Star.
London, England, 1818-02-21 00:00:00

CHARGE OF MURDER.

Davtd Evans, aged 58, was then charged with
the murder of his wife, Elizabeth• Evans, on the
11th of January last, in the parish of St. Anne's,
Soho. T 6 this, in a very weak voice, he pleaded
Not Guilty, and, on the arrival of the Judges at ten
o'clock, he was placed at the Bar. He was dressed
in a white drab coat. a 40141daar—kamdkaichia4

black waistcoat. •and had ithogetbar- the appearance
of a poor man,--During the trial he was much agi-
tated, and in apparently a very weak coidition.

The case was stated at some length to the Jury by
Mr. ANDRZWS, who observed, that the evidence
balm wholly of a circumstantial nature, would re-
quire their most serious attention. It rarely hap-
pened that in murders such evidence could.be pro.
cured as was done in other acts of felony. He then
stated the evidence which he should adduce in sup-
port of the charge. It was for them to judge from
the report of the medical men whether she had come
to her death by violence, and they would see that a
difference of opinion existed between the two re-
spectable Gentlemen on that point; but they had
other circumstances to decide on, independent of
that opinion.
Isaac Davies lives at No. 4, Falconberg-court,
Crown-street, St. Giles's. He was drinking with the
prisoner on the 10th of January, which was the
evening before the murder. Parted with him that
night between twelve and one. Prisoner lived next
door to him. They were last in a public-house at
the corner of the court where they lived. Prisoner,
on leaving witness, went home, as witness supposes;
prisoner seemed to be much in liquor. Went to his
house next morning (Sunday) between ten and eleven
o'clock ; no person went with him: did not see the
deceased then ; the prisoner's door was open, and he
was talking to two persons : staid there two or three
minutes, went away, and came back in ten minutes.
Saw the prisoner when he came back, and asked him,
" Why did you not follow us?" By this question he
meant his wishing prisoner to go with him and Wil-
liams. Prisoner said, " I am coming directly." Wit-
ness said, " Where is your wife?' He replied, she
was in bed. Entered the bed-room, and said, " Mrs.
Evans, this is fine time to be in bed." Had no an-
swer. Looked to deceased, who was lying in bed
with her mouth open; put his hand on her head, and
found she was cold. Said to prisoner, " your wife's
'dead." He exclaimed, " Good Gon! don't say so."
Prisoner went her, fell on her, and kissed her, say-
ing, "*----1-I.epe you are not dead, my dear woman."
Prisoner being then crying, witness removed him
from the spot. Asked him, when did you speak
to Mrs. Evans?" He said, " about six or seven,
when she said she felt very cold at the feet. He had
put, as he said, a hot brick to her feet, and she had
replied, " that's a good boy." Asked him what he
had done to her, and he answered, " Nothing: I was
very much intoxicated, and did not know what I had
done." Asked him if the deceased was drunk ? To
which he replied, he did not know, as he had been
aggravated by some of the lodgers in the house, one
of the women having said to him, that his wife had
had criminal connexion with het:husband, and that
she was not a wife, but a w—. Witness said to him,
" don't vex yourself; I am going away." The floor
of the room was not quite dry, and seemed to have
been lately cleaned. A fire was burning in the room.
SaW prisoner after this at his own house, about two
e'cleckf when he was desired to go for some female
to lay out the body. The female declined coming.
asked to go with him to an undertaker ; but be-
foe* wing, prisoner said, " suppose we take the length

, ,
bit Aim tianso p‘ey cifcl So *nth if 0144, aid
then ient.ti Whites, the uideirtaket, where ifrisolief
said that his dear Woman was skid, fuming been wiry'
lbw for a week past. Prisoner said, "we have takqa
the length of the body, to save yoti a jdurney." Sus
after tins, a Mrs. Jones and her daughter came to
prisoner's house, there witness saii them. Went tq
prisoner's house next morning to ask hith if he *Mild
come td his work? brit prisoner said he did not think
he could come that day. Gave witness a partel.bf
clothes to get washed, which witness gave tohis.wife:
His wife never washed before for Evads. Saw pri, .
sober same day, at one o'clock, and at half-past seven
in the evening, and was told the coffin had not come.
It came while witness was in the room. Hettd some
females say he h:t4 killed his wife on Saturday night,
and prisoner said nothing. Saw like a crust of MOW
on her-head. Knew the deceased for six ei sever'
months. She scented weak before'this happengcf.
Cross-tgandned by Mr. ALLPY.—Prisoner ten. very
fond of his wife, and their affection was mutual; has
seen her in liquor more than once or twice: prisoner
never absconded froth justice. •
John Williams, a fellow workman With the prison
'ner, was in his company on the 10th ult. Saw him
in his own house next day ; knocked at his door, and
was told he could not get in, as some person had
locked him in, and taken the key away ; asked wit-
ness to get Davies's key to open the door ;—did so,
and while going to open the door a Woman came up
from the Street, who gave him a key, saying it was
that tithe door ; opened the door and then went with
Davies's key, and came back to the prisoner, who was
in his room ; Davies soon came and asked prisoner
to go and take a pint of beer, but prisoner did not
come, on which Davies went back for him. The room
seemed lately washed. Asked him 44 Is your wife.
dead ?" Prisoner said he did not know. Saw him
crying and kinang his wife. Thiy then went to a
public house, where they staid for half an hour.
Ann Desmond lived in the same house with the
prisoner. He lived on the ground floor, and had a
par lour and bed-room. On the Saturday night wit-
ness's husband was brought home quite drunk. Pri-
soner opined the door for him. He quarrelled with
her husband for being so late, but no blows were
given. Mrs. Evani was sober at the time, and in her
usual state of health.; she said nothing, but went
quietly to her own room. Witness's husband after the
quarrel then went to bed. Went down stairs to slirif
the persons out who had brought home her husband,
and on returning up the stair she heard prisoner quar-
relling with his wife about some money • heard him
give her a bad-name ; the quarrel was about 2s. 10d.
she heard him then strike her, seemingly with his
hand ; the noise soon ceased, • and witness went up
stairs. Coming down again for water, heard him•
beating her dreadfully ; this was soon after one
o'clock ; the heating was with a weapon ; heard her
cry—" 0, dear 111 C, don't," about several times ; he
was beating her when she cried so ; witness stood
listening morekin ten minutes, and then ran up
stairs ; told him •he was a blackguard for so doing,
and he gave her rzveral bad names ; knocked at Int-
neighbour's door, but got no answer ; witness then
went to bed, as he had ceased beating her then. Saw
him next morning about ten o'clock - Evans opened
the door to her, having a coarse cloth, with which be
was wiping mweth'ttgqgg.from the floor.
Crew-exasehood.— as a monied wo•
man, and has five children. rcilived some months
in the same house with her, and neverquarrelled with
her in her life. Called prisoner a bad fellow for
beating his wife. Never said any thing to him about
his wife s conduct. Her 'room is on the back part of
the house. She gave no key to the last witness, but
she gave it to Evans, who opened the door to her
from the inside.

Rebecca Micklethwaite went to bed that night half
after eleven. Was disturbed by a great noise after
twelve, from the passage door. Heard Mr. and Mrs.
Desmond, prisoner, &c. but she did not leave the
room ; prisoner having gone to his room, all became
quiet for a little time. Mrs. Desmond Went down
again, and some man came in. Mrs. Desmond was
quarrelling with the prisoner for about an hour and
a half at his own door. Heard a groan from Mrs.
Evans three times. Mrs. Desmc nd had thus gone to
her own room. Thought at fir tit was a dog groan-
ing, but knew the last to be from Mrs. Evans. Got
out of bed, and spoke to her husband. Mrs. Des.
mond west down to Evans's door, and called him
some bad name, and said to the deceased—" Why
don't you hollo out ?" Prisoner said—" She can't
hollo out," and Mrs. Desmond said—" I know that
very well,-for you have murdered her." On which
prisoner said—" Yes, I know I have." Witness did
not go down stairs, because she was afraid. She
was afraid also to let her husband go down. The
noise was like beating a feather bed, and witness
thought he was beating her on the bed. Witness has
been married ten months. Heard prisoner about ten
next morning speaking to Mrs. Desmond ; he was at
his own door ; she was telling him about beating his
wife, and he said—" It was true what you (Mrs. D.)
said"—she said—" That is nonsense, as I will say
any thing when in a passion." Prisoner said—" Say
no 'more to me, for I have got more on my mind
than you're aware of, and I don't want to be bothered
with you."
Cron-examined.—Mrs. D. said, that the deceased
had been improperly connected with her husband.
Mary Chapman lodged in the same house, and
knew the deceased, who was a very decent, sober,
and orderly woman : spoke to her on the Saturday
night, and she was then quite sober. This is the last
time that witness ever saw her. Heard a noise after
one o'clock of persons quarreLling in the prisoner's
aparment: this noise lasted about half an hour : she
heard no blows given, but heard groanings. In the
morning, witness went out for coals, about ten; ob-
served his window, the curtain having blown aside,
and it appeared as if a bed and pillow had been put
up to the ~.indow, which prevented any person front
seeing what was doing in the room.
Sarah Madden went to prisoner's house on Sunday
morning, saw him there, and was told by him his
wife had died suddenly. Witness asked him if he
had got no doctor ? He said, No. Saw hei in bed,
and she was quite clean thea ; had her mouth tied up.
Ann Davies, ;wife of the first wirlesF.—Knew the
deceased, as she was her m ighbour ; saw her the day
of her death, about midnight, and she was quite so-
ber ; she did not complain more than usual ; remem-
ber prisoner coming home along with witness's hus-
band. Nest morning Wiliiaii:s, the second witness,