The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-23 00:00:00

.4 &SIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.
TAUNTON TUESDAY, Dec. 22.
THE LEIGH-WOODS' WIELDER.
(Before Mr. Justice Willes.)
John Beale, aged 30, was indicted for the wilful
murder of Charlotte Pugsley at Long Ashton, on
the 11th September.
Mr. Stone and Mr. Coleridge were counsel for
the prisoner, instructed by Mr. Edward Chadwick,
ef Long Ashton, and Mr. T. M. Saunders, instructed
by Mr. Harris, of Bath, defended the prisoner.
Tins was a case which excited the greatest inte-
rest, it being the trial of the prisoner for t 1 e murder
of the poor woman in Leigh-woods, near Clifton, in
September last. Leigh-woods are situated close to
the river Avon, but on the opposite side to the vil-
lage of Clifton ; they are extremely beautiful, and
are the resort of all the pleasure-seekers of Bristol
andelifton. There is a particular valley there, called
Nigtissegale Valley, which is one of the moat lovely
spots in England, and it is to this valley the mind
of the reader must be directed. On the top of the
hill is a rabbit warren, surrounded by trees and
nnderwood, and for the protection of the game a
The
is kept, who lives near the warren.
. The gamekeeper's name is Worth. He is in the habit
of walking all over this place daily. On the morning
of the 10th September Worth went his rounds exa-
mining every part closely, but he saw nothing un-
common. He did not pass that way again until half-
past 5 in the afternoon, when, as he was looking
about, he noticed a handkerchief on the ground,
apparently saturated with blood. He then saw a
pool of blood on the top of a precipice overlooking
Nightingale Valley, partly covered with mould. He
looked over the precipice, and about 12 feet below,
in a kind of natural vault, he saw what appeared to
him to be a woman. He descended the hill, and
then he fouod it was the body of a woman, com-
pletely laid out, the clothes being in perfect order;
the body had not any shawl or bonnet on. There
was no blood about it. Worth instantly went
and fetched a policeinan named Jones, and they
then observed that the throat was cut, and there
watia hole in its temple. It was evident that a
murder had been committed. Worth and Jones
then took the body to the New Inn at Rownham
Ferry, which is a ferry over the River Avon, lead-
ing from the Hot Wells to Long Ashton and Leigh
Woods. The body was exhibited to any one who
came in order that it might be identified. The face
and head were much disfigured. -On Monday, 14th
Sept., au inquest was herd, and at that time her
clothes were removed from ber person: The hand-
kerchief and clothes were examined, and the letters
"C. P.," were upon theni ; but no one came for-
ward who could identify the person. A post-mor-
tem examination was made, and a bullet was found
is the bead. The teeth were very peculiar, having
been stopped in a particular manner, and the sur-
geon therefore took out the jaw. He had no doubt
that the poor woman had been murdered, and, in
his opinion, she had been first shot and then her
throat had been cut. The question then came as to
who she was, and by whom she had been murdered.
The matter, of course, soon b'came known, and it
was then found that a woman answering the descrip-
tion of the deceased had lived as cook in the ser-
vice.of Mr. Bythesea, at Freshford, near Bath.
The servants there saw the clothes which had been
found on the body, and they identified them as
those of Charlotte Pueeiley, the cook of Mr. Bythe-
sea. She had left his service on Wednesday, the
9th Sept., with the prisoner. It then appeared that
the prisoner had formerly lived at Long Ashton, in
the neighbourhood of Leigh Woods, and he had
courted the deceased, but latterly he hid been in
the service of Capt. Watkins who resided at Da-
ventry • but the courtship between him rand the
deceased still continued, notwithstanding the pri-
soner was a married man and had a wife living
near Daventry. On Sunday, the 6th of Sep-
tember, the prisoner obtained permission from
Captain Watkins (who unfortunately met wi-h
that dreadful accident the other day on the South
Devon Railway) to go out for a week. He stated
that his father was a builder at Bath, and had fallen
from a scaffold and broken his thighs ; that his sis-
ter was so much frightened that she had died, and
he wished, therefore, to ge and see his father at
Bath. He left Daventry on Sunday, Sept. 6. On
Monday, Sept. 7, the prisoner called at a shop in
Bristol, kept by a tailor named Aplio, and he there
ordered a coat, and in measuring him Apliu saw
that he had a pistol in his breastpocket ; he said he
was going to Bath. Between 3 and 4 o'clock on
Wednesday, Sept. 9, he went to Mr. Bythesea's,
and gave the servants to understand that his master,
Capt. Watkins, had discharged all his servants and
bad gone to India, and that, according to envious
arrangement, he hadcome to fetch CharlAte Pugsley,
that they were going to Southampton to be mar. ied,
and were then going to Americ a. He assisted in
carding three boxes belonging to Charlotte Pugs-
ley, which contained all she had in the world.
He directed them in his own name, " Beale Bris-
tol." The housekeeper of Mr. Bythesea asked him
as he was going to Southampton why he went to
Bristol, and he said he had some business to trans-
act there. The prisoner and Charlotte Pugsley then
left Mr. Bythesea's together. They went, accom-
panied by the butler, to the Freshford station, but
tiuding the train did not stop there they walked to
Lymply Stoke station, the butler carrying Char-
lotte's shawl and carpetbag. The prisoner and
Chariot, e then got into the train and proceeded on
their way. The luggage was forwarded by another
train after them. Tile prisoner and a woman were
•t the railway station at Bristol waiting for the ar-
rival of the 9.40 train ; the prisoner then selected
the luggage, but as it came by another train the
officer charged them 3s. 10d. for the carriage. The
prisoner demurred to this charge, and it was ar-
ranged that the luggage, consisting of three boxes,
alioald remain till then •xt morning. The prisoner
anskthes woraux then left the s ation at 10 minutes
belkapielo e?cloek. The next morning the pi-wrier
apt a, woman again went to the station, and after
some discussion he paid the 3s. 10d. He then left
tAe woman, and told the officer he was going
to Liverpool, and he had the boxes removed,
across to the Midlaud station at Bristol. They were
put in the luggage-rioin, and he took the usu d
tickets for them. He then joined the woman and
they went away. This was on the morning of the
10th of Sept., the day on which the murder was
committed. In the course of that day he and a wo-
man were seen going in the direction of Dorvnham -
ferry. Ab .ut sin the afternoon of that Thursday,
the 10th of Sept., the deceased was se:n by a per-
son named Hancock at the f )ot of the hill leading
to the warren • he could swear to her, because at
fir4t he tbou;hit wai his sweetheart, an-I be went
and looked particularly at her, she was walking
with a man wno was unknown to him. On the trp
of the bill, near Vie scene of the murder, the pri-
soner and the deceased were seen by a man named
Jackson walking together' apparently in a most af-
fectionate 'manner • he had his arm round her
waist, and she had her head upon his shoulder.
Whit a fearful contrast to the dreadful crime that
wasahortly to lee committed, and which it was evi-
dent the prisoner must for sone days have hid in
contemplation. She at that time was confiding in
his love, and he was full of murderous intent—for
what reason it is difficult to conjecture. From that
moment the poor woman was never seen again
alive. On the next day, Friday, the prisoner went
to Alpiu'a shop for his coat, and said he had boon
having a glorious spree at Bath. On the Saturday
morning the three boxes were fetched from the Mid-
land station, and on the evening of that day the
prisoner arrived at Daventry, having three boxes
with him, which were taken to Capt. Watkins's.
The prisoner told his fellow-servants that he had
buried his sister, that he had maintained her a leng
time, and he ha i brought away all her clothes,
which were in the boxes. On the Mcnday morning
be gave the wife of a shoemaker a silk dress and
other articles, the property of the unfortunate wo-
man. He told the shoemaker's wifo that they had
belohged to his sister. In a cupboard in theprisoner's
rootn the keys of the boxes were found, as well as two
pistols, one loaded and the other unloaded. The
bullet found in the head of the deceased fitted
these pistols. In one of the boxes were three new
diessee, which the poor woman had bought for her
marriage. The prisoner had dealt in lies. Captain
Watkins had not left Daventry. The prisoner's
father had not met with an accident ; and his sister
was no dead. He must have contemplated this act
before he left Daventry, for he had brought the
Distol with him and had it in his pocket when be
Xl°`l his htypoor victim and took her from her
res7rZea-oe. A more deliberate, cruel, heart-
eact:f fearful murder could hardly be
conceived. The
got up with great care, for
there was note link se was
the chain wanting.
The evidence given, bas proved the findit, of the
the identityctoofth7? leaoey
body ; the cause
by the clothes and the te,
th • this fa
it tßh psi
soner having courted her ; being
riytul
with the pistol ; his going to Mr. Bythesea's and
cording the boxes, and directing them
Bytiletshek ptri
l, -
'loner and the decease] leaving Mr.
• m the Lyruply Stoke t t 6 °-
gether, and going from s a toe to
Bristol ; the arrival in Bristol ;
the 41.
2rte at°''t
the luggage ; the prisoner being seen Bristol and
near Leigh-wood ; his return to Daventry ; tVie,
ce
finding the boxes containing the d -need's clothes ,
the pistols and bullets, and a knife with blood on
it; and the shawl the unfortunate woman wore en
the day she left Mr. Bythesea's.
Mr. Saunders addressed the jury for the prisoner.
He did not deny that the body was that ofCharlotte
Pugsley, but he denied that the prisoner was the
murderer. No motive had bean shown, and he
contended that the evidence of the prisoner
bajug with the woman near Leigh-wood was of too
doubtful a character to-justify the jury in finding
the prisoner guilty, With regard to the pistol, the