The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-26 00:00:00

road. The deceased was quite sober, and had not
had anything to drink. I asked the deceased at
Oyston-hall to go the road I was going, which
would have led to his house, to see Mr. Stanley ;
but he said he should see Mr. Stanley on Monday,
instead of going by Stanley's house. The road he
took was the nearest to his own house.
Joseph Fletcher, of Ashover-hill, cealmaster—l
was coming from my colliery, which is called Atton
colliery, on Friday, the 13th. It is about a mile
and a quarter from the deceased Sinspsou's house.
In going from my colliery to my house I pass by
the junction of the roads at Ashover-hill-top on the
left hand side. I left my colliery about a quarter
past five on Friday afternoon. I think the distance
from my collery to the junction of the roads is about
one mile. I left my colliery to go home, and when
I came up within 12 yards from the junction I saw
au object lying in the cart rut on the ground, but
could not distinguish what it was. The object was
a few paces past the junction, on the road leading
to Simpaon. s own house. There are some gorse
bushes on either side of the road. I had not heard
any previous report of firearms. I heard the de-
ceased groan. I was then on the other road leading
to my own house, and when I heard the groan I
stepped over the gorse to him. I found a man
lying lengthway in the rut, with his head laid in
the direction of his own house. I thought it was
some persun tipsy, or that he might have been
thrown off his horse. I knelt down and smelt, but
I could not perceive that he had had any liquor.
I then saw blood on his temples, and "felt very
much alarmed. I raised a cry for assistance, when
my son Iram and a young man named Cress-
well came up within five or ten minutes after-
wards. I was pacing about for five or ten
minutes till they came up. I spoke to the de-
ceased, but he did not answer, and continued
groaning. I put my arms under his shoulder
and lifted his head on the bank. I did not examine
the gorse, nor hear any footsteps before or after-
wards, nor any voices. I noticed a basket which
lay a yard from the deceased, which appeared as
though it had fallen from his arm, and a portion of
the contents was strewed about. I sent my son
and Cresswell to Mr. Bassett's for a light, and told
them to go to Mr. Skidmore's surgery. It was not
very dark, but so dark I could not seethe deceased's
face. It was a foggy night. As soon as my Ben
and Cresswell had gene Joseph Marriott came up
and looked at deceased, when he said "I think it
is the man on the hill." Shortly after Mr. Bas-
sett and Mr. William Bassett came with a lantern,
which was applied to his face, when I recognised
him as the body of Mr. Simpson. We then sent
for a door, which was brought very near 6 o'clock.
We laid him on the door and carried him to his
house. I and William Bassett took one end and
Cresswell and my son at the other. When the light
came I saw a wound near the left ear, which was
bleeding. The flesh under the ear and the back of
it and the shirt collar were blackened, as if with
powder. He never spoke at all. His waistcoat
was unbuttoned, Bach side thrown open, and one
button in the front of his trowsers was unbuttoned.
His hat was lying close by the side of his head.
There were no marks of dirt on the clothes. I did
not notice any marks of a struggle. After he had
been taken home I left for half-an-hour. I am in
the habit of passing this junction once or twice a
day on my road to and from the colliery—about
half-past four in the afternoon. I pay my men at
the colliery on a Saturday afternoon, and I am not
in the habit of earrying much ru,ney about me.
I employ about 40 or 50 men. None have left my
employ since this affair. I g) to Chesterfield once
a week, sometimes on a Friday and sometimes on
a Saturday. Igo to the bank for m eley to pay the
men, which I carry with me to my house. It was
not my intention to have gone on Friday, the 13th,
and I never stated to anybody that it was. I pay
about 461. in wages weekly, but the average would
be 501. per week. Sometimes on my way from
Chesterfield I call at the colliery, but I don't pass
these three lane ends. I generally walk the whole
way. I passed that way twice on the 13th of No-
vember, but did not see any person.
John Bassett, Ashover-hill, printer—On Friday
evening about 5 o'clock, I was in my field, which is
about 300 yards from the junction of the three
roads at Ashover-hill-top. While there I heard the
report of a gun or pistol in the direction of the
hill-top. Heard no voices nor footsteps. The re-
port startled me. It was not dark, but dusk.
There was sufficient light to recognise anybody on
the road. In about a quarter of an hour after I
heard the shot I went home. Afterl had been there
half-an-hour Tram Fletcher came to me and said,
" My father has found a murdered ma; on the road
and you must bring a light." My nephew, Herbert
Wray, and he started with a lantern, and I followed
them to the junction of the roads. I saw the man
lying in the road. He was carried home on a door,
bleeding all the way. I picked up the basket and
the hat, and carried them to his house.
Mr. P. Skidmore, Ashover, surgeon—l saw the
deceased lying in the lane about half-past 5 o'clock,
near the junction of the roads. Mr. Fletcher and
Mr. Bassett were present. I noticed a wound on
the ,left temple. It was apparently a gunshot
wound. There was a good deal of discolouration on
the left cheek from powder. lie was bleeding at the
time, and was in a perfect state of collapse when I
arrived. I did not notice his dress being disturbed
or soiled. I did not examine his clothes. I ordered
his zewoval home, and he was taken thither on a
door. The deceased was got home about 6 o'clock
and I attended him until his death, which took
place about half-past 8 the same evening. I after-
wards made a post mortem examination of the body
on Saturday evening. I found considerable con-
gestion of the brain and two wounds, a smaller and
a larger one, and considerable extravasation of the
blood, resulting from the wound. I extracted from
the wounds a bullet and some swan shot, which had
penetrated the skull, and the bullet was lodged in
the middle lobe of the brain. The shot was fixed in
the middle lobe. Both bullet and shot had penetrated
the skull. The bullet and shot being there caused
death. He could not possibly have lived. The shot
went upwards and inwards from the external
wounds. The shot must have been fired from the
left hand side of the deceased, and the gin or pis:-
tol must have been lower than the wound, but in
close proximity to the head. I should think the
gun or pistol must have been half a yard from the
deceased when the shot was fired. I can't say
whether a gun fired from that distance would not
have shattered the skull more. I gave the bullet
and slug into the possession of Sergeant Gorham,
of the p
By the Chief Constable—l extracted all the shot
from the head. There were no external marks of
violence on the body.
Mr. Wm. Jackson' Marshall, surgeon, of Mat-
lock—l first saw the deceased on Saturday night,
the 14th of November, about 7 o'clock. On the left
side of the face and neck, on the left ear, and on
the external membrane of the lett eye, there were
black marks of powder. In front of the left ear
there were two circular wounds, which penetrated
the skull. Did not notice any other marks of vio-
lence about the body. The same evening I per-
formed a post mortem examination with Mr. Skid-
more. On removing the integuments in the neigh-
bourhood of the wounds there was a quantity of ex-
travaeated blood, the texture of the temporal mus-
cles was broken up, from the openings made in the
bone through the middle lobe of the brain. The
bullet had passed through the integument, over the
idge of the temporal bone, through the middle lobe
of the brain to the upper and back part of the pos-
terior lobe, which was dark, and in whioh I found
some shot. I have no doubt the bullet and shot
caused the death of the deceased, and he could not
possibly have lived. I think from the direction of
the wound that the person firing the gun or pist
must have been kneeling on the left side of Simpson
and somewhat in front of him. The shots pene-
trated opposite the orifice of the left ear, and were
found at the back part of the head, showing that
the shot went upwards and backwards. I think
powder will blacken paper two or three yards off.
I think if it had been a gun the shot would have
gone through the brain, had there been a proper
charge of powder. I am sure I extracted every shot
from the brain.

William Barker, laboirer at a brickyard—l work
for Messrs. Fletcher and Cheatham, at the Atton
Coll,ery. On Friday, the 13th of November, a
stranger came into the brickyard about 2 o'clock
and asked me for a knife. He had some bacon,
which ho threw on the fire. I lent him the knif-,
and he brought it back and thanked mob He
asked me if Mr. Fletcher was about. I told him
he was not. He said "Oh l" and went away in the
direction of the Fabric. I saw him for a quarter of
an hour or 20 minutes. Ho was a tallish man-5
feat 8 or 9 inches, very dark complexion, and his
hair was not very short. He had a pair of cotton
trowsers on, dark pilot jacket, with the nap much
worn, two patches on his sleeve, one of which hung
out. He had no whiskers, and appeared to be
about 30 years of age. He had something under
his left arm under his coat, but I did not
see what it was. He had a black cloth cap, with a
peak on it. I did not notice his waistcoat, but
should know him again if I should see him. My
brother-in-law said the man was a person who did
not like work. His hands were white ; looked like
lady's hands. He was marked with smallpox and
slim made. His hair was dark. ' I have not seen
the man since nor before. I did not notice his
eyes.

Dennis Gorham, sergeant of police, A4hover—
On r,tarning from Alfreton se3sions on the 13th
ins';. I was inforined that a man had been shot on
the I went to my lo IgingA, where I Raw
a mau named Joseph Holmes, who said he was
waiting forme. I went with Holmes to the junc-
tion of the roads, and with the aid of a lantern, I