The National Register.
London, England, 1818-01-18 00:00:00

TUC NATIONAL lIEGISTER

JAN. lg.

0

1

seen. Witness saw the prisoner the next morning
wiping spots out of the floor with a wet cloth in the front
parlour, and she upbraided him with ill-treating his wife.
The back parlour where they slept was shut. There was
much inquiry about the wife in the neighbourhood, but wit.
nem did not know she was dead until the Monday night,
when the coffin was brought in. There was e strange wo-
man in the prisoner's apaitmeuts incessantly watching the
knocker of the door.
Rebecca Macclewhit, who occupied an apartment on the
second floor, corroborated the two former witnesses relative
to the groaning of the deceased until after two o'clock in the
morning. It was like the moaning of a dog. She made up
her mind to go down stairs twice, and she got out of bed to
do so, but was afraid for herself and her husband, as he was
a little man, al►hough she said to him that she would riot atuy
in a house where murder wag being committed. The noise
which preceded the groans appeared to her like a person-
knocking down shelves with a poker, and it continued as if to
drown the noise.
Mr. Webb, constable of St. Anne's, who acted upon the
' information of one Desmond, deposed, that having heard of
the suspicious circumstances, went to the prisoner's house,
and found him smoking. On interrogating him, he said some.
thing of three Irishmen being in his passage, and by his con-
versation he seemed to have been jealous of his wile, and he
acknowledged having struck her in the mouth with his fist.
Witness examined the front parlour, and he discovered the
floor and the wainscot round the room besprinkled with
blood. An attempt had been made to cleanse it, but the
very mouldings oft4eroom, out of reach, were splashed with
it. He could not find any of the deceased's clothes, but a
pair of boots, which were bloody. He afterwards saw the
body in the coffin in the bed room, covered with a sheet.
The cap ou the head was in a gore of blood, and a long head
of hair was matted with one mass of blood. The back part of
the head was beat to atoms, so that a finger could be buried
in the wounds, and no such appearances could have been
occasioned by a fist. This rosin was also besprinkled with
blood. Witness took a poker from the fire, which, from the
appearance of blood, was no doubt the instrument of death.
The prisoner said, that the deceased was very bad at 7 o'clock
in the morning, and he applied hot bricks to her feei, and
that she died at In o'clock. The prisoner refused to give
any account of the clothes; but witness ascei tained that a
man, named Davis, who resided nest door, and who worked
with the prisoner near St. Giles's church, had them is a bun..
(Ile which the prisoner had conveyed to his wire. Webb
traced the bundle, and the clothes confirmed the lion id act.
Some had been washed. The prisoner said, Mrs. Davies and
Mrs. Jones laid his wife out.

shocking transaction, attended again, and in addition to his
testimony of Monday night, stated, that after the deceased
had called Mr. O'Callaghan to him, on the sofa, shook hands
with him, and said every thing had been conducted in the
most honourable manner, and that he forgave him : he asked
Mr. O'Callaghan if he would have done the same by him if
he had wounded him. To this, Mr. O'Callaghan replied,
most certainly, he should have acted as he had dune; and
followed up the observation by saying, I wish 1 had been
wounded instead of you. Mr.O'Callaghan appeared much
affected, and said. you touched me in the first fire we had, on
one of my legs by what is called a graze, and exhibited his
trowsers and boots, when it appeared that a ball odd passed
through both the legs of his trowsers and one of Isis boots.
He saw the deceased, Lieut. Bayley, shake hands very hear-
tily with Mr. O'Callaghan. The three prisoners were order-
ed to be detained in custody.
On the application of au attorney, engaged for the prison-
ers, Mr. Birnie agreed to their nudergoiug another investiga-
tion previous to their containment for trial, and the attorney
wrote to Mr. Adams, requesting it as a favour, that he would
attend again on Tuesday evening, at seven o'clock, at which
hour the three prisoners were again brought to the office ,and
Mr. Birnie having taken his seat, three barristers, Mr. Nolan,
Mr. Arabia, anti Mr. Gould, attended ; their arguments went
first to spew that the prisoners should be bailed, but their
application failing, they simply asked that they should not
be committed to New gate; but be allowed to remain iu the
watch house, as the more comfortable lodging, till the result
of the Coroner's inquest should be known.
Mr. Made said he had a public duty to perform. In an,
swer to arguments of the learned Comm.% lie quoted the case
of Montgomerie and M•Namara, in whet t Mr. Heaviside, the
surgeon, who had only been attending professionally, was
committed to Newgate on a charge of murder. Sir Richard
Ford was tho committing Magistrate, who at that time ex-
pressed his determination to commit the surgeons, and all
persons who were present at fatal duels, to take their trials
for murder, and this checked the spirit of duelling for some
time. Mr. Heaviside was confined in Newgate fur a consi-
derable time and at a very considerable expense. Probably
bail to any amount could have been procured for Mr. Heavi-
side, but all was refitted.
Mr. Rirnie further observed, that he did not kaow that
Magistrates hail any thing to do with Coroner's inquests.
Mr. Nolan said, if the Magistrate complied with the ap•
Oration, no mischief, public or private, could happen.
The Magistrate thinly observed, that it was in evidence
before bum that one of the King's subjects had been deprived
of life, and upon primufacie evidence it visa murder.
Mr. Nolan again urged his request that his clients might
have a more comfortable lodging.
Mr. Biruie said he had made up hi, mind ; the prisoners
mast all be committed to Newgate to take their trial for the
murder of Lieut. Bayley, amid he was convinced that the
three learned gentlemen would allow that he decided right.
The gentlemen bowed aunt rented.
The prisoners were given iutu the custody of the gaolers
to be conveyed to Newgate.
BILL SOA /KM—Wednesday, the notorious Bill Soames was
brought to the office, who had been upwards of 20 years one
of the most noted and daring thieves that has disgraced this
country, he having headed different gangs, and robbed persons
in the most daring manner in the streets of London. The
particular case against the prisoner now, who underwent two
investigations, is, that in the month of September last, several
of the inhabitants in the Strand, and particularly near Cathe-
rine-street, Somerset House, and from those places to the
Adelphi, saw the prisoner in company with others, robbing
persons in the most audacious manner, of which they gave
information at the olF.ce, and nom their demo iptiou of one
of them, there was no doubt entertained but that it was Bill
Soames, and in consequence Humphreys and Oddy went to
the Strand to watch them, which they contrived to du tomb-
served, and saw them attempt several persons, and alto wards
endeavoured to secure this gang of robbers, and succeeded
in securing two men. Saltines at that time made his escape,
itml has since been concealed in the neighbourhood of Rat-
, cliff highway, till Tuesday night, when Uddy apprehended
him in the gallery of the Surrey Theatre.
Two of the inhabitants of the Strand attended to confirm
the testimony of Humphreys and Oddy.
Mr. Hicks, the Magistrate, convicted the prisoner under
the Police Art, as a reputed thief. The Act, nolormilawly
for the ;intone, wills such characters, admits of bail, but 1111.
Magistrate required it to be ready instantly ; two men pre.
seated themseises„ not very likely from their appearance to
become bail; the vlagistrate was not to be impaired upon so
easily, and he said ibe should not receive them till he had
closely interrogated them. 'flue first said his name was
Davis and hesitated in saying where he lived; he at last
said the Borough-road, sold cat's meat, and slaughtered
Morass. He admitted that he had known the prisoner a num-
ber of years, but did not know any good of )1411;111 fact allow-
ed him to be the character he is known to be. The Magis-
trate then refused to admit him as bail. The other said his
name was Young, but declined being interrogated.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
HORRID MURDER ARISING FROM EXCESSIVE DRINKING.-
04vid Evans, a jouraeyman soap maker, about 40 years of
age, was brought up from St. Atioe's watch house, charged
with the wilful murder of--, ssife, by striking her rt•
peatedly with a poker, at his lodgingain Falcon-court, Crows:-
street, St. Anne's. The tellawiag is .the evidence at length,
as deposed by the several witnesses:—
Mary Chapman stated, that she lived with her husband in
a room °seethe prisoner, who occupied the parlours, at N 0.3,
Falcon.coort. On Saturday night week she Lard the
prisoner talking loud, as it quarrelling, before 12 o'clock ;
and from that hour until 3 on the Sunday morning she
ht and dreadful groans, which proceeded teem the inastmer's
robin. She went to a chandlta's shop the neat morning.
when it was reported to her that Evans lied mu, tiered bis
wife. She observed the bed and pillows pieced against the
window, and the curtains of the bed room were thrown
and there seemed much confusion. AU.the next day a young
a °man was there, and she never know that the wife was The Pacha of Bagdad is on the point of undertating
dish until a coKin was brought in on Monday night. a campaign, but it ism t uscertainod on what side he
Ann Desmond wateil, that she occupies the first flour of
No. 3, over the pi cauter's bed room. On the night aforesaid, WA.I early his arms. For the purpose of keepin& his
her hush:sod restos Ipsoie drunk, and otter haulms a few words projects concealed, he has estalaished,magaxiiies An se-
a gib prison. l.aim busied lotosell shunt the st:cat J, us, vcru,!. directious. While the Pacha is thliS eut;ugetl in
'4" 11"" limn'-It °l' the bed "El" lu, elouhes on. Ins military prepara.ions,• the rabocrs exercise their
• '"" "*eil vi 1 a "4 words to alines, alit r he bad got mot
vto the very gates of the capital. TWIO Tartar
Icaown•roonu. Ica oanarioni. o abed 1.11 the stairs, and il 1, •ol
sea in;,; his wife5 her gre,,e. were j Ala and repeated. couriers have beets rubbed within a few leagues ot Bag.
and OW endea:tVarell to alarm the olio.; Itolgris bus 1,141.1 I daft ; and the merchants of twat tow-a have hat by this
not rouse any one, and she dal ed not go alum- g'"''" •'1 accidcht as suns of more than 400,040 p 4tao ttes. The x
of tun c deeeased ew none languid. Not seeing lo r the
eartliquako at Vostitza occasioned Om dotda of L,CNO.,
nest awainax, mit• thought she might him: black e% es, and
hiring treacrved !'articular wutum she would nut like to art Uvrs,:ti:• •,
• ..;',"`
••
•

Geo. Gillman, a clerk, and soito the watch house keeper,
corroborated Webb, and added that the primmer told him
that he quarrelled with his wife because she could not ac-
count to him for 2s. 10d. out of Bs. ; that he went fume one
public house to another until he was Amok, and that a man
told him hu was living with a woman not his wife ; he then
related about wiping the blood off his face, applying warns
bricks, &c.

The prisoner's defence was an echo of what he had told
Webb and Gillman ; that Davis and he went about until he
ion very drunk, and that he found himself going on leaving
the first house. When he got home lie could just remember
that an Irishman struck him, and one of the women, Desmond,
told him that her husband had criminal konwleiii of his
wife. He next spoke about' the money %hurt, applying
bricks to her feet, making her tea in the night, of lit r going
to bed ; and that Davis and be found her dead in the tied in
the morning. The coffin, he said, was had from West.
minster.

Magistrate.—" How often did you strike her? and how
came the room so bloody i"
Priiimer.—" I suppose the blood came from my wif.:3
head. I was very tipsy, and don't remember spiking htr
more than once."

Magistrate.—" How catne the blood on the poker %"
Prisoner.—" I might have struck her head wnen she was
lying by the file place, as I tried to pick her up, but being
giddy I let her fall again, I believe."
'lite prisoner was remanded till Friday, on which day he
was re-examined and finally committed for trial.

Case or GREAT I)irritEss.—Thursday, a man named
i'ilgrini, olio appeared to have seen better days, and w ho had
been formerly a mate in the East India Company's service,
was charged with robbing his lodgings at Mr. Eggerton's,
eliandler.streer , Oxford-market, of a variety of'ariicles.
"Tt appeared that this unfortunate man had been reduced to
the utmost misery. So great was his distress, that a child of
his, who died some time back, remained unburied fur many
days in consequence of his disability to pay the expenses of
the funeral, and he was obliged to apply to the• parish to
contribute a little money towards the interment of the child.
He had peeviously stripped his apartment of every portable
article It contained, and having bruiser) open a boa, took from
it some sheets, a hide he pawned, mud afterwaids sold th•
,duplicates. • Mr. Jones. a constable, wen, to the place of the
1,-isoner's,residence on Wednesday, for the purpose of taking
istto into custody. Pilgrim, having seen the officer make hie
appearance, and suspecting the object for which he came,
immetlittLeV went to a closet, •ntl taking out a razor, made a
desperate ethict to put an end to his miseries and his life by
drao ing the instrument across his throat. Fortunately the
razor nut being in good older, the wound inflicted was not
dauesous. Jones i 1111 l triiiately seized Ole prisoner by the
arm, and having wrested tbs.:l4'6WD.) boat his 'Mid. coils eyed
Min to St. George's watch htio;;.e. sui grout Was stilt for,
oho dressed the wound, and ~.,aid that the unhappy mail
had been very near pptiing a per;io:d to his existimee.
The persons at whose house the pcisuner lodgod, humanely
agreed to let the business stand revs r for sonic time, that it
may be ascertained whether the man's circumstances were,iu
reality, as distressing us kc revreseusted them to be.

i

o

3"ANI 18.