The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-22 00:00:00

SHOCKING DEATH OF A POACHER.

On Wednesday afternoon an inquest was held
before Dr. Birt Davies, at the Grand Turk, Lud-
gate-hill, Birmingham, on the body of James Will-
cox, by trade a pearl button maker, 39 years of age,
residing in Sheep-street, who received severe
injuries whilst poaching at Erdington; on the 16th
instant, and died in consequence, at the General
Hospital.
Mr. W. S. Perkins, clerk to the county magis-
trates, appeared to watch the proceedings on
behalf of John Palmer, an officer belonging to the
Warwick county constabulary ; and Mr. Reeves for
the friends of the deceased.
The first witness called was Sarah Willcox, who
said that the deceased was her husband. He left
home well on Saturday afternoon, the 16th, in com-
pany with a man named Charles Bailey, in order to
catch some birds that had been ordered by a party.
The deceased and Bailey had on three previous
occasions been out on a similar errand. The next
morning she saw the deceased at the General Hos-
pital. He appeared to be injured, and was in an
insensible state. He continued unconscious until
his death, which occurred on the 18th.
Charles Bailey, after being cautioned by the
coroner, deposed that about five o'clock on Saturday
afternoon he called for the deceased, at his own
house. and they walked to Bromford and back.
They had about three quarts of beer each at the
Royal Exchange, at the top of the Rocky-lane.
About 11 o'clock they proceeded to a field belong-
ing to Squire Wheelwright, in the hamlet of
Erdington, in search of a few larks. They caught
a lark and another bird, and were about walking
out of the field, when a man ran up to the deceased
and struck him a violent blow on the head, which
knocked hint down. Witness walked away, but
heard the man " laying on" the deceased. He then
proceeded home, but before doing so he went and
informed the deceased's wife of the circumstance.
He would not know the man that struck the de-
ceased again. Neither of them had any weapon in
his hands. Witness added that the deceased was
carrying a net at the time he was struck, for the
purpose of catching the birds.
Police-constable John Palmer said that on the
night of the 16th he was on duty near Mr. Wheel-
wright's farm, when he heard a number of sheep
bleating. Suspecting that there was something
wrong he immediately proceeded across a field,
and had proceeded about 50 yards over another
meadow when he saw the figure of a man about
20 yards in advance. He " flashed" his lantern,
and the man ran away. He was, however, stopped
by a young Newfoundland dog that accompanied
witness, and proved to be the deceased. Witness
caught hold of him, and a severe struggle occurred
between them, during which time the deceased
called for help to a companion, who replied, "Put
it into him." On hearing this witness succeeded in
obtaining possession of a loaded cane he carried
with him, and which he had dropped during the
encounter, and commenced to defend himself with
it from the blows the deceased ane his companion
attempted to give him with two sticks. Witness
struck several times with the cane, and at length
the deceased fell to the ground, and the other man
immediately made off. He examined the deceased,
and finding him to be bleeding he sent for a surgeon,
and with assistance conveyed him to the Birming-
ham General Hospital.
Two witnesses were then called, who produced a
large clasp knife and a stick the deceased carried.
, Mr. Goodall, house surgeon at the above institu-
!ion, proved the admission of the deceased to the
hospital about four o'clock
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effects of the injury. After death witness found a
until Monday afternoon,
circular aperture in the parietUl bone about an inch
square, and the bone from the aperture was deeply
embedded in the brain.
The coroner summed up the evidence at some
length, and the jury, after half an hour's delibera-
tion, returned a verdict of homicide in self-defence.

EXECUTION IN FRANCE.—The man Bourgois,
who was condemned to death last month by the Court of
Assizes of the Seine, for the murder at Courbevoie of M.
Davin, a watchmaker, underwent his sentence yesterday
moaning. At an early hour he was informed that his last
hour was come, and he received the announcement with
great calmness. After the ceremony of the toilette had
been gone through, he walked with firmness from the prison
to the scaffold, and thanking the chaplain for his attention,
delivered himself into the hands of the executioners, Imme-
diately after all was over! _