The Sun.
London, England, 1823-12-12 00:00:00

MURDER IN ESSEX.

The prisoner Pallet, or Parrot, underwent an
examination on Tut"lay, at Walden, and was
remanded untihhe result of the Coroner's In-
quest wls made known.
At half-past eleven o:eloct, a crowd of persons
were seen approaching Widdington from New-
port, and in a few minutes two taxed carts drove
'up to Me flower-de-luce : the first contained,
besides the driver and the prisoner, Mr. Mead,
the gaoler, and an officer ; they alighted at the
door of the public-house, and the prisoner was
conducted into a private room, being properly
guarded. He was handcuffed, and heavily ironed
by both legs; he seemed very much depressed,
and his countenance betrayed an inanimate ex-
pression that would scarcely lead a person to
conclude he was possessed of the courage neces-
sary to perpetrate such a dreadful crime.
THE CORONER'S INQUEST.

Early yesterday morning WILLIAM Ornsom, Esq., the
Coroner, arrived at the sign of the Flower-de•luce, keptby Mr.
Whisken, in the village of Waddington, and at 12 o'clock the
Jury were sworn.

The Coroner and Jury then retired to view the body lying at
the deceased's father's house, a short distance from the public-
house. It was in a dreadfully mutilated state ; indeed, so
much so, that it was impossible to recognize a single feature,
the head being completely beaten flat. It remained in the same
state as when it was found.

Robert Smith, of Burchanger, in this county, publican, was
sworn, and deposed as follows :—On Monday night last, about
half-past 0 o'clock, I left this house (the Flower-de-lace) to go
home, and in my way I saw a body lying on the road from my
horse having shied on reaching' he spot. I got off my horse,
and heard a groan proceed from the body. The clothes were
much disordered; his shirt sleeves were torn, and he laid on
his back with his cost nearly offhis arms ; I believe it was quite
off one arm; his hat ryas off; I perceived no blood then, but I -
supposed that some dreadful act had been committed, and hay-
ing removed the body to the side of the road I rode directly
back to the Flower-de-Ince at Viriddington, and alarmed the
inhabitants; the Flower.de-luce is nearly half a mile from
where the body lay. He was alive when I left him ; I sent
some people on towards the body with a lantern, and ordered a
cart to be dispatched after them with all possible haste, as I
told them a murder had been committed. I then rode to Mr..
Haines's, the overseer, but he was not at home, and I then rode
towards the body, which was then in the care of the persons I
had sent, and was about 30 rods nearer Widdington than when
I left him ; there were several persons with the body, but they
were strangers to me. The cart having arrived, the body was
put into it ; it was brought up to this house, and it seemedco-
vered with blood; and the head appeared to be much beaten;
a cut was also observable under his chin ; the deceased appear..
ed to be quite dead when: he was put into the cart. I knew the
deceased when alive, but I could not recognize him when dead,
in consequence of his mutilated appearance. From the time of
first leaving the body until I saw it the second time, not more
than ten minutes had elapsed. The road where • I found the
body was the one leading from Widdington into the high road
to London.

A Juryman.—Did you see the prisoner at that time ?
Witness.—No; not until afterwards. I assisted in hand-
cuffing him when he was taken, and he made a great deal of
resistance.
John Reid, of Widdington, carpenter, sworn.--T was in this
house whelp die last witness eILITIO in, aliniu. a quarter to nine
o'clock on Monday night, and said, that some person was mur-
dered in the road, and he seemed much frightened, the left
sleeve and side of Smith's great coat were bloody ; he also said
he thought the man wits not quite dead, for he had heard him
groan; the man, he said, was lying on the fiat on the top of the
second hill, on the road to Quendon. - My son, my brother,
another labouring man, Matthew Dillow, and I set off' imme-
diately u we went to Mr. Mumford's old farm for a lantern,
which I hid under my coat, and then proceeded towards the
place Smith had directed us; when we got to • the top of the
first hill, we stopped and listened, but could hear nothing ;
they then went down the hill very gently, and I heard some
person say, " Hoy !" the person wt.% in the road, and within
three or four rods of us; I knew the voice to be John Pallet's;
' besides " Hoy," he said here is Jem Mumford ; he added " I
picked him up in the road ;" the body was across Pallett's
back. I put the lantern close to the deceased's face, and said
" I am sure ii is not James Mumford ;" my brother also said
the same ; I bad known the deceased for many years ; I took
the body off'Pallett's back and set it on my son's knee, until the
cart came up; Pallett remained, and assisted in putting the
body into the cart ; Pallet walked voluntarily towards this
house, and insisted that the body was that of Mr. Mumford,
hut I thought not ; when he was brought to this house and
put into a chair, I examined his cheek for a mole, which I found,
and' then believed it was Mr. Mumford; his shirt was marked
" J. M." which confirmed it ; his head was knocked to pieces,
a large piece being cut out froM his head ; Pallett then sat
down, and commenced drinking in the tap-room ! The consta-
ble arrived in about half an hoer, and I told him.the circum-
stance of finding the body on Pallet's back ' • the constable then
took him into custody ; he was asked by Mr. Campbell how
he came by the body ? Pallett 'answered, he had found him
On the road, and intended to take bins to Prior's-hall, where he
lived. Pallett made a violent resistance, swore he would not
be taken, and it required seven or eight men to put the hand-
cuffs on ; -when that was effected, lie declared heb
breechesavyw o.sdutin;lrgdresputtntazicaepsewls.i
them all; he was kept in this house all night, and next day
was taken before a Magistrate. Pallett was smothered with
blood • his shirt-collar was bloody all round, but there-ap-
peared'uo bruises on him ; 'when I met'Pallet he was alone. I
asked Pallet how he knew the deeeased, and he then replied, be
thought it was him ; ?allett had no light with him; it was
rather a dark night ; we could not recognize the deceased, al.
though Pallet at first said it was Mr. Rumford. The head
was knocked all to 'pieces ; the face was much swelled and
very disfigured. When I asked hhn how he knew the body
was that of M. Mumford he appeared much confused.
By a Juryman.—Subsequent to Pallett's being in custody
while you were assisting in keeping guard over him,did he
make any observations ?
Witness.—On the Tuesday morning, the constable, George
Knight, took off Pallet's high shoes ; he said nothing about
that; some time afterwards, Mr. John Mumford went past the
window of the room ; Pallett asked whine they were going; I
said, " They are going to try your shoes in the track on tale
ground ;" Pallett then replied, " Then I shall be sure to be
- done; it is a hard thing to be born to be hung ; I shall be
sure to be bung; if I could get Why transportation, 1 should
not care." All the way to the House of Correction at Newport,
on Tuesday afternoon, he repeatedly said he we.s sure he should
be hung, and cried out bitterly all the way. I asked hint why
iwl ea
swtaaskseun rien ot
of custodyit,
a fltl he
en
thenlNlonrdeamyaci vileenli n g silent.he wasl r searched by
ebit,t-
ttAPhortseul
haveli Georgele constable,it.orinLto ep Knight,u
aGs tleoe°dtrtytoagseoctein::::lllaatilatn!initllrttedl'satray Iti:k:li.lgN'Tlit:lltr(yi refusedbi nywgteltieisl I:
,;
teisowoal f:ml3nhli
willing
CI . tool:Camp-
bell, ta
and
gibloee 1
said
with
ii
atahth
yet
oliwui so.
somethinglii nibs
tonicee,
do_nh
it :mu
is suspicion
intoi
helco anothernwout .
ltiin urnoroottl
le !I i n g M r . Cain z s
jumpingoithluaei::::iyga b Itieddaes sos ncii
Irspi
ic,
:::: it.te: .
but knock;
;r
1. t
.Iflioact
in triedlml(eli t
inti
It oillilef handcufforright
gd h,
overuged thet o tableeaii s
eavnednabitraotnt:dee
isiteal the nieoweli;ltss-hi iiie:det.
In°l:dob
me. About an hour afterwardi I searchtedtilaenhdditemc,ea se
the
knife, a comb, and 2s. 4d. in a canvas purse; in pocket
hipunit;"
it from AIL- Muniford's havinq, shown sit me
hand pocket was a buck_horn handle knife, which I knew to
Mum-
ford's possession, and am sun. the one I fo
l'im°ltireinogft'en seen the knife in Mr. Mum-
s:l:u ti
nfivie,nouitsti,x6
tweenedkstoagk4nil
pocket was his. I afterwards 'putlleldli arnalileeettietlittSiheo:Oftre'; Ithini: was by the desire of 111 r.
deceased's broters when TI
'Thomas Ililnugmpfaiordiet,
tjtuonp.,risoonnehofe
said
ol i
,ecisooli olknu l bedioina y hang. Hayden,
lod fa 1
Townsend, jun., antr TheininoigstL°'
Vnidigdht in and a little boy, Richard
the body was first seen by Air , farmer, • worm—About 12
the place Mr. Smith described-Eaton, went to the spot where
• Smith, about forty reds front
to me. I saw by the candle I

had with me a mark of blood at the side of a clay pit ; the Pit
was about three feet deep, and four yards long; the blood!e
about the size of my hat this was about two yards from the
cart track in the road; I then went on the same road en
fifty rods farther, and saw a pair of gloves and a stick, *ll9
were taken by Mr.i Townsend ; there was a great deal of
on the road near where the gloves and sack were found; ri
blood had run down the cart-track. The next wonting 1
went to the spot again, And found a stick about six rods from
the spot, among some turnips.—[The stick was 26 inches tong
and about an inch thick ; it was very much stained with bin
and split in several places, apparently as if it had been used rt
the inurderer.l—About 15 rods further, just as the stick vitt
found, another person called to me andshowed me the hat,S.t
coat. 1 could not recollect the hat, but I knew the coat to 07
been the deceased's. A little further I found two kevs)sknitei
a new steel pencil-case and a new pair of spectacles in 0
morocco case. [The deceased was very shortssighted.l . toa
[The articles mentioned were all produced. A knife tee,
dmeceittrisleadi?
on the prisoner, and belonging to him, was much knelt r,
and the stick with which it was supposed the morder was eg, 8
croin as if from a b)
spiealarteldvatsolhave been cut by a knotched knife.] ;id
Ira
Mr. John Muntfonl, of Henham, farmer, sworn.— ~
brother to the deceased. About nine o'clock on TuesdeseSA
took the prisoner's shoes from the constable, and roe tieu,
bloody in the inside, and was cut on
towards the spot where my brother was found, when I. Wheat
deal of blood. I was shown some feet marks on
apiece of t
land, about three or four rods near where the blood lay; art
many petsons had been to that spot, and the marks of tb feet
were obliterated ; but about twelve rods or more from td
a%'
place, there was a place on a ridge of wheat, which 3PPearite,tecle
if some person had sat down : there was a hole close tort,
.svg,
seemed as if a stick had been stuck there. There were, two
marks in the bole, as if it was a spit stick which had been tne ~
frontas e:tine cetetlitotoefplaliaaancvdee
sownagiohneer etwotiwltthae
rwbdilsloe routeo blood
tibvaetlsuotrnngt
iliiin,es:fto foot
i‘t
I followed a foot track which began about three or four rrooes
it appeared evident that the person had run ; froni the Pi!
where a person appeared to have sat down, the same footsie
and some other articles mentioned by Mr. Heyden, hi re! to
found; the knife found there by Mr. Hayden I can stye— of
as my brother's prpp.erty
bond I gave him the haedle, and he at
where the 1'134 bin
been perpetrated. I compared the Ingloshoes
new blades pot to it in on; the footstep went further up °
the side of the turnips; and then slanted off towards the tool
lane, leading back again towards the spot where the moiler Inntetii.
to the marks of feet ia the a:round, beginning with these ner par
to where the blood was, and from thence to the nark Les
spond ; in two particular instances, the person of
scat on the ground, and to where the things were lotion; "-na„-
in the direction towards the blood, ace the lane; 1 c',:e-
ros
ed r them
It
rr.a ski
lir ran
na,cecat!
in crossinai_
011
turnip-field trod with his toe on sonic turnips, and the ato;s„ ,
one of the shoes exactly agreed with the bruises on &tan*:
the split stick which appeared to have been used by the Wauri
deter, exactly fitted the hole befor mentioned; I noticed in?,
the stick had been cut with a knife that had a gap or two th,1,1
and a knife in the constable's poasession a peered, Irmo it,,, -..-:
ing notched, to have been used for thattppurposc ; this "nit(
was found on the prisoner. I employed a Man to exeminetle
hedges in the neighbourhood, and a place was found where
ti°
stick fitted a tree, and seemed to have been recently cet i tl:(
stick fitted the part in the hedge exactly [the eorrespoaarinel
piece was . produced] ; the knife found in prisoner'ePer;
which belonged to the deceased the prisoner said, when bee'''.
the priso n ,
the Magistrate, he found a fortnight ago in a field called 1,6,
gott, but another brother residing in London, recollects see',"
that knife in the deceased's possession on Monday while he v''
in London. .
Mr. George Mumford, apprentice to Mr. Burbridge, iron
monger, 127, St—John-street, Smithfield, London, 0'm—
am brother to the deceased, who went to London on Wet:
day. fortnight; he sometimes slept . with me, and lionet„'ole. ,
with another brother at Chelsea; lie booked his place to ..,,,,
by Lowe's Saffron Walden coach, and he left me ith°l;ti 'de
o'clock on Monday last ;
_I was with him when be irtu'tilec j
spectacles (those now produced) ; the buckhorn itetnuire eased.
also recollect to have seen in his possession ; the kith' P—ien or
as found on the prisoner, I saw in my brother's )ool°
Monday last. . I was wit!
Wm. Reed, a labourer of Widdington, sworn.— , )iniet
Mr. Hayden when the coat, hat, &c. were found- lewd/
out the places to Mr. John Mumford. (This witness
corroborated some parte of the former evidence.)
Thomas Kidinan, of Newport,
sell oysters and other fish ; I was in compsnY with, e eeenitt
lett at the Coach and Horses, at Quendon, on 31°n"' "aer lir
and I drank with him. When I came out, about a quarter
fore eight o'clock, I missed my donkyiandiPallet hatanb„ kg
it, got on it; we came down the lane together towarusacti,
tViddington-roadi, where Pallett jumped di the donkh4°A. the
the; 1 ran behind die donky. 1 (to ott rrerreceirtnti an
NValden coach ; I was intoxicated; but 1 reel:Meet r alr;-,fi
I left the Coach and Horses together • I am sure rsbek's
up the Widdington-road, and 1 went together;
the taretn'asi
mota Juryruan.—l paid lid. at the turnpike, been"'6- w 0
no e halfpence; yet I cannot recollect whether 1:1, s
Walden coach or not. I lent Palled IL in the
in moneli
Horses to:pay for some ale, as Pallett slid he 111,11.1(i. ?
Coroner.—Recollect, you are onBWyto)rnit 't.
• A Juryinan.--Recollect. Did not yOU gi" Ihra
If CAM 1
Witneas.—No ; it was three penny.worth. of ha P.
Witness.— tel.
owed him no money whatever. lam sure it was not
hi Palled cee
I ain speaking the truth. I so--
pennyworth of oysters, for which he paid me. t et ail
The whole of the Jury expressed theiv astonishmen
witness's apparent prevarication. . , a ilorsel.
Win. Dellow, of Quendon, hostler to the Coal, and late
swot-m-1 saw Mr. Mumford (the cleansed) come ',1,!;„ do
don by the Walden coach, . on Monday evening, lash do
at
coach reached Quendon about hall-past seven eneoest
requested his luggage to be lsft at the Cilia and lion
and said he should get down a the Quentiotheoto slits
about three quarters of a mile further on the tea turn-
Widdington road leads front the high road, WI neil,scos soon
piken John Pallett started from the Coach anil II ~,,tefotilo
as the coach stopped, anti directly' he ,heard lldefri, at Yr;
name mentioned, Pallett seemed to look petticiallletes.A
Muinford ; he had been drinking in the Coscliiisnaalea sts ~,
was standing outside when the coach arrived. i'o'n it, ilch
before the coach. When the coach started, I wiled tbe eoi`j:i
passed Pallet and Kleiman ; and they then followe_t i ton,
to a trifling distance; one of them on a ,donkeys tel, sed ,
not say, which. On turning a road, the coach len trliaeelf°.
saw neither of them again. From the Cosch:an Lie sPPL
Quendon to Widdington is about two miles. Kid°
saidD eK
il 1 ohdwemcoulda hadn— Indo
ed to be sober when I saw him in the 'house. aserwell
Kidman was recalled, and the Coroner esker.] Tao be
sworno t recollectnooftrielcisoirloelclrecollect
seeing,ws ientigihi thege t, coat;couch,l he
CO
awc it te. iebt it::
passed, but I cannot recollect, it. she°l4 rt tO
ConowErt—lt is a very strange thing that nu..l test
lect trifling circumstances, and yet not react"' teat
coach.
Quendon . the Walden coach arrived et the gnat! air-31' ec
minutes before 0 o'clock on Monday.evening's then l'n.`ieiegi.
ford got off; he borrowed a stick of me an" ids tiliih the
George Say sworn.—My father keeps the turnteritees.‘";
" Good night," and walked down the road tent terootilier
-ton. I did not see Pallett that evening, e tie IV", fa
gate with a donkey towards Newport, about five ° fariSieg ac
after the coach; he was quite alone; he paid tiniveltifelet i''
the turnpike, and said lie would pay ttIL 'coos, eiefe
morning; he was walking, and seemed Tote, 'knew ail' atop'
ford Cook, a weaver of Debden, sworn--1
bblot a Oralee
ford and also John Pallett. On a Saturday hearilimffel,
talk there of little 'Tent Mumford's havitql.
ago I was at the Queen's Head, Wahlens
rirsti him ifFe!',
up. for getting drunk, and making some 0 r her, 0
doing. Ile added, " I wish I had. the little heace Wee,'
smash him ; but I will be d--d if' 1 will no;l,tilesolowiet
Susan Reed, wife of one ef the predceding ',alit thle)l'j'e
—I knew the deceased and John Pallett. , A,!kitenlitiflj lot
ago I heard Pallett say he would not mind 11:;111;it, 11,00'
ford's whistle. He seemed to be talking to ''' i toedeti.,ollls
then standing at his own door near my house-
ye then
servation to what Pallett Raid, but I noPllo.sl,_ threst.iatial
words " hacking his whistle" meant cutiiiigistlareeie !,,, sa
Min George Eachus, of Saffron.Wahletd
thrt tassese;piri,
On Tuesday last I inspected the robot °t e il',,c sats,,
found a lacerated wound of three incnes °erne clettvoo,l,o,
the left side of the lower jaw, which I hay. the 0 el, of,
i..
Meted by the stick produced; both edges (.',lioe, ti 014,0,.,,,
lacerated, not cut XS if with a knife ; tn;',',oes; ' 'wee
cranium, were fractured, except the frentat ! Testae, tee
size of my hand was loose, and I took it nu m_i_ta ti,,,e_ii,i-orii,
a quantity of extravasated blood ; n th theirs
111) a 1:1?
r 0 0
then' Pilool,'
, the bones on one side of the head were srry`;`—enel fesel Too
they would dismiss from their minds alt , _„ie to _ es
John Pallet."4' wimp &V
_he "even* ar sio
C 10
milted °de *eat" i 0 • '
to .0, et
The prisoner was immediately wei, ee be llO ~ 0
ltelmsford Pt" aieesogi: Bey'
warrant, and sent off to C , of awl .ao- 1 o
present Assizes. During the whole
t, tilnes fel fret I
confined in an ante-room, and seven I iota
tares titan the deceased had received wss niieted *Jag se
iAnintruthtenent, woundse atPlilecabrletowl stil)niiilsatvletalb';eWeleln e%ttrociirrjeotolef.re:
The ConowEn then addressed the •,":1141 their "dadlie
they were sworn as jurymen, and
Pte treat
oil
as it had appeared before them. %
The Jury returned a verdict of ' Is 4 ,
Wed substantially the testimony
ed very much depressed. The iiiqueto '
till half-past five.
4)f
thleldiii'ilial Mori
010,
oath.i aI -a a
ilucicosiitenr,e,