Star.
London, England, 1807-02-21 00:00:00

fiat the deceafed had a tiniest in Catharine-fireet,

Strand, and another at Feltham, beyond Hnunflow;
He left London on Friday, the sth of November,
Ow, to go to Feltham, and, in confequence of his
not returning, the witnefs went to enquire for him
on the Wednefday. As he did not find him at his
houfe at Feltham, and as it was fufreed fome acci-
dent had befallen him, he, Allied by fome other per-
lons, proceeded to fcarch the Common. He there
found his brother in I tw's great coat, which was drab
coloured. It was in s gravel I'it, and covered almoll
entirely with rullies. One of the perfons who affifled
him, found a dead body on the other tide of the
Heath, and, upon examining it, the witnefs knew it
to be the body til Mr. Steel. It was found about 200
yards on the right hand fide of the road, and about
double that distance ftom the barracks. Henry Man-
by found a hat, and one or two pieces of har, which
he In ought to the IA itnek This hat was trot Mr.
Steel's, who was in the habit 'of writing his name in
his hat ar full length. •
On his cr.fs-examination by Mr. ANDREWS, he
(head That a reward of Sol. had been offered for the
difenvery of the nitirJeierq.
Henry Manhy, who was infpeenr of Mr. Steel's
works at Feltham, proved that his mailer left that
place on Saturday the 6th of November, (heifed in a
drab great coat and half boots. His hat was not
quite a new one. i-le had not much property about
him. He to. Ir fome filver with him when he went
away, perhaps thirty levee Millings. The witnefs
allilled in fearching the Heath on the Wednefday foi-
-1 •wing, and found the hat mentioned by Mr. Mayer
o i the right hand fide of the road going to town, near
rte third clump of trees. He alfo law the great coat
f .0 n d in the gravel pit, and which he knew to be Mr.
Steel's. He had helped him on with it when he went
away on the Saturday evening. There was fome
blond upon one Moulder of the coat.
Wm. Hughes aflilled in the fearch made for the
body of Mr. Steel, and was the perfon who found it
in a ditch near the clump of trees, with the bank
pulled down which covered it. The body was lying
on the back, the flap of the cnat over the face, and
a leather flrap drawn very tight round the neck.—
l'he face was covered with blood and mud. The
witnefs alto law a hat, great coat, and flick, which

were found on the Heath. He aim faw a pair of
Shoes, which he himielf found about fifty yards from
the body. There were no 'hoes nor boots on the feet
of tae deceafed, nor any hat on the head.
Henry Frog:fen, Surgeon, faw the body of the de•
ceafed at the Ship, at Hounflow, on the loth of No-
vember, afro it had been found on the Heath. He
dircovered a large fraeture on the front of the head,
and a large laceration of the integuments, which ap-
peared to have been produced by a flick, or fome
blunt intlrumenf. There was a large wound and
laceration of the integuments on the back part of the
bead alto; blithe did not perceive any fraelure there.
Much injury appeared to have been done to the neck
by the upplic ttion of a leather tire!), which would of
itfell have produced firangulation. There was like-
wife a large bruife on the upper part of the tight arm,
which appeared to have been the etre& of a blow with
a flick, or other blunt infirument. He was of opinion
that the blow on the head was the immediate cattle of
tlr. Steei's death.
Benjamin flanfield, the informer, was then called;
but before he was brow' ht into Court, Mr. Guam ET
oblet ved, that he had jute fcen the pardon which had
been granted under the Great Seal to this man, and
that it was not, as had been reptefented, a general
pardon.
The pardon was then read by the Clerk.
Sir St NION LEBLANC obfetved, that it was merely
a pardon for an offence cf which he had been guilty,
and condemned to tranfpnttation, and that the wit-
nefs flood precitely in the fame fhuation as any party
who came to give evidence relpefling a crime in
which he had been concerted.
Benjamin Hanfield being fworn, gave his evidence
in a very dittinet and apparently correa manner. He
Rated, that he had known Haggerty for eight or nine
?ears, and Holloway frr fix or feyen. He had been
frequentiy in their company before the month of No-
vember, 1802, and tried to meet them at the Tut k's
Head, and at the Black Mee, in Dyot-fireet, St.
Giles's ; and at the Black Dog, the corner of Belton-
itreet. One da) in the beginning of November,
Jchn Holloo ay came to him at the Turk's Head,
called, him out, and atked him whether he bad any
rbjeition to he in a go'd thiwg. The witnefs replied he
had none, hut afkrd when and where? Holloway re-
plied be would tell him in a day or two ; but that it
was to be a lew Yoby (a footpad robbery). On the
Tiiurfday before the 6th of November, the witnefs
law Holloway (landing in Dynt-ttreet, went to him,
and afked him whether he was ready for what he had
pi ()poled ? Holloway ('aid, he was, and that it fhould
be done on Saturday. He alto informed the witnefs
that Owen Haggerty was to go with them. fit
agreed r. meet at the Bleak litafe on Saturday. The
wititete welit there according to this appointment.
lie Itaind there the two pi ifoners, and Holloway
roll them they were to ferry (rob) a Gentleman on
Hounflow Heath, whom he knew to have property
: ben: i iao. Before they left the Black Boric they
drank 1. ntetliittle. They then proceeded out of town
by the way of Hyde Park come:, ;tad again had
fame porter at a honk at Turnhain Green. When
_ they arrived at littunflow they went into a public
shatfe en the left hand tide of the way from town,
eehich the witnefs did not then know, but tince learned
to the fign of the Bell. After four o'elbek they
left the Bell, and proceeded on the Heath to the
mile (tone on the way to Felthar:. As they walked
aleng, they c' nvet fed, and forrtettenes talked of their
plojeet. They hoped they would be lucky and get a
good booty. When they cattle near the it mile (lone
Hollowaytaid they were rather too loon; they therefere
went off the road to a clomp of trees, and lay down for
about an honr. It wasdark when theywent to theclump
of trees, but after they were there,the moon role. This
clump of trees is on the left hand of the toad from
town. Having got up, and looked round them, they
walked about for half an hour longer, and then the
an, which had before !hone clear, began to 'be
- _

light colonred coat. When T dared him to flop, I
alto ordered him to deliver his money, which he laid
he was willing to do, and hoped that he would not
be ufed ill. He put his hand in his pocket, and
gave Haggerty, who had got between him and me,
fomething, but 1 know nor what. Holloway alked
whether he had delivered his book, and I demanded
'it. He laid, he had got no book. Holloway infift-
ed that he had, and Paid, that if he did not deliver
it up, be would knock him down. The deceafed
again declared that he had no book; upon which
Holloway immediately knocked him down with a
Nick which he had in his hand. I then laid hold of
his legs, and Holloway flood with his flick over his
head, proteßing that if he made any refinance, or
cried aloud., that he would knock out his brains.—
The deceafed repeated he hoped we would not ill-
treat him. Haggerty then proceeded to fearch him,
when the deceafed made Pane refinance, and being
very ftrong, he firuggled fu hard, that he got up, and
had neatly crolfed the road. We got him down
again, and as Haggerty was proceeding to fearch
the fecund time, we heard die found of a cart iage.—
The deceafed then began to ftruggle as before, and to
call out ; upon which Holloway Paid, " I will (Hence
the b—r," and, railing his flick, gave him feveral
revere blows upon the head and body. The flick
which Holloway had was a large crab thorn flick
Upon receiving the blows, the deceafed gave a deep
groan, and in a few minutes after another groan,
and at the fame time feemed to firetch out lifelefs.—
I was at this time on my knees holding the deceafed's
legs. I became alarmed at what 1 law, and I role
and Paid to Holloway—" You have killed the man."
'1 No," replied Holloway, " he is only Runned."—
I laid I would flay no longer, that I would go on
towards London, and that they might follow me."
The witnefs then went on to (tate, that he turned
about and walked towards Hounflow. The found of
the carriage wheels had by this time gone pall. The
found was like that of a heavy coach, and it appeared
to be about the dillance of thirty yards. The murder,
he laid, took place beyond the barracks. He had !ince
pointed out the place to JohnVickery and Mr. Hughes.
When he arrived at Hounfh,w, he flopped there
about an hour, at the farther end of the town. Both
of the prifoners came up to him there, and they feem-
ed nearly nut of breath. Holloway laid, they had
done the trieL. The witnefs anced him whether he
was in emelt, and he lard he was, and, as a token,
I raid, " hold that," putting into the hand of witnefs
a hat. It was a fine hat, and not that which Hollo-
way wore when he went to the Common, which was
an old one, like a foldier's. It refembled a hat which
had been (hewn to him as one found on the Heath,
and that hat alfn correfponded with the defcription of
Holloway's, which he had given to Vickery. They
croffed into another road, in order to return to Lon-
don, and on their way the witnefs Paid to Holloway,
" This has been a cruel piece of bufinefs, and I am
lorry I have had any hand in it." He alto Aced
Holloway what he had done with his own hat ?1
and he intimated that he had thrown it away, and
defaced it fo as it might not be known. In moiling
the fields, witnefs alked Haggerty whether he had
got the book ? Upon which Holloway Paid, " It is
nothing to you—as you did not (hare in the danger,
yrm (hall not (hare in the fpoil." When they got to
Dyot (tract, it was twelve o'clock, and then they
went to the Black Horfe, and had a pint of gir.
When Haggerty went out he Paid, he believed his
(hoes would Randy lall him to go to Hounflow ;
but the witnefs did not obferve whether lie had on
(hoes when he returned. Next day the witnefs faw
Haggerty with a hat on his head which he knew was
not his. It was a good one, but (zeroed rather too
(mall for him. He faid it was the hat lie got the
night before, and (hewed it to the witnefs, who law
Mr. Steel's name in the infide of it. The witnefs
then cautioned him againtt wearing the hat, as it
might lead to a di C..very. At lett he gave it up ore
evening after, while at Weftminfter, to the witnefs,
who filled it with hones, faftened the lining over
them, and threw it from the bridge into the Thames.
In 'aft September the witnefs was convicted of a
larceny, and fentenced to tranfportation. In purfu
ance of his fentence, he was removed to Langftone
harbour, where Vickery, the Police Officer, came
down (or him in confequence of (omething he had
laid in Newgate, and brought him to London. On
their way to town. he pointed out to Vickery the
place where the murder was committed, but the
latter prevented him from Paying any thing, as there
were feveral other perfons on the top of the coach.
Mr. Atioaaws crofs-cximined the witnefs with a
good deal of ingenuity, but without being able to in-
volve him in any contradiction or even incontinency.
There was a certain air of candour in the manner
in which he delivered his evidence, which was cal-
culated
strongly to imp:efs a belief in the truth of
his ftatements. He laid, to Mr. Andrews, that he
had made no memorandums to refrefh his memory.
The compnations of his confcience were fufficient for
his recolleClion. The firs time he (poke about this
affair war in Newgate. Several perfons there were
talking of various robberies and murders which had
been committed, and among the red, the prefent cafe
was mentioned. He then laid, that there were only I
three perfons in the world who knew of the murder I
of Mr. Steel ; upon which a rumonr prevailed in the
jail that he was going to turn sofa Inln confequence
of this report he became afraid, and Paid no more
about it. When Sir John Carter, who had heard of
this, fent for him at Portfnaouth he made a full de
clatatiun to him. He acknowledged that he had fre-
quently lived by thieving, and that he had deferred
from four or five regiments.
Mr. ALLEY thought it right to interpofe, and put
a flop to this fort of examination.
Sir SIMON La &sac laid, that the witnefs cer-
t tinly was not obliged to anfwer queftions that
tended to render him liable to military punithrnent.
He was at liberty to refnfe to anfwer them if he
pleafed. To the next queflion of that kind put by
Mr. Andrews, the witnefs immediately laid, " I do
not choofe to anfwer you."
Vickery, the Police Officer, corroborated the laft
witness's evidence, as to his baring pointed out the
place where the murder was committed, He appre-

that he could with difficulty articulate an anfwer to
the laa queftion ; but when the Advoiral allted him
where he was four years ago,his countenarce hidden:
ly altered, and he would have fallen back, had not
the witnefs fupported him. Hanfield had given the
witnefs a defcriptinn of a hat, which •he laid was
worn by Holloway, and a flick, alfo belonging to
that prif‘.ner, and the defcliptions anfwered to the hat
and slick found on the Heath, which Hanfield had
no opportunity of teeing, ur being made acquainted
with.
John Smith, who drove the Golport coach on the
6th of November, paired Hounflow Heath that night
about eight o'clock, and when at the t r mile Rosie,
heard two deep groans, which teemed to come from
behind him, and towards the righth
Ifaac Clayton, the Beadle of Helnflow, received a
hat, a pair of lames, and a flick, which were found
on the Heath, and which he delivered to Sir R.
Ford. When he was at the Worthip-fireet Office
in December lati, he recollefled that Le had Len
Holloway fix years before at Hounflow, at the
Bell. He (poke to him ; but the prifoner laid he
had never been at Hounflow. The witnefs reminded
him that he was there pulling turnips, in company
with a namefake of his own, a man called Oliver,
with a wooden leg. The pi ironer admitted that he
knew Oliver, but petrified in raying he had never been
at Hounflow.
Blackman, a Bow-greet Officer, depofed, that he
had Peen the prifoners and Hanfiad together at the
Turk's Head, in Dyot-ltreet. about the time of the
murder. On one occafion, Blackman laid to Hollo-
way, " You have been in a good thing lately." To
which he anfwered, " No, 1 have tied it all up now,"
meaning that he had given up thieving. He alfo faid
that he had been working with a plaitteter at Houn-
flow. _ _

Several other officers pr.lved that the prifoners and
Hanfield had been acquainted wi.h each other. The
landlords of the public bottles in Dynt itreet alfo de-
pofed that they had Peen them together in their tap-
rooms, but could not tell whether they were in the
fame company or not.
John Sawyer, who lived at the Bell at Hounfl.,w,
in Nov. ritoz, and left that place in the March fol.
Iwore that he had frequently feen the pri-
foners at H3unflow. The perfon of Hanfield he did
not recoiled. _

John Nares, Efq. one of the Magiffrates of Wor-
fhip-ftreet, Rated the manner in which ;re had exa-
mined the prifoners. He eaamined them apart.
Haggerty denied all knowledge both of Holloway
and Hanfield, Holloway faid he knew Hanfield,
bat that he had never been at any public houfe with
him, excepting it was after he came out of prifon in
1804. He bid he had known HaggeFty for about
two years, but had never been in any public houfe
with him and Hanfield at the fame time. Both pri-
foners dcfcribed themfelves to have been working
with different perfons in November 18c2, but upon
an enqoiry, and confronting thole perfon with them
their affertions were found to be falfe. One of the
Police Officers, named Bifhop, gave an account of
converfations which he had overheard betv. een the
prifoners, while they were feparately confined in the
two flrong rooms of the Worthip ilreet Police Office;
thefe rooms join, and the prifoners called to each
other. The witnefs was lo situated, that he could
hear what they laid when arty fpoke loud, and he
took notes of what he heard. Ile read thefe notes
to the Court. The greater part of the converfation
confined of exccraticts again( the accomplice
Hanfield, but fome words were dropped which were I
of importance. The officer, it apps red, littened af-
ter the. dole of each examination. Haggerty ob- I
ferved to Holloway, that Hanfield had told about
public houfes in which they were. He alfo afked I
whether he had faid he knew him ; as for his part he
had denied all knowledge of Holloway. On another
occafion, Holloway faid, " where did he (Hanfield)
fay we had the gin ?—At the Black Horte."—Hag- I
gerty, " We mull have got it there."
Mr. Robinfon, a hatter, knew the fiae of Mr.
Steel's head, and laid that his hat might have been
worn by Holloway, but that it would have been ra-
ther tight for him.
Mr. Britten, a bootmaker, had examined the feet
and legs of Haggerty,and was certain that Mr. Steel's
boots would have fitted him. He was (hewn the old
(hoes found on the Heath, which he faid had been
worn by fome perfon for whom they were too large;
and, compared with the font of Haggerty, they were
too large.
When the flick, hat, and (hoes were produced in
the Court, the prifoner Holloway feemed evidently
agitated.
The Prifoners being called upon for t heir defence,
Holloway laid," Pleafe you, m yLord, I am brought
here, pleafe you, my Lord, on the word of Hanfield,
who is an entire (ranger to me, pleafe you, my
Lord. Ido not know any thing of the matter what-
ever, pleafe you, my Lord. I have ken the man,
pleafe you my Lord, in the flreet, and that is all I
know of him ; and I think it very odd, when he gave
information of me, that he could not give the right
name of me, which be mull have done if be knew any
thing of me, my Lord."
Hagget ty—" My Lord, and Gentlemen of the Jury,
I Rand here charged with an offence, of which I pro-
tell to GOD, I know no more than the child unborn
—I hope you will take into confideration the charac-
ter of the witnefs, Hanfield, who has done this merely
for the fake of getting his liberty : for that, he has done
ally this. I hope you will take it into confideration.
I am perfedly innocent of the crime which 1 am
charged with. He has contradicted himfelf in feveral
places ;he did fo on the fecund examination. I call
on Mr. Juflice Nares to fay In ; and if you difpute my
word, he will inform you of the fame."
Mr. juflice NAM, however, proved, that the ac-
complice did not contradid bin:dell in any thing that
was material.

John Suter was called for the purpofe of contra.
dieing fume things which the accomplice, Hanfield,
Paid ; but he did not contradiet him in any thing, nor
could he do In upon anything but hearfay.
-The prifnner, Haggerty, appealed to the Gover.
nor of his prifon, but Mr. ANDREWS declined to call