The Sun.
London, England, 1833-07-23 00:00:00

SIXTH DAY.

Yesterday afternoon, at two o'clock, the inquest of John
Peacock Wood, the Waterman, was resumed. The pro-
ceedings appeared to have lost none of their interest, and
by the time the Jury had assembled the street in front a
the house was filled with a dense multitude of both sexes,
among whom the greatest excitement prevailed.
Douglas deposed as follows:—My name is John
Douglas, a police-constable of K division, No. 27, and
have been acting sergeant for the last is months. I was
acting sergeant on the night of Thursday, the 11th in-
stant. He (Douglas) wished to address a few words be-
fore he commenced his statement. He had been held tip
as a most atrocious murderer, and he appeared there under
most peculiar circumstances, and Le hoped the Jury
would take nn advantage of what he said.
CORONER-No advantage, I again tell you, will be
taken, unless you criminate yourself.
Foreman—No advantage will be taken by u.- If we
can acquit you of all blame we will.
He then went on. On Friday week last I was on duty
in Shadwell High-street, from about twelve until a quarter
before one. About half-past twelve I fell in with Mr.
Fagan, the Inspector, and patrolled the highway with him
for about a quarter of an hour. About a quarter of an
hour before one, we were standing opposite the White
Hart, Shadwell High-street. I heard some noise from
within the White Hart, but took no notice of it until Fagan
said " Douglas, go and see what that noise is." I knocked
at the door and it was opened by a man of colour, who
usually opened it. I have been there frequently, and
know it to be the case. I entered and saw the deceased
(Wood) standing and leaning on the door. Mrs. Perkins,
the landlady, said to him " go home, I'll draw you no
more. I want to go to bed." I stood a few seconds
listening to all parties, and then said,—" Come, Wood,
you had better go home." I do not exactly recollect what
answer he made in the first instance, and I repeated the
words. His answer was, " I shall go when I like."
I said, " But you must go now, Wood." Mrs. Per -
kins looked at me, and said, " Get them out,
or you must get them out." There were at that
time three persons in the house with the deceased, a pros-
titute, Hartley the man of colour, and his (Hartley's)
wife. I laid hold of Wood by the collar. I got him a
short distance from the bar, about half way between the
bar and door, when he caught hold of me likewise. I
succeeded in getting him to the door. I gave myself rather
an extra exertion to get myself from his hold, and him from
mine. Ile had hold of me with both hands by the collar,
a sort of clinging position as any careless drunken man
would. He was very drunk. I put him out of the door
as I said before, by an extra exertion to extricate myself
from him. I i.avv him outside the door in a staggering
position, while so, I returned into the house to fetch
the woman Ford out of the house. I brought her out
when the door opened, and I was coming out with her. I
saw the deceased lying on the pavement with his feet lying
near the door. I was rather surprised ; for I expected
that after he was put out he would have gone away home.
I took Ford part of the way across the road towards the
Match-walk, where I knew she lived. When I returned,
1 saw Sergeant Patterson, No. 9, and Inspector Fagan,
and another policeman named Hawkridge, perhaps two,
who had joined the man lying on the pavement. At this
time his hat, a white straw one, with a black crape round
it, was lying under his head. There was a piece of greasy
paper in it. I had been informed that the girl Ford had
robbed the deceased of a piece of pork. I assisted the
other officers I before named, in raising the deceased from
the ground, and in carrying him to about New Gravel-
lane. While I was with the deceased, he was carried per-
fectly safe. 1 returned to patrole Shadwell High-street,
and after going once down the street, nearly as far as the
Church, seeing all clear, I returned back again to the White
Hart, and ordered Hartley and his wife to go out. After
that I again patrolled the Highway upwards, in d:-
ing which I overtook, in addition to the men I had
left with the deceased, Clapson and Freeman disputing
as to the sections, and to who should carry the man. I
said, " What nonsense about sections ; go on with the
man." I returned again downwards, and saw Fagan,
who was ordering a drunken man to go home. Fagan
said, " Douglas, if this man don't go home pass him down
to the watchhouse." This was nearly opposite the
church. The man was dressed. I took him along the
High-street to Old Gravel-lane, and when about half
way down, that is, half way from the top of the
bridge, I saw some persons on the opposite side to
where I was ; when I came on a level with them I dis-
covered it to be Costello, Edwards, and Freeman, while
Nicholas, 38 K, was on the opposite side. The latter
seemed to be leaning his head ag linst the wall, as if he
was vomiting. I said, " lisvn't you got any further yet ;
how is this ?" Nicholas answered, " No; what have you
got there?" I said, a prisoner of Fagan's, and Nicholas
exclaimed, " I'll pass him down." I crossed the road and
saw the deceased sitting down on same rising ground,
with his face towards the swivel bridge. Edwards was
leaning against the railings, and said, " See what a
pretty mess lam in." Costello at that time was a few
yards off, talking to a man, and he said, " This man,
(pointing to the one he was talking to) will carry him
clown, Douglas." He asked me if I had any objection,
and I said, I saw none. About this time I saw Falconer,
a Thames police surveyor, on the other side, and I
hailed him. He crossed over to me, and said, " What
have you got there?" I said, " Wood, or Jack 'Wood."
Falconer made some remarks about his general drunken-
ness, and held up his head, to look at it. Costello then
commenced searching the man. I stooped rather low,
with my bull's-eye lantern, to afford him a light to do so.
I saw him take from his waistcoat-pocket seven shillings.
The men then all joined to lift him on the back of the
man to whom he had been talking. While going down
the man said he was slipping off his back, and he had
nothing to hold him by. I saw Costello at that time
change the money from his hands into those of Edwards's.
After staying five minutes they proceeded on towards the
station-house and I walked behind. I have stated all 1
have to state, and that is the truth unvarnished.
The CORONER, addressing the Foreman, had no wish
to restrain him from cross-examining the noun, but he put
it to his good sense whether he would do so. His decla-
ration was voluntary, and he was placed in most peculiar
circumstances, and it might perhaps defeat the ends of jus-
tice to interrogate him. He should not put a single question.
The Foreman consulted with his brethren, and said "Mr.
Coroner, we will bow to your superior judgment. We will
ask no question of the prisoner—(Jury, " No, no:,
I mean the witness. In justice to all parties we will not
cross-examine him at all."

CORONER...a think your determination does you great
credit; you have exercised a most sound discretion.

The deposition of Douglas was then read over, and he
signed it.
After some other witnesses had been examined,
The ConoNEre said he saw no necessity for having
called Mr. Wilson, or any other witness, after the decla-
ration which Douglas had just given. He put it to the
Jury whether they would break into any fresh evidence.
The Foreman said, if there were any other witnesses,
he and his brother jurymen would hear them. They
were determined to have every possible evidence that would
throw any light on this mysterious transaction, but if
nothing fresh could be produced, their minds were made
up.—(Loud clapping of hands followed this speech.)
The Coroner in a very indignant manner rose, and
ordered the officer to take every man into custody who
should offend again. If he could not keep order by means
of the headhoroughs, he would send to the Secretary of
State for a protecting force.
Mr. Rogers, a Juryman—Our own common sense will
preserve the peace, without the necessity of doing that.
It is your partiality that has created whatever noise has
occurred.

The Coroner then proffered to read over the evidence,
which the Jury declined. The Coroner observed, that if
they intended, by their verdict, to inculpate any person,
it was his duty to read the evidence. Ultimately the
Coroner read over the evidence, commenting on parts of
it as he proceeded. The Coroner then laid down the law
of the case in a clear and perspicuous manner ; and ob-
served, in conclusion, "It will be for you, Gentlemen,
most seriously to consider whether any really satisfactory
evidence has been adduced, proving that such an extreme,
wilful, and deliberate outrage has been committed to jus-
tify the verdict of murder. You will further consider
whether the death may not have been caused by a want
of due caution in the discharge of a legal duty. If you
should be of opinion that culpable negligence or want of
due caution has been exhibited by any person in the dis-
charge of a duty requiring caution, and from the neglect of
which caution it was probable that death would ensue,
and that death has thereby ensued, you will find a verdict
of manslaughter."
The Jury then retired, and after an absence of nearly
three hours spent in considering their verdict, at an ad-
vanced hour of the night returned into Court, when the
Foreman, in the midst of the solemn silence which pre-
vailed in the room, addressing the Coroner, stated, that it
became his most painful duty to pronounce a verdict
which much affected himself and his brother Jurors. They
had been upwards of two hours out in considering their
verdict. It became their painful duty to return a verdict
of ', Wilful murder" against some policeman unknown.
And, Sir,
said the Foreman, to that verdict we would add

a hope that the Government will offer a reward for the
discovery of the murderer.
The CORONERI will take care to wait on the Secre-
tary of State this day, and to make your wishes on this
subject known to him.
The Jury thanked the Coroner, who then proceeded to
draw up their verdict, which ivould take him an hour ;
and added—" Gentlemen, it is your verdict, and not
mine ; and on you rests the responsibility."
The CORONER then proceeded to draw up the verdict,
and while engaged on it, received several hints from the
Jury, who, on his reading it over, observing that he had
stated " by some person being a policeman," required him
to alter it, and to state " by a policeman of the K Divi-
sion," which they considered an act of justice to the rest
of the police. They then all signed the verdict, and the
Court, at nearly 3 o'clock, broke up.
The house and street were greatly crowded, and the
verdict was received both in and out of doors in the ut-
most silence.