The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-08 00:00:00

Nh. IV COURT.

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MCRDER.—George John Hewson, aged 45, and de-
scribed as a working! eweller, was placed in the dock
indicted with the wilful murder of William Henry
Woodhouse, one of the turnkeys in Coldbath-fields prison.
Mr. Bodkin conducted the prosecution, and the pri-
soner was defended by Mr. Clarkson.
The prisoner pleaded Not Guilty.
Mr. BODKIN, in stating the case for the prose-
cution to the jury, said, the prisoner had been
confined in Clerkenwell prison, and while there had some
altercation or difference with another prisoner, and it
was the duty of the deceased to report the fact to the
governor. The prisoner, it appeared, asked the de-
ceased if he meant to make that report, and he replied
that he certainly did. Shorty, afterwards the
prisoner, in the hearing of some other inmates
of the prison, said that it would be the worse
for him if he did so. at was then supposed that the
prisoner had, while in the oakum room, taken the oppor-
tunity of secreting a knife, which was used in picking
the oakum. about his person, and when he was removed
to a solitary cell where it became the duty of the de-
ceased to attend him, it appeared that the deceased went
to the cell with a tin pannikin, and when there the pris
soner took the opportunity of stabbing him to the heart.
That was the simple outline of the case, and it would be
for the jury to decide upon the evidence which would be
brought before them.
The following witnesses were then called,
Mr. George Chesterton said he was the governor of
the House of Correction at Coldbath-fields, in which
the prisoner had been an inmate. He knew the de-
ceased, and recollected on Saturday, the lOth of June,
his making a report to him with respect to the prisoner.
The report was made in the hearing of the prisoner. A
complaint had been made by the prisoner that
another prisoner had stated that he had intercourse
with his daughter. The deceased said he did
not believe the truth of the prisoner's statement,
and he (witness) said he did not believe it either, and he
further told the prisoner that he would remove him into
a cell by himself, as he was not a man that ought to be
allowed to associate with others. The prisoner was
then removed to cell No. 5, in No. 5 yard, and
itness afterwards saw the deceased Woodhouse
carried out wounded from the same yard. Witness
then went to the prisoner's cell, and said to him,
" You have done a fatal deed at last—the poor man is
dead, you have killed him." The prisoner only replied,
"It has served the b--y villain right, I wish Latham
(another warder) had been in the way, and I would
have served him in the same way."
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—He inquired into
the truth of the reports both before and after the fatal
occurrence, and ho thought the prisoner a worthless fel-
low, and punished him accordingly.
Re-examined by Mr. CLERK—Witness had unhappily
heard so many instances of the prisoner's desire to pub-
lish his shame that he thought him quite unfitted for the
society of other prisoners.
Henry Young said, on the 10th of June last, he
was a prisoner in the Coldbath-fields prison.
He was in No. 5 yard. About six o'clock in the
morning of that day he heard the prisoner call
Woodhouse. The prisoner was then in the cell, and
Woodhouse went into the cell. Ile did not hear what
the prisoner said, but when the deceased came out of the
cell he heard the prisoner say, " Do you intend to make
a report of it?" The deceased replied, "Of course I
shall." Woodhouse then spoke to another officer near
the cell. The prisoner said, "If you do it will be the
worse for you."
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—Was employed
as an assistant to Woodhouse. Never heard any one of
the inmates of the prison jeer the prisoner about the
crime he had been charged with committing, and for
which he had been imprisoned. Did not know what he
was confined in the prison for. When he heard the con-
versation between the deceased and the prisoner he was
in a passage.

WiMarti Cooper, a warden, said, about six o'clock
in the morning in question he was in yard No. 5, and
heard the prisoner ask Woodhouso if he intended to
report the matter to the governor, and he said, " Yes,
certainly, I do." Did not hear the prisoner make any
reply. About half-past eight heard a noise in
the yard some one calling out for Wood-
house. The noise came from No. 5 cell in No.
5 yard, where the prisoner was confined.
He then saw the deceased go up to the cell and ask what
was the matter. The prisoner said, " I hope you will
not forget me when the extra bread is given ont." His
attention was drawn to the same yard about half an
hour afterwards. He then saw the deceased in
the yard about six yards from the cell No.
5. The deceased made a kind of screeching noise,
and staggered; as if he were going to fall backwards.
(Witness produced a knife which had been found in the
prisoner's cell by another warden.) That knife was given
to witness by the governor for the purpose of producing
it in the court.

Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—The deceased
Woodhouse searched the prisoner before he was brought
before the governor and confined in a separate cell.
By the JUDGE —When he saw the deceased staggering
it was about half an hour after he had heard the prisoner
call out for Woodhouse. The prisoner's cell-door was
partly open when he saw the deceased staggering back-
wards.

Alfred Waddilow, a prisoner in Cold-bath•fields, was
next examined—He was in yard No. son the morning
of the fatal occurrence. He saw Woodhouse go to No.
5 cell about nine in the morning and open the door. About
two or three seconds afterwards prisoner came out of the
cell with a pannikin in his left hand, and appeared to have
something in his right hand. The deceased was stand-
ing :on the steps, and the prisoner gave bun o, blow