The Sun.
London, England, 1827-07-31 00:00:00

SUMMER ASSIZES;

. •
NORFOLK CIRCUIT—HUNTINGDON, -Juts' SO.
(Yams OUR CORRESPONDENV)
The neat. little town of Huntingdon, presented this
•morning an unusual degree of bustle, in consequence of the
extraordinary degree of interest excited by the case of
Joshua Slade, whose trial for the murder of the aged
Rector of Stokely, was fully expected to take, place in the
course of the day. Long before the hour appointed for the
opening of the Court, its doors were besieged by an im-
mense and impatient multitude, anxious to witness the
judicial proceedings of the day.. ,The Court-hall being
small, not one-tenth part of the visitants obtained admis-
sion. But hundreds, whom curiosity had attracted from
'msiderable distances, remained in the town during the
prOCeedings of the Court, in order to be apprised of the
• decision of the Jury in thiS mysterious affair. After the
Grand Jury were sworn, among whom we noticed Lord
Viscount ifandeville, Lord John Russell, W. H. Fellowes,
James Torkington, D. Rowley, and D. Veasey, Esqrs., to-
. !Tether with several of the most respectable and icfluential
gentlemen of the County,
Baron ALEXANDER briefly addressed them, remarking
On the peculiarity distinguishing the case of Slade, -who
was charged with the commission of a crime of the deepest
enormity against human society—that of wilful murder;
arguing that every circumstance connected with it, required
the most mature cqiberation, and intimating that dis-
coveries might yet be made-, which would throw a more
fill! and convincing light on the transaction.
- 'William Slade, aged 64, and Elizabeth his wife, aged
56, charged on suspicion of receiving from their sons,
Joshua and John Slade, 'a gun, a quantity of bacon, a great
coat, &c. the 'property of Mr. Emmanuel Thompson, (If
Stow, firmer, knowing the same to have been stolen.—Ni

true bill. " • -
A true bill ivas found by the Grand Jury. against Joshua
Slade, charged on suspicion of murdering the Rev. 'Joshua
Waterhouse, Clerk, in Little Stakeley, on the •3d day of
July inst. - His trial commences this morning (Tuesday) at
nine o'clock. It is more than probable, from insufficiency
in the evidence, that the actual commission of the deed
cannot be traced to him. The testimony of Heddings, a
notorious fellow, who had sentence of death recorded
against him three years since, for a daring offence, can
have little weight against him ; but should Slade be .ac-
quitted of the murder, he will have to sustain another
capital charge, that for hurglarinusly entering the dwelling-
louse of Mr. Emmanuel Thompson, of Stovi, in' this
county, _and taking therefrom three sovereigns and two
- Story,' of
Slpadige, fromaged John 22: is atodrna
one-pound, notes. Heddings has had a true bill returned
against hit*, for stealing
John a
Broughton, farmer.
King's evidence, The result of their trial, owing to the
strong deposition made by Heddings against Joshua Slade,
with respect to the murder, is looked forward to with.all
the interest which so flagitious an offence is calculated to
excite. Heddings is a remarkably good-looking man ; he
appears but little concerned at his approaching trial. His
Wife, we understand; bears a good character in the village
of Little .Stukeley, where they might have led a comfort-
able life, Heddings having in his own right two substan-
tial cottages, two paddocks, ,§zc. ; but , his propensity:to
thieving, as he has since -his confinement acknowledged,
had gained. E 0 complete a mastery over him, that he conti-
nually anticipated nothing less than this his second appear-
ance before a Judge and Jury. .