The National Register.
London, England, 1818-08-09 00:00:00

AUG. §

MURDER AT EPSOM, AND INQUEST.

Tuesday, C. Jemmett, Esq. the Jury, and several County
Maeistrates, assembled at the Hare and Bound• Inn, Epsom,
mid "from thence proceeded to the mansion of James Tessier,
Esq. to view the body of Ely Cox, Ilk gamekeeper, who was
murdered on Sunday morning last. A 11101 V horrid spectacle
ss•as never hi ought ender the view of a jury. The bark part
of tho head appeared to he beaten in. the face entirely
black, the neek compressed to the size of a man's wrist by :I
handkerchief being twisted w jilt extreme tig'dtness roomd it
by means of a stick fastened in the knot ; the bottom of the
stomach literally kicked to pieces, the tight arm and two rib:
broken, a finger cut off the left hand, and butts hands covered
with gashes deep and long. After a deliberate view nt• the
body, the parties returned to the Hare and Hounds, and the
Coroner proceeded to take the evidence.
George Milton, the coachman of Mr. Tessier, deposed to
the dreadful state in which he found the body smut: boors
after the murder is ',imposed to have been committed. From
the appearance of the grass and bushes. he thought there
must have been a violent scuffle. The place where (lie body
was found is a quarter of a mile from %Ir. Tessier's house.
John Smith stated, that he was shepherd to Mr. Tessier,
and slept in the same house with the dect ased ; heard hint go
out between three and four o'clock on Sunday morning ; at
five heard the report of a pistol or gun, the sound secint..l to
come from Prukenbam Corner, or thereabouts : being much
accustomed to bear firing, did nut think any thing of it ;
and be Afterwards accompanied tide last witness to look after
Cox.

James Finch, a servant to Mr. Tessier, prodneed a clasp
knife, which he stated be found about 15 yards from the dead
body also produced a pistol which was picked up about 20
yards from the corpse. The neck handkerchief of the de-
ceased was twisted so tight tomtit his neck by IDC4II+ of a stick
which was thrust liiroo4ll the knot, that witness could scar,.,._
ly force his tiu4ers between the neck and the handkerchief,
the fare was almost black. The stick used fur the deadly
purpose was then produced ; it is about two feet in length,
tire inehes in eircuniferenee, and has a large hook at one end.

Chutes Stainers, a gardener, deposed, that lie was going
along a place called Chalk-lane, about five o'clock on Sunday
morning last. and heard the report of a pistol, and immedi-
ately afterwards heard an exclamation of " Oh, Lord !" and
some other expressions which he could not untie' stand ; looked
about, but 11411 e nobody.
Mr. Mayd, a sue genii, stated, that he examined the body,
and found various hurts in different parts, but he conceived
the death of Cox was occasioned principally by the neck-
kerchief being twisted round the neck so tight as to stop
respiration,
The jury, after a few minutes' deliberation, returned a ver
dict of Willis; Murder against sonic person or pctsous at
present unknown.

On Tuesday at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the following
magistrates, Jones Trotter, J. Whitmore, Joseph Grinstead,
and Richard Bolton, Esqrs. assembled at the coffee-house,
Epsom, the doors of which were literally blockaded by the
mob, when Thomas Arnold, John Bi idges, and Thomas Os-
born, in custody of May and Hall, the officers, and William
May, the gamekeeper to Lord Arden, were brought before
them to undergo an examination ou suspicion of being con.
cerned in the murder of Ely Cox.
John May stated, that lie had been induced to apprehend
the prisoners, with the assistance of his colleagues, for the
following reasons :—liiforinat ion had been given him, that all
of them obtained a his lug putt tly by poaching ; Thomas Arnold
usually resided with his mother at Banstead, about 2 miles
from Epsom, and will a notorious poacher; he had beets heard
to say on Thursiliy ut Frlday last, that wages for work were
vety low, and he could g. t more by ea telitig hares ; on Salm-
day, the night be fore the murder, he did not sleep at home,
nor could it be discus ered that lie slept at Epsom, although lie
was seen there about li o'cioek on Sunday morning; the
murder was committed at 5 o'clock on the Sunday morning ;
he described himself as illaVi lig been very drunk on the Salm- I
day night; whereas, upon inquiry, it was found that lie left
Epsom about It) o'clock at night peifectly sober. Another cir
t noistance which caused Min to he regal deal as an object of sus-
picion was, that he was in possession of 4 dog of a peculiar de.
scription; and a few days previous to the murder, Cott had said
to a fellow servant that he had seen such a dog on his master's
manor, and threatened to shoot it. James Arnold was the
constant associate of his brother; the prisoner John Bridges
absconded, when informed the! the officers were in pursitit
of him. T. Osborn was taken into custody in consequence
of haviug been seeks at sift o'clock in the Mug of Sunday,
at his cottage door, which is about 60 yards front the spot
where the body was found, as if lie bad just come in Irons
walk. On search being trade in his cottage, a loaded gun
was found and a great number of will rabbitsekins. The
bloody knife found near nil place where the warder was
committed very mooch resembled one which ()shore had been
seen to use iu hie business as a gardeaer, but which he could
not now prodtte7e. Two bruises, hating the appearance of I
!wing been recently indicted, were discovered on his
forehead.

John Halliday, a shoemaker, residing at Epsom. sworn.
Knows the pi mailer, Thomas Arnold; lie has bean in the
habit of tietpient4 coming to ht♦ house; was did e on Sa-
tardily last, and went away at S 111 tite evening pettedly
sober; did not •re him again 111.1.1 Sunday morning at U
o'clock: lie then said he had not iicen house all Hight, but
slept on 411 oat stack on the skirts sit the town.
Thomas Arnold, 1111 tiring ieqiiireil to git e some account
of himself trims Saturday night to Sunday at 6 o'clock in
the morning, when he was seen at Epsuin, stated that lie
left the house of the last witness about 8 o'clock,, and at
that time intended to go mime to his mother's house at Ilan•
stead to sleep ; but afterwards meeting with some acquain-
tance, he shrank until he was intoxicated, and then went on
• stack of oats and slept mere ail night ; did not know what
time It was when he awoke, hot the 41111 was very high ;
he went ialatediately into Epson► to Ilahility 's house, and
be then tiand it was 6 o'clock, and alit-maids we'd to his
brother's iesidi nee to breakfast ; the slack ilium% is about
a quarter of a mile from the spot where the der was
committed; never made use of the words altimi hales :tort-
baited to hint by illay ; he has Men employed as a reaper
by Mr. Hall of El, utu, fur some time past.
May, the officer, further stetted, that lie aaJ %canied the
house of Attiold's motuer, but tonna nothing toot easel I im-
plicate the prisoners in the offence with %a:a a tin y weir
charged. S.lice the appreliensitm of Jam. s, lm I -sheer.
taiutil that l:e had slept at Satilitt.i) o(4Bii and
18.1 nut !mite his mother's cottage tile kte S 111 y.
Wm. 'Fanner, a labourer, deposed that tar lodged at It..
house of Oaburu's fr:lpa, and Jo Sunday, aiww•en '44 OW