Star.
London, England, 1824-09-06 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WELLS, SEPT. 3.
James Reynolds, alias Walter, was indicted for the
vi!ful murder of Jacob Wilkins.

The. facts of the case, to prove the prisoner's guilt,
were of a circumstantial name, but very conclusive.
They were these—On Sunday, the Ist of August, the
deceased left home in the morning; he dined and spent
the afternoon at Bath, in company with Mary Loving-
ton, an elderly woman, to whom he was paying his ad-
dresses, and she, with two female acquaintances, went
part of the vray home with him, and separated close to
the Fox public-house at eight o'clock at night. Ile then
Ilia his ;vita and a considerable quantity of half-
crowns and other silver iu his possession. At half-past
nine a young man, named Huntley, was passing along
the road towards Hinton, and met with a young man,
whom they all believed to be the prisoner, who told
them a drunken man was lying on the road, with whom
he had been struggling for two hours, but could not
get him up. They went on for about 200 yards, and
there found the deceased lying dead, his right hand
breeches pocket turned inside out, and no watch or
money in his possession, and his head fractured.—
Huntley went immediately in pursuit of the man who
had spoken to him, but could not overtake or find him.
The prisoner was seen to §o from the Fox public-house
between seven and eight o clock towards Bath, and in
about an hour return there again in company with an
old man, answering the description of the deceased,
whom he invited to go in and take some beer; the old
man told the prisoner he had no money, and the pri-
soner said, we will go on, then, to Hinton ; and they
pent in the direction to where the body was afterwards
found. At twenty minutes past ten, on the night of the
murder, the prisoner knocked at the Red Lion public
house (two miles or more from the fatal spot) and ap-
peased much agitated, and in a great heat; he said he
had been walking all the day, and was ready to drop,
and wanted a pint of beer. He produced a silver watch,
and asked for a light to wind it up? he attempted to
wind it up, but returned it to his pocket, saying, he
would let it stay till he got to his lodgings. He had
his hand full of silver when paying for his beer. On
the night of the murder the prisoner came home to his
lodgings at Rush-hill, at about a quarter before eleven,
greatly agitated; he there also produced a watch and
several half-crowns, and other silver money. He had
never before been seen with a watch, or so much money.
On the morning after the murder, the prisoner was at
the Carpenters Arms, at Stoke, at eight o'clock, and
there sold the silver watch for 16s. which was after-
wards produced, and identified as belonging to the de-
ceased, and proved to have been worn by him on the
day of his murder; presently after this sale, the news
came to Stoke of what had happened, and the prisoner
was in consequence taken into custody at the Carpen.
ters' Arms, about two o'clock the same day. A stick
about three inches in circumference, and two feet in
length, which bad been found near to the spot where the
body had been discovered, was produced, and there is
no doubt the death blow had been inflicted by this stick.
A constable proved that the prisoner said to him, No-
body saw Me do the deed, and they can't hang me for
having the watch." The prisoner, who had throughout
remained apparently indifferent, here exclaimed, "that's
false, my Lord." The prisoner's examination before the
Magistrate was read, in which he stated that he had
bought the watch for 1L at six o'clock en Monday morn-
jag, of a man in the road, but would not say where he
had been on Sunday night.
The prisoner, on being called upon for his defence,
" I mean to say, my Lord, 1 bought the watch of
A traveller, James Lacy, and I thought I had as much
nest to sell it as I had to buy it. I have no more to
.iv, but I am innocent of the crime laid to my charge."
Lord Chief Justice Aancerr summed up the evidence
with peat perspicuity, and the Jury, after a short con-
sultation, returned a verdict of Guilty.
The Learned .Judge, in a very impressive address,
passed judgment on the prisoner, and ordered him for
execution on Monday next.
The prisoner is rather a good-looking youth, very
s!out made, and only 19 years of age; but though so
)oung, he has been several times before in custody for
various thefts. What adds to the enormity of his offence
is, that the deceased was related to him. _

The prisoner was the nephew, by marriage, of the
deceased, and it appeared that some time ago the pi i-
smer had stolen a horse, which he sold, and directly
after receiving the money, and while the purchaser was
!I the public-house, the prisoner went out, rode the
:,arse away, and again disposed of him. The deceased
Lad given information against the prisoner, who had
I:,reatened to be revenged ; and to satiate this resent-
n.ent, and for the sake of plunder, he no doubt com-
m....et' the murder in question.
CONFESSION or THE Palsonar..—lmmediately after the prisoner
Was removed back to his cell, he made the following confession to
Mr. Hardy,the Governor of Ilchester Jail :—" All that about the
vielt Which was produced in Court, and with which it was said t
nl:trdered Jacob Wilkins, is wholly false; I was walking with him
i.l-nt.g the road, and whatever possessed me I d 9 net know, but, all
..: ot:ce, I thought I would murder him ; I took up a stone, and,
;,1:11 ail ny force, threw it, and struck him on the side of the hood;
IA dittctly on his face, but I turned him round on his back, and
g)bed him, and then left him on the road, where he was found."
!...e prisoner also told Mr. Hardy that the scar on his nose and the
t.:•!•*1 on the side of his month were occasioned by his falling on
t : Lce. The prisoner's behaviour, since kis condrintiatlon, is quite
t"'"Cesi• He appears another man, acknowledges the justice of his
e At:lice, has become quite penitent, calm, and resigned to his fate.
1 HARDY V. SHACKELL AND MIER&
This was an action against the defendants, who ate
F. t:lors of the John Bull Newspaper, to *recover corn-
-o.l.sation in damages for a malicious libel, published in
! i.it i'dper, charging the plaintiff, who is the Governor
lichester jail, with cruelty towards a person of the
Aart.e of Smith, who was confined in that jail.
>I r. ADAM stated to the Jury, that in this case they
v ttl.l have no trouble. The action had been brought
) Nlr. Hardy, the Governor*Of Ilchester jail, for the

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