Star.
London, England, 1826-11-20 00:00:00

THE FETCHAM MURDERS.

EXHUMATION OF THE DEAD BODIES.

We gave, a few days since, an account of the re-
apprehension and private examination of William Page,
alias Cobbler Will," and MaryAyres, who are charged
,on suspicion of being concerned in the late murders at
.Fetcham. On Friday last the two prisoners were again
brought from Horsernonger-lane gaol, and taken to the
,Magistrates' private room at Union Hall Police-office,
'and they underwent another examination before R. J.
Esq. and other Magistrates. No Reporter
was admitted, and the proceedings were conducted
with the strictest privacy. It was, however, impossible
to prevent tke main facts which were elicited from
transpiring, and as so much. mystery has been unneces-
sarily thrown about the recent examination of the pri-
soners, we present to our readers the whole circum-
stances which have been disclosed since the publication
of our last report. When the prisoners were examined
the early part of the preceding week, Grassmith, the
officer who brought Cobbler Will to London afterwards,
searched his baggage,:produced a pair of shoe pincers,
which he had found amongst Cobbler Will's luggage; an
instrument which Will said he *as in the habit of using
in his business of !shoe-making. It will be recollected,
that at the Coroner's Inquest, which • was held on the
bodies of old Akehurst and Elizabeth Haynes, that
the iurgeon; who gave evidence as to the nature of the
wounds which caused the death of the deceased persons,
said, that they were inflicted with a blunt weapon.; but,
it turned out, that he had not examined the back part
of the beads of the told man and woman ; and, upon a
subsequent and very minute examination, it was ascer-
tained, that they had each of them, on the back parr of
their skulls, incised ivonnds, which had been inflicted
by some instrument having two points running parallel
of about half an inch in width. Mr. CHAMBERS, the
Magistrate, being of opinion that such wounds might
haie been inflicted by an instrument like the shoepincers
which Grassmith produced, and deposed to having
found in Cobbler Wdrs tent, it was determined to ex-
humate the bodies, and to compare the wounds on the
skulls with the ends of the shoepincer handles. On
Thursday last, in pursuance of the Magistrates' orders,
an officer of Union Hall, attended by a Magistrate, a
Medical Gentleman, and others, proceeded to Fetcham
Church-yard, and the bodies of Akehurst and Elizabeth
Haines having been disinterred, the Medical Gentleman
examined the skulls. The bodies were considerably
decomposed, but not so much as might have been ex-
pected, mite; being under, ground so long. The back
part of the skulls, on which the wounds were inflicted was
sawn off, and conveyed to Union Hall Police Office, and
were produced on Friday, when the prisoners were ex-
amined, and the marks in the skulls correspond with
the pincer handle points. The prisoners have, on every
examination, displayed the utmost contempt of the
charge, constantly appealing to the DUTY that they
were innocent of the crime imputed to them. Two
witnesses were examined, who stated that the prisoners
were at Weyhill Fair ; and if their statements be true,
it is impossible 114 could have been concerned in the
horrid transaction. Cobbler Will has not yet satisfac-
factorily explained the cause of the clothes which were
found amongst his property being spotted with blood ;
but he with an oath asserted, ‘i that he knew no more
about the affair than Adam." At the termination of the
examination, the Magistrates committed the prisoners
again to Horsemonger-lane Gaol, where they were or•
dered to be kept apart. The Magistrates are of opinion
that some evidence may be procured, in a day or two,
leading to a developement of the dark and cruel deed,
which the ingenuity and activity of the police have'
hitherto failed to bring to light.
Cobbler Will and Mary Ayres are expected to be
filially examined on Wednesday or Friday next.

Thursday se'nnight, a melancholy accident happened
at 14,,cbrin distillery, Edinburgh, a man of the name
of Young, a miller, residing at, Stockbridge, was en•
gaged in sending up sacks of grain to the upper lofts by
the tackle, when his hand unfortunately go: entangled
with the chain that clasps the sack ; he was thus drawn
up through two lbws, and then falling to the bottom,
was so much hurt that he died soon after.
Elseeir used to employ women to correct the press ;
and,he assigned as his reason. that they kept their eyes
on the matter bflore them, and that, as they understood
nothing
.ahout it, their whole mind was occupied in
taking care that there were: no omissions ; but that
when he employed Grtek and Latin scholars to per-
form the same duty) they attended to the mei its of the
work, and did not attend to the matter befose their eyes.
Tuesday night, the Baptist Chapel, Wallingford,
nas broken into, and several Bibles, Testattents, Hymn-
books, &c. stolen therefrorir. Similar depredations have
lately been committed at Colnbronk, Maidenhead, and
Uxbridge.