Star.
London, England, 1828-08-08 00:00:00

family affairs, and that Maria was in the isle of Wight.
Mr. Mathews is in attendance, Gentlemen. and Imo
him you will have a more detailed account oft thel.as:
etrances which Corder gave him rn their interview...,
s'rhe patents at leogth,not hearing from their daughter.
'became uneasy. *minim and suspicious. These suspicion.
'assumed a more definite shapes and were raised and di-
rected towards the barn. The father was. anxious to
search it, and he wentaliete in the month of last April,
and the corn was then threshed out, but some of the
litter remained. Accompanied by another person, he
searched two or three places without success, but at
length. perceiving in the upper bay, which they closely
examined, a part of it where the chalk was not quite so
firm as in the other portions of the floor, their attention
Was directed to this spot, and at about one and a half
feet beneath the surface he discovered the body of the
deceased. The rernaina were those of a female ; they.
had on them a stays, and a flannel petticoat ; and on
the neck was found a green silk handkerchief; the body
and the clothes have been inspected by the father and
mother, who, I learn, will be able to identity and de-
scribe them. And the surgeon will corroborate. their
testimony. Maria Marten had a wen on her throat;
the body that has been found had also a wen, percep-
tible to the surgeon who examined it. Maria Marten
had lost two teeth ; the body which has been examined
exhibits a similar deficiency. The features were not
distinct enough for recognition, but you will hear the
opinion of the witnesses as to her id, ntity, and you will
also hear their description r f the dress she wore on the
evening on which she for the last time left home; .one
witness, I am assured, will speak most distinctly tithe
handkerchief. Mali. Marten frequently complairied,of
a pain in the side, and the surgeons will prove to
you, that on their examination of the co,pse, they
discovered symptoms of inflammation where the
disease was supposed to have been situated. The
body was disinterred with the grea,est care, and
most minutely inspected. On that inspection, Gen-
tlemen, the mark of a pistol ball having penetrated
the head was visible; there was also the appearance of
an incision having been inflicted, as if from a sword, oat
the face, the neck, and between the ribs. This will be
proved to you by a surgeon ; and he will also tell you,
that he personally removed the handkerchief from off
the neck, and that the ligature was so tight, that it
would nature ly produce strangulation. In conse-
quence, Gentlemen, of this discovery, suspicion was di-
.rectly attached to the prisoner, and a country constable
WAS dispatched to town in pursuit of him. He obtained
the assistance of James Lea, an active and intelligent
officer of the London Police, who, after many searcnes,
at last dis overed him in Baling.lane,,pear Brenttord ;
when be took him into custody he told'hitn that he ap-
prehended him on a most serious charge, and said that
it was about a young woman named
(Maria Marten,
who had for some time been missing, acd with whom
he bad kept company. He, to his several inquiries, in-
variably denied all knowledge of her, and Lea properly
'not pressing him farther, brought him before a Magis-
trate." The Learned Counsel here went into a long de-
tail of several minor incidents, that subsequently train.'
spired, and which were afterwards borne out in evidence,
and concluded his statement by imploring the Jury to
dismiss any prejudices from their mind, and if they en-
tertained any doubt, to let it operate in favour of the
'prisoner.
The first witness called was Ann Marten, the step-
mother of the deceased, and, on her ascendirik the box,
the prisoner very systematically put on a pair of steel-
mounted spectacles ; and, after surveying, her tery
closely, and taking a hasty glance round the Court.
pulled out his pocket-book and pencil, and commenced
in the coolest and most collected manner to take notes
of the evidence. It was as follows:
I am the wife of Thomas Marten ; I reside at Pol.
stead ; my husband had a daughter called Maria ; I
knew the prisoner nearly seventeen years ' • he resides at
Polstead ; he was acquainted with Maria Marten; 1 do
not know when they became first acquainted; I do not
recollect when he began to visit us frequently at our
cottage, but it was a year before May, 1826; in that
year she was delivered of a child; she then went away,
and at about seven weeks previous to the 18th of May,
1627. she :corned to her father's house, and brought
a child with her ; the 'child died in about a fortnight
afterwards ; after the death of the child, the prisoner
acknowledged himself the father of it; the prisoner had
frequent conversations with Maria Marten relative to
, the burial of the child ; I cannot tecollect them parti-
cularly, but I heard him say that he canted the child
to Sudbury; and I also heard them have a couversatiou
about a 51. note ;,she said that he took the bread out of
her child's mouth ; before, she had the child by Corder,
she•had another ; it was after the birth of her child by
Corder that she said to him " you have taken mine and
my child's bread out ut our mouths ;" I heard him say
to her that the officers of the parish intended to 'take
her up for a bastard child ; this was previous to the
18th May, 1827. The last conversation I heard them
having about the 51. note was a week previous La the
18th of May ;1 tecollect on the Sunday before the 18th
of May, Corder came to our house on the evening of
that day ; he remained there about half an hour.; Maria
and,he went away togaber.; they said that they were
going to Ipswich on Monday. morning early ; they
hereto havesemained at. Mrs. Corder's house; Maria
returned between three and four o'clock in the morn-
ing (Monday); I saw Corder op the follow. ing day ; I
beard him tell. Maria that, he-should drive her to Ips-
avich on Wednesday night ; they did not then go;
on Thursday night it was fixed to go to Ipswich ; they
did not do so because his.btother James was so ill, that
they expected his death every hour. On Friday Maria
and I were at home; Corder called on us between 11
and 12 o'clock; I was up stairs along with Maria;
Corder came up stairs, and, on entering the room, he
said—" Come, Maria, make-baste, lam going." Maria
reptied-,66 How can I go atthittime of the day without
any one seeing of me?" He said—" Never mind ; we
have been disappointed a good many times, and we
shall be disappointed no more." I remained jo the roam
during this conversation. She again said—" How can
Igo without any one seeing of me?" Corder replied.
"You can go to the Red Barn, and wait there until I
bring the horse and.gig for you." Maria Marten said,
" How am 1 to alter my things?" Corder replied,
6' You can take them with you." She again said,
" How can. I got. off without any oae seeing of me r
' Corder replied, " The course is quite clear,
.and
none of my woritmen are in ..the way; Some things
were packed -up in a brown holland bag ; there was
a wicker basket also, in which was i 4 black velvet
remote, two pair of black silk stockings, a , black
silk gown, a cambric skirt, and several other thins ;
I should know the velvet tetioule if I saw it again,
as 1:• have seen it frequently ; when the things were
put into the, bag, he took it with him ; after Corder
went-away, Maria dressed herself a pairail blue
' trousers, a striped waistcoat,, and a brown coat ; Unlined
her tactresslterseilf ; she bad also on her a shift, an enflaa
flannel petticoat, and stays, a green and red striped
handkerchief, amid a silk shawl.; the petticoat was flan•
nel, and the shirt was Irish ; I saw the shift before; the