The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-09 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT. —AYLESBURY, MARCH 8.
(Before Lord Campbell.)
THE BURNHAM MURDER.
Moses Hatto, aged '23, was indicted for the wilful
murder of Mary Ann Sturgeon, at Burnham, on the Ist
of November last.
Mr. O'Malley, Q.C., and Mr. Power were counsel for
the prosecution ; Mr. Parry of the Home Circuit, who
was specially retained), Mr. Metcalfe, and Mr. Wroth
appeared for the defence.
It having been announced that this mysterious and in-
teresting case would be taken this morning, the doors of
the hall and court were besieged at an early hour by a
numerous crowd of spectators. After much delay in
obtaining a jury, there having been many challenges
made, both on the part of the Crown and of the prisoner,
the trial commenced at half-past nine o'clock.
Mr. O'Malley opened the facts to the jury on the part
of the Crown. The following evidence was then
adduced :
Mr. H. Ingleton, builder, of Eton, who erected the
house of Burnham Abbey Farm, produced an elaborate
plan of the building, which he explained. He also gave
evidence to prove, that a person lying on the bed occu-
pied by the prisoner at the time of the murder, could
hear persons moving below, and also the screams of a
female in the room of the unfortunate victim when the
door was closed.
Ralph Willis Goodwin—l have lived at Burnham
Abbey Farm for the last three years, and am unmarried.
On the let of November last I had two household ser-
vants,—the prisoner and the deceased. I usually
spend two or three nights in the week with my cousin,
Mr. Dm who lives five or six miles from me. I
generally leave home between 5 and 6 o'clock in the even-
ing, and return between 10 and 12 o'clock. The prisoner
had been in my service about 12 months, and it was
his duty to sit up for me and take my horse when I re-
turned at night. I usually found him in the back kitchen.
Sometimes he would be upstairs in his bedroom. Per-
haps I have found him there 20 times. I used generally
to tap at the back kitchen window, and he would come.
If he did not come, I used to rattle at the handle of the
door. Generally, a very slight noise brought him to me.
It was the duty of the deceased to place a light in the
nightshade for me in the hall, with a candlestick near it
for me to go to bed with. It was her duty to take the
plate used in the day upstairs to her bedroom. When
I was at home she used to give the prisoner his
supper between nine and ten o'clock, and to clear up
the things before going to bed always. She gene-
rally went to bed about ten o'clock. It was her
custom when I was absent to leave the door from the
back kitchen to the passage open. That was the wish
of the deceased. I left home on the Ist of November, at
half-past five o'clock, on horseback, and went to Mr.
lye's, at Langley, six miles off. I left to return at a
quarter to 11 o'clock, and reached home about half-past
11 o'clock. It was a grey night. When I reached home
I tapped at the back kitchen window, and the prisoner
answered immediately from within. He came out and
took my horse. He said that he had heard a noise in
the house about a quarter to 11 o'clock, and rose up in
bed and lay down again ; that in another quarter of an
hour he had heard another noise, when he got up and
called Bunce. He said he and Bunce had been round the
premises and found a colt out ; that he had been to the
front of the house and called at Sturgeon's window (de-
ceased's). He said he called " Sturgeon, Sturgeon !" but
she did not answer, and he came back. I then tried to
get into the house by the back kitchen door, by which
he had come out to me to take my horse. I found the
door out of the back kitchen into the body of the house
leading into the passage fastened. I tried to open it
as usual, but could not do so. I then went to the
north front door and let myself in by a latch key.
I went through the house, and unbolted the back
kitchen door. I got a light from a candle on the
kitchen dresser, and went to the water-closet. While
there I heard Hatto go into the house two or three
times. It was not usual for him to return more than
once. It was his duty to dress the horse. When I came
from the closet I was going up stairs, and Hatto met
me ut the closet door, and inquired if there was any-
thing wrong or amiss. I said I had not been up stairs,
and I did not know. I left him standing at the kitchen
door. When I was two or three yards from him in the
passage, I observed something white on the matting ' it
was spots of grease and blood ; there were two or three
spots of blood as big as a five shilling piece. I observed
blood on the skirting of the doorpost. I said, " Hatto,
how is this ? Can you account for this ?" He said, " I
don't know, sir." I next saw a tooth about two or three