The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-23 00:00:00

ASSIZE IN TELLIGBN CE.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—TAUNTON, March 22.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Martin.)
THE DUNDRY MURDER.
Matthew Wedmore and Charles Wedmore were
indicted for the wilful murder of Sarah Waterman,
at Dundry, on the 9th of January.
Mr. H. T. Cole and Mr. Bere were counsel for the
prosecution, and Mr. Speke defended the prisoners.
It appeared that George Waterman and the
deceased, who was his wife, both being between 70
and 80 years of age, lived together in a cottage
under Dundry-hill. George Waterman was a
Chelsea pensioner. He had a cottage and orchard,
and he kept a cow, and was considered in the
neighbourhood to be a thrifty man, who had saved
some little money. The two prisoners were bro-
thers, and were great nephews of the old man. One
of them, Charles, was a private in the Royal
marines, and the other, Matthew, was a labourer
about the quays of Bristol. A man named Keeble,
who had been a policeman, was intimate with the
old people. About 7 o'clock in the evening of Wed-
nesday, the 9th January, as the old people were sit-
ting, healthy and well, by the fire in their kitchen,
they heard a knock at the door. The old man asked
who was there, and a voice answered, " It is the
policeman John." The old man then opened the
door, and there he saw both the prisoners.
Matthew immediately struck him a blow on the head
with the bludgeon he had in his hand. The old
man retreated. Matthew followed him, striking
him with the bludgeon until he knocked the old
man down ; he was almost unconscious. Matthew
then dragged the old man by the collar into the
hack kitchen, and then dragged him upstairs.
Charles followed, and he ransacked the room while
Matthew stood over the old man. They asked him
where his money was, and he told them in a box.
Charles found two loaded pistols, which the old
man was in the habit of keeping under his pillow.
He pointed one at him and said, " Kill him ; we
don't mind killing people." The old man begged
them not to injure his wife. Charles said he had
put her to sleep. Matthew then dragged the old
man downstairs again. The prisoners said they
wanted something to eat, and Charles took a loaf
and cut some bacon that was hanging up, and
wrapped them up in a handkerchief. They asked
the old man for a rope, and he told them where
there was one. They got the rope and then
dragged the old man into the back kitchen, and
Matthew tied the old man's hands and feet to-
gether, and then tied him up to the rack, and
I told him not to move for 20 minutes, and then to
I call his wife to release him. The prisoners then
went away. The old man contrived to get loose
and went into the kitchen, where he found his
wife lying on the floor alive, but almost dead.
He tried to raise her up, but was so much exhaus-
ted from the loss of blood that he could not succeed.
He then crawled out to the next cottage, some 300
yards off, and gave an alarm. Some persons re-
turned with him to his cottage; they found the old
woman still breathing, but insensible. A surgeon
was sent for and he examined the poor old woman,
and found her lying in a pool of blood, with her
skull fearfully fractured, evidently by three sepa-
rate blows. There was a pair of tongs lying near
her, with blood and hair on them. She lived for
about two hours, and then died, evidently in con-
sequence of the injuries she had received. The old
man was for some time in a most dangerous state,
but at length he rallied and got well. Upon search-
ing the house they discovered that some money, two
silver watches, a brace of pistols, and a bunch of keys
were missing. Information was immediately given to
the police. Suspicion rested on the prisoners, who
had been together that day in the neighbourhood of
Dundry. The next morning the police got upon
the track of the prisoners, and about 8 o'clock in
the evening they traced them to the Hot Wells,
and saw them walking along the road. One of the
police, named Morse, went towards Charles, who
ran away for about 40 yards, and then turned
round and fired a pistol at Morse, which fortunately
missed him. Matthew was then seen trying to get
something out of his pocket, but the police were too
quick for him, and found he had a pistol in his
pocket, loaded and capped. They were then taken
into custody. Blood was found on both their shirts.
The pistols found upon them were the property of
the old man, and had been taken away on the night
of the murder. The prisoners were seen together
on the morning after the murder at a beerhouse at
Bristol. They had then two silver watches in their
possession, which they got a person to pledge for
them in Bristol. Those watches were the property
of the old man, and had been taken away on the
night of the murder. On the 14th of January
Charles Wedmore desired to make a statement
relative to the murder, and on the 18th of March
Matthew Wedmore also made a statement. Both
these statements corroborated the evidence of the
old man, only each prisoner laid the actual murder
on the other.
Mr. Speke then addressed the jury on behalf of
the prisoners. He complained that a great body
of evidence had been sprung upon him that day of
which he had not been aware, for it was only since
he had come into the court that he knew of the
statements which the prisoners had made, and
several of the witnesses who had been called had not
been examined before the magistrates. He should,
however, contend that, in point of law, they could
not be convicted of murder, because no one could say
which of the prisoners had struck the blow which had
caused the death, and then he urged that there had
not been any common intent or purpose between
these two men. The statement of one prisoner was
not evidence against the other, and each had laid the
offence upon the other. Charles said it was Matthew
and Matthew said it was Charles. Was there any
common design to do anything to carry out their
purpose ? He submitted that they
thing to show it. had heard no-
Mr. Baron Martin said that if these two men
went with the intent to commit a robbery and of
using violence if it should be necessary, and. that
the violence of either led to the death of a person,
they were both guilty of murder. If they believed
the evidence that had been given, it Was his duty
to tell them that both these prisoners were guilty
of murder. The evidence of the old man was one
he had ever heard, for it
of the most extraordinary

OXFORD CIRCUIT.
SHREWSBURY, MARCH 22.
Elizabeth Griffin, 36, single woman, was charged
with the wilful murder of her illegitimate child,
William Griffin, aged nine months, on the 3d of
March, 1861, at Shrewsbury.
Mr. Best conducted the prosecution; Mr. H.
Matthews, at the request of the learned judge, de-
fended the prisoner.
Mr. Best, having stated the outline of this pain-
ful case to the jury, called several witnesses, who
proved the following facts.
It appeared; that, in the month of June last,
the prisoner was residing in the house of some
poor people named Peel, in the town of Shrews-
bury, and was there delivered of a male
child on the Bth of June. She called the child
William, and remained there till the month of
November, when she took the child to the house of
a Mrs. Grist, also at Shrewsbury. While at Mrs.
Peel's the prisoner nursed her child and treated it
with kindness. The child was healthy, but it once
had an attack of inflammation of the lungs. Tha
prisoner had no father and no mother living-. Mrs.
Grist stated that about the end of November last
the prisoner broug I. ' ' "d to her house, and
:
placed it with her to k- - . A agreed to pay. her
3s. a week. The prisoner after Nerds herself went
to lodge ' with Mrs. Grist, and stayed there for .
about a fortnight when she took the child away,
one Sunday evening, the 3d of March. She went
away with the child about the o'clock in the even-
ing. ..
. The child teal not been well at the 'time Mrs., -' -
a.,
Grist bad the child. The prisoner returned at be- '"Fr.
tween eight and nine o'clock in the evening, with-
out the child. The next day, Monday, the 4th of
March, the prisoner said she was going to see the
child before she went to her place, and the next
day, Tuesday, the sth of March, in answer to a
question, she told Mrs. Grist that she had seen the
baby, and it was better, and that it was in Abbey
Foregate, Shrewsbury. The witness identified a
shirt, flannel, and socks found upon the body of the
child, also a plaid frock, &c., afterwards found in
alsothe prisoner's box, and she spoke to the iden-
tity of the body of a child which had been shown
her. The child was teething while with Mrs. Grist,
and suffered from convulsions, and it was to leave
in consequence. A man named Robert Ellis, on
Sunday, the 10th of March, saw the body of a child
on the banks of the Severn, at Monkmoor, about
two miles from Shrewsbury. It had en the shirt,
flannel, and socks identified by Mrs. Grist, and the
body was also identified by her and other wit-
nesses. John Davis, a sergeant of the Shrewsbury
police,
stated that, on the morning of "Wednesday,
the 13th of March, he went to the house of the
Rev. Mr. Gifford, the master of the grammar
school at Birmingham, where the prisoner was
in service, and took the prisoner into custody,
upon the charge of murdering her child. The
prisoner said nothing, but began to cry.
The policemen took possession of the prisoner's
boxes, of which the prisoner had the key, and
brought them to Shrewsbury. The prisoner was
searched, and a key taken from her, with which her
box was unlocked in her presence, and in that box
were found a hood, a plaid frock, and a pinafore.
The first two articles were identified by Mrs. Grist
as a part of the clothing which the child had on
when the prisoner took it away, The witness stated
that the prisoner cried when he took her into cus-
tody,
and when before the magistrates she cried a
good deal, and appeared much distressed. Mr. J.
D. Davis, a surgeon of Shrewsbury, who had made
a post. mortem examination of the body on the day
after it was found, said there were no external
marks of violence upon it, but there were abrasions
on the face, caused, as he supposed, by its floating
in the water. The membrane of the brain was .
slightly congested. The lungs were congested, and
contained frothy mucus. The windpipe also con-
tained frothy mucus and sand, which was also found
in the air passages. The right side of the heart
contained fluid blood, and the left side was empty.
The stomach contained about four ounces of undi-
gested food, a portion consisting of lumps of potato
and meat, either pork or mutton. The surgeon gave
it as his opinion that , the child died of suffocation
by drowning ; hut, on cross-examination, he said
that children while teething often suffered from
convulsions, which would be aggravated by improper
food, and that some of the appearances of death by
convulsions corresponded with those of death by
drowning.
tAgseisswttraoafrteeds was
:—"
statement made made by the prisoner before the
magistrate
I foundthenpat in
caonudidrenaodt support.ltw bothasin
my children and keep myself."
Mr. Matthews then addressed the jury for the
prisoner, and contended that the evidence was not
sufficient to lead to the conclusion that the child had
come to its death by drowning. He admitted that
the evidence showed that the prisoner had put the
child into the water, but he contended there was no
evidence to show that it was alive when it was put
Ithere ; and he contended it was more reasonable as
well as more humane to come to the conclusion
that the child had died of convulsions or accidental
suffocation, and that it was thrown into the river
after its death.

Mr. Jutice Blackburn having summed up the
evidence to the jury, the latter retired, and, after
nearly an hour's absence, returned into court and
found the prisoner guilty, at the same time recom-
mending her to the merciful consideration of the
Court " upon account of her helpless and desolate
condition."
Mr. Justice Blackburn said he would take care
that the recommendation of the jury should be for-
warded to the proper quarter.
His Lordship then assumed the black cap, and
pronounced the awful sentence of death upon the
prisoner in the usual manner.
The prisoner, who appeared much affeeted, and
concealed her face with her hands, was then
removed.

THE INTENDED OUTBREAK AT TILE
CONVICT PRISON.

CHATHAM, MARCH 22.
Captain Gambier, Director-General of Convict
Prisons, arrived yesterday from London, and after
having an interview with the Governor, Captain
Powell, entered into a searching investigation into
the causes which led to the intended outbreak
which was to have been carried out a few days ago
by the convicts at the prison. Their object was to
get complete control of the establishment, by first
securing the warders, and then barricading the
gates of the prison, to prevent the ingress of the
military guard and the civil guard of the prison.
The inquiry was, as usual, conducted with closed
doors. Enough, however, has transpired to show
that the plan laid down by the convicts was syste-
matically arranged to wreak their revenge on the
authorities of the prison. The result of the inquiry
has led to 12 of the worst of the ringleaders who
were engaged in the plot being heavily ironed.
They are kept entirely secluded from having any
intercourse whatever with any of the other pri-
soners ; besides, they are wearing a black dress to
denote their characters, and their only subsistence
is bread and water. It is generally believed among
the officials that there are upwards of 100 prisoners
who form the ringleaders in these outbreaks. Every-
with l2
to o
ethers
e thess
eir
re
precaution is now taken by the authoritiestopre-
vent any hostile move being made without meeting
with a sure check, as the strreeandg
military guard is doubled, and the civil
guard of
the prison are on duty day and night,
rifles lqaded with ball and capped, p
th
any possible outbreak occurring; and an order was,
on duty, the convict is tf, be
issued this day to the effect that if any convict
offers to strike or interfere with a warder or 'an
assistant warder when
immediately shot. It has been long known that
the convicts have been the warders' masters, and
if the warders have complained against their con-
duct, the complaints have never been inquiTed into,
and these outbreaks forcibly show some prominent
defects in the existing penal system carried out at
this establishment. One of the warders is suspended.
in consequence of his showing some lukewarmnesg
in the execution of his duty. During the time of
the intended conspiracy he was ordered to orien
some cell doors where from 30 to 40 convicts -were
confined, they having had their dinner,consev.ently
they had their knives, and as there was a cixasider-
able yelling and hooting with other noises'', he was
afraid to open their cells for fear of some fa tal con-
sequence. Capt. Gambier returned to town yester-
day afternoon.

•

THE MILL ACCIDENT AT WALMERSLEY,—JameS
Booth, who, as stated in Thursacw's Guardian, had his
leg broken by a shaft in Messrs. Mills's factory., at Niral-
mersley, near Bury, died in the Royal Infirmary on
Thursday. An inquest was held yesterday by Mr. Hier-
ford, et: coroner, and a verdict of " Accideatal de? '
Ira returned.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buckstone.
' THIS EVENING, the performances will Commence with
A DUKE IN OIFFICqLTIES. Mrs. Stirling, Miss F.
Hayden, Mrs. Wilkins, Miss Fanny Stirling, Mr. Buckstone,
?dr. Compton, Mr. Howe, tts.
Alter which, a new Pantomime, QUEEN LADYBIRD
AND HER CHILDREN Ine Pantemimists by the un-
rivalled Leclereqs, Herr Cole, and Fanny Wright.
Commence at 7.

J OYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—
Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Harris.
THIS EVENING, for the benefit of Mr. Harris, the farce
of A.S.S.
Followed by the first Three Acts of HAMLET. Hamlet,
Mr. Fechter. Messrs. Graham, Meadows, 4tc. ; Misses Heath
Klsworthy, &c.
Mr. Harris will deliver an Address.
After which, CRUEL TO BE KIND. Mr, A. Harris and
Miss C. Leolercq.

ADELPHI, NEW THEATRE-ROYAL.
Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Ben). Webster.
THIS EVENING, AN UGLY CUSTOMER. Messrs. J.
L. Toole, C. Selby, and Warde ; Miss K. Kelly, and Miss E.
Thorne.
After which, THE COLLEEN BAWN. D. Boucicault, D.
Fisher, Billington, Falconer, Stephenson, C. J. Smith, Ro mer.
Miss Agnes Robertson, Miss Woolgar, Mrs. Billington, and
Nrs. Chatterley.
To conclude with a new Burlesque Extravaganza, entitled
JII.UE BEARD FROM A li-EW POINT OF HUE.
Messrs. J. L. Toole, P. Bedford, C. J. Smith ; Miss Woolgar,
K. Kelly, Laidlaw, and M. Thorne.
Doors open at halt past 6—Commence at 7.
Box-office open trom 10 rill I.
No charge for booking.
Private boxes, £2 ts.; Family Boxes, .€l.
Orchestra Stalls, ss. ; Balcony, 4s. ; Front Circle Stalls, is. •
Pit Stalls, 20.; Pit, Is. dd. ; Amphitheatre, is ; Gallery, 6d.
Acting Manager—Mr. Wm. Smith.

cANTERBURY-HinsterALL-road CONCERTS!!!
Westm.
Proprietor........C. Morton.
A Grand Selection from Verdi's new Opera,
IL CORSARO,

(This opera has never been produced in this or any other
country, except at these Concerts), having met with that de-
cided success which charactise + the most popular werks of
this great Master, will be performed EVERY EVENING ;
tother with a Selection from LA FIGLIA DEL REGGI-
MENTO, by Donizetti,
Principal Artistes—Miss Russell, Madame Maria, Miss
Tyrrell, Mr. H. Herbert, Signor Tivoli, H. Drummond, and
C. W. Bernard. Director, Mr. F. Jonghmans.
The Comic Department comprises Messrs. E. Marshall, A.
B. Hollingsworth, J. Blanchard, F. Bell, W. H. Welland, and
the Brothers Conrad.
John Martin's Three celebrated Pictures will remain on
view a short time longer in the Fine Arts Gallery of the
Establishment.

FUNERAL OF VIE DUCHESS OF KENT.
In consequence of the Funeral of her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Kent, the above establishment will be CLOSED
on MONDAY next, the 25th inst.

Tr
HEOXF 0 R D,
No. 6, OXFORD-STREET.
- . .

Madame Parepa, Miss Russell, Madame Marietta, and Rise
Poole ; Mr. Swift, Mr. George Genge, Mr. Charles Greville,
and Mr. Santley ; •Miss Rosina Collins (the celebrated Vio-
liniste), and Mr. Levy, in addition to a host of talent, will
appear at
THE GRAND INAUGURATION CONCERT

On TUESDAY NEXT, March 28.
THE OXFORD, 6, Oxford-streeet.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIO DAY.—Morning, 11h. 17m.—Afternoon, 11h. Mm.
To-MORROW.-Morning, Oh. Om.—Afternoon, 12h. 27m.

THB WEATHER...-SIIN OFFICE, MARCH 23, 1561.

THERMOMETER, IN TIEB SHADS.
61—highest since noon yesterday.
39—Lowest this morning and during the night.
54 —this day at noon.

BAROMETER-29.89.
WIND—South-Westerly—moderate; with fair weather.

(4,
4SP-
:13

~S
_~. ~'
'() I'C~E

THE SUN.

LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 1861.

We shall not yet despair of having Admiral Sir
BALDWIN WALKER brought back and confronted
with the Select Committee of Inquiry into the
Admiralty Department, with a view to its recon-
struction. For here at last actually, in the very
nick of time, upon the eve of the Easter vacation,
comes forth in its entirety and integrity the long-
talked of, long-wished-for and almost despaired-of
and abandoned report of the Royal Commis-
sioners appointed to examine into the whole
machinery and organization of her MAJESTY'S
Dockyards, into the whole complex system of
their control and management.
Glancing, however superficially, down this care-
fully elaborated report, it is next to impossible
not to recognise upon the instant the laborious and
conscientious manner in which the inquiry has been
conducted from first to last by the Royal Commis-
sioners. Supplemented to the well deliberated
report itself, is the entire body of the minutes of
evidence. Sir BALDWIN'S evidence standing forth
there amongst the rest conspicuously ! From these
minutes of evidence it will be perceived by those
who turn over the pages of this important and his-
torical blue-book, how scrupulously witness after
witness has been subjected to a searching exa-
mination and cross-examination. It is worthy
of note, also, that prior to the subscription of the
three authoritative signatures affixed to the Report
—the autographs of the Earl of GIFFORD, of Mr.
R. DALGLISH, and of Sir H. WILLOUGHBY—every
one of her MAJESTY'S Dockyards in turn has been (by
them) visited and minutely inspected. The conclusion
arrived at by the Commissioners being decisive as
to the fact—a fact tolerably notorious by this time,
and so far scarcely needing, one might think, the
formal and official announcement of it—that there
is great inefficiency observable in her MAJESTY'S
Dockyards in the whole system of their control and
management. The nation knew this of course per-
fectly well long since—only too well in reality.
However, here is the familiar truth distinctly as-
serted at last as a flagrant grievance requiring
immediate dissipation, here it is at length
distinctly adverted to in a substantial blue-book,
as the result of the profound and lengthened deli-
berations of a cluster of Royal Commissioners.
The conclusion thus arrived at by the Commissioners
is justified as a reasonable conclusion eneugh, it is
indeed demonstrated to be an inevitable conclusion,
by the minutes of evidence and the formidable
array of " proofs positive" thereby elicited and
therein catalogued. The Commissioners having, at
the very outset of their Report, avowed, point-
blank, the deplorable reality that there is,
beyond all doubt, an enormous amount of
inefficiency observable throughout the whole
system of control and management in vogue here-
tofore at het MAJESTY'S Dockyards—next indicate
the causes of this inefficiency—following up the
enumeration of these principal causes by a series
of important suggestions offered by them, with the
express view of rendering henceforth (supposing
their suggestions to be thought well of by the
Legislature, and to be incorporated in an act of
Parliament), with the express view of rendering
more efficient both the control and the management!
First a all, let us glance, therefore, at the causes of
the present inefficiency as they are here enumerated
by the Royal Commissioners. And then let us
take into account some at least among the more
remarkable of the score of hints thrown
out by these Commissioners in their report,
with a view, not only to the reform of
Ar
the L'oc.kyard management, but of the reorga-
nisation, in fact the total reconstruction of the
entire machinery of the naval department.
of the old
The ie.silificiencY system then, the
present cyst: In of control and management at her
the Commissioners trace in
MAJESTY'S Dockyards,

their report to four principal sources: first of all
to the constitution of the t.,?rniralty Board itself
secondly, to the defective:organzbaion of the various
subordinate departments--thirdly, to LL. total and
absolute want of anything at all bearing the
semblance of a clear and well defined responsibility