The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-21 00:00:00

TEE CONFESSION OF THE WOOD-
LANDS MURDER.

DISCHARGE OF THE PRISONER.
On Saturday the soldier, Joseph Seer, who some
weeks since made a confession that he was the mur-
derer of Sarah Watts at Frome Woodlands in 1851,
was brought up from Shipton Gaol for further exa-
mination. It being rumoured that the case would
take another extraordinary turn, public interest be-
came revived, and crowds of people awaited the ar-
rival of the prisoner.
The following magistrates were on the bench :
The Earl of Cork and Orrery (chairman), Mr.
Knatchbull, M.P., Dr. Harrison, Mr. Simkius, Mr.
Dickinson, and Mr. R. Duckworth. The Chid Con-
stable conducted the case, Mr. Bartram, solicitor,
defending the prisoner.
The prisoner, when brought into court,exbibited
a decidedly improved appearance, having lost that
sullen, absent manner which characterised him at
the previous examinations.

Superintendent Deggan said—l shall to-day bo
able to lay evidence before the bench which will
prove that the prisoner was in India at the time the
murder was committed. I have been able to trace
him from the time he left the Frome Union in 1843
till 1847, when he left for India, and during 1855
and 1850 when he was in the Baltic, and from 1857
when he enlisted into the army, ti 11 the time of his
discharge last month. I produce the following letter
from the India-office, which I received in reply to a
communication addressed by me to Sir C. Wood :
" India-office, S.W., Oct. 14, 1861.
" Sir,—l am directed by Secretary Sir C. Wood to inform
you, in reply to your letter dated the 12th inst., that en re-
ference to the records of this office, it appears that a lad,
then of the age of 16 years, named Joseph Seers, was, on.
July 19, 1817, bound an apprentice to the East India Com-
pany, to serve in the Indian navy for seven years, and that
he sailed from England in the ship Malabar, and arrived at
Bombay Dec. 20, 1847, and was discharged at that place
July 19, 1854. No particulars as to Joseph Seer's return to
England are known at this office.—l am Sir, your obedient
servant, " J. COSILO MELVILLE.
" Mr. E. Deggan."
In corroboration of that letter I have received the
following from the office of Mr. Green cf Blackwall:

" Blackwell, Oct. 14.
" Sir,—l am directed by Mr. Richard Green to reply to
your letter of the 12th instant respecting a man named
Joseph Seer, and bog to inform you that a boy of that name,
timed 16 years, 4 loot 11 inches in height, whose mother was
timed
described as a charwoman, and living at 2, Gloster-gardens,
near the Great Western Railway, Paddington, was sent out
it'om the Marine Society, Bishopsgate-street, together with
19 others, by the Hon. East India Company in the ship
Malabar to Bombay. The vessel was commanded by W. H.
Parr, and sailed from Gravesend on the 2d of August, 1847.
Mr. Horace Fleming was a midshipman. at that time on
board the said ship. These boys were to a certain extent
passengers, but expected to be made to work during the
voyage.—l shall be happy to give you any information in
my power.—l remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
" Mr. E. Deggan." " JAMES FUSSELL.

The Chief Constable said—After that evidence I
must ask the bench to discharge the prisoner.
Mr. Bartram said it was his duty to express to
the police his obligations for their efforts to trace
the whereabouts of the prisoner. It was now appa-
rent that he had no share in the crime, end his being
placed in his present position was purely the result
of a diseased state of mind. He was clearly insane
when he went to prison, but, whether owing to
prison diet or the calm and quiet of the gaol, he
was now so far recovered as •to be able clearly to
show that he was not in this country in 1851. Mr.
Bartram was proceeding to make an application re-
specting the witness Payne, when
The Chairman stopped him. His lordship said
the question now for the decision of the bench was
whether or not the prisoner should be discharged.
After some consultation with the other ma-
gistrates,
Lord Cork addressed the.prisoner, commenting on
the folly and wickedness of his conduct, which had
occasioned so much trouble to the police and to the
bench, and so great an expense to the county.
His Lordship admonished the prisoner not to re•
peat such conduct, and then discharged him.
Mr. Bartram renewed his application. He said.
he was quite aware that there were great difficul-
ties in the way of proving a charge of wilful and
corrupt perjury against Payne, but he thought it
was a duty which he was owing to society, to the
prisoner, and to his friends, that the man Payne be
prosecuted. He had no doubt speculated on gain-
ing the reward by his story, and there could be no
grosser or more corrupt perjury than he had com-
mitted. If the bench thought fit, he (Mr. Bartram)
would be prepared by that day week to produce fur-
ther testimony—that of the associate of the prisoner
—that he was in India at the time of the murder.

Lord Cork said the bench had already resolved on
the course they should pursue. At present they
would not accede to the application, but at a future
time they would be quite willing to go into the
charge.
The proceedings then terminated.

COUN2BY 111.ARKETS.

NORWICH—OcT. 19.

Wheat to-day was in limited supply. Prices wore 2s
higher on all descriptions, with a fair sale. Of barley there
was a fair show, and last Saturday's prices were supported.
Flour is per sack dearer.
White wheat ..64s to 66s I Red wheat 59s to 623
Malting barley.— 38s to 40s I Chevalier
to
307:
New d 0.......... 37s to 398 I Oats. o 3

Flour, 42s Gd to 43s Od per sack from the miller.

NORTHAMPTON—Ocr. 19.

At this corn-mirket the supply of wheat was by no means
abundant, samples being principally of the new crop, but a
fair demand, and 2s more money obtained ; 42s to 56s for
old, and 56s to 61s for new. A fair business in barley—
malting 33s to 425, grinding 29s to 31s per qr. Oats in
moderate show, and prices as before—quoted at 134 s to 35s
per 24 stone. Beans, old, 38s to 465; peas, 36s to 455.
Rye, 37s to 425; malt, 70s to 74s ; flour, 40s to —l3 per
sack.