The National Register.
London, England, 1819-11-01 00:00:00

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S3B

OLD BAILEY, Flt MAT, Ocr. 23.

The Recorder sat at nine this morning, and despatched
prune business before the Judges arrived. Ile was attendee
iAto Court by Mr. Sheriff Parkins, who soon after retired.
and did not make his appearance for the remainder of the
day. On the arrival of the Judges there being only one Sheriff
(Rothwell) pre.eut, the junior Judge. Mr. Justice Park.
*vas ushered into Curt by Mr. Under Sheriff Turner.
CONVICTION OF JOHN H()LMESBY FOR THE

MURDER OF HIS WIFE.
.1,411 Ite'llorobt wa. istdi. ted tor the wilful murder of Ann
11,,Imesby, hi. wile, on the :Nth of September, in the parish
of St. John, Hackney. by strik'ng her with all axe upon the
head, of which wound she died. the unfortunate p.isoner
was a mild-looking decently &eased young man, and be
'Lived himself at the bAr with great tomposa re. He shook
hands with some frikuds whom be recoquised in front of the
duck.

Mr. WA troito opened the pleadings.
Mr. AL ICY stated the case for the prosecution, and de-
tailed the nature of the evidence he h.td to adduce against
the unfortunate prisoner, exactly as it was given in the
I.,lltioviug evidence:—

The fist witness was Esther Surrey, who gave her evi-
dence as follows:-1 am a single woman now residing at
the workhou-e at Homerton. In September last • I lodged
in the same house with the prisoner; it was his wiles fa-
ther's house In the latter end of that month, I believe the
!lath, on Tuesday. prisoner and his wife went out together
about three ticlock in the day. file prisoner here ex-
claimed, •• Please you, my Lord, that's false."J I did not
tee them attain until they returned about half-past six o'clock
At the evening; but I do not know whether they came in
Loth together or nut, I first saw them at the stile 'milking
before the door with another man, where they stayed about
a quarter of an hour before they entered the house; but the
man did not come in; his name was John Lawrence, and
the prisoner was very jealous of him. for he afterwards said
Ile had caught him that evening with his wife; he said this
when he Caine in doors, and when he had some words with
the deceased, whom he called a w , and charged with
being with this man; she replied he was a liar. He then
asked her to go to bed; she said .` Yes." They both went
into the bed room together. as I thought to go to rest
They then both undressed cud went to bed .At th s time
the deceassd's little brothel and sister were in the house in
led; their father• who was a watchman, was out. I was
in the act tit going to bed with the children, who s'ept in
the adjomine room. Prisoner soon after came out from his
wife room into ours, and Sat himself down on the bed
where the children were He said to me .• e you going
to bed 1" My reply was. • I believe I shall." He then
went hack to li.. wre s rochn, and in a minute or two re
starred and sat a;i.ain upon our bed undressed, when I asked
him whether he wishes to sleep with the children Hi. wife,
who we, in the nex, r.em, and who cou/d et erheer hoc..
to his wi'n's room, end then I heard a blow. as 1 thots•ltt
then .aitl. • Ell get up." He went tack a second time
p.m the ...into], if from his fist. I immediately got ts; and
vent to the dime, and the lithe tiny in the bed I had just
quitted 'oared out •• Murder! When 1 go• • o the dour
the prisoner came out from hi. wire's room, hearing an axe
i.; his hand, and said, if the boy roared out :‘,,lii.uer again
i.e would murder him; he .hen returned into hi. bedroom,
still carrying the axe while he was there at that time I
heard the deceased cry on: very faintly. Lord have mercy
noon me!" 1 think she said this about three tomes. The
prisoner then came out into the room, and said he had done
four her, anti should be hung He then asked the little boy
(the deceased's brother) fur his father's money. and the boy
paid he did not know where it was he prisoner then took
a chisel, opened the father's box. and took away the money;
at;er that, he asked me fur the pen and ink, with which he
wrote two notes. the paper of which he tore out of the baker's
book. Whim he did this, he brought the axe, and held it up
to me, and said, that if we ever spoke a word we should be
dead. He then said he must go :p.a....And that he would go
by the back door and listen, if like heard us speak a
tr
word, he would come .r.1.6a do for n.` I gave au alarm
a,s soon as L c,cettf at Mr. Colt-nit's.SlC'er the way, the
l:;tftalted"Billet. Is was a moon-shining Nicht.
Cross examined by Mr. CVIIWOOD...-1 ISin no relation to
the deceased, but was a mere lodger inLhe house. They
went out together on the gsth of Septembisr ; whether they
continued together or not I don't know, btlt the first I saw
tit them after was in the deening when I stew them talking
with another man, near a spur where tale was a cuss/-
house. I did judge from the tone that an ingry conversa-
tion was pesduig between the at. and I overheard prisoner
taxinghis wife with having caught her its a ce-twin situation
with the man (Lawrence) in that cow-hours. ,
,His words
svere—'• I have caught you in the fact.' This ,*,u outside
the door; and the conversation was continued altrrily after
they entered the house, into which he shoved l"r in an
angry manner. Atter she had gone into the ruontafie came
out of it two Of three 6:nes, and fir seemed to be VS-v tin-
cow. I overheard er say to the prisoner that she wet; ear
eta into the cow-house by Lawrence; the prisoner r lied,
it si.e would swear a rape again.t the Iran he sveuld-take
h Worshqs street ; she replied she would not stiu it
1 did s.: Lear her 4.4 V she loved his little finger better than
her hwbar.d's whole cony, nor that she would get tip read
to Law:ence.

Re t tandued.—The woman did say when he pe„„i her
of being a w—, that he wag a liar.
Thomas a boy About twelve year; ogre. the bro-
ther of the deceased, corroborated the tai/ witneu.s

tunny.
Robert Prescott. a const>ble. resa.cted the alarm of
raider on the night in e, teNtions, he repaired w•th Mr.
Coltbon, a neighbour. to the h,trge, where he tau:id near
the Jour Itt.lae twu puddles ileilotid, and on turni his cle
11,• the deceased 'yin/ jii her back in the Led, (pile
de:ut the right &Agee the bed there was a great deal of
tt...t.d quite cou,teard. He then produced a Lrge ate,
w huh lie funiffin the children's bed-room ; it v..* till of
tataktbsek part when he found it. which was mirk
at.d !awry t there was tio blood on the sharp edge of the

"list tuty Soles provel this to be his father's ate• wh eh
w,,. i the enpUnatd under tha %Nora.

J tit Yruuurr, %vial)

led upon tor Lis defence, spoke s

folivw

ue tune,

:Vitas-day, the d v before, I saw my wife, who
west, tits, ti.e,e. a pail of Witlet and Mai gone' hang time; un
rater,; I.:itaat.,ett het out, knowing she had been
d.nrig wrung; the tolluwi•,g day she said site was gumg out,
istid suspecting her tv be going to act improperly, I tollovt ed
hti to the cow house, heat which I taw, her with this lolati
i„,,,,sarance ; and on Isar retui n, when I accused her of it, she
yon pay 4c asisi wiati:cl kko as she liked.

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