The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-02 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY.--(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.
As it was understood that the prisoners charged with
the murder of the Italian bay would be tried this morning,
the anxiety to witness the proceedings was most intense.
At an early hour of the morning a great crowd had as-
a-en-dried in front of the Sessions House, but every avenue
loading to the Cana O% closed, except to persons who
had hairiness there, and the favoured few who could make
sufficient interest to procure admission. At eight o'clock
the Court was crowded to excess:
At nine o'clock the Deputy Recorder, rilr. Serjrant
ARABIN, came into Court; when the prisoners, .1011 ti
Bishop, Thomas Williams, and James Allay, were placed
at the bar, and the indictment having been read over
them in one count with the wilful murder of
Carlo Ferreir, otherwise Charles Ferrier, and in another
with the wilful murder of a male person, whose name was
unknown, they severally pleaded Not Guilty.
The witnesses were in attendance at eight o'clock, and
were conducted to a private room. They Were 43 in
number. One person, mired Mortimer, who was to be a
witness, last night cut his throat, and lies in a very den-
germs state.
We understand that so great was the anxiety to get a
seat to hear the proceedingsJ th it as much as a guinea
was demanded by the door-keepers fur a seat in the gal-
lery. At that price, of course, the gallery filled but
slowly, although subs, quently it was crowded to excess.
Bishop and May looked very dejected, but Williams
with a careless, indifferent manner, surveyed the Court
and the gallery as if he was looking fur some acquaintances.
At ten o'clock Lord Chief Justice Tindal (who came
expressly to try this case), Mr. Baron Vaughan, and
Mr. Justice Littledale, entered the Court, with the Lord
Mayor and Sheriffs. The bench was instantly crowded
with nobility and gentry, among whom we perceived his
Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex.
The prisoners were again placed at the bar, and the
Jury were charged with them.
Mr. BODKIN opened the case.
Mr. Anoarpus, in detailing the circumstances, said the
Jury could not hut be aware that this was a case of ereat
importance, from what had taken place for many days
past; he was aware that no person could be unacquainted
with the foul crime with which the prisoners were
charged, but he implored the Jury to remove from their
minds all that they had previously heard respecting it, and
to deliver the prisoners as they would deliver their con-
sciences; and he hoped they would not allow their minds
to be biassed by what they had heard cur. read out of doors.
He observed that in this ease no revenge, none of the usual
incentives to commit crime, had influenced the unhappy
prisoners in committing the murder, if it should appear
they did commit that offence. It was solely a desire to
possess themselves of a dead body, in order to dispose of it
to the surgeons.
Wm. Hill, examined by Mr. CLAlltksoN—l am porter
to the dissecting-room of the King's College. On Satur-
day, the sth November, about a quarter before twelve
o'clock, Bishop and May came to the door; I knew
them before; Mmy asked me if I wanted anything, and
said " not particularly." I asked what he had got, lie
said a male subject ; I asked him what size ; he said a
boy about fourteen, and he demanded twelve guineas ; I
said we could not give that price, for we did not particu-
larly want it, but if he would wait I would acquaint Mr.
Partridge, the demonstrator of anatomy. I then went to
Mr. Partridge, and by his desire they were sent into a
room appropriated for them, where Mr. Partridge went to
them. There was some difference about the price; Mr.
Partridge would not give twelve guineas; then May
told him he should have it for ten guineas. Mr. Partridge
then left us, and went out. I followed Mr. Partridge, and in
consequence of what he said I returned to the prisoners,
and said Mr. Partridge would only give nine guineas.
May, with an oath, said he would be if it should come
in for less than ten guineas. May was tipsy. Bishop
called me on one aide, and told me not to mind May, fir
he was drunk, and the subject should come in within half
an hour. They then went away, and about a quarter
past two o'clock May, Bishop, Williams, and a person
named Sheilds, came together with a hamper. Sheilds
appeared to be the porter to carry the hamper. May and
Bishop carried the hamper into another room, while
Shields and Williams remained where they were. On
opening the hamper there was a sack, containing a body;
when the body was taken out, May and Bishop ob-
served that it was a fresh one. May being tipsy,
turned the body out of the sack very carelessly.—
The body was fresh. I made some remarks upon it, and
from what I saw I went to Mr. Partridge; 1 asked the
prisoners what the body had died of ; they said they did
not know, for it was no business of theirs or of mine. I
cannot say which said so, but it was said by one of them.
The body appeared different from what I expected to see
of bodies, for the left arm was held up to the head, and
the fingers of the left hand clenched ; I detailed what I
had seen and thought to Mr. Partridge, who returned
with me to see the body. The two men were then
waiting in the other room with the other two men ; after
seeing the body Mr. Partridge went out. Some other of
our gentlemen saw the body, and their suspicions were ex-
cited ; Mr. Partridge came to the prisoners, showed
them a fifty pound note, stating that he must
get that changed and he would pay them. Mr. Par-
tridge had some gold in his purse, and Bishop re-
quested him to give him what money he had, and he
would call for the remainder. May proposed that Mr.
Partridge should give him the note to get changed. Mr.
Partridge declined, and left them. In a quarter of an
hour or twenty minutes, Mr. Rogers came with the po-
lice, and all the men were taken into custody.. As I was
leaving the room in which the body was, Bishop said,
" When you pay me, pay me in the presence of Williams
only eight guineas ; give me the other guinea, and I will
give you half-a-crown." The body was delivered by ra,
to the police, together with the hamper and the sack,
From my experience I can form an opinion whether the
body had been buried or laid out, and I am of opinion this
body had not been laid out or buried.
Cross-examined by Mr. 0;1mm-in—The conversations
were with May and Bishop only.
By Mr. CLARESOIC—WiIIiams was in the same room.
Mr. R. Partridge, examined by Mr. BODKIN—I min de-
monstrator of anatomy at the King's College. On Sa-
turday, the sth of November, about two o'clock, my'as..
tention was called to the dead body by the preceding wit-
ness. I went to look at the body-, and found very suspi-
cious appearances about it. None of the prisoners were
then present. The suspicious appearances were the swollen
state of the face, blood-shot eyes, and the rigidity of the lip.
There was likewise a wound over the left temple.
The lips were swollen. 1 went to the police before the
circumstance of the 50/. note took place, and returned to
the College ; I then showed May and Bishop, who were
near the stairs leading to the anatomical department, the
501. note, and proposed that change should be got for it,
with a view to detain them until the police ar-
rived. On the following day when the body was at the
police station, in Covent-garden, I particularly examined
the body. There were several other medical men pre-
sent ; Mr. Beatnan was one. Externally the muscles
were still rigid, a superfici it wound in the tem-
ple which did not injure the bone ; there was no
other mark of injury- externally. Beneath the scalp there
was some blood. On opening the body the contents
of the chest and abdomen were in a healthy condition.
The stomach was filled: The spinal marrow was also ex-
amined. The brain was perfectly healthy, as well as the
spinal marrow, except that in cutting through the skin at
the back of the neck a quantity of coagulated blood was
found in the muscles ; on removing the spinal cord some
blood was also found ; some coagulated blood was also
found opposite the muscle. There was blood un-coagu-
lated in the rest of the spinal canal. The spinal marrow
or cord was itself perfectly healthy. Those internal marks
of violence were sufficient to produce death.
By Mr. Justice TlNDAL—Violence appeared to have
been exerted to produce that effect on the spinal cord.
By Mr. BODKIN—The violence might have been pro-
duced by the blow of a stick on the back of the neck, and
that might produce a rapid, if not an instantaneous, death.
Cross-examined by Mr. CURWOOD—From external ap-
pearances I cannot tell that it had come to a violent
death. My conclusion is from suspicion and belief. I
cannot conceive any other application that would produce
those appearances than by blows.
Mr. George Beaman, a surgeon, examined by Mr.
Anomaus—l am surgeon to the parish of St. Paul,
Covent-garden. On Saturday night the sth of November
I first saw the body of the deceased. I examined it par-
ticularly with other surgeons. It appeared to have
died very recently. I should judge that it had died
within thirty -six hours. The face appeared swollen,
the tongue swollen, the eyes blood-shotand the tongue pro-
truding between the lips. The teeth had been all ex-
tracted—the gums bruised—portions of the jaw broken
out with the teeth, and appearances of blood on the gums.
The teeth must have been taken from the gums within
two or three hours after death. I examined the throat,
neck, and chin very minutely, and I have no doubt the
body had not been laid out regularly. On examining the
body a secondtiene-more particularly I found on the neck
or throat no mark of violence. I then withdrew the
scalp, and on the top of it I found a patch, which must
hare been produced by a blow during life. The ap•
pearances of the brain were such as were described
by Mr „Partridge. On the track part of the neck