The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-26 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—STAFFORD, July 25.
CROWN COURT.
(Beford Mr. Justice Shee.)

William Collier, 35, farmer, was indicted for the
wilful murder of Thomas Smith, on the sth July,
at the parish of Kingsley, near Cheadle, in North
Staffordshire.

Mr. A. S. Hill, with Mr. Young, prosecuted; Mr.
Motteram and Mr. Loxdale Warren defended the

prisoner.

The evidence against the prisoner was almost en-
tirely circumstantial, but it was very strong. The
deceased, Mr. Thomas Smith, was the eldest son of
a large landowner, at Whiston Eaves, near Cheadle,
in North Staffordshire, and resided on his
father's estate. It was his custom at times to
go out at night for the purpose. of watching his
father's preserves, and on the night of the 4th
of July he arranged with one of the ser-
vants, a man named Bamford, that they should
both go out early on the following morning, Bata-
ford to a place called Cotton Bank, about a mile
away, and he (Mr. Smith) to a cover near to the
house, known as the Black Plantation. The ser-
vant got up at about 1 o'clock the next morning,
and proceeded to the place to which he had been
sent, and the deceased, two hours later, went to the
plantation named. Shortly afterwards shots were
heard in the neighbourhood of the preserves near
Whistou Eaves by some of the villagers who were
stirring. Bamford watched until 6 o'clock, and then
returned to the house, expecting to find his young
master there, but he was told the deceased had not
come back. Mr. Smith, sen., became very anxious,
and, togeilier with Bamford, he commenced a
search about the woods contiguous to the house.
In a quarry where, it is supposed, the deceased
wouldl have stood while watching, they found his
leggings and a piece of sacking which he had taken
to lie upon, and not far away from this Mr. Smith
picked up his son's hat. In the band there was a
white rose, which the poor young gentleman had
placed there the previous night. The clown of the
hat was torn in two places, apparently by shots fired
from behind. A little further on, in a hollow, and
amongst a great quantity of briars and fern, they
found the dead body of the deceased. He was lying
on his back, quite cold, and had been dead for some
hours. When the head was lifted up it was found
that the skull had been entirely beaten in. Under-
neath the head there was a pool of blood, and there
could be no doubt that death was caused by the in-
juries inflicted at the back of the skull. A very
short distance from the body was found a trigger
and one of the locks of a gun, and further on
part of a gun stock was picked up. On the
day after the murder a servant in the employ
of Mr. Smith's father commenced to examine
the vicinity to see if he could find any instru-
ment such as would inflict the injuries described,
and in a dry ditch in a field on the prisoner's
farm he found the double barrel of a gun, broken
off at the stock. On one of the barrels there was
a hair of the same colour as that of the deceased,
and a spot of blood was also observed. The
trigger, locks, and stock corresponded with the
barrels, and the gun was identified by a gunsmith,
named Mellor,who lived nearW histon Eaves, as one
he sold to the prisoner in November last. When
arrested there were spots of blood on the prisoner's
clothing. The result of the post mortem examina-
tion was the finding of three shots in the deceased's
skull, and the opinion of the surgeon was that the
wounds at the back of the head had been inflicted
with a blunt instrument ; in fact, they were such as
would be caused by the stock of a gun. The surgeon
also examined the trousers of the prisoner, and ho
found that from the knee downwards they were
blood.
damp, as if they had recently been sponged,eeof whilst
on the lining there were several traces
inaneanblsooadt
dTohhe, cwl ohtoh i
sPtarionfsess.w eorreTtahyolsoer,o of fbLon-
fnogu nwda st
hsaetn tthteo
ood,
present within
but he was not atbhlee distinguish means
hthuem
from that of many domestic animals. The learned
professor'ssecution.
At 10 o'clock the jury found the prisoner guilty
evidence concluded the case for the pro.
but recommended him to mercy on account of his'
previous good
Sentence of death was
passed in the usual form.
character.