The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-06 00:00:00

VICE-CHANCERY.-(THIS DAY.)

_
The Vice-Chancellor of England took pleas and demurrers to-day.
His Honour, in comequence of the extreme cold, sat in a private
room.

The Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce was occupied the whole morn-
ing with the part-heard case of " Goodson v. Ellison."

SHERIFFS' COURT.-(THIS DAY.)
(Before Mr. Under-Sheriff BiIicHELL.)
BOYEB V. DE BOINVILLE.

The parties to this action are both Frenchmen. The plaintiff, who
is a shoemaker, and resided at 126, Strand, the premises lately burned
down, sought to recover 141. -for goods delivered to the defendant, M.
De Boinville, at various times between April and December in 1844.
In defence a set-off was urged, amounting to nearly 401., for services
which it was alleged the defendant had performed for the plaintiff in
negotiating loans of money and other matters of business which the
latter was incompetent to, fl-om his inability to speak English.
There was, however, no satisfactory evidence adduced to support
the set-off, and the plaintiff's claim being proved, with the exception
of one item, which was doubtful, a verdict was given for 121. IBs.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)
OLD COURT.

(Before Mr. Baron I'm= and Mr. Justice WintAxs.)
THE BETHNAL-GREEN MURDER.
lama Tapping, aged 25, tallow-chandler, was indicted for the wil-
ful murder of Emma Whiter, by shooting her in the neck with a
pistol, on the night of the 27th of January last.
The prisoner, when 'laced in the dock, exhibited much firmness.
He is a short stout young man, with a rather unmeaning face, and
certainly has nothing in his features to exhibit deep-seated passions
of any kind.
Mr. Doane attended to prosecute, and Mr. Clarkson was engaged
for the defence.
Avanche, who lives in Waterloo-town, Bethnal-green-road, said
that between twenty minutes and a quarter to one o'clock on the
morning of the 27th of January, his attention was directed to something
smouldering on the ground. He saw that it was a bonnet and ribbon,
and, on looking about, discovered the girl lying in the street with
her face downwards. She was not dead, for he found some sensation
in her pulse. She was conveyed to the London Hospital.
John Harvey and Edward Backhouse gave similar evidence, and
said that a pool of blood was discovered on the spot where she had
lain. _ _ _ . _ _

Wm. Whiter—l live at 105, Brick-lane, and lam brother to the de-
ceased. I did not know that the prisoner and my sister kept com-
pany. I never saw them together. I recollect the night of the 27th
of January; my sister came Into my house about a quarter before ten
o'clock that night; the prisoner camein a few minutes afterwards. I
took her into the parlour. The prisoner went into the tap-room.
During the time they remained they did not speak to each other. My
sister went away at twelve o'clock. The prisoner met her at the door,
and they went away together.
By Mr. Justice WILLIAMS—They appeared to go away ;on good
terms, and shook hands with me before they left.
William Slitter, a weaver, stated that he lived at No. 4, South
Conduit-street, Bethnal-green-road. I know the prisoner, and I also
knew Emma Whiter. Whilst I was standing at my father's door,
about half-past twelve o'clock on the night of the 27th of January, I
saw the prisoner and the deceased pass, and go towards King-street.
He had his arm round her neck. I then went up stairs to bed.
About six or seven minutes after I heard the report of fire-arms ;
the sound came from the back of our residence. I looked out of both
the back and front windows, but I saw nothing. The spot where the
deceased was found is about thirty-five yards from my residence.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—I have known the prisoner for
some time. He has several brothers and sisters—how many I cannot
say. I do not know that he has been very kind and considerate to
his brothers and sisters, as I was not sufficiently intimate with him to
know. I have been in his company many times,
and I always found
him a well-conducted and kind-hearted young man.
By a juryman—I heard the report of fire-arms about six or seven
minutes after they passed the door at which I was standing.
Richard Bunn, a weaving machine-maker—l was in a public-house
called the " Rising Sun," in Sail-street, Waterloo-town, between one
and two o'clock on Tuesday morning, and the house Is within a
quarter of a mile from the place where the deceased was found.
The prisoner's brother was there ; there were about twelve there al-
together. The prisoner came in about one o'clock. He appeared in
a very deranged state. lie sat down on the corner of the table, and
spoke to his brother.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—He trembled, and appeared
very strange in his behaviour. He appeered to be in a state of vlo-
lent excitement, and seemed confused. He was not collected.
Examination continued—A person named Capes was there. The
prisoner said, " The deed is done, and cannot be undone." His
brother did not do anything. I said, " Jem, what is the matter with
you ?" His reply was, " What's the matter, indeed ?
" The sun shines bright,
And the moon shinesclear."
I said, " Will you go with me ?" He said, " Yes, I will go with you
anywhere, as you never led me Into any harm." He said, " You go
up the court, and I will meet you at the other end." I heard the
prisoner say to Capes, " Capes, I want no more to say to you, for you
have been the cause of this destruction." I went round the court
and joined again with the prisoner. I asked him to go home with me
to have supper, but he declined. He said, " Why should Igo to
supper with you ? Go in doors, and I'll go and see how the young
children are," meaning his brothers and sisters. I went with him,
Ho sat down on a chair behind the door and placed his hands on the
back of another chair, his head resting on them. I then left him. It
was past two o'clock when I left Tapping. I then went to deceased's
father's house. When I went back to prisoner's house I heard the
father of deceased ask Tapping, " Where is my. daughter ?" He
answered, " Yes, I have been with your daughter all the evening at
your son's."
By Mr. Justice Wtssraste—The prisoner appeared to be sober. He
said he had only two glasses of brandy the whole of the night.
Thomas Whiter—l live at No. 20, North Conduit-street, Bethnal-
green-road. lam father of the deceased. On the morning of the
28th of January I went to prisoner's house, and found him sitting on
a chair with his head, resting on his hands. He was rather paler
than usual. I asked him if he had seen my daughter? He said,
" No, not this sight, nor yet the night before " I asked him if he
had heard anything of her? He then said they both had been toge-
ther that evening at her brother's. He said ho had left her well and
hearty at a quarter-past twelve s'clock at the corner of Mape-street.
Then I left.
Police-constable Johnson, 206 K—On the night of the 27th of
January I went with the last witness to Tapping's house, and in
answer to a question from the father, the prisoner said he bad left the
deceased in the Bethnal-green-road. Examined the room, and found
a pistol.
William Crispin—On the morning of the 28th of January I was in
the parlour of the Rising Sun, when the prisoner came in, and I ob-
served that his hand was bleeding. On my observing it to him, he
said he had cut his finger. After some time, he said the deed was
done, and could not be undone, and it would be a mystery to all.
The brother Henry said, " strike me dead, you have shot your
woman !" I then left and went home.
ThOmas Perkins, guurnaker—The prisoner brought me a pistol on
Saturday, the 20th of January, to get the tap repaired. I did so,
and took it to the Rising Sun, where I gave it to the prisoner. Saw
him on the following Sunday to further repair the pistol. Did so, and
gave it to him.
Thomas ;Capes, of Bethnal-green Knew that the prisoner
was paying his addresses to the deceased. On the night
of the 27th the prisoner and deceased were at the bar
of the Rising Sun. The prisoner paid some attention to two young
girls there, which excited the anger of the deceased, whe struck one
of them. Prisoner interfered and separated them. They then re-
turned to the dance, and continued there till twenty minutes to one
o'clock. I went with the deceased to Lower Conduit-street, as she
said she was frightened of the girls with whom she had quarrelled.
We stood standing at Conduit-street, waiting for the prisoner's coming
up ;he came up, and struck her with his right hand in the face. He
gave no reason for it. I told him not to strike her. He struck her
again, I returned for her bonnet, as they appeared "to have made it
up, and were again friendly. I was never in the company of the de-
ceased, except at the ball.
Sergeant Shaw stated that he first saw the prisoner about half-past ,
three o'clock, at the station, on tho morning of the murder. Ile
noticed a slight wound between the finger and thumb of his right
hand. There was another wound on the fore-finger of his right hand,
on which there was a piece of plaister, but it seemed to he an 411 d
wound. The other was a fresh wound, and seemed to have bled a
little. (The witness produced the pistol and two bullets ; it was a
pocket one, and about four inches long.) The wound on the prisoner's
hand was one that might have been caused by the recoil of the pistol.
Cross-examined by Mr. Crsiaesost—Asked the prisoner if he had
been in company with the deceased the night before. He said he had
been with her at her brother's. He also said he was an innocent
man, and that he had kept company with her for two years. Asked
him about a spot of blood on his apron. He said he did not know
that it was there, and said " I suppose it must have come from my
hand," meaning the old wound. It was then I noticed the slight
wound between the finger and thumb. Before he made these state-
ments I had cautioned him.
Mr. William Cummings, a surgeon at the London Hospital, said—
Soon after one o'clock, on Tuesday morning, the 28th of January, the
deceased was brought into the hospital—she was quite dead. There
was a black patch on the left side of her neck. It appeared to have
been caused by a pistol-shot.—(The witness then showed the position
of the wound, by placing his hand on his neck.) There was a great
deal of blood on her clothes. Her hands were slightly smeared, as if
they had been touched with bloody fingers. I afterwards made a
post mortem examination, and found a wound in this black patch,
which proceeded upwards to the top of the spine. I extracted two
bullets and some wadding, and have no doubt that they were the
cause of her death. These are the bullets.
The deceased's father was re-called, and said that he had seen the
body of the deceased, and that it was the body of his daughter.
Mr. CLARKSON then addressed the jury on behalf of the prisoner.
Mr. Baron PARK'S afterwards summed up, and recapitulated the
evidence already given by the different witnesses.
The jury having consulted for two or three minutes, returned a
verdict of Guilty.
The Learned Judges having put on their black caps,
Mr. Baron Paine proceeded to pass sentence on the prisoner. He
said—Prisoner at the bar, James Tapping, the time has now come
when you are to receive the sentence which the offended
justice of your country requires for the dreadful crime
of which you have been most justly convicted. The jury after a calm
consideration of the evidence adduced before them, have come to the
conclusion that you are guilty of the crime laid to your charge, and I
think no one in this assembly who has heard the evi-
dence, can entertain the slightest doubt that you
committed the enormous crime of taking the life of a fellow-creature
her life without giving her time for reflection—without giving an in-
stanti n a m
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repentance.
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ried into effect, that time will be left you which you did not allow
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you sincere repentance for the sins you have committed. You will
be assisted by the chaplain of the gaol in your devotions,
and I most earnestly implore you to devote every moment of the
briefperiod you have to live in preparing yourself for the great change
that awaits you ; and your fate will, I trust, be a warning to others,
not to give way to violent passions. All that now remains for me to
do is to pass upon you the sentence of the law for the crime you have
committed—that for this crime you be taken from hence to the place
from whence you came, and from thence to the place of execution,
there to be hanged by the neck till you are dead, your
body then to he taken down and to be buried within the
precincts of the gaol : and may God have mercy upon your soul.
(The Learned Judge, while delivering the sentence, was so deeply
affected, that at times he was quite inaudible.)
The prisoner who, during his Lordship's feeling address, had lis-
tened with the most earnest attention, at the conclusion bowed pro-
foundly, and was then led from the bar.

NEW COURT.
The Court was occupied during the morning in trying petty cases
of no interest.

The Countess of Aylesford died on Sunday last at
Packington Hall, the family seat in Warwickshire, after a
short illness. The deceared Countess was fourth daughter
of George, late Earl of Warwick, and was married to the
Earl of Aylesford, April 23, 1821.