The Sun.
London, England, 1824-09-06 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WELLS, FRIDAY, SEPT. a

James Reynolds, alias Walter, was indicted for the wilful
murder of Jacob Wilkins, late of Norton St. Philip's, near
Bath, on the road from Mitford to Norton.
Mr. GUNNING stated the case as one depending on circurn.
stantial evidence; and though no witnesses could be called who
actually, saw the prisoner strike the blow which led to the death
of Jacob 'Wilkins, yet the evidence would be sufficiently clear
to enable the Jury to come to a sound and easy decision. The
prisoner, who was only 19 years of age, had been tried before,
and convicted of felony. _ _ _ _ _ _

George Wilkins—l am the son of the deceased ;my father
lived at Philip's Norton for many. years ; was the hostler to the
Blucher-inn ;be was 53 years of age; left his house on Sun.
day, at half-past eleven in the forenoon ; was dressed in a dark
mixture coat, light breeches, dark waistcoat, and light kersey-
mere gaiters ; the coat Dame down as far as his knees ; I saw
him take a silver watch with him ; he had put a gilt seal on
the watch, with a red stone in it, marked with " F." I saw
my father at the Fox-inn, .next day, dead; I saw the watch
again afterwards at Mr. Fisher's, at Stoke. [Witness pro.
duced the coat which his father wore when he went out in the
morning.]
Mary Ltivington.—l knew. Jacob iVilkins ; .1 saw him on
the Ist of' August last ; I went to Bath to see him ; lie came
to pay his addresses to me; 'it was about two o'clock in the
afternoon that we met ; I drank part of a quart of beer with
him; lie dined with me at Bath; he paid for the dinner and
beer ; he had a good deal of -silver in his purse, I think about
five half-crowns, and some other silver ; we left Bath to go to
the Cross Keys between six and seven in the evening ; the road
is up hill ; we had a quart of beer between four of us at the
Cross Keys ; we stayed a quarter of an hour, and parted about
eight o'clock ; he took out lido watch to see what o'clock it was;
it was a silver watch, which I knew, having got it repaired for
him ; he went away towards Mitford, and returned home with
two other women towards Bath ; lie was very sober.
Samuel Huntley—l was on the road between the Fox-inn and
the Carpenters'-anns Stoke ; on the Ist of August I was going
to Hinton, anti passed the Fox-inn; I met a man about half a
mile from the Fox; he had alight fustian jacket, a dark waist-
coat, and light breeches on; it was half-past nine in the even-
ing ;he said, Young man, there is a man lying clown drunk up
thheereroitaidt,hase_yroaou pass ad. I have been struggling with him for two hours,
and I cannot get him up; ,
I wish you
will.
wo I
uldhweaats•einhicmornoluntnoyf
with Ann Deverell, and her daughter Ruth ; Ann Deverell
asked him If it was one of his company ; lie said " No, he is a
stranger to the ;" he went towards Bath ; we towards Hinton;
about 290 yards further on we came to the man; I knew dun ;
he was lying clown by the side of the road ; I called him three
times ; he made no answer, and I took his hat off, and found
he was dead ; it was Jacob Wilkins ; his right hand pocket
was turned inside out, anti he had no watch ; he had no money ;
I turned back again after the man who had spoken to us ;
it was two or three minutes after I saw the body that I act off;
I ran as fast as 1 could to the Fox-inn ; I told the people at
the Fox, and then went back to the body and searched the
pockets ; found a knife and comb ; the women in the mean
time went and called Perkins and Grant, constables; I cannot
say from the prisoner's countenance that he is the man, but he
was much such a one as the prisoner; I believe it is the same
man.
(3. Perkins—l lived in August last at Mitford; my house is
situate between the Fox-inn and Ilinton ; the house is 600
yards from the Fox, on the left hand side; some persons came
to my house; I went with them, observed thebody of the man ;
I knew him ; I examined his pockets; there was no money nor
watch in them, nothing but a knife and comb ; I assisted them
to carry the body on a hurdle to the Fox ; it did not receive
thel
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s;
ea;
it,
eat hned
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alookedt body,t t
laen dbb
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Bit s ayuti
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over the eye, as if it had been bruised. I saw Mr. George
Dyke Fisher next day ; went with him to the Carpenters' Arms,
public-house at Stoke; when we got there we saw the prisoner;
I think it was between one and two o'clock in the day. He
pulled money from his pocket; Mr. Fisher told me to take
him into Custody • lie li-ilia very well,. lie would go any where
with me if I would let him have his jacket ; it was brought to
him • lie put it on; It was a light coloured fustian jacket; we
talked of searching him, and he took from his pockets a one
pound note, 14 shillingeln silver, and eight-pence halfpenny ;
the prisoner is the man.
Ellen Jones—l live at Parey, in the parish of Charterhouse
Hinton, with my father ; I saw the prisoner on the Ist August
last ; he came to my father's house ; between 1 and 2 o'clock
I saw him first; he continued there about one hour and three
quarters ; lie went straight oil then to Mrs. Simmonds's cottage,
which lies in the way to Bath ; I went with him ; when we got
there, we stayed a little while' and parted; I went home, and
he for 1%1 itford ; it was rather better than half-past 6 o'clock in
the evening; lie was dressed in white stockings, light cord
breeches, light fustian jacket, and red plush waistcoat, with dark
specks in it ; had an umbrella with him ; had either quaiter or
half boots on ; the umbrella handle or stick main big round, and
had a crook at the end.
John Wheeler—l was at M Word on Sunday the Ist of August,
near the Fox ; it was past seven o'clock when I went there;. saw
the prisoner go into the Fox, and out again ; he went towards
Rain ; he stayed at the Fox only a few minutes; he had on a
silk hand kerchief, of a yellowish colour ; a lightish fustian jac-
ket, red plush waistcoat, with some spots on it ; lightish cord
breeches, white stockings, and quarter boots ; saw him
come back again between eight and nine; a darkish looking
man was with him, who was an older ,nan than the prisoner ;
the latter asked the other to go into the Fox, and have a pint
of beer ; the old man said lie had no money; the. prisoner said,
" Let us go on in Hinton ;" they did go on ; it was betwixt
eight and nine o'clock ; I had seen the prisoner a fortnight
before, going into the Fox ; he had the same dress oh then,
except his waistcoat, which I did not take notice of.
Ann Fisher... 4 was, on the Ist of August last, a servant to
Mr. Gorton, who keeps the Red Lion public-house at Oddown ;
I saw the prisoner on that day, about twenty minutes past ten
at night ; he came to the door, which was shut ; he knocked
at it, and called for a.pint of beer ; I told him he could have
none that night, for it was past hours; he said he had been
walking all day, and was ready to drop ; he had come from
Weymouth ; I opened the door, and gave him a pint of
beer ; he took out of his pocket a watch, and asked me to light
a candle, that he might see to wind it up ; I saw the face of
the watch ;it was silver round the edge ; brought him the
candle ; he took the key in his hand to do it, but put the watch
in his pocket, and said lie would let it stay till he got to his
lodgings • there was a chain and key upon the watch ; did not
observe if there was any seal upon it; he took a handful of
silver, with as many as three or four half crowns in it, and paid
for the beer ; he tasted a drop of the beer, and said the first
drop turned him sick ; and lie threw it all out of doors ; he said
he thould try to stay in Bath all night ; saw him on Wednes-
day morning in a cart as he came by with Mr. Collins ; I said
it was the same man who called for a pint of beer on Sunday
evening ;, he trembled very much, and appeared heated when he
came for the beer; he seemed as Kite had been walking quick.
William Perry—l lodged at Rush-hill with the prisoner at
the bar ' • I lett him in bed on Sunday, the lit of August ;
went to bed at 10 o'clock Sunday night ' • prisoner was not at
rn boe ; I saw -him about a quarter before 11 ; be came into
the house quite restless; got up to let him in ; lie knock-
ed very loud, and said to me, Who are you ? Who are
you ? Who are you ?" I hail no light. I said, " James,
what's the matter, don't you know me ? He asked for a
light; he said he wanted one to wind up his watch ; the light was
brought ; lie did not wind up his watch ; he went down, when
the light was brought to him, and said he wanted somevictuals.
I was in bed, and prisoner soon came up to bed; he brought the
light up ; I asked him what o'clock it was ? and he said half-
past one ; he took out his watch, and hung it up on a nail by the
bedstead ; never saw him with a watch before ; we got up at
five next morning; he asked pie what seven half-crowns were ?
I told him 17s. Oil. Ile looked over his money, of which he
seemed to have a good deal ; he said he had changed 2 pound
bills the day before; the watch appeared to be silver; it was a
roughish chain, with a seal to it; I went away and left him ;
prisoner was out of work often.
Mary Lewington, Geo. Wilkins, Ann Fisher, Wm. Perry,
and Nash, identified the watch.
William Barfoot found a stick (which he produced) in a field
about a quarter of a mile from Perkins's house, towartls Hinton.
Joshua Hunt, a police.officer, saw the prisoner at the Walcot
police-office ; a gentleman came there to see him, and asked
rim how lie could do such a deed ? The gentleman said be
stood a fair chance of being hanged. He said, " I did not do
the deed." The gentleman went away. Prisoner said, " No.
hotly saw me kill the man, and they can't hang me for having
the watch."
Here the prisoner vehemently exclaimed, " That's false,,my
Lord—that's false I"
Mr. Joseph Page, clerk to the jagistrate,
said the prisoner
was examined in his presence; no threat was made ; examine-
'dons were read over to the prisoner, and signed by the Magi-
strates; the prisoner was asked to sign ; he refused, but stated
no reason. There were two examinations on the same day ;
lie refused to sign both ; I took them down. [The first exa-
mination was the declaration of the prisoner that he bought the
watch of a traveller at Newton, on the road, at six o'clock that
morning, and paid a pound note for it. The second went to
state that Nash asked him to raffle for the watch.]
George Goldiston—l am a surgeon at Bath ; I saw die de-
cased at the Sun, at Stoke ; examined the body, and found a
contusion on thenose„which was very slight ; a considerable con-
, tusion on the left side of the head; there was an irregularity