The National Register.
London, England, 1809-08-20 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

frock, without shirt or breeches; and that it made a consider-
ablenoise, particularly when the old man fell against the wains-
coat. She added, there was no occasion to inuTder the old man,
for they could have got into the house any hour of the day or
night, but the person NI as fully bent upon doing it. The old
woman, however, always added, that she was never out of her
roam, and only looked out at the window.
Several contradictory statements of the prisoners being given
in evidence, they were called upon for their defence. The .man
said he was innocent, and the old woman, that she had no hand
is the murder.

The Learned Judge observed to the Jury, that this was a case
requiring their most serious attention, thia they might arrive at
a safe conclusion, from all the circumstances which they had
heard detailed. They would first consider whether the murder
was perpetrated by the prisoner alone (if at all by him) or with
any other, and whether that other was the oid woman ; for al-
though she might know of she mnrder, and afterwards endea-
vour to screen the murderer, yet that would make her only an
aceetarvry after the flct, and not a principal. His Lordship
then minutely puipted out the evidence, and its bearings as to
this point. It appeared, he observed, by her own confession,
she was looking out at the window. if she did that with a view
of apprising the murderer of the approach of any one, she ww,
as much a principal as though she had actually indicted a wound
en the deceased. He advised the Jury, therefore, seriously to
consider what was the just inference from the circumstances
proved.
The Jury withdrew for some time, and at seven o'clock re-
turned a verdict of Guilty against the son, and o t Guilty for the
mother.

Win. Moulds was indicted forthe wilful murder of Wm. Tnr-
ner, by shooting him on the King's highway, neat Farnham, in
this county, on the 18th of May last. This was a most aggra-
vated case. The prisoner was a soldier, in the 52d regiment,
from which he deserted from Winchester, accompanied by two
females, of the names of Etiz. Roper and Mary Fisher. As he
was on the roads he declared to them that he must lave some
man's clothes, to prevent his being taken as a deserter, and he
would shoot some one to get them, As they went along they
yeet,e joined by the deceased, and after some conversation about
a bed, he told them they toboutd have some straw in his brother's
barn, at Farnham. The deceased was walking a few yards
before with Lliz. Roper, when the prisoner fired at him with
his musket, mid the ball entered his back ; he had, however,
strength enough to run to Farnham, when he reached the house
of a Mr. Bott, a surgeon he lived two days, and then expired.
A party of soldiers was sent in parsuit of the prisoner, and he
was apprehended. The deceased saw Mat, and identified his
person before he died. 'After he had shot the deceased, one of
the girls fainted, and he and the other took her into an ad-
joining clover field. Here he declared he was sere that the
ball must have entered the man's body, and he could not have
ton above 30 yards, and he wished he had gone back to have
had his money an►t clothes. The Jury found him Guilty.
The Learned Judge, immediately after the conviction of the
above murderers, sentenced them to be hanged on iVednesday
morning, and their bodies to be dissected and anatomised.

SOMERSET ASSIZES.
TRIAL DV CAPTAIN DAVISON.

The Assi geS fur the County of Somerset commenced on Monday
last, when Captain John Davison, of the flo. al Marines, was
I dieted before Sir Sou!deo Lawrence, Kot. for stealing a piece
of muslin, of the value of 50s. the property of Janes Bunter,
silltrc:ri of Taunton.--Mr. Gazelee opened the indictment.
Mr. Jekyll then stated the circumstances of the case to the
Jury, and observed, he had seldom, in the discharge of his pro-
fessional duty, a more painful task to perform, than to detail the
evidence which he should have to adduce, In order to subqatitiate
the allegation in the indictmeu', which clumzeil the prisoner
with the crime of felony ; the fact, were few, short, bat cogent,
and, he feared, irresistible ; they would come he:ter from the
"IV itueass than any statement of his—ite would proceed to call
them. The first witness was—

Alexander Bailer, who said, " I am an apprentice to Mr.
Jame' Bunter, of Taunton. I know Capt. Davison ; lie came
to my maAer's house on the £sth of July, at half-past seven in
the morning., there was no on.• in the shop but myself; he asked
if Mr. Bunter was up ? I told him lie w:0, and on that 1w went
away. Mr. Bunter came into the shop in about five minutes,
aid on seeing some one hi) by with whom lie wished to veali) he
itifoolllllS
• 7,- ~:..agi&`•

AITG. 20.

walked out towards the Parade, and Captain Davison came in
immediately after. I was. cleaning the w indows on tla: outside
of the shop ; on Captain Davison's again gatog into the shop. I
followed him—he asked to look at the musliol he had seen the
night before, and walked to the lower end Of the shop to the
counter on the right hand, and t carried to I 0 or I`2 pieces,.
as he was sitting on the counter—he took the first I chewed him
in his hand, and very carelessly laid it by his side, and he did
the same to some other pieces.. filter looking- at them some
time, he went towards the door ; but before that, lie had thrown
his handkerchief upon four or live of the pieces, which he had
folded up. When at the door, ho asked me how the handker-
chiof he had on looked, and whether we had any of the same ?
I. told him we had none of them. Ile asked me then for a look-
ing-;lass told him we had none but what were fixed ;- but
if he would walk into the parlour, he might see there; to this
he made no reply ;. he then sat, down in a chair r..ther below
were the muslin was, and asked to look at some stockings at
about five shillings a-pair, for his brother—before this, l had.
taken away the pieces of muslin that were not coveted over;
there was at this time a piece tinder his handkerchief which
could plainly perceive. I took him out some stockings (root
the opposite side of the shop, hut kept my eyes on hint, and
observed hint draw his Inmdkerchief from the counter into his
lap with both his hands. I observed the muslin w!Ls still under
the handkerchief as he dreW it towards him. lie then aslc!..d
for some fashionable waistcoat patterns; I went at-rost to the.
! other counter to get him some—my face was towards bimy
and I observed him take up the handkerchief and squeeze. it
! together, and put it under the left lapel of his coat ; he took the
patterns of the waistcoats, as he said he wished to shew them
',first to Yandell, his tailor. At this time his arm w. s over hra
coat towards his lapel where be had put his handkerchief, amid
walked out of the shop. Mr. Bunter came into the shop w hilst
! Capt. Davison was there, but stayed t,tit two or three minutes.
I missed the first piece of muslin I had shewn hint immediately
after his going out, it was marked with OIGSI the S had
been altered, it had been rat r. When I tailed the muslin I rang
the hell, mat Mr. Sumer came ; I described to him what had
happened, and the particular piece which was missiog. and that
Cartaki Davison was gone to Yandell's. Mr. Bunter left the
shop to go to Yandell's through liammet-street-1 then went
out and saw Capt. Davison standing at Mr. filuett"s shop door.
When I perceived Capt. Davison was not gone to Yandell's, I
called to Mr. Bunter aloud, and Davison walked by the Market-
house, towards his own lodgings. At the time I she wed Captain
Davision the first piece, I took notice of the mark."

Cross-examined by Mr. Sc►jeant Pell.

" I bad seen the piece of muslin log:, the preceding evening.—
Capt. Dari:on had purchased a yard of ribbon the day before.
On my calling to Mr. Bunter, Capt. Davison retired from Mr,
Bluett's shop." _ _ _

Charles Sutton, Constable of Taunton--" I went in company
with another Constable, to search the house of Mr. Owen ; He
first went into a bed-chamber, and then into a drawing-room.
Capt. Davison was not there ; when before the Justice, he de-
sired to sleep in his bed-room, at Mr. Owen's. In the chamber
there was a trunk with Captain Davison's name on it, on a brass
plate; we broke it open, and found in it a piece of muslin, (pro-
duces it.) Capt, Davison desired of me to have the things found
in the trunk, which were not owned, returned to him, part ..
cularlv of a pocket-book, containing papers; when he came
back from the Justice, he asked for his trunk, I told hint I had
taken it to my house—the muslin was out of may hand, but never
out of my !wilco. . . .

Alexander Bailer ident ;fled the piece of muslin to be the sams
lost, and that it was Mr. h'unter's property.
►l r. taunter —" The marks on the muslin are my writing, the
muslin is my property, and worth more thaii:;oi. In ten minute.;
after the search, the muslin was brought to we, and I knew it.
I am certain I. had a piece of this quantity, yards and a,
quarter, on the 2.5 th March, when 1 took stock, and no other
piece of that price and quantity, and I have never sold that piece."
Alexander Haller called again—Said he had never sold that
piece.—Here the evideoce for the prosecution closed.
Colonel Mears, T. Woodford, Esq. Surgeon,
Usq. R. Morgan, Esq. Ihev.:►l Townsend, Rev. F.
11. C. Staudart, Esq. and the Key. I). Webber, all of whom
are persons of the first respectability, and who had known thc
prisoner nearly two years, severally gave him a ►nest exci:llcsit
character.

The Judge then summed up the evidence, rinJ told thi. Jury,
however they might lament that a gentleman or the priso,:er's
euuditiou iu life, kulding the rau,k uf it captiiiu iu the Royal