The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-30 00:00:00

THE MURDER at CIIESTERFIF,LD.

CONFESSION OF PLATTS.

This criminal, since his conviction, has ly,en placed in
under the cus •
war visited by
the
Cody
oorti dme mr.n csdi
rmgcees,ldl
toophf:il the county
governor.tc)goeu,otvit:yhv
theict
chaplain of the
on, propriety of
pthr7. Rev.
0 Georgeu
in king a confession of hie guilt. 0 Sunday be
attended Divine service, and ire the after part of the day
he wrote to his mother, sister, and brother, previous
to which he made an unreserved and full confession
of the murder. He stated that he was present when it
was committed, and that he was the principal party
concerned, althouZzli he did not strike the blow by which
the unfortunate mime George Collis. was stunned and
rendered insen.ible. lie next proceeded to implicate
Morley as taking an active part, and divulged the name
of a third person, which, as a matter of course, has not
been suffered to transpire.
The circumstances he narrated were as follows :
Platts and Collis, the deceased, spent the Sunday after-
noon with Morley, Collis was plied with drink and in-
veigled into Plater, shop in the shambles under pretence
of settling the account, and he was then murdered. The
object of Platts and Motley was plunder, for it was
conjectured that as Collis was about to marry Ellen
Beresford in the West Bars, he had saved a sum of
money for this purpose, which he carried about,
with him. This young woman gave testimony or:
the trial. After the perpetration of the murder the
body was mutilated, and on Monday night: was de-
posited in a sack by Morley and the convict, and
carried across the market-place to the cesspool, where
it was accidentally discovered. During the day Platts
had proceeded to the house of Mr. Franks, the land-
lord of the Old Angel, and not many yards distant
from the shambles, and told Mrs. Frank, at the
time the corpse was lying in the shop, that be tully
expected to meet Collis at the Angel, in order to settle
their partnership accounts This statement, made
by Batts on Sunday, would make it appear that after
the blow inflicted on the Victim, he was strangled
to prevent the moaning noise, and which noise, it
may be remembered, was sworn to as having been
heard by several persons on passing through the
shambles on the Sunday evening of the murder, and
which attracted the attention of the passers-by. The
convict admitted that he then proceeded to rifle the dead
body of his victim, and divested it of his shoes and part
of the dress. Platte then went into lengthened details
of the part he had sustdned in the murder and the cir-
cumstances. After this confession the prisoner appeared
more sociable in his manner, and conversed with the
attendants. He was then, at his request, furnished with
writing materials, and wrote the following letter to his
mother:—

"Darby County Gaol, March 21, 1847.

" My dear Mother, Sister, and Brothers,—With a
trembling, i rite these few lines to you—i hope you will
not fret about your unfortunate son, for i hope we
shall all meet in a better world than this ; i hope
the Lord will forgive us all our sins ; i am shure he
will if we due ask the Lord dens) jeues Criced our
Savor dear mother ; i hope you will pray to the
Lord to pardon your sins i am sure he will if you
pray to heaven for pardon my dear sister remember
what i say to you pray to heaven to pardon all your
sins dont delay my dear Brother remember what
say dont delay pray to hevon to pardon all your
sins; bles the Lord for it and i hope he will forgive
me for i know we hay all to die therefore i will not,
lose no time i have praid nite and day to the Lord
Jeseus our Savor to forgive me all my sins and to bloc
out all my old offences my dear mother pleas send word
if you are coming to see me for I should like to see you
all I am going to rite to my dear friend Mr. Hothatn
rite to me with speed pleas to show this letter to Mr.
R Hutham and you will oblige your unfortunate son,
" JOHN PLATYS."

The above letter was forwarded, at the convict's re-
quest, to Platt's mother, at Chesterfield. At an early
'hour o❑ Monday, upon being visited by the chaplain and
governor, his ci,nduct was very indecorous. Shortly
before noon Platte had an interview with several of the
visiting justices, and was then interrogated relative to
the confession which he had made on the preceding day,
and was asked, if the confession was reduced to writinA,
he would sign the document ; to the great surprise 01
all present the convict contradicted the statement made
on the preening day, and denied that he had any part
in the murder, but implicated other individuals. He
made another statement to the justices, which was full
of inconsistencies. On Tuesday it was communt
cated to the convict that the High Sheriff had fixed
Thursday, at neon, April the Ist, for the sentence to be
carried into effect. On the announcement by Mr. Sims,
the convict turned deadly pale, but evinced no emotion.
During the week the relatives of the convict had an in•
terview, and his mother and sister will take their final
leave on the Tuesday preceding the day of execution.

RUDINI.--Thirty years past, at Bergamo, by a
singular contrast, the Opera company was very mediocre
and the choral excellent. Amongst the chorus-singers at this
period there was a oung man, very poor, very modest, and
much be'oved by his companions. This young man (to aid
his aged mother), added to the functions of a chorus-
singer the more lucrative one of a tailor. One day, having
taken a pair of pantaloons to Nozari, this celebrated singer
looked at him earnestly, and said to him, with kindness,
"It seems to me, my boy, that I have seen you some
where ?" "That is very probable, Sir; you might have
seen me at the theatre, where I sing in the chorusses."
" Have you a good voice ?" " Not particularly. Sir ; I
ascend with difficulty to G." "Let us see," said Nozari, at
the same time approaching the piano; "sing the scale."
' The chorus-singer obeyed, but, having sung G, he
ptopped, quite out of breath. " Sing A—courage; go on."
" Indeed, Sir, I cannot." " Sing A immediately, I say, un-
fortunate." The A was sung. " Now sing B." " Really,
Sir—" " Sing B, I say, at once, or by my—" " Oh, do
not be angry, Sir, and I will try." GAB C was sung.
"You perceive," said Nozari, with a triumphant voice, "and
now, my boy, I shall only say to you, if you will work, you
will become the first tenor of Italy." Nozari was not de-
ceived. The poor chorus-singer was the renowned tenor
Rcbini, who now possesses a colossal fortune.
A few days ago the following massacre was com-
mitted at Nedonchel (Pas de Calais). A father strangled
his two children, one six and the other only four years old,
in order that he might become the uncontrolled possessor of
some little property which they inherited.
OBJECTION TO TUE TAKING OF AN OATII.—A tall,
stout man, rather respectably dressed, appeared before Sir
Joshua Walmsley, on Saturday, to make a charge against
James Welsh, of having stolen a pair of picks, being
utensils used in making roads and excavations. The
prosecutor, on being handed the book, preparatory to
being sworn, s •id,-1. refuse to be sworn ; I cannot con-
scientiously take an oath. Sir Joshua Walmsley--What
are you? Are Sou a Quaker? Prosecutor—l sometimes
go to the Quakers' meetings. Sir Joshua—What religious
denomination do you belong to? Prosecutor—l believe
in Christ, and have been told not to take an oath. Si,
Joshua—Who told you ? Prosecutor—The Word of
God. Sir Joshua—Are you a member of the Society
of Friends? Prosecutor—No. Sir Joshua—Are you a
Moravian ? Prosecutor No. Sir Joshua Are you
a— What are you ? Prosecutor declined to answer.
A Voice—He doesn't know what he is. Sir Joshua—ls it
on religious grounds that you object to be sworn? Prose-
cutor—lt is. Sir Joshua—Well, it is very wrong that the
ends of justice should be defeated in this way. I feel that I
have a power to send you to gaol, but I hesitate to act upon
that power. It may be that your repugnance to take an
oath is based upon conscientious scruples, but I certainly
doubt it. lam obliged to discharge a man who, in the face
of the public, is all but proved to have been guilty of
stealing your property, and he must now be let loose upon
society to practise the same deeds with impunity. You see
the result of your refusal. Prosecutor—l do, but I cannot
help it. Sir Joshua—Let the prisoner be discharged.—
Liverpool Mercury.
LIVERPOOL.—DISGItACEFUL CONDUCT OF A CAP.
TAIN'.—On Tuesday, Captain F. Brown, of the ship Benares,
appeared in answer to a summons charging him with
ill-
treating and placing John Duff, a seaman, in irons. From the
complainant's statement it appeared that during the voyage
from Calcutta, for some alleged misconduct, he had been put
in irons and placed in the water closet for ten days, where
there was neither room to lie down, nor, when the door was
closed, scarcely sufficient air to sustain life. During this time
he was fed on bread and water only. From this he was
removed, and fastened down under one of the hatches,
where again he bad great difficulty in breathing from
the insufficiency of air. The defence was, that he has
neglected the captain's orders, was careless and in-
dolent, although at the end of the voyage he had
exerted himself to the utmost. Mr. Rushton said h. never
heard a case of greater hardship. For a slight offence the
man was placed in irons, and kept in solitary confinement
for ten days : this in a tropical climate, and in a place where
he could scarcely breathe, and sufficiently close to put an
end to life in twenty-four-hours, or to produce a fever. Cap•
taiu—We had no other place to put him. Mr. Rushton—l
do not think I should be doing my duty if I did not make an
example of you, and send you for trial. Had such a thing
occurred iii. the army or navy, we should never have heard
the last of it. Let the evidence be taken. The case was ad-
journed, and the captain held to bail. The defendant, who
was held to bail, appeared yesterday. when Mr. Rushton said
that the magistrates had given the matter their serious con-
sideration ; and, while they thought that the punishment
intended to be inflicted was not so great, still they could not
obfusti._conLsiiwipool
derthatartheractukryin.d of punishment in the tropics was
calculated to do serious mischief—it was highly reprehensible
—and there was great doubt whether they should not send
him to trial. They would, however, only inflict a penalty
On
ato then '
Company 7 t h the ithamses, a steamer belonging to
Government, entered the port of Leghorn, having
tow the Tiger, one of the vessels of the Oriental Steam
Navigation
Frenchig
of London. The two steamers had
run against each other during the previous night, owing, it
is said, to the neglect in watching of the crew of the Tiger,
and one of the Tiger's wheels was so much broken that she
was obliged to be towed to Leghorn for repairs. Her pass
singers took their departure for Naples the same day, by the
Ville de Marsaille&

FUNERAL OF COLONEL GORE LANGTON, M.P.—
(Abridged from the Bath Herald.)—Thursday being the day
appointed fbr the lying in state of the deceased gentleman,
Newton Park was the resort of many thousands of persons
anxious to obtain a view of the ceremonial. The chamber
in winch the earthly remains of the:lamented deceased lay
was hung with black cloth, in the torm of a canopy, from
the centre of which depended a chandelier with ground-
glass shades, which, together with six flambeaux on either
side of the entrance to the room, cast a sombre gloom over
the whole, presenting a scene at once solemn and imp ,sing.
Friday was the day fixed upon for the interment of the body,
and lung before the hour appointed fur the procession to
start from the house, a vast concourse of per:ons, the ma-
jority of whom were habited in complimentary mourning,
assembled to pay their last tribute of respect to the memory
of the departed estimable gentleman. At about halt-past
one o'clock, everything having been arranged with the ut-
most regularity, the procession moved from the house. On
arriving at the church, which was hung with black cloth,
the corpse was met by the Rev. C. Holland, the curate, who
read the appropriate service in a very impressive manner,
during which the body was lowered to its last earthly tene-
ment in the presence of the deceased Coloners relatives,
friends, and tenantry only. At the conclusion of the service '
the mournful et:q.t.* returned.
JaasEs SIIRRIDAN KNOWLES.—During the past few
days a memorial to Lord John Russell has been in course of
signature in Leeds, in favour of a pension being granted to
Mr. James Sheridan Knowles, as a reward fur his genius
and talent as an author. The memorial has received the
signatures of many of the most respectable inhabitants of
the borough. —Leeds Mercury.