The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-02 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—WINCHESTER, March 1.

CROWN COURT.
TIIE ANDOVER MURDER.
(Before Mr. Baron Watson.)
At the opening
.of the Lent Assizes this day, his
lordship, in charging the grand jury, complimented
them on their numerous attendance. He said he
could not congratulate them on the state of the
calendar, as on the present occasion there were 71
prisoners for trial, and many of them were charged
with very serious offences. There was a serious
charge of murder committed at Andover. Two
persons, Thomas Alexander Banks, and Emma
Banks, his wife, were indicted for the wilful murder
of William Parsons, a linendraper, on the night of
the 22d November. The deceased left his home at
nine, and was not seen again by his household ;
next morning his body was found in a field in such
a state as to leave no doubt of a most brutal murder
having been committed. An ash stick, six feet long,
was lying near, the evident instrument with which
the deed was perpetrated. The deceased's watch and
money were perfectly safe in his pockets. Between
half-past 9 and 20 minutes to 10, several persons
heard cries of " Murder" and the sound of blows
coming from the fields, about a quarter of a mile
from the town, and from this it was considered
clear the murder was committed between half-past
nine and a quarter to ten. The prisoners were not
arrested till some days after the murder. The im-
portant question for the jury was whether sufficient
evidence of suspicion existed against them. At nine
o'clock the female prisoner was passed on the road
walking, and when asked to get up and ride in a
friend's vehicle, she refused. The party in the vehicle
went on to the Railway Tavern, and there finds the
male prisoner, who shortly leaves, saying he should
be back in a quarter of an hour. At ten o'clock both
prisoners are seen walking together back towards
the town. The question arose where were the pri-
soners from about a quarter past nine till ten, they
not having been seen during that interval, and the
possibility existing of their having been at the scene
of the murder, only a quarter of a mile off. The
evidence against the prisoners was entirely cir-
cumstantial, but when there was a complete train
of circumstances, that evidence was perhaps
the best. It seemed that the female prisoner took a
dress from the deceased's shop on the 21st October,
but it did not clearly appear whether the act was
looked upon as a theft or not. The husband had
seen deceased about the affair, and they had been
heard having warm words. There was a suggestion
of a familiarity between the woman and the deceased,
but nothing in the depositions went to that extent so
as to prove it. 11l will appeared to be created
through tie taking of the dress. If the evidence
was not conclusive the jury had better ignore the
bill, as if they found upon weak testimony, avid the
prisoners were acquitted, they could not thereafter
be charged again if better evidence came to light.
After some further remarks the grand jury were
dismissed.
In the Andover murder case upwards of 40 wit-
nesses are subpoenaed for the prosecution. Mr.
Slade, Q.C., and Mr. Poulden are retained for the
Crown ; Mr. Edwin James, Q.C., and Mr. Cole-
ridge defend the prisoners. The, case excites
immense interest.