The Sun.
London, England, 1808-03-05 00:00:00

'IIEII77ORD* ASSIZES.

•

. .
SIMMONS, THE MURpIttER.,
The.lo Assizes commenced on Ilmrsday, a 14.1 yes-
terday Thomas Simmons was tried on an indiettnent
murder of Sarah Hilminc.rstoue, at HoddeS•
don,,on the 20th of Oaober last, by Stabbing her in
the heart. The. Prisoner, it will be.retnemberetl,
murdered two other persons, and true bills were
found against him fer each ofrence.
Mr,'Poiii.Ey, With great ability, commented on
the horrible titels attending the case, arid intreated
theJnry, however they might feel at what they had
beard of this Inurdel, to dismiss all prejudice from
their minds; and decide by the fiillo“;ing-evidence
Ssaniel Jaifteg, a Surgeon at Hodde'sdon, deposed,
that on the 20th of Odober bewein to•the house Of
• Mr. Burch:tin, at Hoddesdon. On going to the
house, he saw Mrs. Hummerstone -leaning
the paling near the door : she was then aliVe,• but
died in three minutes 'of a wound in the neck, near
the spine.
Sarah Harris, servant of Mr. Boreham, said, she
had lived foar years with hiM'; Simmons, the pri•
saner,' had lived three years, and quitted it last
Michaelmas,: the prisoner wished to mar ry her, qop
her mistress disapproved of it : they had quarrelled
before he quitted the., serviceon which occasion`
he beat her ; and when he had done, he said he
did not care if he had killed her. He has ellen.,
• said he would make away with her, because she.
\.ould not marry him. About half past eight, in
the evening. of the 20th of,OCtober, be came to the
house ; she was in the kitchen, and beard him cog);
along the yard ; he was swearing violently. He
cause up 'to the window abd struck at her through
the ,lattice, and swore he would do for them all.
She desired brut nut to make a noise, as they had
tottipany : he said he did not care br the company,
•he would do -for them all. Mrs. Hummerstone
hearing the noise, opened the,room door and cane
~to tile yard. .She told him to go away. He, gave
Apra blow on the head, which knocked off her
'lontiet ;-1-she- ran into the house, and he ilium:-
(lately liollowed her. The .Witfiess immediately
:heard ;the , shrieks of. murder, but. 41 not know
from whom. -All the Mindy were in the. 11)0111.-
Vie three young Ladies, Mr. Borelibm's dauehtert,
•• Mrs. Warner, the married daughter, Mr.,lioreham
and his wife,. and Mrs. HUMMCnitOlle, In a very
short time the Prisoner came to the wash-house. to
1,, her ; she shut the door, and cried, out Murder I The
'...Winiess ran into the sitting•robm. She there saw
• some one lying _under the window—she ran from •
thence down a .passage---the Prisoner followed her;
she there met her Master with the poker in his hand;
in running hastily; her master, who is a very old and
feeble man, was knocked down. The Prisoner caught
her. and threw her down, and drew a•kuife on her.
He threw her across' Mrs. Wainer, who was lying
dead, as she believed. • He drew the knife across her
throat, but she guarded it with her hand, which was
• cut. He made a seconit blow, when she wrested the
knife out of his hand. Hennalediately ran away,
and she saw.nO more of him. •

Sarah Cakebury said, she lived near Mr. Bore-
ham, and heard the cry of murder. She passed Mrs.
HM UtuerStyne, and went into the house ; saw Mrs.
Warner lying deadr•unddr the window.
George Ninon said, on the evening of the goth
of 06tober he went to Mr. Boreham's, at Hoddes-
don : finding; what had been done, he went in
search df the tutirderer ; hi the cow-house he found
Toni Simmons's hat ; he went in further search, but I,
the Prisoner was found by another party.
TtiontaB Copperwheat went in search of:the mtz--
derer. He discovered Simmons concealed under
some straw in a alb in the germ yard ; he had on
him a smock-frock, very bloody. The place where'
he was found Was about. t nu yards from the house.
Benjamin Rook, the Coroner, said, when the
evidence of Harris was read to the Prisoner, he said
it was very true, be had murdered them, and no one'
else. He added, that he did not intend to have
murdered Mrs. Hummerstone, but lie went with an
intention of murdering Mrs. Boreharn, Mrs. Warner,.
and Harris the maid-servimt.

The Constable who carried him to ptison deposed
to•the same eife6t: The Prisoner also told him, that
when he had got:Betsey down, he heard something
fluttering over his shoulders, which made him get
up and run away.
The Prisoner being called upon to know if he
bud any thing to say, answered, in a careless tone
—No!

Mr. Justice MATH told the Jhry the case was so
very clear,that' it must be thnieessary for him to
address any observations tO them ; the Prisoner, as
they had heard, had more than once voluntarily
confessed his guilt.
The Jury- toned -hint Guilty; and the Learned
Judge immediately pronounced the sentence of the
laW, that he should be hanged on
,Monday next,
and his body anatomized.

The monster is about the middle size, strong
featured, and a good looking rustic. ,
Simmons was conviaed through the exertions of
Mr..W. W4ite,: Mr: 13, tairfax, of the Bull Inn,,
Hoddesdon, and me..J. Brown, the Churchwarden,
of that place, the o.o4ers refusing to come forward
as prosecutors,

The news of. the acquittal of Mr. ROURTSON,
Pjytmstcr vi Royal Pembrokeshire Militia, was
received last Saturday, at, Haterfordwest, with the
must lively sentiments of joy and, satistaCtion,, he
being a .Gentleniata whose urbanity of manners,. and
reAitude of conduk has long endeared hint til;;It
numerous circle of. friends and acquaintances.- The
bells rung merrily, throughout the whole of the day,
and never could pleasure be more generallyditfused,
than by the happy termination o,f 0,5 suspense and
anxiety
.naturally'attendant on sq unpleasant a situa-
tion. _

, Bow-STREET.—Ott Thursday evening 'Charles
White, was brought before ;kir. READ, the Sitting
Magistrate, Oharged with' ha ing. broken out ot
The. Governor of the prison
atteddett; and 'stated, that 'the Prisoner was com-
mitted
.to.his:prison .for several. frauds, and that: on
the night' of the (Ph of, January last the, Prisoner
broke out' of the byloreing a bar off one of
'the windoiA s. • The Prisoner was rernanned for a
kiither eXaminiti