The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-15 00:00:00

DREADFUL MURDER AT ROUSE
LENCH.
(From the Worcester Chronicle of to-day.
It is our painful duty to describe the particulars of
another of those fearful, un-English occurrences,
which have of late become too common in this country
—we mean the use of the knife in a quarrel, which,
in this instance, has resulted in the death of one young
man, and the apprehension of six others, one being
charged as the murder, and the other five as
accessories. The scene of this sad tragedy is Rouse
Lench, a small village in this county, about thirteen
miles east of Worcester, and seven north of Evesham,
lying something less than a mile from the turnpike
road leading from Worcester to Alcester and Strat-
ford-upon-Aeon.
The neighbourhood of Rouse Lench being woody.
foxes are tolerably plentiful, and as they are con-
stantly laying the farmers under contribution, the
latter are not a little pleased when one is captured,
which, however, is more frequently done by parties
of 'villagers than by the regular and legitimate fox-
hunters. When a fox is caught it is taken in triumph
to the various farm-houses, where the captors receive
a reward, either in money or kind (but generally the
latter), according to the pleasure of the farmers.
On Saturday last, George Green (the deceased),
Edwin Archer (who stands charged with his mur-
der), George and John Bullock, John Clarke, Charles
Tandy, John Court (tbe whole of whom have been
a?prehended as accessories), and some others, having
got a live fox, had been thus engaged, and early
in the afternoon they went to the house of Mr.
Isaac Spiers, the Bell Inn, Rouse Lench. They
left the Bell about ibur o'clock, perfectly sober,
and went in the direction of Radford (which
lies on the Worcester and Alcester turnpike-
road, near where the road leading to Rome
Lench branches off), and when they had arrived near
a beer-house, about a quarter of a mile from the Bell,
some words ensued between the deceased and Archer,
who forthwith began to fight. Having fought one
round, they were engaged in a second, and, while
struggling together, Green suddenly exclaimed, "I'm
stabbed !" fell to the ground, and almost instantly
expired. As soon as the dreadful deed was done,
one of the party ran into an adjoining cottage,
and alarmed a woman named Sarah Pardoe. who
proceeded to the spot, and found Green on his hands
and knees, giving no signs of life, supported by some
of the party. At this time Archer was sitting upon a
heap of road dirt, with his face in his hands, cry-
ing bitterly. Seeing thai the deceased was deluged
in blood, Mrs. Pardoe said to Archer, " How could
you dog such a thing ?" Upon which he replied,
" What was a fellow to do, when he was kicked and
abused as I was ?" By this time a tailor residing at
Inkberrow happened to come up, who very properly
dispatched one of the party to fetch Dr. Cooper from
Inkberrow, while he went himself to give informa-
tion to the policeman stationed at Rouse Lench
(Whadcoat, W. C. P., No. r 44.) The latter was
out patrolling, but returned in a few minutes, and
immediately went in search of Archer, whom he
apprehended at the Bell Inn. Meanwhile the
body of the murdered man had been brought down
to the green, opposite the Bell, and as soon as
Whadcoat had learnt the particulars above stated,
he charged some of the inhabitants to assist,
and proceeded to:apprehend five of Archer's com-
panions, which he had little difficulty in doing, as none
of the party had shown any intention to abscond,
being apparently as much appalled at what had oc-
curred as Archer himself. His next step was to in-
form his superintendent (Mr. Harris, stationed at
Pershore), who speedily came over, and he and Whad-
coat than proceeded further to investigate the case
in doing which they exhibited great tact and perse•
verance.

On Sunday forenoon the knife was found at the
bottom of one of the ditches which had been drained
(near where Archer had sat), and a fearful weapon
it was ! It was a large, strongly-made clasp-knife,
with a buck's-horn handle. The blade was straight,
and about four inches in length, the point being
sharpened on both edges, like a dagger or an Ameri-
can bowie-knife, which it strongly resembled. The
wounds on the body of the deceased, were four in
number, and seemed just such as would have been in-
flotneutiwleitkh an instrument of this kind, all of them
being deep,nifcelean stabs. There was no blood found
; if there had been aun the blade,
it had been under water long enough to wash it off
The inquest was held at the Bell Inn, on Monday,
by C. Best, Esq., and a Jury
of 21 respectable indi-
viduals, the foreman being Mr• Win
Harris (chief constable) and. Superinet Ye
uwdeeendi
deputy chief constable) were also present. Afterjathnee
Jury had viewed the body, Dr. Cooper proceeded to
make a post mortem examination (which he did with
great minuteness and attention), attended by Super-
intendent Lane. The amount of evidence elicited
was very small, nearly all who knew anything of the
transaction being apparently paralysed or afraid to
speak.
ta About half-past three o'clock, the chief constable
suggested that the inquest should be adjourned,. to
afford time to trace the ownership of the knife which
had been found by the police ; and as, in addition to
this, Dr. Cooper had not finished the post mortem exa-
mination, the Coroner adopted his suggestion, and ad-
journed the inquiry to Wednesday (this day), when
the most important evidence (that of Dr. Cooper and
the police officers) will be given. Towards the close
of the proceedings Archer was brought into the room,
and it was evident from his appearance and manner
that he felt deeply for what had occurred.
The deceased was single, about 25 years of age, of
the middle size, and rather muscular. He had fre-
quently been employed as a labourer by many of the
Jurors, who spoke of him as a hard-working, indus-
trious young man. Archer is about thiry years of
age, and has a wife and two children.

THE ACCIDENT AT THE FOOT OE THE MOUND,
EDINDURGII, DURING THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO EDIN•
DURGII.—The Committee for receiving subscriptions
for the sufferers, closed their accounts on Saturday
last, when the total number of subscriptions was an-
nounced to be 3421. 14s. 9d., including 1001. from her
Majesty, and 201. each from the Duke of Buccleuch,
the Earl of Liverpool, and Sir Robert Peel ; and the
committee had allocated this sum in relieving 58 ap-
plicants.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Dec. 14.
IN RE MARY EDMONDS.
Itis day being appointed for the choice of as-
signees, under the fiat against the bankrupt, who was
described as a lodging-house-keeper, of Arlington-
street, but whose real occupation was that of bill-
discounter and money lender, the Court was crowded
to excess by persons anxious to hear her examination,
as it was anticipated her connexions in the money
lending and bill discounting line with some of the
leading aristocrats and fashionables of the day would
disclose several curious facts with regard to the pe-
cuniary transactions of many of this class.
Mr. (Llama appeared on behalf of the creditors, and

time (independent a Malwa opium), they get opium
over land from Russia. But what are impossibilities
to the true anti-spirit of crusade ?
STANDARD.--Taken together, the Corn-law
and the Tariff appear to have adjusted the interests of
the several departments of agriculture with admirable
equality, and to have very happily reconciled both to
the general interests of the country. This has
been pretty generally confessed at agricultural meet-
ings, either in express terms, or not less un-
equivocally in the bold and manly expres-
sion of a confidence, that, by exertions, the
British landowners and farmers will still be
able to meet their foreign rivals. What motive,
then, can a Conservative Government have for dis-
turbing an arrangement found to work so well,
particularly a Government like that of Sir Robert
Peel, remarkable above all other peculiarities for
always doing at once and together all that it pro-
fesses to do upon any particular matter—a Go-
vernment, moreover, placed in office, and still
mainly supported, by the agricultural interest ?
The doubts and irritations produced by the late
change have expired, or are rapidly expiring; the
injuries caused by it—and every change, great or
small, must cause some particular injuries—are re-
paired or forgotten. Is it to be supposed that Sir R.
Peel will wantonly take to pieces his finished work—a
work finished with so much care and forethought—to
provoke anew the resentment of, his best friends and
truest supporters—to awaken once more dormant
doubts and irritations, and to inflict additional
injuries—injuries far more extensive and more en-
during than any that could be inflicted by such a
revision as the last ? Experience had taught the
agriculturists to expect a revision of the Corn-laws
at about the time the last arrived, or rather a little
earlier; and without other experience, the atrocious
attempt of the Whigs to rob the farmers and
landowners of all protection, under the fraudulent
pretext of afixed duty, had warned all concerned in
the cultivation of the soil, that they must look
for some change. For the last they were :therefore
prepared; for any such change at present, how-
ever, they have so similar preparation. On the
contrary, everything occurs to give them assurance
that they may safely invest their capital and labour,
and prosecute their industry, in reliance upon the
continuance of the present law for many years.
They have the recorded opinion of the Premier
upon the necessity of affording to them an adequate
protection ; and upon the insufficiency of any fixed
duty to afford such protection. They have, in the
care and circumspection with which the late mea-
sures were prepared, a sufficient pledge that they will
not be hastily abandoned. In a word, they have, in
the whole character and conduct of the Government,
and in its position, sufficient guarantees that, until
time shall have rendered a change necessary, which
can scarcely happen in less than ten years, no change
will be made.