shed, in the mouth of Decem-
ber last, by which her feet became mortified,
It appeared in evidence, that the Male prisoner had there children
by a former wife, who died about three years ago, and. he married
the female prisoner on the Bth of last November, and an-the 11th of
February, lsl2, the eldest of the three children, the subject of this
ualittment, died.
Previous to his marriage with the female prisoner, the three children
were admired by every one for their cleanliness and ruddy cheeks, and
the male prisoner was marked. for his parental kindness and affections
towards his offspring. Their health, it was proved, became gradually
on the decline after the' marriage of the prisoners, and they were at
length reduced to skeletons; and the child which died was represented
ut evidence as the most deplorable object ever witnessed.
Lucy
Smith, sister of the male prisoner, proved, that on the 4th of
remuary, the male prisoner called on her in tears, and said his eldest
child was dying. Witness found two of the once-healthy children sitting
hyv.the fire in a state so completely emaciated, that they appeared
wufferent to any objects. On going up _;tairs, a shocking object pre-
sorted itself in the person of the eldest child, in bed, who was unable
to stir from her emaciated state, and she was the picture of death. The
poor child called out, " Aunt, aunt don't leave me." Witness challenged
them with starving the. children,and they agreed that they had not
much drink. It also appeared afterward-, that the child's feet -were in
a sta:e of mortification, from having been exposed three nights in an
out house, by the unnatural father. She wits also much bruised about
neck and body by beatings, and her father confessed having hung
her up to a beam by the middle, without cause. The other two children
iwere m a shocking emaciated state, and the witness took them under
11,:r roof.

Mrs. Clark proved completely that the children were :;11 in a state of
starvation. She often carried diem cake and a little wine, which they
all ravenously devoured.
Three surgeons gave it, as their opinion, that the child died from
the effects of barbarous treat mein and want of food.
No disclosure of the mortified feet was made until it was found
the child could not be saved ; and one witness stated that the female
prisoner had said they could live.better without the children.—To enter
,14!') a minute description of the barbarities towards the children would
n 1 a voluine. They ware of the ages of four, seven, and nine years.
The prisoners were found Guilty, and orderssd for execution at Ips-
wick on Monday next.

BURY.
__A Young woman servant, named SNith, was capitally convicted of
Tong lire to her master's house. The prisoner, it appeared in evi-
uente, got some straw ont of the stable of Ler master, and after light-

•
ing it, by the aid of a pitch-fork, she communicated the•same to the
thatched roof of the dwelling-house. On the alarm of fire, wken the
inmates of the house were endeavouring to extinguish it, the Trisoner
set fire to a bed furniture within. She made a full confession of her guilt,
and said she had no interest or motive for her conduct.
In addition to the horrid murders already reported, and other wicked
offences which the Calendar of this County furnished, a moister was
capitally convicted, on Monday, of a rape on his own daughter, a child
nine years old.
SUSSEX.
HORSHAM, MARCH 24.--John Kennard was tried, on the Coronet's
Inquest, for fnanslaughter, in killing and slaying Benjamin Grigg. The
prisoner was a respectable miller at Lewes,tin this crounty,who had given
an ostler in that town a blow or two on the head for impertinence.
and the man died a few days afterwards. It was, however, proved, that
his death was occasioned by another cause ; for a few days before that
time he had quarrelled with a soldier of the 72d regiment, who struck
him on the head with his sabre. As the man-felt no immediate ill effects
from the wound, it was thltight to be of no consequence ; but after his
death, his head being examined, it was found that the sword had pe-
netrated through the skull, and a splinter of bone had entered the mem-
brane of the brain, which the medical men were clearly of %Anion
was the cause of his death.

The Jury found the prisoner—Not Guilty.
Henry Sundalls was indicted fur an assault upon Mary Gaston, in the
parish of Newick, on the 13th of June,lBlo, with intent to ravi-h
The prosecutrix, a young g;rl, not then more than fifteen, stated,
that she and another servant were on the ConnuGn at Newick with
their mistress's children, on the 13th of June, 1810, when the prisoner
came up to them to inquire his way; they went across a field with
him, when he seized the prosecutrix, and threw her down.—The
however, could not proceed to state further particulars, for she fainted,
and for two hours remained stupihed and insensible; at length it was
found impossible to proceed with her examination ; her companion,
however, stated sufficient to show the violent conduct of the prisoner
towards her. He was not taken into custody for some weeks afterwards;
but the women of the place one day caught him, and they put him
iNto a tub and pumped upon him; they next tossed him in a blanket;
and after they were tired of that. amusement, they threw him into a
horse-pond ; they next rolled him in the mud, and scrubbedshim down
with birch brooms. At length, the Parson and Churchwardens, hearing
of the case, insisted on a legal inquiry, and after a length of time be
was apprehended.
The Jury found him Guilty, and be was sentenced to two years'
imprisonment.

KFNT.
Mains rose, MA it CH iltirton, a farmer at Kiogsnorth,
near Ashford, was indicted fur the wilful murder of John Manley, a
drummer-boy of the 7.:d regiment, by giving him a violent ble.)w on the
head with a stake. By the evidence it appeared that the deceased was
one of four who vent from the barracks at Ashford, to gather w:ld
plumbs on the hedges, on the evening the sth of September last, and
trespassed on the prisoner's orchard at Kingsnorth.
The Jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter, and the Learned
Judge lined him a shilling, and ordered him to be discharged.
Jain lVebb, alias Core/wean, was indicted for the wilful murder of
Thomas Wylde, by shooting him, on the 2d of Octoberlast. Mr. lut-
LANi)conducted the prosecution, and the facts of the case were as fol-
low :—Mr. Wylde, on the ‘2d of October, had been at Croydon fair, and
was returning home to Wresterham, in comp:my withla young man, his
son, and his grandson, a lad of 15 years or age. About seven o'clock
they reached flettsom-hill, when they heard a voice calling " stop,
stop !" His son George desired him to stop, observing, probably they
had dropped something, or that some part of their harness had broke.
They accordingly stopped, when a man came up, presented a pistol, and
demanded money. Mr. Wylde said he came at a wrung time, they had
been to the fair, and had spent their money ; the robber, however, ir-
sisted on having some, and Mr. Wylde produced a dollar and a canvas
bag. After he received it, Mr. Wylde exclaimed; " There; you cow-
ardly rascal and cut behind tie chaise, where the robber was standieg
with his whip. The lash streak him in the face, when lie immediate .ly
levelled his pistol, and fired—two balls entered his head, and Mr.Wylde
instantly dropped and expired. His son and grandson got him home,
and the robber e=eaped. The evidence to fix the charge upon the pri-
soner rested chiefly on the two young men who were with the deceased,
one of them spoke to his perton, but they both agreed to the resem-
blance. This statement was supported by much circumstantial evi-
dence; hut the prisoner gave a very particular accoont of himself at. the
time of the murder, from which it appeared that he could not have been
the perpetrator. This account was also sappofted by evidence.
'the Learned Judge summed up with gi eat precision ; and the Jury,
afusr considerable deliberation, found their verdict in favour of the
alibi, against that of the identity of the prisoner, and consequently re-
turned a verdict of—Nut
1 ORKSHIRE.

A curious trial came on at the York Assizes, in which the
Gilbert, was plaintiff, and Sir M. Sykes, Part. M. P. defend:lll, for
the recovery of a bet on the life of If uonaparte ; the condition of whicbs
was, that the plaintiff on paying 100 guineas, should receive oin•gbinti
per day so long as Buonaparte 51tould live. The e,,zitract 11,1(.1 httn t •