The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-26 00:00:00

The Birmingham Murder.

An inquest was held on Wednesday afternoon
before Mr. Birt Davies, the borough coroner,
for Birmingham, on the body of Mr. John Pryse,
who was shot dead a fortnight ago under the cir-
cumstances which have already been detailed in The
Sun. There was a great crowd to see Scott, the mur-
derer, when he was brought up from the hospital.
He is a young man of rather pleasing appearance.
Mr. Godson, of the Oxford Circuit, attended on
behalf of the friends of the deceased ; the accused
had also legal assistance. The first witness was Mr.
C. Pryse, the brother of the deceased. He said—
At 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the 6th (the day of
the murder) my partner came to me in my office at
our warehouse in Ashtou-street, and asked me to go
into his private room to have some conversation.
Some time after I went to him, and in the room
with him I found the prisoner Scott, . who was a
clerk, and officiated as cashier to the firm. Mr. Red-
man informed me in the presence of Scott that he
was a defaulter. Scott admitted that he was a de-
faulter to the extent of some £6. In the course of
some conversation which followed another matter—
another deficiency of scrap gold—arose ; that is, I
asked him how the £6 deficiency arose, and he ex-
plained that some scrap gol I hail been sold and that
he kept back the money. I then sail to him, " You
seem to be a scamp." lie said, " I am not." I then
sail, " It seems like it ; this comes of your keeping
too much company, and being too fond of pleasure."
Mr. Redman then ordered him to leave the room
and prepare his books. He left the apartment, and
Mr. Redman and I remained in conversation. We
consulted as to how we could deal with the case,
and while doing so heard the report of a pistol. The
witness then described what subsequently took
place ; his struggle with Scott, and the attempt on
the part of the latter to bring the pistol to bear on
witness's body. Mr. Richard Redman, the partner
of the former witness, gave evidence to the
same effect ; and a warehouseman in the employ of
the firm testified to the application by the accused
for a revolver. Henry Griffin Plant, a clerk in
the employ of the tirm, said,--on the afternoon
of the 6th of April I was in the same office with
Mr. John Pryse, the deceased. I was engaged iu
writing on an invoice, and the deceased had been
engaged in looking some rings out. As I was writ-
ing I heard the click of a pistol. I don't re' ollect
having heard anything else. I then turned round
and saw the deceased facing the prisoner James
Scott—they being from Eft. to Bft. apart. A struggle
took place, Scott walked backwards, keeping his face
to deceased, who followed into his (Scott's) room,
which is only separated from deceased's by a glass
partion. Scott had a revolver in his right hand ; in
the struggle Scottdischarged a shot into Mr. Pryse's
bowels. Mr. Pryse went or staggered back into his
own room, Scott following him up close behind.
Mr. C. Pryse and Mr. Redman then came in. Scott
fell back against the desk, and I held his shoulder
to pull him back, trying to prevent further damage.
Mr. C. Pryse also seized him by the right hand, but
he discharged the revolver into Mr. Pryse's hand.
After a struggle the revolver was taken from Scott
by Mr. C. Pryse, who struck Scott on the head.
No words were exchanged during the whole time
between the deceased and Scott, nor did I say any-
thing. I was struck dumb, and could not speak. I
noticed nothing particular in the manner of either
of them. By the Coroner—When Scott fell back
what became of the deceased ?--He fell on the floor
just after Scott had the pistol taken from him. An
hour after the occurrence John Meers, a gunmaker,
heard Scott say that he had killed Johu Pryse. The
exact words he used were, "It was me did it ; I
killed John Pryse." I don't know who he said that
to. I also heard him say, " John Pryse has been a
enemy to me for a good while." This was
the principal evidence. After the coroner had
summed up, the jury returned a verdict of " Wilful
Murder" against Scott. The inquest lasted six
hours. Yester*y morning the prisoner was brought
up before the borough magistrates, and, similar
evidenee to the above having been adduced, the pri-
soner was committed to take his trial at Warwick
Assizes.

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