The National Register.
London, England, 1814-09-18 00:00:00

.$ Err. 19.

►
Mitchell being called upon for his defence, declared, that it had
.always been far trout his intention to _murder Miss.Welchutan.
,ticgr the pistolsnor the hat were his, nor bad they been proved to
be so. lie denied that be asked for supper, and at,serted that he..i
• out through the street door. •
Mr. Justice Heath addressed a leiw,ohservations to the Jury. It
was quite clear, tint; the deceased, Ann Welchman, had come un-
lawfully by het death, and murdered. Positive evidence as to the
prisoner having been the perpetrator of the murder could not be.
expected, for men seldom committed crimes in the presence of
'others. A combination of coircortling facts was, however, equally
Stroll, and, perhaps, a more unequivocal evidetsco. The testi-
' nanny of an imlivitlual might be influenced, but a series and coin-
*Menet of facts were less open to error and perversion. In the
recapitulation of the evidence, the Learned Judge dwelt upon the
eircumstatices of the hat, as connected with evidence that there
were no male lodgers in the house.
The Jury, without hesitation, found the prisoner Gility.
• The Recorder, after silence bad beet' proclaimed, then pro-
*ovum,' the sentence 4if the law, which was heardt by the prisoner
without the slightest symptoms of emotion. 'lke prisoner. aftei
flO.l and impartial trial, had been convicted by an attentive and in.
teilig-eht Jury •of the horrid crime of murder. Odious as this crime
was in the right of God, and to The feelings of Man, it was in this.,
instance accompanied by every circumstance•of.iggravation.
Ht
had,. in the gratification of his. blood thirsty viageance, taken away
the life of an-tmottending female, with whom be had ptoPostd to:
enunect himself in marriage. Where nature had called aloud for
kindness, he had exhibited enmity; where he Should have appeired
in the character of a protector, he stood her murderer and-
-gsroyer. - lii relation to an offence of such magnitnik and mar-
silky. human laws concurred with the divitie precept, Whosoever
sheddeth man's blood. by man shall his blood be shed.' The sen-
tence of the law was,, that he shall be taken back to prison, and on
Monday morning taken to shine place of execution, there to ho
hanged anti) lie shall be dead, and that liis body be delivered to the
surgeons for dissection.

William Henry Hollings was indicted for the wilful murder of •
Alizabeth Pitcher, on the 4th of July last. •.,
Mr. Cartwright proved, that the deceased lived servant in his
&Ouse, in Lower Grosvenor street before and at the- time When
the murder was committed. On the evening of the day mentioned
in the indictment he heard the report of a pistol. -He went down
stairs, and found Elizabeth Pitcher on the ground, and bleeding.
He likewise saw a man, from whom he took a pistol, and shortly
itterwards gave in custody to a watchman. Elisabeth filcher was ,
hot then dead.
W. Martin, servant to the former witness, deposed that the pHs`
setter came to his master's house about a quarter past ten o'clock.
and asked for Elizabeth. He sent the deceased td the door, who
drew it gently after her without closing it. The priaoner,he believed
had been an exciseman. He went into the parlour. and soon after-
wards !lewd the report of a pistol: It was preceded by a female
scream. On going to the dour he found Elizabeth still standing, and
supported her in his arms. Under her right arm he perceived a
large black mark resembling the impression of gunpowder. She
said something, but it was not intelligible. The prisoner followed
ti.em up the passage, whilst. he led the deceased into the parlour, and
placed her is a chair. Her cloth's were then tore down, and he
saw the wound, which bled but little. She was taken up stairs, and
lauguia!led till the Sunday fullowing, when she died. On cross cu.-
mieation he stated, that the prisoner made no resistance, and
that he saw a broken glass on the steps, containing a white liquid,
he believed arsenic and water.
Samuel Lohb, a !wrote, heard the report of a pistol, arid took the
prisoner into en4ody n the passage of the house. Prisouer said,
" dont seize me, I shall not go away " He likewi.e asked "if Eli-
sabeth was dead, and if he mixlit kiss her cold lips.*
William I)eaue was the constable of the night, and recollected
the prisoner bring broil:id awl committed to his custody. During
the night he drank a great quantity of water, and vomited consider-
ably.
Mr. Cartwright swore to the pistol, which appeared to him to have
been loaded with small shot almost to the muzzle.
Mr. Heaviside was called, and stated that he sew the young
woman after her wounds : she lived till the Sunday following the
Monday on which night she received the mortal blow. I7pon exa-
mination, he found about two hundred small shut in her lungs, and
nearly as many in her liver.
The prisoner, in his defence, stated that he had always felt the
greatest respect for the deceased, and loved her as if She had been