The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-09 00:00:00

THE SUN,

MURDER, 1N SOIVIERSE'TSIRIRE.
BATe!, DEc. 8 —Th, ra-eyranimition of the priso-
ners, Eliza Flower, Jacob Windmill, Harriet Wind-
mill, ilud Stephen Box, charged on suspicion of I,eing
implicated in the horrible murder of George
Preston, near this city, as already reported in The
Sun, was proceeded with this afternoon, at the office
of the magistrates for the Bath division of the county
of Somerset, before W. Long, Esq., Mayor of Bath,
W. V. Jenkins, Esq., and Captain Duff.
' Harriet Windmill this morning told the gaoler that
she should speak the truth before the magistrates; but
upon being brought up she refused to make any
statement,
The first witness called to-day was George Wind-
mill, brother of the prisoner, Jacob Windmill, who
stated that he lived next door to his brother. It was
the same cottage in which they lived, but the two
residences are divided by a thin partition, which en-
ables persons to hear others talking on the other side.
Between seven and eight o'clock on Monday, the
night of the murder, he heard Mr. Thomas apply to
his brother for rent, and saw him go away again.
About half-past eight he heard two persons leave
his brother's house and close the front door. He
heard his brother's voice as one of them, and thought
the other person was his wife. He heard no more
till a quarter past ten o'clock, when he heard his
brother and his wife talking. Witness (lid not hear
them come in. He was sure it was a quarter past
ten, because he looked at his timepiece.
The prisoner, Harriet Windmill, cross-examined
the witness at great length, as to whether he did not
hear her and her husband laughing between the time
be had spoken of, and whether he did not also bear
his sister's voice ? But to all of her questions the
witness replied in the negative.
Nehemiah Rogers was the next witness examined
—He stated that he was a coal-miner, living at High
Lyttleton. On Wednesday, the 3d December, he
was at Priston whilst the inquest was going on, and
had some beer at the Ring of Bells, and gave Eliza
Flower some of it. As he was leaving she called
him aside and told him he would meet her husband
on his way, adding, "Tell my husband to keep in
the same story as I." lie did not know what story
she meant. He met her husband and told him to
make haste down to his "missis."
Eliza Flower—Did I not tell you to tell my hus-
band to make haste down with the children ? Wit-
ness—Yes.
Prisoner—Did I not tell you to tell my huSband
to tell the children to speak the truth ? Witness—
There was nothing said about the truth. You told
me to tell your husband to keep in the same story
as you was in.
Thos. Drake, inspector of police, then produced the
statements made by the prisoners to him before their
apprehension. Upon asking Jacob Windmill to ac-
count for his time on Monday, Dec. 1, he made the
following statement :—" On Monday last, the day of
the murder, about four in the afternoon, I came up
from the pit where I work. I went home, and stayed
at home until I went to bed about half-past eight. 1 did
not go out that night at all. At four o'clock on
Tuesday morning I got up and went to work again,
and at one in the afternoon I came up again, and went
to George Flower's to dinner. Whilst I was at din-
ner I first heard of the murder from my wife. I had
not heard of it before from any one. My wife told
tne I was to wash my skin, and go ' down to the
ground where the body was found. I did so ; but
the body was gone out of the field. I went to church
and there I saw the body on a hurdle. I afterwards
went down to the Ring of Bells, to George Flower's
wife, and waited there till she came home. I cam
home with her, and had supper there, and re-
mained there all night. I got up at four this
morning (Wednesday), and went to work until four
this afternoon, when I came up, and went to George
Flower's, where I remained until Inspector Drake
came to me."
The prisoner declined asking the witness any ques-
tions upon his statement.
The statement of Stephen Box was as follows :
From five o'clock on Monday night—the night of the
murder—until nine I was at George Flower's house.
Mr. Flower and the two boys were there. Harriet
Windmill came in about seven o'clock for some beer
for her husband. Mrs. Flower kept saying she could
not think how it was that George did not come home.
I cannot tell whether Jacob Windmill was there or
not. I left Eliza Flower's about nine o'clock, and
went home to bed. I got up at four next morning
(Tuesday) and went to work. I left work about
three in the afternoon. I beard of the murder at the
pit. I came home and washed and went down to
Eliza Flower's. George Bush's sister was there and
several others. Harriet Windmill and George
Flower asked me to go down to Priston and tell
Eliza to come home. I went down and met Eliza in
the field where the murder was committed, with
Herskiab and Jacob Windmill. I came home with
them.
Harriet Windmill's statement was almost repeti-
tion of her husband's.
Eliza Flower's statement gave an account of the
deceased leaving her house to go to the sale on Mon-
day, and to the children returning on Tuesday morn-
ing, and acquainting her that they had found the
deceased murdered. She mentioned Box being at
her house on Monday night, but said nothing of
Windmill. In other respects her statements were of
little interest.
Sarah Dagger, wife of Samuel Dagger, coal mer-
chant of Farmborough, and sister of the deceased,
deposed to receiving her brother's box from Eliza
Flower on Wednesday. She broke it open, but found
only six farthings and a few trifling articles in it.
Witness had heard the deceased complain at different
times that he had lost money out of his box at
Flower's; but that he always found the box locked
after. Ile also said there were several persons who
visited the house whom he did not like, and that he
thought he should leave before next summer.
The whole of the prisoners were then again re-
manded till Friday.
A reward of 1001., 501. being by the Secretary of
State and 501. by the churchwardens of Timsbury,
has been offered for such information as will lead to
the conviction of the perpetrators of the horrible deed.
A free pardon is also offered to any accomplice, not
the actual murderer, who shall turn Queen's evidence.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,.—For the public information, I beg to band you
a copy of the following request.
I am, Sir, ticc.,
J. A. NICUOLAY.
82, Oxford street, Dec. 4, 1851.

TO JOHN AUGUSTUS NICHOLAY, ESQ.,
Chairman of the deputation from the metropolitan
parishes on the subject of Reform in the Administra-
tion of the Sewerage and Drainage of the Metropolitan
District, &c. &c.
Sir,—We, the undersigned " district rate-payers," beg
to hand you the annexed copy of our protest* to the
Centralised Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers,
against any distraint or sale of our goods and chattels
for the exorbitant amount they have assessed, as a
" district sewers rate." And we request you will do us
the favour to lay our said protest before the deputations
at your earliest convenience, in order to this matter being
taken into consideration by them, or at a public meeting,
for our guidance.
(Signed) Richard Dover, John Palles, William Buck-
land, William Rowlett. Henry Cleat, Fre-
derick Lomax,R. P. Munro, James Peter,
John Whittaker, Richard Wood. Robert
DAVIS, Henry Duke, William Mills, P.
McDowall, William S. Allen.
* Vide our journal of 24.5 th ultimo.

DRSTRUCTION OF A FLOUR-MILL BY FIRE, AND
SERIouS Loss or Lirt,:.NENVAIIK, Dr.c. B.—This morning
a mounted messenger galloped into this town with the an-
nouncement that at Fiskaton, near Southwell, a few miles
from Newark, a flour-mill had become ignited by friction.
Whilst carrying bags of grain and flour from the store-room
four of the men engaged in this arduous duty were unhappily
buried in the ruins of a large portion of the building, which
fell whilst they were en gaged within its precincts. At noon
two of the bodies had been found, and now (three r.m.)
search is being made for the others.
CLEANSING TUE CITY STREETS.—MY. Elliott has
given notice of motion to the Court of Common Council as
follows :—" That, as the Commissioners of Sewers have de-
termined to adopt thesysotredieurloifesc,leawnhsiingi sctraeue,t6s
,c4,hf the
will
creased expense of 7,0301/ a y
City by means of street
r it is the opinion of this
(
adbe.
df
taian yo end t
foh ythae
local taxes imposed on the citizens and in
14;
roaunr
tt
otihita to
of
such
theuc
tNytlp.aurseex, expense should
rtslll'aonulbd b
yaeni
a i d
City." It is expected that the motion be entertained at
t the
will ts o
an early
isixt sitting
FROM
gof the Court.
r KOSSUTH TO
n CAPTAIN
WeeNk:.,, o
VE Ef
the
S.--
Kossuth has presented to Captain John
Madrid, a handsome silver goblet, as a token of esteem for
the kindness and attention he received from him on the
passage from Gibraltar to Southampton.
ROYAL MARINES, WOOLWICH, DEC. B—Lioute.
nants Evans and Walton, with 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1
drummer, and 71 privates of the Woolwich division, are
under orders to proceed to join her Majesty's ship London,
90, at Sheerness ; the rest of the detachment will be supplied
front the Chatham division. The officers of the Woolwich
division, with such officers who have served at Woolwich,
have given orders to Mr. Phillips to execute a full-length
p(:rtrait of Major-General Parke, C. 8., their late C 01111113111.•
dant, and when finished it will be placed in the mess-room
of the division as a memento of the esteem in which he
has always been so justly held. Lieutenant Vaughton, of
the Woolwich division, has obtained two months leave of
absence front the 4th inst.
EXHIBITION OF 1851.—The following is a list,
from the return made to the Executive Committee, on Sa-
turday evening, of the countries entirely cleared from the
building up to December Gth: —Spain, Portugal, Tunis, Jer-
sey, Switzerland, China, Bahamas, North Germany, Russia,
Van Diemen's Land, Greece, Persia, Sardinia, Tuscany,
Eastern Archipelago, Rome, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway,
Denmark, Saxony, Nova Scotia, New Zealand, Bermuda,
New Et uns%vich, St. Helena, South Australia, Cape of Good
(lope, Jamaica, and West Australia.
St a JOHN GLADSTONE, BART.--This venerable
gentleman has, for some days, been in a very precarious
state of health. Dr. J. T. Simpson, Edinburgh, has been in
attendance. Sir John rallied a little on Wednesday, but
was yesterday afternoon much weaker, and believed to be
near his latter end. lie is surrounded by all the members of
hid very attached family.—ltiontrose