The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-16 00:00:00

THE MURDERS AT STANFIELD-
riALL.—COMMITAL OF RUSH.
NORWICH, FRIDAY EVENING.—The magistrates' final
examination of James Blomfield Rush terminated late
last night in his committal for trial on the charge of hav-
ing murdered Mr. Isaac Jermy and his son. From the
details which have already gone forth it has been diffi-
cult to conceive the motive which could have incited the
assassin to destroy the lives of Mr. Jermy and his son,
and attempt those of Mrs. Jermy, her daughter, and the
lady's maid. The mystery attached to the rightful
ownership of the Stanfield estate, the outrageous attack
of a body of men in taking possession of the property,
together with Rush's remarkable history, his transac-
tions with Mr. Jermy, and his publication to the land-
lords and others of Norfolk on the alleged usurpation by
the elder deceased of the Stanfield estate, have all com-
bined to perplex the public mind as to what could have
been the object of the assassin in contemplating so dia-
bolical an act. The discoveries, however, since made
by the police of forged documents and deeds, purporting
to have been signed by the late lamented Recorder, ap-
pear to supply the reason for the commission of the
murder.
At feur o'clock yesterday afternoon a communication
was sent to the reporters from the magistrates, inti-
mating their intention of throwing open the court in the
course of half an hour, when the whole of the deposi-
tions taken would be read over in the presence of the
accused, and he would then be fully committed for trial.
Accordingly, at the appointed time the court was
opened, and was soon inconveniently crowded.
After a lapse of a few minutes, Rush was brought
into the room, and seating himself at the end of a table,
drew from his coat pocket a large bundle of papers, and
proceeded to arrange them with remarkable coolness,
at the same time requesting to bo supplied with pen
and ink. He is a fine healthy looking man, with
ruddy countenance, about 45 years of age, and his
figure and gait exactly correspond with the description
of the assassin given by the domestics of Stanfield-hall.
Throughout the tedious examination he evinced the ut-
most composure.
The magistrates having taken their seat, Mr. Cann,
their clerk, read the depositions, which had been duly_
signed, by the witnesses, no fewer than 33 in number.
The first deposition read was that of James Watson,
the butler, which confirmed in every particular the testi-
mony he gave at the coroner's inquest, and which has
been fully reported in our columns.
Mrs. Jermy Jermy's statement was next read. Her
deposition, it will be recollected, was taken on the
morning following the murder. An unfavourable change
in her condition had rendered that course nesessacy.
The substance of her evidence has already appeared in
The Sun.
Being cross-examined by Rush, Mrs. Jenny said—l
do not recollect what Eliza Chestney said to me. I
think she said something. I met her at the turn of the
passage leading to the staircase heli-door. Watson
came up from the pantry. Ido not know whether the
man had a hat or a cap on. ky impression was that he
had a great-coat on. I could not say if it was buttoned or
unbuttoned. I have not been told what Watson or
Chestney said.
The evidence of Eliza Chestney, the lady's-maid, was
then read, the substance of which has also been given.
She wait cross-examined by the prisoner, and said she
did not See his face. Could not see him distinctly, be-
elute he appeared to have a mask on. Could not say
'Whether he had a hat or a cap on. Saw that he had
very broad shoulders. After she had been shot and fell
down, the man said " Poor thing, poor thing." He
looked like the prisoner Rush.
Margaret Reid, the cook's, evidence was the same as
the gave at the inquest, adding, " When I saw him I
judged who he was. I felt sure it was Mr. Rush."
The statements of Maria Blanchfore, Honour Holmes,
Coller Clark, William Fuller and Pow (policemen),
John Stanley, merchant, of Wymondham; Elizabeth
Cooper, and Stephen Amiss, police-inspector, were then
read. No new facts appeared to have been elicited from
them beyond what they had given at the coroner's in-
quest, excepting the fact that the clock in Rush's farm
—the Potash, was found a quarter of an hour faster than
that at Stanfield•hall.
The proceedings were here interrupted by the Rev.
Mr. Wilson, who, observing that the reporters did not
continue taking notes, asked them whether they were re-
porting prom memory. The Rev. Gentleman was in-
formed, that the evidence of the latter witness had already
been disclosed to the public in the report of the coroner's
preceedings.
Rush leant forward, and, addressing the chairman,
said—" Would you be kind enough to give me these gen-
tlemen's replies, for I certainly am at a loss to imagine
why they should take one portion of the evidence, and
not the other."
The Revs DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN informed him that the
evidence had transpired at the coroner's inquest.
Rush answered—" Oh! I am perfectly satisfied."
The reading of the depositions was then continued.
William Bacon, a sheriff's efficer, spoke of being in
possession of Stanfield Farm, at the suit of Mr. Jermy,
1n October, 1847. Rush wanted him to leave the farm,
as he had paid the money once. Finding subsequently
that the claim was enforced, he said, " D—n them; I'll
do for them some time yet."
The evidence of the surgeons, Mr. W. Nichol and Mr.
IL J. Tonally. describing the injuries sustained by the
deemed, was then read.
The evidence of the most important witness, Emily
Sandford, alias the widow James, was then read. The
greater part of it has already been made public, but the
following is new:—She stated that her real name was
Emily Sandford. but she had lately been called by ano-
ther name, She had signed her former depositions by
the name of Emily James. She felt obliged to do so on
account of the respectability of her mother. She had
written many papers for Rush. She had been in the
habit of engrossing. She knew the paper then produced,
and marked A. It was in her handwriting, and
in the writing called "engrossing." The signature of
"Emily Ssndford" was her writing. The three papers
then produced marked " B, C, D," were also written by
her in the same hand; and the signatures of Emily Sand-
ford were her writing. On the 3d of October she was
In London, and by the direction of Mr. Rush she wrote
oat the paper marked " D" on the same day that it bore
-date. She copied it from a rough draft given to her
by Mr. Rush, in his writing. On the evening of the
same day, at No. 2, Milne-street, London, Rush, Richard
Read, Thomas Jermy, and John Lerner came in. The
marks of John Larner and of Thomas Jermy were
affixed, in her presence, to a document. Read and she
were witnesses. By Rush's direction, on the sth of
October, she came into Norfolk by the railway; and Rush
met her at the Norwich station. She expected, when she
came down, that she was to lodge in Norwich. When
he met her at the station he said, "I will take you
to Potash to-night ;" and he drove her to Potash
Farm. She left her box at the station. While going to
the farm he told her he required her to be there for three
or four days, for he wished to have an interview with
old Mr. Jermy in her presence. She stopped at the
Potash Farm till the 10th of October, but she did not
during that time see Mr. Jermy. Mr. Rush kept her
in-doors, saying he did not wish her to be seen by the
workmen. Day by day he told her that he would see
Mr. Jermy. On the 10th of October it was fixed that
she should leave, as Mr. Rush said there was no likeli-
hood of Mr. Jermy coming. He also told her he ex-
pected Mr. Read to come from' town. It was determined
that Savory should drive her to Norwich. As they were
about to start Rush said, " As Mr. Jermy does not come
to Potash I'll go to Stanfield-hall, as I must see him be-
fore Read comes." She and Rush got into the gig, and
the boy accompanied them on foot. They went the way
to the ball across the fields. The road was so bad, that
there was very great difficulty in keeping the pony on
his legs. About two fields from thu hall they were
stopped by a great drain, and Rush wanted her to stop
there with the gig. She remonstrated; and then he said
he would go as far as the hall. When they got to the
bridge close to the hall, Rush said, " I'll go in, and if
you are required I'll send out the butler, or come myself
for you." Rush went in, and remained 20 minutes; she
was not sent for. When Rush rejoined her, she asked
him whether Mr. Jermy had come to his terms? He
said, "We cannot agree!" They got into the gig, and
proceeded onwards, and when they got to the turn to
Potash, Rush left her, and Savory drove her to the
Bowling-green Inn, at Norwich. The next day she
went to the Swan, and there she wrote to Rush,
and told him where she was. The next evening
he came to her. She stayed there three or four
days. When they left the Swan, Rushgot afl and
they went to seek for lodgings. and got lodgings'
at
Mr. Stacy's, in Theatre-street. When Rush came
;with to the Swan, Read was
ti him. After she had
been at Mrs. Stacy's a week or ten days Rush brought
her a rough copy of something in his own writing,
which he told her to copy ea a gt
sheet, which he
gave her. She made two copiessaribl'ed* direction, both
on stamps. The one produced, marked
that she so copied. After she ha.pdatcot C," was one
eedstathem, Rush
tore up the rough draft, and
ages in his
Sunday,heard
pocket. The stamps were half-crown stamps,
no more about the papers till the following
when Rush came to her lodgings, and said he would dt
at the White Hart, and Mrs. Stacy and she would dine
together as usual, and after dinner he would bring some
dessert. He returned, and brought a small bottle of
brandy, telling her that brandy would do her more good;
but she refused to take brandy, and the bottle was not
uncorked. After a short time, he took from his pocket
the two stamped papers that she had written, and said,
" I want you to put your signature to these papers you
wrote." She asked him whether she should sign her
name James or Sandford? . He said, write your own
name and the word " witness;" so she wrote " Emily
Sandford," and the word " witness." She looked at the
papers, and they were dated the 10th of October; and
she observed, "These are dated the 10th of October,the
night we went to the hall." When she copied the pap ers
she put in that date. When she wrote her own
she knew the name of "I. Jenny " was written to it.
because Rush told her to write her name opposite to it.
She wrote her name without thinking much about •
After she had signed, they had some worth abontsigit.
ing, and she said to him, " I cannot be a witness, be-
causeil. I did not go to the hall." He said, " Nonsense;
I did not want you to bo a witness; it is a mere matter
of form." He put both papers in his pocket, and went
sway in about an hour. The next day, feeling uncom.
Portable about these papers, she wrote to him, and told
him she could not he a witness. She put the letter into
the post on Tuesday evening herself. He came to her,
and was very angry; he said, "It is very indiscreet in
you to write on such a subject; you ought to
ospeak
personally, and not write letters." She t
copy of the letter, and he asked her if she hpatd aa
copy, and made her fetch it. It was written in pencil.
He took it, and tore it up, and put it in the fire. She
remained at Mrs. Stacy's a fortnight; and when Rush
came one evening, about tea time, it was arranged that
she should go to tho Potash Farm on the Friday fol-
lowing. Rush drove her to the farm, and when she got
there she went up stairs immediately. About a week or
so after she had been there Rush said, " I have more
work for you to do; some more copies for you to make'