Star.
London, England, 1820-04-20 00:00:00

PETTY TREASON AND MURDER.

wAitricig ASSIZES, APRIL te.
this day Ant Heyrr.9, whose crime has excited
such sensation in the public mind in this quarter, was
put to the bar, awl 'arraigned before Mr. Justice
UST, who was appoited to the Bench, in conse-
quence of his indisposition. She was a middle-sized
young wbman, and stoutly made ; she preserved an
undaunted. firmness, was dressed in a black gown;
a grey shawl v..a: thrown loosely over I:er shoulders,,
and s!le had o;1 a fine muslin mob cap.
The eldest of the !Hiss Dormers was the first wit-
ness examined, and on coming forth to give her evi-
dence, attracted the sympathy of the crowded Court.
Three young ladies, tile eldest apparently not 18
years of age, callftd upon in a Court of Justice to
xppear as witr.eses on the prosecution of the mur-
derer of their mother, could not but excite a feeling
of sympathy in the bosoms of all who possess the
better sensibilities of our nature. After they had
answered all :Le questions thought necessary, they
were permitted to leave. a scene which at least must
have been deemed a severe trial to their feelings.
Miss Dormer stated, that she was the daughter of
the prosecutor, and lived at Ashow, in this county,
in the month of August last. She has three brothers
and two sisters, who were all at home on the 29th of
August: the prisoner was in the service of the family;
there were also three men servants. She remem-
bered prisoner being charged with taking away some
notes.—[Here the Judge interfered to prevent going
into evidence on this point].—Tire witness proceeded:,
' They had some friends to dine with them on that
day, being Sunday the 29th of August—Mr. W.
Hinde; and Mr. T. Harris. The two Mr. Brays
came after dinner. Her sisters Harriet and Mary,
Mr. Joseph Dormer her brother, Mr. William Hinde,
and herself walked alter-tea to Mr. Aldridge's, and
returned a few minutes after seven o'clock. Her
mother made the tea, and the prisonei waited sin
them : she left her father, the two Mr. Brays, Mr.
'l'. Harris and the prisoner, with
.her mother, when
She went out. There was nothing particular in her
mother's manner that day; she returned about ten
minutes past seven o'clock ; she saw the prisoner in.
the passage as she came in, who appeared much agi-
tated, and perspired much. Witness asked her if
any one had been there ? she replied, " No, nobody.*
She then went into the wood-yard and retarned im-
mediately, but appeared to be still very much con.,
fused: witness observed blood on the floor of the'
passage, the spots of which appeared smeared, as if
there had been an attempt to wipe them up, and she
pointed out the blood to the prisoner, asking what
she had been doing ? in reply, she said, 44 0, no-
thing." Witness told her to get a mop and wipe it
up, and then asked her where her mother was? the
prisoner said, " She is gone towards Ashow." Miss
Harriet Dormer soon after called out "Mother, mo-
ther," and. agted where her mother was and the
prisoner said, " She was gone into the garden about

ten mintues before,' to gather cucumbers." Witnessl
then said, " I went up stairs to my own room; and
saw my mother's room-door-shut as I pasied. by;
my sister-Mary followed me up stairs. When in 'my
room, I heard my fluter scream Violently ; found my
mother dead, and there were drops of blood in the
passage, which had the appearance of being wiped."
In answer to a question from the Judge, Miss Dor-
mer replied, " She was sure the spbts had been
wiped; they seemed to be smeared along."
y. the Jtioas.—Prisoner, will you ask this wit-
ness any questions ?—No, my Lord.
Mary Dormer was next sworn : she said she was
fourteen years old, and that she went with her bro-
thers and sisters to Mr. Aldridge's, and returned to-
gether; on entering the house she saw the prisoner
in the passage, . who seemed to be very warm and
confused; she heard her sister ask her where her
mother was ? and the prisoner replied, " gone to-
wards Ashow:" She did not ask the prisoner any
questions, but witness's sister Harriet called out—
" Mother, mother." The prisoner said, " she was
gone into the garden." Witness saw marks of blood
on the floor ; she then went up stairs, and opened
the door of her mother's room, and saw her lying on
her back on the floor: saw just her feet, but did not
see blood ; and screamed out, being frightened.
By the RDCE.—Prisoner, would you ask this wit-
ness any questions ?—No, my Lord.
Mr. Thomas Harris deposed, that he was on a
visit at Mr. Dormer's on the day in question, and
remembered the Miss Dorniers and
.their friends go-,
ing to Mr. Aldridge's. The elder Mr. Dormer, the
two Mr. Drays, and witness, went to Ashow toge-
ther. Witness left Mrs. Dormer and the prisoner
only in the house, as far as he knew : Mrs. Dormer
came out at the garden gate with them when they
.set off to Ashow. -

The prisoner, on being asked, said she had nothing
to say to the witness.
Maria Dormer called.—She said she was eleven
years old (but appeared a very intelligent girl) ; the
Judge questioned hec as to the nature_of an oath,
and cautioned her to tell the truth. She said she
knew Mrs. Dormer of Ashow—remembered when
she was said to have been killed; went to see her
about half-past sir o'clock that day, with her little
brother. Mrs. Dormer gave them a glass of wine
and some cucumbers. .Saw the prisoner there, but
nobody else.
The prisoner had no question to ask the last witness.
Miss E. Jaggard was at the house called the Forge,
on the day of the murder, with Miss Russell, who
lives there: she rode to Ashow, and passed the house
of Mr. Dormer nearly at the hour of seven. Wit-
ness saw Mrs. Dormer sitting at the second window,
apparently reading ; she had her spectacles on. Just
at the same time the witness saw a woman come
into the road and look towards Ashow ; she was
dressed in a dark red gown, and had on a coarse
apron and a cap ; she went away almost immedi-
ately. Witness thinks she did not see her party. Saw
the prisoner going to prison, and then sl.:. had on the
same gown as when seen by witness in the road.
John Dormer the younger said, on the 29th. of,
August be returned with his sisters from Mr. Al-
dridge's a little after seven o'clock ; when he re-
turned, and his sister opened the door, she was very
much struck with the appearance of the prisoner,
who was greatly agitated. Witness was near the
court-paling when he heard a screaming, and imme-
diately went up stairs, the prisoner following him.
Witness took hold of her, and led her into the mid-
dle of the road, and said, " You have murdered my
mother." She gave no reply. He was much en-
raged, and pulled her along, on which she said, " I
will' go where you choose to take me ; you need not
pull me." Witness cannot say if he charged her with
his mother's murder more than once.

The prisoner had no question to ask the witness.
Henry Beesely deposed that he came into Mr.
Dormer's house after Mrs. Dormer bad been found
dead : that after getting a light, he traced the blood
to the pantry, and saw a book lying en the table,
and some spectacles on the floor in the kitchen.
William Pope was led into Mr. Dormer's house by
a scream which he heard there, afid he also beard
Mr. J. Dormer say a girl had murdered his mother.
The girl said, " She had not." At that time he
struck her on her cheek. I asked her if she had seen
anyone about the house? She said, " No." I asked
her if she had been out of the house:' She said,
" Yes; to the wood-pile," which is about 20 yards
from the house.

William Bodington, a surgeon, stated, that the
wounds had occasioned the death of the deceased.

Thomas Bellerby, a constable of Kenilworth, de-
posed, that on Sunday night, 29th of August last, he
heard that Ms. Dormer's servant had murdered her
mistress, and was desired to 4o and take the prisoner
into custody. Witness met Samuel Turner with the
prisoner. Witness asked her, if she was the young wo-
man who was charged with the murder of Mrs. Dor-
mer ? She replied, " They say so ; but I am not?
The prisoner had on a red gown, and a sort of a
burden apron. It was about half-past eight o'clock.
Witness took the prisoner into custody ; her hands
were bloody, and there was blood under her nails ;
her harids looked as if they had been wiped, and her
face was much swelled on the left side. Witness
asked her, if the apron she then had on was the apron
she had on in the former part of the afternoon ? She
said, " It was not, she had another on—that she had
pulled it off and had hung it upon the back door.
On Monday morning, the 30th day of August last,
witness went to the prosecutor's house and looked for
the other apron, which he found in the shed near the
back door, at the end of the prosecutor's house to-
wards Warwi:k, at the corner of the back kitchen ;
it was wrapped up upon the ground ; it had some
blood upon it when witness found it. The apron she
had on was free from blood. At the bottom of a
large nib in the yard near the garden-gate, which
had soap-suds in it, witness found & hand•cloth and
another apron by him now produced. These spots
had then snore the appearance of blood thau
now—both of them were wet ; none of the other
towels in the tub appeared bloody. Witness went
into the chamber where the deceased lay, and found
a black cap which had been apparently worn under
another; it was lying under the shoulder of the de-
ceased; the white cap produced was on the head of
the deceased, and the knife was under her right hand,
between her wrist and her right side. On kite same
day witness apprehended the prisoner's brother, on
kuspicionp(being concerned in the murder. Witnev

told her her brother was taken up about It, and
served what a thing it was to bring her fiiends
'trouble. She said, " Neither her brother nor
ether man had to do with the murder." (Wi
never made her any promise whatever in case
'would confess.) Witness said," If you say that,
know who did it." Prisoner almost immediate)
plied, " the did it, and no one helped her."
Bess asked pri-over what had become of the pro!
,tor and his family? she said, Joseph Dormer,
his three sisters, and somebody else she did
know, went to Mr. Aldridge's, of Thickthorn.
tress asked her what had become of the rest of
prosecutor's family ? she said that the pi oscc,
two Mr. Brays of Coventry, and Mr. Harris of '
ton, went out towards Ashow, and that hersell
mistress remained in the house. A little time of
wards, two children of Mr. Dormer's, of W,,or
came to the prosecator's house ; they came in al
back door, and the deceased gave them a el.!,
wine each, and some cucumbers; they stopped
a few minutes, and went out of the front door. '
the -deceased and the prisoner wert into the L,,z,
and got some cucumbers; that they returned
the garden to the house ; then the deceased wen
the best kitchen ; she put her spectacles on, and
gan reading. The prisoner went into the phia
cut up some cucumbers and onions fir sui
whilst the prisoner was cutting these cuctunhei s
said a thought came in her head that she vanll
'and murder her mistress. She then left off euttin.
cumbers, and went into the prosecuoir's hack kite,
'which she generally did when shefetched wood.
returned and put her burden apron on ; from thence
she wenti to the wood-yard and into the lane,
returned immediately into the house to the
kitchen, where her mistress sat reading ; that
knocked her out of the chair ; that as she fe,
gave a shriek, and lay about a minute on the
The prisoner stood looking at her, and then tfu
teased gpt up and ran along the passage and u;
stairs. The prisoner then said she foliowed lie
of the kitchen, and went t ersell into the dairy ,
prisoner took the carving:knife, znd went up '4,
the. deceased into her bed-room ; n hen the
got there, the deceased was lying On the fluor ,
said she did not knock her down ; the prisoner thoiii
the deceased had tripped
.up. with the carpet nt t
door, or was fainting. The pritsofier theh,said, t.,hnt si
leaned down, and began cutting the deceased with rb
carving-knife: The deee.aied made little Or no resist,
ance till she had cut her two orithree times; the
teased did not speak, but she.made a kind.of rust)
noise,- and caught at the knife with her hand.
When the prisoner ha,' so cut her mistress, she'
her down till she Was dead, and put the white
on her head, 'which had coin* off in the struggl
Witness asked the prisoner why the did net put
black cap on ? The prisoner said—" She did
think of it." Witness asked-the prisoner, why she
the knife under the arm of the deceased ? She
" she lifted the arm of the deceased, and put it L...
to make persons believe drat the deceased had done
it herself s" she said she put the-bloody tosicel in the
tub, and that she meant to wash it oat the nears
morning, when she washed the towels. Witness next
asked the prisoner where • she got the towel fiom ?
She said she took it off the banisters leading front
Mrs. Dormer's room ; as soon as she came from it,
she took this cloth and wiped her hands with it.
Witness asked the prisoner if she knew anything of
a piece of flannel which lay under the shoulders of
the deceased ? She said she took it to wipe her
hands, and threw it down and forgot it. Witness asked
the prisoner how blood came on the burden-apron ?
She said she could not tell.
The prisoner, on being called upon for her de-
fence, and asked if she had any witnesses to call ?
replied, in a firm tone, that she bad none.
The Jury, after consulting together for a few mi-
nutes, brought in their verdict—Guilty, both of the
petty treason and murder.
On the question being put to the prisoner, by the
Officer of the Omit, " it she had anything to say
why execution should be stayed ?" she replied, in a
firm voice, " No, I have not."
Jones.—" Then may GOD have mercy on your
guilty soul!"
Sentence was then pronounced in the usual way,
and her body was ordered to be given for dissection.
Execurtes.—Wednesday morning, at half-past eleven o'cicck,
the wretched criminal was conducted to the place of executida
in the front Of the jail. She died with every mark of repentance
for her horrid crime. Prior to the falling of the drop, she again
said, that she had no reason for killiog her mistress, but that
she thought she must murder her. She made a confession of her
guilt similar to that given in evidence by &Derby. On die
scaffold, she said—she had strong hopes that Gun Ar.mseiniv
would forgive her—she truly repented of the horrid crime she
had committed, and of all the sins or her life. She wished Mr.
Dormer and his family health and•haPpiness, and she hoped
the people round, and every person, would take warning from
her fate !

BIRTHS.

_
Friday, to 'Wimp°teat' -nat,„the lion. Mrs. Bagot, of a am
Sunday, Lady Jane Peer-a a son.
At Quiton, on the sth September, the Lady ,f Captain EL-
phinstona, ef a daughter.
At Madras, the 6th October, the Lady of Joint Shaw, Esq.
Register of the Supreme Cwt of Judicature, of a son.
At Moncreiffe House, the lith instant, Lady Momenta, of a
daughter.

MARRIED.
Tuesday se'nuight, at St. George's, Fbmover-agnore, Captain
Garth, R.N. to Charlotte, eldest dug** of Lieutestant-Geue-
ral Frederick Maitland.
Saturday, at Painswick, Gloucestershire, Thomas Jeffery
Bumpsted, Esq. B.A. of Queen's College, Oxford, to Fanny,
second daughter of the late Roger Smith, Esq. Walworth.
March $, at South Salem (Connecticut), Mr. Hezekiab Pod,
to Miss Sally Bean.
Here Pod and Bean united are,
In the cold clink of winter—

•
A tender vine, that grows so rare
Since frost and hail can't hinder!
" May they base a plentiful harvest, and may their fruits he •
all beans of the same pod !" says the American Paper from which
we copy the above article.

On the 16th instant, at Bath, in the hith year of his age, Lien-
tenant-General Elliot, late Commandant of Royal Marines.
Thursday, at bole Lodge, the Rev. James Ilasnihen, A. M.
second son ef the late Rev. PeploeWard, D.D. Prebendary of
At Malpas, the 11th inst. Edward, the youngest son of the
Rev. W. W. Drake.
Tuesday, suddenly, the Lady of Major Deshon, a Chester.
Tuesday, in Park-place, St. Jansees,-aged 64, John Wray, Esq.
Lieut.-Colonel Commandant 4th East York Local Militia.
At St. Petersburgh, the 15th ult. Louis Duncan Casaanujar,
Esq. Secretary tethe British Embassy at the Court of Russo.
Sunday, in Conduit-street,"Hanover-upiare, William Macna-
mara, Esq. late Captain in the Hon. East India Company's service.

- -

LONDON ;• Printed and published by UTZ& lignY,
llcniple-1,14t, •

id a-
[s into
[or no
ritness
se slit
,t, yon
ly
just
rict
o t.:e
cutor,
If r.v.,1
after-
ottc)::,
at th.
ass [ci •
[there
Tir2n
andhn
from
it hr.°
d
Lr-
trs
fPc
•s, the
Id go
10' CL-
:then,
I. like
hence
bnt
be.t
t
1 she
ficcr.
ie ee-
er ot•::
• ; t!•e
later
isoncr
• ; 'she
itt the
...ttt the
th the
reds:-
Ite de-
tstling
ehell
.e cap
gle.—
it the
id not
uc put
e said,:
there
dope
in the
Del: •
is next
?
fromm
om it,
rill it. •
ing .of
lets 01
3e her
asked
pron ?
er
de-
call?
:w
_t .I._