The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-06 00:00:00

THE BIU:10.

A miserable-looking old man, who appeared to be
about the age of 60 years, named James Joseph
Wadden, who was employed as a labourer by Mr.
Thatcher, of Wackland, was brought up before Mr,
R. C. Shedden on Monday last at the police office,
Newport, on a charge of having wilfully murdered
at Apse on the night of Saturday last, a fellow
labourer of the name of William White, aged 29.
The prisoner was remanded till Saturday, but
the full particulars may be gleaned from the fol-
lowing evidence, which was given before the coro-
ner, Mr. F. Blake, svt an inquest held the same day
at the Stag Inn, Lake.
The jury having viewed the body, which lay in a
neighbouring outhouse, the proceedings were com-
menced in a small room which would scarcely con-
tain the jurors and the representatives of the press.
Jane Smith, a good-looking young girl, said she
was a single Woman, and lived with her mother
and her little boy, on Apse-heath, in the parish of
of Newchurch. Her son was five years of age.
She knew the deceased William White, of Brading,
from her childhood. He was a hay trusser, and she
had been on intimate terms with him for 13 months.
He visited her every Sunday, and sometimes in the
week,, if his work lay that way. They were making
preparations to be married, and had bought a few
things: 'Deceased came to her house on Saturday,
dined there and left about half-past two. He re-
turned in the evening, at a quarter-pas seven, and
about a quarter of an hour after. Wadden came
into the court, and called to her little boy. She knew
his voice, but she didn't see him. She called, in
answer, that the little boy was in doors. Wadden
then asked her if she would let him go and have
some supper, and sleep with him that night, as he
had some cakes and eggs, and she made no reply.
He said that--was ---
more than that - lazy rascal
would get for him. Wadden could see White was
there, as the door was open, and there was a light
there. Her mother had left the house about a quar-
ter of an hour. (The witness here fainted away,
and on her recovery said) Wadden continued his
observation, and said deceased hadn't cut ten tons
of hay in a month. White answered, "I'll do more
work apy day than you will, -Joe. I have had
enough of your nonsense, and if I have any more
of it I'll will put my fist alongside your head."
Wadden said he had better try it on. Deceased
then sprang towards the door, and I pressed the
door to with my back, and seized deceased by the
neck, P and struggled with all my energy to
keep him from getting out, but I found
my strength was going, and he pulled me from
the door, and I said to Willy, " Oh, Willy, put the
pin in," and he did, but deceased pulled the iron
bar away, which served as a fastening, and out he
ran with it in his hand. I ran after him, and
begged deceased to come in. They were then in
the high road, quarrelling, and I got between them
to separate them. I said, " Oh, Bill, come in, and
give me that bolt!' He told me to get away, for he
wouldn't hurt me. I tried to get away the bolt,
and succeeded. _He had not then struck Wadden
whilst I was there. I ran in with the bolt, but
before I got in I saw them • seize each other about
the shoulders. I threw the bolt in and ran out again,
when I found them both down, one on the other, in
the road. Wadden was under, and deceased was
lying on him carelessly, with his legs thrown out
I saw no struggling or crying out, or anything said.
They were doing nothing then, but lying in a quiet
position, as if they had no power over themselves.
I was not in doors a minute before I was out again,
and I saw them in the road as I have described,
and then I saw 'Edward Moorman trying to pull
deceased off Wadden, who appeared quite helpless.
I said, " Let me help," as he seemed to make no
impression as regarded moving him. I helped, and
we got deceased off Wadden, who struggled twice,
and we found that he was unable to stand. We laid
him up against the bank, but he never spoke. I put
my hand on his breast, and, finding the blood, I
said, " Oh, he has murdered him." Deceased was
then alive, and I found him breathe for about a
quarter of an hour afterwards, and he died on the
bank. Wadden got up of his own accord, and
walked off as fast as he could. -I think Moorman
had said, " You have killed him ;" but I said nothing.
Ido not know if Wadden had been drinking. De-
ceased had had a little ale. Wadden lived at Win
ford, about half a mile from our cottage (a wretched.
hovel, and a disgrace to the Isle of Wight). He has
been in the navy, and is a pensioner. He said he
was 53, but he appears much older, and I believe he
is. White is 29 years of age ; taller than Wadden,
but not so stout. I have known Wadden some years.
He was a widower. I have not been on intimate
terms with him, I have been to his house, some-
times twice a week. I lived there as a servant
when his wife was ill six years ago, and about six
months after her death. He hadn't been inside
our gate for a long time till Saturday evening—not
for three or four months. He has called at the
gate to ask me to get his tea for him, and I have
gone occasionally, when he came from- lake with
errands on a Saturday, and he has heard me talk to
deceased at the time ; and Wadden would always
have something offensive to say him, asking where
that "fellow" was, saying if he was a woman he
would'nt walk with such a fellow. He was in the
court three or four months ago, when the deceased
was there, swearing at and abusing deceased; and
I requested White not to say anything to him, as I
knew what a malicious man he was. Wadden
some time ago said he should like to have me, and
I said I would't have him if every hair of his head
was gold. Ido not know that he knew I was en-
gaged to be married to deceased. I have heard
him say he would put the length of his knife into
White, or any one else, who interrupted him.
When White said he couldn't stand it any longer,
Wadden said he always had his knife sharpened
for the purpose. That was three months ago, in
the court of our house. Just before Christmas,
when my sister's child was baptised, Wadden came
to my sister's, who lives near me, saying he had a
cup of tea ready, if we would come in. I said,
" For all of us, Joe ?" He said, " No," (looking at
deceased) " not that thing; I would sooner give
him a drop of poison," and then White wished me
to get away and go to chapel with him, and 1 did.
Deceased had no angry feeling towards Wadden,
as I have asked him if he had any' objection to my
going and getting his tea for him, and he said,
` None at all." Wadden was in the habit of carry -
ing a knife in his trousers pocket. Heard him say
if any one interrupted him he was ready prepared
with his knife open—that was when the police were
looking out for a navvy, who they said had killed
a man. He always eat with the knife, but I never
saw it on the night that White was killed. That
is the knife now produced (a most formidable-
looking weapon, with marks of blood still on it). I
believe White was stabbed before he fell, or the
other never could have got deceased down.
By the. Jury—The bar was as long as the width
of our door, but he never struck Wadden with it.
I ran out, thinking murder would be done, as Wad-
den has threatened he would burn us in our beds,
or any one who interrupted him. I have often said
to deceased, "Don't say anything to him, Bill, as
he would stab you in a moment."
Edwin Moorman, a labourer, working for Mr.
Roach, examined—l was coming along the road on
Saturday evening, about 8 o'clock, to go to Bran-
stone, when the first I heard was a dreadful noise of
quarrelling. I knew White's voice before I saw who
they were, and I heard " Not cut out but
five ton of hay in a week ; get out of the way, Jane,
I'll kill that old —." Knew Wadden's voice,
and heard him say, " Oh, will you, then come out
in the road (they were then just within the wicket)
and we'll have it here outright." I was not then
in sight of them in consequence of the turn in
the road. I then heard White say, "Let go, Jane,"
and then, I heard the. gate rattle, as if they
pulled it open. Then I could hear them as if
scuffling in the road, but no blows or words. It
only occupied half a , minute, and I ran up to
them as fast as I could, and asked what they
were up to. They were both down, with Wad-
den under, deceased close on him, striving . to raise
himself up. Wadden said," Oh, Ned, is that you;
here's murder done hero.", I -said, "No, no, don't
talk like that," and I pulled deceased, saying,
" Get off, William." He seemed to struggle a
little, and Wadden's basket was lying by he side
with some of the errands fallen out, and when
White moved his arm he touched the baslot, and
more errands fell out ; and Wadden said, Hallo,
you are overthrowing my basket again." I then
got White off Wadden, and he felt so limner I
thought he was tipsy ; then I thought he had
fainted, as he had no strength at all, anc I leant
him against the bank. Then Jane Smith screeched
out and said he was stabbed, and I saw the blood
on his shirt, but he never spoke after I got there.
Wadden was just got up, and I said, "Joseph,
you have been and stabbed this man." He swore
out, " What did the -- come out to ne with the
poker for ?" He picked up his errands, and I ran
to the next house, leaving him in the road, and
when I came back he was gone. 'I he young man
was the most powerful. I have known Wadden five
or six years, but never heard him us; threats to de-
ceased. The knife now produced is not such as
farm labourers use—it is much larger, measuring
in length 104- inches. White was not quite dead
when I returned from the other house. Wadden
appeared to be sober. lam sure that the deceased
went out lo attack Wadden, tut I don't think he
ever struck him with the iron bar.
Mr. Leeson, surgeon, examined—l am practising
at Sandown. I saw the body of deceased lying
against a bank by the side of the road. He was
quite dead. I examined a wound about 4 inches
from, the left breast. It was an incised wound, of
one inch in length externally, and my finger would
not reach the bottom of it. Its direction was down-