The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-03 00:00:00

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—MaxcuEsTEn, Aug. 2.

CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Lush.)
THE HOPWOOD MURDER.
James Burrows, 18, was indicted for having, at
Hopwood (on the read from Manchester to Roch-
dale, and near Rochdale), on the 21st of May, killed
and murdered John Brennan, an Irishman.
Mr. Holker and Mr. Addison appeared for the
prosecution, and Mr. Torr for the prisoner.
The prisoner is the son of Mr. Burrows, a farmer
who keeps the Hopwood Arms inn. On Saturday,
May 19, Mr. Burrows engaged Brennan to work
for him. On Sunday, May 20, a man named Henry
Clegg was at another publichouse, the Jolly Wag-
goners, only, a short distance from the Hopwood
Arms, and met the prisoner and Brennan there.
Clegg says he saw the prisoner borrow half-a-crown
from Brennan, but a few minutes afterwards pri-
soner paid hip back. Next day Clegg again went
to the Jolly Waggoners a little before 1 o'clock.
The landlord and the prisoner, and a man named
Taylor, who was brewing, were with other company
in the tap-room drinking. About 3 o'clock, when
Clegg got up to leave, prisoner proposed to go to
Rochdale. Clegg said he had not got money
enough to go there, and the prisoner said, " Let
us go to Johnny (the deceased) in yon field,
and borrow half a sovereign off him ;" he said
they could then go to Blue Pits and take the
train to Rochdale. They went towards the field,
but Clegg remained behind while the prisoner went
and talked with Brennan. He then saw the pri-
soner and Brennan (who had been ploughing) leave
the field, taking the horse with them, and go to-
wards the Hopwood Arms. He followed and watched
them into the stable, and. remained waiting for pri-
soner about 20 minutes. Finding he did not come
back he was about to start for Blue Pits alone, when
having to pass within ten yards of the stable, the
prisoner came out and went with him up the high
road towards the Jolly Waggoners. Clegg said—
" How bast thou got on ?" and prisoner said, " He
would not lend me a halfpenny." Clegg said,
" Where is he ?" and prisoner replied, " I left him
in the stable." When they got to the Jolly Wag-
goners they went into the tap-room,but the prisoner
went on to the brewhouse, and came afterwards to
the tap-room. Ile had then got off his collar, neck-
tie, and jacket, and appeared to have been washing.
Taylor afterwards came into the tap-room, and he
and the prisoner went out into a field to fight for
half a gallon of ale. Taylor made prisoner's nose
bleed, and they then came back, and prisoner paid
for the ale. About five o'clock one of the pri-
soner's sisters was sent to the stable by her father
to give the horse some hay ; she found Brennan
lying on the stable floor near the horse quite dead,
with blood on his face. She returned and told her
brother that the horse had killed the Irishman.
The evidence of Taylor, the brewer, was that about
9 or 10 o'clock on the morning of the 21st of May,
tho prisoner at the Jolly Waggoners borrowed
a shilling from him. He saw Clegg and the
prisoner leave together between three and four
o'clock, and noticed that they were away about
three-quarters of an hour. When they returned
prisoner came into the brewhouse and gave him
back the shilling he had borrowed. He then asked
witness for water to wash in, and being supplied
with it he stripped off his jacket, necktie, and collar,
and used soap and towel. Witness saw blood on
his collar, necktie, and face, and asked him what
he had been doing ? Prisoner replied, " I've killed
yon in the stable." Witness said, " Thou
never has," and he replied, " I have."
Witness
said, " Thou never has--what hast thou done i t
with ?" and he replied, " I've killed him with a crow-
bar." Witness asked him what he bade
found out.
the crowbar, and told him he would b
be done with
wall where it
He said he had put it in a hole
bitillilding was pulled
could never be found till
htheewas afraid of no one
down. Prisoner also saidas
his reason for the crime
except Clegg, and
that Brennan wouldganvoet lend After the him anabovey money, and
he took Bs. 6d. from him. conver-
sation prisoner burnt his collar and necktie in the
brewhouse fire, and then went into the taproom.
The case lasted till late in the evening, when,
according to a telegram,
The jury found the prisoner Guilty, with a re-
commendation to mercy.
The learned judge, in a crowded and excited
court, passed sentence of death.

BREECTI-LOADERS FOR TtiluiEf;-=-Stirred by the
reported marvellous effects of the Prussian needle-gun,
the Porte has already decided on the conversion of its pre-
sent large supply of good. rifles into breech-loaders on the
Prussian or some other equally approved system. A thou-
sand rifles on the new plan have accordingly been ordered,
as experimental pieces of the new arm, from England, and
the necessary machinery will, it is said, forthwith be or-
dered for the conversion of the arms in hand into breech-
loaders after the beet model.—LeTant Arerald, July 18.