The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-08 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
HOME ClRCUlT.—Chelmsford, March 7.
CROWN SlDE.—(Before Lord Chief Justice CAMPBELL.
THE MURDER AT DO DDINGHURST,

Thomas Drory, 23, described as a farmer, was indicted for
the wilful mure.er of Jael Denny, by strangling her with a
rope.
Mr. E. James, Q.C., and Mr. Rodwell conducted the pro-
secution on behalf of the Treasury; the prisoner was defended
by Mr. Clarkson. Mr. Bodkin, and Mr. Hawkins.
The Learned Counsel for the prosecution having opened
the case in a lucid and temperate manner, the following
evidence was adduced:—

Frederick Chancellor, a surveyor, produced certain plans
of the neighbourhood ofßrEntwood—the spot where the body
of the deceased was found, and the prisoner's premises.
Thomas Last—l am the father-in-law of the deceased girl,
Jael Denny. In October last I was living at Doddinghurst,
in this county, with my wife and the deceased. We had
been there just a fortnight. Previously to that we had been
living at Mr. Drory's off-band farm. I know the prisoner
very well. He was living at this farm, and managed it for
his father. On the afternoon of the 12th of October I saw
my daughter in the cottage, about five or six o'clock. She
was having her tea between six and seven o'clock with me
and my wife. During tea she got up and said something,
and then went out. This was about half-past six o'clock, as
near as I can tell. I never saw my daughter again alive.
We sat up that night until half-past ten o'clock for her.
When she went out she had on a pink frock, a blue shawl,
her mother's cloak, and her mother's old bonnet, and
round her throat there was a piece of check. In consequence
of her not returning. on the following morning between 5 and
6:o'clock, I went to search for her. I got to Mr. Camber's
mead, or the Gravelpit Mead, and there I saw the body of
my daughter lying upon the ground. I went up to it. The
body was lying with the face upon the ground, and I saw a
cord round her neck. I did not touch her, and could not see
how many times the rope was round her neck, but I ob-
served that the end of it was loose between the thumb and
fingers of the left hand. The deceased was righthanded.
She had her cloak and bonnet on, and her clothes were
straight down and orderly. After making the discovery, I
returned towards my own house, and as 1 was going along I
met a man named Hammond, and we returned to the body,
and turned it over. I then saw that her nose was pressed
down tight, and that blood was flowing from the mouth, nose
and eyes. The ground, the spot whence I had moved the
face, had blood upon it. After this the body was removed
to my own house in the same state in which it was found.
By Mr. CLararsox—l have been married some years to

;he mother of the deceased. Before I lived with the prisoner

at the off-hand farm I lived at South Weald in this county.
The deceased had lived with us at that place. She had not
been at Mr. Drory's long before she went into service. She
was in service about eight months and then she went into
lodgings at Brentwood. After this she went to see her sister
down in Suffolk, and stayed there about five weeks, and then
she came back again to us at Mr. Drory's. She had been
promised marriage by a man named Aaron Byat while we
were living at Mr. Drory's. I think the deceased left Byat's
company and that he did not desert her. After this she was
acquainted with a man named Hubbard, and it was said that
he was going to marry her. I don't know whether he left
her or not. I don't know how long they kept company to-
gether. The deceased used to go sometimes to Brentwood

Fair, but I don't know that she ever _ danced at any of the

booths there. The prisoner managed his father's farm, and
used to send fowls and calves to market. I don't know that
he used to kill the fowls or bleed the calves. I have seen

him kill pigs sometimes. The prisoner was engaged in reap-
ing last harvest, and I remember his cutting himself; but I
don't know what trousers he had on at the time. He cut

one of his nails right off, and he went home directly.
Re-examined—lt was wheat harvest when this occurred.

I never saw the prisoner bleed a calf. The prisoner was
living at the farm at the time my daughter was there, and
they were intimate together.
Mr. W. Hammond—l live at Doddinghurst. I recollect
seeing the last witness on the morning of the 13th of Oc-
tober, about eight o'clock, in the meadow adjoining
his cottage. I heard him making a noise, and I went
up to him, and he took me into Gravelpit-mead, where I
saw the body of the deceased in the position he has described.
She was lying a little upon her left side, and quite dead. I
observed a fur tippet lying upon the ground near her. I
felt her arms and legs and found they were quite cold and
stiff, and then I assisted Last to turn her over, and I then
noticed the mad of a cord, about an inch and a half hanging
loosely on her left hand. I observed that her face was black
and very much swollen, and there was blood bubbling from
her mouth and nose. I next noticed a cord round her
neck. It was twisted three times round it. I took one turn

of the rope off the neck—that turn was a little loose. I
then put my fingers to the throat and found that the
knot of the cord was in front of the neck, and the re-

mainder of . the cord was very tight round the neck,..and

embedded in it, and the flesh Was swelling over it in
consequence of the excessive tightness of the cord. I did
not cut the cord, but left in the state I have described. After

-
I had left Last in charge of the body I went to the pri-
soner's house. It was about half-past eight o'clock. He was
❑ot at home, and, in consequence of something I had heard,
I gave directions to my brother, and went myself to Mr-
Colson, the police superintendent, and I accompanied him
to the house of Mr. Moore, at Shenfield. This was a con-
trary direction to the spot where the body was found. Mr.
Colson found the prisoner at Mr. Moore's, and we all went to
the spot where the body was lying. As we were going along
the prisoner asked me what made me out sowing so late in
my field on the previous night? I told him I was not
sowing anything, but I had drawn on a couple of loads of
soot. A person going from the place where the body was
found to Brentwood would have to pass this field. I was in
the field about eight o'clock on the night before, and this
was the time the prisoner referred to. I was about in dif-
ferent parts of the field for twenty minutes. I knew the pri-
soner and the deceased very well, and I had frequently seen
them together during the last two years, and they appeared
very familiar. Of late they had not appeared very familiar.
The last time I nad seen them together before her death
was about three weeks before it occurred. Upon that oc-
casion I saw them in the prisoner's father's mead.
By Mr. BODKIN —The deceased's father took me to the
place where the body was found. I don't know which of
us touched it first. I do not think any one had interfered with
the body before us. There is a gate in the field I have spoken
of, which would lead from the prisoner's farm to Brentwood.
I knew the man Wheel, in whose house the deceased had
lodged. I may have seen him on the Sunday before the in-
quest, but I do not recollect receiving any communication
from him respecting the deceased.
Be• examined—There was a green lane on one aide of the
field, and a road on the other.
Louisa Last—l am the mother of the deceased. She was
21 years old on the 13th of last June. I know the prisoner,
and had for some time lived at the Beech-house Farm, which
he occupied. I knew that he was intimate with my daugh-
, ter for about a year and a half before last October. On the

12th of October the deceased was living at our cottage.
We had moved from the farm on the 29th of Septem-
ber. I hads cted as housekeeper to the prisoner, and my
husband worked on the land. I remember the evening of
the 12th October. My daughter went out for a short time
on that evening, between four and five v'clock,. She re-
turned home soon afterwards, and came to me in the
garden, and in consequence of something she said
I prepared the tea. It was about our usual time for that
meal. I and my husband and the deceased sat down to tea,
and while she was having her tea my daughter looked at
the watch and got up and drank her tea, and laid her bread
and butter down and went out. She put on my old bonnet
and cloak, and a piece of check folded as a handkerchief was
placed round her head and neck. She dressed herself very
hurriedly, and did not tie her bonnet. Before she went out
she said something to me about an appointment, and on the
following morning, when I asked the prisoner where my
child was, and he said he did not know, he had not seen her,
I told him it was not true, for he did see her the day before,
between four and five o'clock, and talked to her, and ap-
pointed to meet her at half-past six at the stile nearest to my
house, and had gone to meet him. I then asked him
where he left her, and he said he had not seen her after five
o'clock, and that he had been to Brentwood afterwards. My
daughter was in good health when she went out, and she ap-
peared cheerful and in good spirits. I never saw her again
Alive. I expected from her leaving her bread and butter
in the way I have -described that she would have
returned almost immediately. I first saw the dead

body at my own house. I observed that her bonnet
was crushed both before and behind in the state
it now appears, and I also observed stains of blood
upon both the corners of the piece of check. I likewise no-
ticed some of the hair of the deceased upon the cape of the
cloak she had worn, and likewise a rent which was not there
on the previous night. On the 3d of September, before this,
I remember a youth named Gibling being at the prisoner's
house. At this time I knew my daughter was in the family-
way. I said to the prisoner, in Gibling's presence, and also
in that of my daughter, that he must be a villain to think of
marrying Miss Gibling when my daughter was seven months
gone in the family-way by him. I had heard he was going
to be married. The prisoner made no answer when I said
this to him. I spoke to him two or three times afterwards
upon the subject of my daughter's condition, and we used to
disagree. Gibling was the brother of the girl to whom I had
heard the prisoner was going to be married. On the 29th
of September I and my husband went to the prisoner's house
to receive some fruit trees we had left behind. My daughter
was at the cottage alone. I suddenly missed the prisoner
from the garden, and upon my returning home I found him
under my bed in my bed-room. My daughter was down
stairs in the keeping-room, and she appeared hot and flur-
ried. The prisoner, upon seeing me, came out from the'bed,
and handed me a paper, which I read, and he said to me,
" Here, are you going to sign this?" I saw it was my
daughter's scribbling. I told the prisoner 1 knew nothing
about it, and I was not going to set my hand to any paper
whatever. The paper appeared to have been just written.
It was then put in and read. It was dated September 29,
1850, and was as.follows :
" This is to prove that this trouble that I am in is not by
Thomas Drory, although I suppose it has been reported it is,
and, therefore, I wish to satisfy the minds of those who may
read this note, that I wish them to trouble themselves about
their own business."
It was addressed to the prisoner. •.' --
Examination continued—l cannot say whose writing is
upon the envelope of the letter. The prisoner did not pro-
duce the envelope, but merely showed me the paper. This
occurred in the bedroom, and I immediately went down to
my daughter and spoke to her, and then went out, leaving
her and the prisoner in the house. I did not know my
daughter was in the family-way until the 3d of September,
and in the ordinary course she would have been delivered
at the end of October, and linen had been prepared for the
baby, and every requisite had been provided. Before my
daughter came to live with us she had occasionally been in
service, and she used frequently to go backwards and for-
wards to the prisoner's farm. When she could not earn
enough to support herself by her needle, lused to assist her.
She was very clever at dressmaking and staymaking, and
could turn her hand to anything.
By Mr. HAWKINS—The letter is all in my daughter's
writing. It was open when it was produced to me, and it
had rot been folded. I remember that the prisoner cut his
little finger very badly last harvest, and I dressed his finger
for him, but it was bad for a long time. My daughter did
not dress very smartly.
Elizabeth ilammond—l was at Mr. Last's house on the
morning of the 13th of October last, and saw the body of the
deceased there. I helped to undress her between one and
two o'clock in the afternoon. I observed that her face was
very black and waled, and her mouth was bubbling with
blood, and her tongue was protruding from it, and clinched
very tightly by the teeth. Blood was also oozing from the
nose, the eyes, and the ears. When I took off the clothes of
the deceased I saw that her body, from her waist to her
shoulders, was very black indeed, and her neck was quite
lacerated by the cord through the akin. I also observed on
one of her wrists the marks of both rows of teeth, as if of a
bite.
Mr. Thomas Colson— I am superintendent of the Essex
constabulary, and am stationed at lArentwood. I remember
of
Mr. Hammond coming to me on the morning of the 13th
;eofbotclhye
was lying, and afterwards body. Oct o b e r ,i and givingaccompanied m me
dh information nmf: rwtmoe ant tthi oe
ton meadowo of
rt.h I%.eioov discoveryrheez
, tat
Shen_
field, where I found the prisoner sitting by the fire with his
back to me. I asked him if he knew Jael Denny. He said
he did. I then asked him when he saw her last,
and he said, "Last night, about half-past 5 o'clock, up
our mead." I asked him if he bad heard anything about

her that morning, and he said he had not, hut he had seen
her mother. I then told him I had received information
that she was murdered, and it was highly necessary he shun
go with me to the spot. He replied' Very well; I will Fo.
Before we started I asked him if be had made any appoint-
ment to meet her the night before? and he said he had not.
I asked him if he had not been in the habit of keeping cmi-
pany with her, and he said he had not for nine or eleven
months past. I then went with the prisoner to the spot
where the body lay ; and, when we came up to it, the prisoner
looked at the body, but did not speak. We were there about
twenty minutes, and the body of the deceased was then taken
to the old man's cottage. Before this was done I had taken
the prisoner into custody. When the body was removed I
observed that the nose was pressed almost flat to the face.—
(The witness here produced the rope that was taken from
the neck of the deceased. It appeared to be about a yard
long, and rather smaller than the little finger.) The knot
was nearly in front of the neck, and the bite of the noose
was nearly under one ear. The first coil was drawn very
tight, and the flesh of the neck had swelled round it. I ob-
served that the hairof the deceased appeared to be very much
matted together with blood and dirt, and the side of her
mouth was bloody. After the body had been removed
the prisoner was searched by a constable named Lennen, and
I observed some blood on his breeches. They were common
corduroy breeches. I asked him how the blood came upon
them. IN here the blood was there was moisture also, which
appeared quite fresh. The prisoner, in answer to my ques-
tion, said that it was not blue.' that was upon his breeches,
but some stuff he had had to give the calves; and when we
went to his house he would show me the pot he kept the
stuff in. He also said he had a letter in his box that would
show that the child was not his. I had said nothing to him
about any child before he made this observation. When we
got to the prisoner's place he took me to an outhouse and
pointed to a pot, and said that was the pot he had referred
to. I looked at it, and told him it was all over cobwebs, and
I showed it to him that he might see it was so. There was
a spoon in the pot, and that was also covered with cobwebs,
and could not have been made use of for some time. After
this I went into the prisoner's bedroom, and I saw his box
open, and I ,observed Lennan, the constable, take out the
letter and the envelope that have been produced. In a till
in the box I found some pieces of rope which I produce.
They do not correspond with the cord found round the neck
of the deceased, but at first I thought they did. They ate
about the same size, but the web does not correspond. The
rope that was taken from the neck of the deceased was in
the constable's hand, and when I took the rope from the box
the prisoner said, " That is not part of the rope." I after-
wards handed in the trousers and the pot with the stuff in it
to Dr. Taylor.
Cross-examined—l once stated in my evidence that the
rope found in the prisoner's box appeared to have been cut
from the same piece that was round the neck of the deceased,
but I afterwards found that I was mistaken, and told the
coroner so. It was possible that some one else might have
made some remark about the pregnancy of the woman and
the child before the prisoner said anything about the letter
that was in his box.

William Lennan, one of the Essex constabulary, said,—l
received information of the death of Jael Denny on the
morning of the 13th of October, and I afterwards accompa-
nied Mr. Colson to Mr. Moore's house at Doddinghurst.
The prisoner, myself, and Mr Colson rode in a cart to Mr.
Hammond's house, and as we were going along, I heard the
prisoner say that he saw Jael Denny about half-past five
o'clock the previous night. He said this in answer to the
question that was put to him by Mr. Colson, and he added
that he hadmet her about twenty roods up their mead. He
said at the same time that he had not met her by appoint-
ment, but accidentally. The prisoner afterwards said that
he left his own house about seven o'clock, and went to Brent-
wood. We put up the horse and cart at Mr. Hammond's, and
we three then proceeded to the place where the body was
lying, and I then unhooked the clasp of the cloak that was
on the deceased. The ribbons of the bonnet were entangled
in the rope, and I was obliged to cut off the one on the right
side. I then took the rope from the deceased's neck. There
were three turns and a half altogether round the neck. All
the three whole turns were very tightly drawn. The body
was then carefully placed upon a large field gate, and
taken to Last's house as speedily as it could be carried. I
remained outside with the prisoner while the body was
being taken in, and he said to me that he had a letter in her
own handwriting that would certify that the child was not
his. Before he said this I had not made any mention of a
child. The prisoner then said that he had heard her mother
say that she would destroy herself, and he added that the
mother had come to him about 14 days before and askedhim
if his razors were all right, and he told her he would go
and see, and he did so, and found them all right. The pri-
soner
then said that he inquired of the deceased's mother why
she asked such questions, and she answered that she had
heard Jael say that she would destroy herself, and she
thought she would get at his razors. Superintendent Colson
then came out and told me to bring in the prisoner, and I did
so, and we searched him, and found some money and other
articles in his possession, and we then proceeded to the pri-
soner's farmhouse. The witness then narrated the particu-
lars of what subsequently occurred upon the searching of
the prisoner's box and the discovery of the letter and the
rope. _ _

Cross-examined—When I was examined before the coro-
ner I swore that the two pieces of rope appeared to agree.
John Herries— On the 12th of October last I was in the
prisoner's service. I remember the evening of that day. I
saw the prisoner and the deceased together. It was about
half-past five o'clock, as near as I can tell, when I saw them.
I first saw the deceased, who appeared to come in the direc-
tion from her home, and she walked up the footpath to the
home mead till she came to a stile, and the prisoner left the
farmyard and went towards her, and they met at the stile.
They discoursed together at the stile for about twenty mi-
nutes, and then they parted, and both returned to their
homes, the deceased taking the footpath leading in that di-
rection. I left work about six o'clock. My way home led
in the same direction as the deceased's cottage, and as I was
going along I overtook the deceased going towards her own
home. From the farmyard to the cottage was about five
minutes' walk. Before I left work I saw the prisoner in the
house, and he paid me my wages. The prisoner asked me if
I was going to Brentwood, and I told him I was; and he
said he had a collar at the collarmaker's, and he asked me to
bring it for him, and I said I would. After he had paid me
he said he must make haste or else he should be behind with
his work that night. I had frequently seen the prisoner and
the deceased together before the time I have mentioned, and
I once heard the prisoner say that he should like to " shake
her off," for he was carrying it on so far it would bring him
into trouble.

Cross-examined— The place where the body was found I
should say is a quarter of a mile from the stile where they
met. It was drawing very near seven o'clock when I
started for Brentwood. I did not hear any cry or alarm as I
was on my way there.
Mrs. Last recalled—l never said to the prisoner that my
daughter would destroy herself, or anything to that effect.
I never heard her say anything of the sort. I never went to

the prisoner to ask him if his razors were all right. Nothing
of the sort ever occurred._

George Nicholls said—l live at South Weeld. I know the
prisoner. I remember on Tuesday, the Ist of October, being
with him in a field at plough. There had been a sale shortly
before at Mr. Bloore's, and the prisoner said he should blow
Mr. Hammond up for scandalising his character at the sale.
He went on to say that he had been to Jael Denny's house
on the Sunday morning to get her to write a letter to certify
that the child did not belong to him; and he added,
" George, you will hear of something very serious about Jael
Denny, for she told me on Sunday morning that she wculd
make away with herself."
Mr. W. H. Jenkins—l am a baker at Brentwood. I re-
member that on the evening of the 12th of October last I
vas near Mr. Millington's gate, at the entrance of Brent-
wood nearest to Doddinghurst. I saw the prisoner on this
night. He was coming towards me from the Doddinghurst
road. I spoke to him first. It was about five minutes past
eight o'clock.
James Millington—l am a carpenter and builder at Brent-
wood. I know the prisoner. He came to my house on the
night of the 12th of October, and brought a basket and some
eggs that I had ordered. It was a few minutes past eight
o'clock, and while he was in the house my clock struck nine.

The prisoner appeared to be astonished, and pulled his own
watch out, and I told him he need not be surprised at our

clock striking, as it was about three-quarters of an hour too
fast, and the prisoner then said that his watch was twenty
minutes past eight.
Susan Twin proved that she knew the deceased, and that
at one time she lodged at her house, and that she left in
July, 1850. She knew the prisoner, and he was in the habit
of visiting the deceased while she lodged with her. The de-
ceased employed herself in needlework and conducted herself
very respectably. Another young man besides the prisoner
used to visit her.
W. S. Hubbard deposed that he and his wife went to live
in the service of the prisoner after the Lasts had left, and
he proved that between six and seven o'clock on the even-
ing of the 12th of October the prisoner went out with a bas-
ket which had some eggs in it, and that he said he was going
to Brentwood. The prisoner took the key of the door with
him, and he saw no more of him until the next morning at
six o'clock. _

Mr. William, a surgeon residing at Brentwood, spoke to
the appearances presented by the body of the deceased upon
the post mortem examination. The face was livid, the eyes
were swollen, and the mouth was also livid and the tongue
protruded from it. There were also the marks of a deep in-
dentation upon the throat, evidently caused by a rope, and
death was undoubtedly the effect of strangulation. On the
right hand there was also the marks of a bite from a human
mouth. The witness likewise proved that the unhappy girl
was in a very far advanced stage of pregnancy, and he ex-
pressed a confident opinion that the death was not the result
of her own act, but that she had been strangled by another
person ; and he also said that her chest appeared as though
it had received a heavy blow, or as if some person had knelt
upon it. The witness also said that the effect of the pressure
by the first coil of the rope upon the trachea of the deceased
must have been to cause immediate insensibility, and it was
impossible for her to have made two other coils of the rope
round her neck afterwards. He had examined the prisoner's
mouth, and had formed an opinion in consequence with re-
ference to the bite that appeared upon the girl's hand.
The LORD CIIIEF JUSTICE asked the witness what that
opinion was?—The witness said that from the regularity of
the prisoner's teeth, and the absence of any indentations of
teeth upon the hand, he had formed the opinion that the in-
jury was of just the character that would be inflicted by such
a mouth as the prisoner's.
Dr. Taylor gave similar evidence. He expressed a de-
cided opinion that the deceased, from the position in which
she was found, and the manner in which the rope was fixed
round her neck, could not have destroyed herself; he said
that it would have been impossible for the deceased to have
screamed, or have given any alarm after the first coil of theer
rope was round her neck and tightened in the man
described.
It being now eight o'clock, the further
proceedings in this
trial were adjourned to this morning.

Winows' FRIEND SOCIETY.—The
taoonknupalale sleeting
eetingof the patrons and friends of this
society
yester-
day evening at the London Ceffe
e
Rev. J. Charlesworth, rector of
g that this society had ex-
perienced S t. h
Mildred,ouse in the chair.
Ludgate-hill; the
The report commenced by tatin
the greatest difficultytfoosrethcealsaesst t‘evnhiyc'ehartsheiny
fron
rais-
ing funds requisite to relieve those
their nature had been imperatively called upon to relieve.
The number of persons relieved during the past year was
108, in the following scale :—By grants and exceeding 205.,
t hirty-eight ; 305., nineteen ; 405., twenty-nine ; 605., three ;
and weekly allowances to nineteen. Twenty-rive had re-
ceived grants towards the purchase of materials for manufac-
ueic.; thirty, stocks for trading; and the remaining
tr'
numbere for different articles of clothing, furniture, &c. There
were six pensions of 5/. per annum to females above 60 years
of age. The receipts for the past year amounted to 1921. 14s.
7d., and the expenditure to 1911. 4s. 4d., leaving a balance
of 1/. 10s. The report was adopted ; and after a vote of
thanks to the chairman, the meeting separated.
NEW FRANKLIN EXPEDITION.—We learn that it
is the intention of Lady Franklin to tend out again the
Prince Albert, with boat parties, for the search of Regent
Inlet and the region south and west of it. The expedition
will be commanded by Mr. Kennedy, late an officer in the
Hudson Bay Company's service, who has had great expe-
rience in Arctic travelling. That gentleman (lately arrived
from Canada for the mission in question) is now in the north
engaging some of his men, and endeavouring to find some
person of sufficient enterprise, knowledge, and perseverance
to take charge, under him, of one of the boat parties.