Star.
London, England, 1808-03-07 00:00:00

ROTE C 11120.1121

..~

littltWOßD; MARCH 1.
• Mrnnee.—Jamey feweedwindicted for the Wilful
murder of William Coodanan,lstgivin•g him several
mortal wounds with a cutlass on the 611 •of October'
Last, at Rickmansworth, in this county. •• •
Mr. Common SiltitANT;'U.S COVhsei fat: the prose- .
cittion, stated, that the-prisoner at the bar rented a
fishery at Rickmansworth, and on the morning of she,
6th of Octcber, the deceased, William. Goothtfait;
went to the water, no doubt fir the purpose of Ilk-
CeyastiNT
.the fish. He admitted fairly that the
Seem nith an inttntion of committing a nes. •
for 'which, by a
.particular Act of ParPainent,.
pass,
liable to pay a fine of 106. or stiffer a month's
imprisonment. The prisoner and four other men
were on the watch, and about four o'clock in the
morning they discovered the deceased, who finding
that persons were there, plunged in the water, and
swam up the stream to a i:ayte, or osier bank,
where he evidently meant to land. At this time some
of the pasty were on one side of the stream, and some
on the other, and the prisoner, with a cutlass in his
hand, ran round to the osier island. As it was dark,
the rest of the party could not see what passed ; bu
he should call a witness, who would prove that he
heard several heavy blows, like a man lopping a tree,
and at that time a seemed the prisoner gave the de-
ceased no less than eighteen wounds ; notwithstan-
ding which he esenietif, and got home to his own cot-
tage, when he expireif Oh -the tsilowing Saturday.—
With respect to the law of this case, as the man wan
merely committing sittespass; the prisoner was not
warranted tit tilling NtirtUltiKokigil the deceased resis-
ted apprehension, and it pun be at all events an ag-
gravated manslaughter.; but if the prisoner was ac-
tuated by revenge for the injury the deceased had in-
tended against his ptoperty, then no doubt but it
would amount to the higher offence of murder.
Thomas Tochfield said, he was a labourer at Rick-
mansworth ; on the night, between the sth and 6th
of October, he and the prisoner, together with Davy,
Ellingham, and two others, went to watch the fishery
of the prisoner ; about four o'clock in the morning
the prisoner, who was outside the weir-house' gave
them notice that some one was near the wheels, and
desired them to wait until he should get to work. As
soon it they thought the man would begin, they all
sallied out, and the man finding himself discovered,
plunged into the middle of the stream and swam up
against it. Inwood, Davy, and Ellingham were on
the north side of the river, and two others cm the south
side ; they called to the man to surrender, hat he
Made them no answer. Inwood, the prisoner, said he
would run round to the osier island, to prevent his'
escaping that way. In a short time he heard a
splashing in the water, and Iriwoodcalling out that
fie man had got him in the water and would drown
him if they did not make haste to his assistance. They
went round and found that the prisoner had been in
the water, but, the man had escaped. They then
iatent back to the weir-house, and there found the
tkkeet which the man had left behind him, with a
t and a bag. By the jacket they discovered that
tbcman la the water must be Goodman, as they had
often seen him ,pelt it:
gniulthan2, Davy, and Walker, other persOns on
the watch, gave the same account of the transaction ;
but it also appeared that the eels were in baskets con-
fitted, and that the deceased came not to catch fish,
but to take away those already caught.
The Learned Judge here observed, that it made a
considerable difference in the case, as it was clear he
came to commit not merely a trespass, but a felony.
The prisoner being called upon for his defence,
said, the deceased, in getting up the bank, pulled
him into the water, and he was afraid he should have
been drowned, arid that what he did was in hi. .Avn
defenc • Jnry found him guilty of Manslo ug'ater,
and. 'az was sentenced. to one month's i.nprironment.