The Sun.
London, England, 1831-10-21 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY SESSIONS.-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.
James Reeves was indicted for the wilful murder of Mary
Bunyon, in the parish of St. James, Clerkenwell, on the 19th

of September.
At the request of the prisoner, only one witness was ordered
to be in Court at a time.
Mr. Henry Whitmore, surgeon, stated that he examined the
body of Mary Bunyon several days after her death. On open-
ing the skull he found decomposition going on rapidly, and a
great fulness of the vessels ; none of them were ruptured. He
could not tell whether there was any concussion, for the signs
were not such as could indicate a simple concussion. He
opened the body, and found the left lobe of the lungs healthy,
but the right lobe extensively diseased ; the pericardium con-
tained considerably more water than usual. There was a
bruise on the right hand, but he saw no other external in-
jury ; but there might have been injuries which the
decomposition would not enable him to perceive. He
subsequently examined the windpipe, which he per-
ceived was partially ossified. On the whole examination of
the body, he could not state whether the deceased died by vio-
lence or otherwise. She had a mortal disease upon her, but it
had not advanced far enough to cause her death.
Mr. Henry R. Whittaker, also a surgeon, stated that
he had been in practice three or four years. He examined the
body of the deceased with Mr. Whitmore. He agreed with
Mr. Whitmore as to the appearances as far as he had gone.
There was a slight contusion in the external part of the era.
nium, but no internal injury to correspond. The appearances
were not sufficient to induce witness to state whether the de-
ceased had died from natural causes or from violence.
Mr. Henry Whitmore, jun., son of the first witness, gave
similar testimony.
Thomas Blanche stated, that he knew the prisoner and the
deceased, who cohabited together at No 6, Glass-court,
Clerkcnwell. On the evening of the 19th of September wit-
ness saw her; he was at work in the court in which they
lived. Prisoner came up to him, and asked, " Have you seen
my old b—h ?" He replied he had seen her half an hour before.
Shortly after the deceased came up the court, and prisoner
asked her where she had been ; she replied, " I have been to
get something for your supper, my dear." Prisoner and de;
ceased went away together to a public-house, and afterwards
returned, and went into their own apartment, shut the shutters,
and locked their door. Witness could not tell which of them
shut the door. Directly afterwards lie heard them begin to
quarrel, and heard a table thrown down with some crockery on
it. The deceased said twice to the prisoner, " For God's
sake, Jem, don't murder me !" and witness heard dis-
tinctly the sound of blows, and the deceased screamed out
dreadfully. Witness remained at his work outside nearly half
an hour, during which time ho heard this. Ttfe deceased's
cries became so faint at last as to be very indistinctly heard.

While witness was outside, one of the shutters was thrown open

violently, but he did not see who opened it ; the window was
immediately shut again. The following morning, about eight
o'clock, witness saw the prisoner, who told him " My pal is
dead." He said she had died about ten o'clock. Witness saw
him then go into a broker's shop close by, and, upon coming
out, he said that Mr. Bowden, the broker, had charged him
with killing his wife ; he said that he had not struck her at all,
and only had given her a violent shaking, at the same time
showing how he shook her.

Cross-examined byl:Mr. CLARKSON—Witness could not tell
whether they were married, but had lived together for 17 years.
Witness could not tell which of the two first began the quarrel;
there were violent words on both sides. Deceased had been ill
for some time, and had been in the habit of drinking. Witness
had seen her a little intoxicated but not very often ; had seen
her so at times. _ _

By Lord TENTERDEN—That evening witness could no
say whether she was in liquor ; she appeared to have had a little
drink but no great deaL
Hannah Allwood stated she lived in Glass.court, near the
prisoner ; about six o'clock in the evening of the 19th September
lie came to witness's house and looked about ; she asked him if
he was looking for his wife ; he replied he was, and he would
break her neck when he found her. About half an hour
afterwards witness saw the prisoner and the deceased come into
the court together apparently very peaceably ; Blanche was at
work in the court. After the prisoner and deceased had got
into their apartment witness heard a violent blow, and the de-
ceased beseeching him not to do so. She heard just afterwards
another blow, and the deceased begged him not to beat her.
The next morning witness heard of the deceased being dead.
Cross-examined—Witness lived in the adjoining house. The
deceased appeared to be a sickly woman, and had often corn-
plaMed of the prisoner's ill-treatment towards her.
W. Bowden, a broker living near the prisoner stated that on
the evening in question he saw the prisoner and deceased going
down Glass court together. The deceased did not appear to be
in liquor, but the prisoner did. The deceased said at that time
that her health was better than it had been for a long time.
About seven o'clock the next morning witness saw prisoner,
who said " his old pal was gone." Witness asked him what
he meant, and he replied, "she died last night at ten o'clock."
Anne Day stated that she lived in the same house
as the prisoner. On the evening in question, about
eight o'clock, the .prisoner asked her (the witness) for a
light, and she went down stairs to give hisn one; lie did not
open the door, but took the light in at the window, and said,
"my b—h has fallen down, do come in and help me up with
her." He got the poker, and wrenched the door open, having
mislaid the key. Witness then went in and found deceased,
lying on the floor ; she did not speak ; witness and prisoner
lifted her up and laid her on thebed. The deceased moved her
legs, but did not speak. She had been ill for eight months before,
and witness had often expected her to die. At about a quarter
after ten o'clock the prisoner called witness again, and upon
going dOwn she found the deceased lying on the bed quite dead.
There were some liver and bacon, not cooked, in the sumo.
Cross-examined—Had known deceased for many years; she
was very much given to drink; she never took snore than a
pennyworth at a time, but took it often ; she could stand a good
deal before she got drunk. When witness assisted in lifting
deceased on the bed she smelt much of liquor, and prisoner was
also intoxicated.
Sarah Howard also lived in the same house as the prisoner and
deceased, anti corroborated the preceding witness's testimony.
Cross-examined—Deceased was much given to drink. When
the prisoner was sober his conduct was very kind to her.
Two other witnesses gave similar evidence.
Mr. Whitmore being recalled stated that in the state the de-
ceased was described to be, a violent shaking would occasion
death, and so would some blows.
Cross-examined—The appearance of the body indicated a
disposition to drink. Drinking might have produced similar
effects in the pericardium. If she were intoxicated, and fell
down, death might have ensued.
Mr. Whittaker was also recalled, and stated his opinion that
a violent shaking or blow given to a person intoxicated, might
produce death without leaving any marks of violence.
Cross-examined—lf she had fallen on the ground in a state
of intoxication, and remained lying down some time before she
was lifted up, it might be possible that death would ensue,
The prisoner, in his defence, said he never touched the de-
ceased, who fell down.
Lord TENTERDEN, in his address to the Jury, said there
was no evidence to show a preconceived malice ; and, therefore,
the case could not amount to more than manslaughter, if the
Jury should be of opinion that the deceased received her death
in some way or other at the hands of the prisonos, His Lordship
then very minutely summed up the evidessee; after which,
The Jury acquitted the prisoner.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.