The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-15 00:00:00

MURDER AT BRIGHTON.

LEWES, DEC. 14.
ARRAIGNMENT or THE FRISONERS.

John William Holloway, alias Goldsmith, aged 26,
described in the calendar as a mariner, but in the indict•
ment as a labourer, was put to the bar, together with Ann
Kennet, aged 23, charged with the wilful murder of Celia
Holloway, the wife of the prisoner Holloway, at Brighton.
During the arraignment the male prisoner conducted him-
self with a ferocity fully in accordance with the atrocious
nature of his crime. The Court was excessively crowded,
rend upon the names of the prisoners being called by the
clerk of the arraigns, a general thrill of horror seemed to
run through the audience, which was expressed by a low
deep murmur that produced a solemn effect. The female
prisoner, on her name being called, burst into tears and
fainted ; the prisoner Holloway boldly stood forward, and
seemed to beard the Court with a look of fierce defiance.
Upon the indictment being read, Holloway appeared con-
founded by the verbose and technical forms of expression.
He at length exclaimed, " Bead all that again, I don't
understand a word of it."

The indictment was again read. At another point he
exclaimed, with evidPnt surprise, " What ! does that mean
me ?"

On the prisoner being asked whether he was " guilty ?'
he fiercely exclaimed, " I am not guilty of all that thy,'
paper charges me with."

By the-COURT—Do you plead " Guilty" or " Not
Guilty ?"—Holloway (with the utmost ferocity)—By the
lows of my country I am, not guilty till you can prove
MC so.

By the Con:Kt —Well, you Plead " Not Guilty." Re-
tuove the -prisoners from the bar.
.1:a female Kennet was almost lifted from the bar.
She seemed unable to stand. Holloway again looked fe-
rociously round the Court, and retired with a firm and
bold step.

TRIAL. OF THE PRISONERS.

A case of minor importance having been tried, that of
Holloway and Kennet was again called. The anxiety of
an immense crowd outside of the Court occasioned some
little tumult in their effort to gain admittance. Order
was suet' restored, and the prisoners were put to the bar.
golhaway scowled at the audience, and kept looking round
skid shaking his head with a ferocious daring. Ann Ken-
net seemed more resigned though still agitated.
The indictment was again read. It contained several
counts, one of which charged both of the prisoners with
the capital et ime, and another charged Ann Kennet, as an
accessory, aiding, abetting, comforting, and assisting the
prisoner Holloway during the commission of the offence;
a third count alleged the murder to have been committed
with a knife, the first alleging it to have been perpetrated
with a cord.

During the statement of the Counsel the prisoner took
pencil notes, and once interrupted the speech. The female
prisoner looked incessantly with an affectionate and sup.
plicatory expression at her companion at the bar, who,
however, never once regarded her, but stood as if uncon-
scious of her presence, or at least indifferent to it.

THE EVIDENCE.

David 'ltascall—l am a labourer at Brighton. On the
25th of July I went into a copse near Preston. I observed
a spot of ground loose, and moved it with my stick. I
drew out a piece of red garment, and perceived a smell.
I mentioned it to my neighbours. On the 12th of August
I went again, with Gillon, and I saw the same piece of
garment.

Abraham Gillon—l went to P►eston on the 12th of
August with the last witness. Next day I went again
vith an officer, and opened the ground. I first dug out
one thigh, then another thigh, and then the hotly. It
smelt very offensive. The ground looked rather fresh, as
if it had been disturbed about a month. The body had
stays on.

The prisoner (fiercely)—l believe you and Mascall found
the body and buried it again.
The Couier—This is not the time for your observations.
You may ask questions if you please.
W. Elfiek—l interred the body in Preston churchyard.
It was disinterred, and I fitted the body and thighs to a
head which was eterwards found. They all fitted. The
box and cord now in Court I received from Folksrd, the
high constable. Marks of blood are on the inside of the
box.

Cross-examined by Holloway—Gillon told me he had
found something like a body in the copse, and wished me
to go there again with him. I found two thighs on the
left side.

The prisoner—You are a false man. I don't plead my
innocence, but if that body bad not been removed you
haveforswoi n yourself.

[Here Ann Kennett was obliged to be removed from the
Court.]
The prisoner—May I be allowed to speak, my Lord ?
The Coo wr —No, not at present.

The prisoner—But what I want to say I must say now.
Nothing has been brought forward in my favour, though
all the papers against me have been.
Ann Kennet was again brought into Court.
W. Muit—l went to Mrs. Lever's house, in Margaret-
street, on the 17th of August, and examined a privy,
which was common to four houses there. I found two
arms, two legs, and the head of a human being, with two
parts of a bed-tick. Clothes were on the arms and legs.
The limbs were in a decaying state, and when I took bold
f the head the hair came off.
W. Pilbearn—l am a police-officer at Brighton. On
the 13th of August I took Kennet into custody at her
lodgings for the murder. Next day I fund on her pre-
mises two little shifts, and one pair of infant's shoes, with
some lace, stockings, and a window-curtain. Some of
teens were concealed behind a chest of drawers. I knew
Celia Holloway six years. I have only heard that the
lodgings were those of Kennet.
Cross-examined by the prisoner—The things appeared
to have been put behind the drawers for concealment.
There were no clothes on the limbs when I saw them.
They had been taken off.
John Hardgrave—l am a surgeon at Brighton, On
the 13th of August I went to Preston, and was shown a
body by Elfick, the constable. He showed me a body, and
two thighs disjointed at the knee and the hip. From ex-
amining the state of the lungs, it appeared she must have
died of suffocation. There were no adhesions or signs of
disease in the lungs. She was in a state of pregnancy.
Cross-examined by Counsel—Mr. Richardson, Mr.
Hewitt, Mr. Lawrence, and an apprentice were present at
the opening. It was on Sunday, August 16tb, that the
body was opened. Decomposition had not commenced.
No hair was on it. It was completely bare. I saw the
hair detached. The eyes were very much decomposed.
They were dissolved ; but this did not appear till the eye-
lashes were removed. There was no colour in the face.
It was like a sheet of whitish yellow paper, or:a piece of
parchment. A countenance would not be cognizable about
two months alter death. It would be cognizable for a
month. Thought it had been merged in a privy fur a
month. From the saline particles of a privy a body is
preserved by being submerged in it. At this time the wea-
ther was exceedingly hot.
Somers Clerk—l am solicitor to the prosecution. This
paper now produced is the marriage certificate of the
prisoner Holloway with the deceased.
Here an affecting scene took place ; the father of the
prisoner Kennet appeared near the dock, and the prisoner
burst into tears and threw herself into his arms.
Charles Chatfield proved the marriage of the parties.
He had been taken up for an :illegitimate child. The
parish did not make him marry.
The prisoner exclaimed, " But it did though, and you
advanced the money, and made me drunk. You and your
parish.have brought me to ruin by your villainy. My
heart is near broke by the villainy of you and your parish.
W. Heely was reaping corn within four rods where the
body was found. I discovered the box now produced with
the cord.
Cross.exatiaissod by the prisoner—You say you found
the box, or two pieces.? Wituess—Yes.
Prig)
ucr,....4ud those are the saute, you say ? Wit-
nets-Yee.
Prisoner—You take your oath to that, do you ? Wit-
ness—Yes.
Prisoner—You are sure of that, and will stand by what
you have said ? Witness.—Yes.
Prisoner—You said that the box was all over blood.
I don't see any blood. (The box was horribly smeared
with blood, and the prisoner looked at it undismayed.)
By the COURT-The witness only said that the box
was bloody..
Prisoner—Then I misunderstood him, if he did not say so.
Solomon Nathan Burncastle, a pawnbroker at Brighton
—Kennet came to pawn on the 15th of July, at my shop,
a shawl and various clothing. She gave the name of Ann
Goldsmith, Margaret-street. This is the shawl. I ad-
vanced l 6d, upon it. On the same day she pawned
what I now produce—two cotton gowns, a gingham
gown, and apron. She gave the name of Brown, for I
questioned her about the small size of the gowns. She
said she lived at No. 7, Carlton-row. Numerous other
things pledged by the prisoner on the same day were now
produced. They were artic:es of wearing apparel of a
very common description. They all appeared to belong
to a very small person.
Amelia Symmonds—l knew the deceased. She had
iived with Inc four months up to the 14th of July. She
lived with her si,ter. No loan was living with her. Kennet
used to come to bring money to the deceased, and she said

she brought it from her husband. On Monday, ten thy,
before the 14th of July, she brought her is., end said
to Celia Holloway, " I have brought it from your hus-
band." Celia replied, "Is that all you have brought
me ?" She appeared angry, and said—" I have nothing
to eat—what am I to do with ls. ? I will go to the over-
seer, to know which John is to keep—his wife or his
She took the poker and struck Kennet twice. Kennet
took hold of her, and said, " You are too little to hit, but
mind, you shall suffer for this." Kennet went away very
angry. She repeated the words twice or three times. On the
14th of July I went out, and returned at one. Celia was
crying, and stated why she cried. The biggest part of
her things was gone—her trunk and bed were gone. The
tick now produced was the same that belonged to her bed
that was taken away that day. About four Holloway
came and remained half an hour. Celia went with him.
He had a little bundle under his arm, and she had a little
basket with some bread and butter in it. Celia was preg-
nant. On the next morning Holloway came again to my
house. The clothes now produced (from the pawn-
brokets) were part of Celia's clothes taken front my house
on the 14th of July.
Cross-examined—Kennet was a large woman, and could

have mastered Celia Holloway, when she abused her and
truck her with a pok-r. Kennet
_explained that she

would do her no violence, though she would suffer for
it. Kennet told Celia that she (Kennet) had been mar-
ried to Holloway undrr the name of Goldsmith.
Kennet's father (in tears)—My Lot-0, may I be per-
mitted to speak ?
Mr. CLARKSON-Pray hold your tongue ; speak to the
prisoner's attorney.
Frances Symmonds—l am going on for nine years old.

If I don't tell the truth I shall go to hell. I remember
Holloway coming to my mother's, and carrying the box
away. When he took away the box, Celia said, " Why
should I not go with you ?" And he said, " You will
have enough of going once... Celia cried, and said she
did not think he would come back:again. Holloway then
came for the bed, and Celia and he Vk en t away together.
Prisoner—Who told you, my pretty maid, to say what
you have said—your father or your mother? Witness—
None of them.
nisoner—Well, my maid, do you remember what the
box was lashed up with ? Witness—Yes, with cord.
Prisoner— When I went away, my maid, I took the
box with me. Now, did you not give me the cord from
:in old chair and the sacking bottom of the bed, and did I
not tie up the box with several bits of cord and a riband ?
Witness—No, you had a great bit of cord in your pocket.
Prisoner—Are you sure that is the cord shown you in
Court ? Witness—Yes.
Prisoner—My Lord, that cord was never in the house.
The JUDGL—It does not signify a farthing whether it
was or not.
James Symmonds—l live at No. 4, Cavendish-place,
Brighton. Celia lodged at my house. About a fortnight
before she left, Holloway came to my house. I heard
bin, ask her why she had gone to the overseer. She said,
because he had taken her pay off. He said, " Madam,

you think you are going to frighten me, but you are mis-
taken." He then was so violent, that I ordered him out
of doors. He went out, and then said to Celia, " You
-, you shall suffer for this before many days."
Cross-examined--Celia was a quiet, harmless woman.
I had said before the Justices that Kennet was a quiet
woman.