Star.
London, England, 1817-03-10 00:00:00

READING MARCH 7.

Mail Chandler the elder, aped 66, and William
Chandler the younger, aged 35, were capitally in-
dicted, upon the Coriner'h -warrant, for the wilful
murder of Francis Chandler, brother to the last
mentioned prisoner. and nephew to the elder Chand-
ler, on the 4th of December, at die parish of Rad•
ley, in Berkshire. The Grand Jury threw out the
bill agaiiist the elder prisoner, but bound a true bill
against William Chandler, On. and he was accord-
ingly put upon his tiial, heavily ironed. Tile cir-
cumstances are of rather an extraordinary nature,
and excited a deal of curiosity throughout the county.
The following evidence was adduced:

John Allan, a labourer, residing in the parish of
Radley, said the prisoner resided there with his uncle
and brother. On the 4th of December, witness was
at Mr. Roberts's wood sale, at Radley ; the prisoner
and the deceased were there; they all lest at half-
past nine o'clock, and witness accompanied them
about twenty or thirty yards, and then returned.
The decease, was sober, and the uncle and the pri-
soner were rather tipsey. The deceased and she
elder Chandler were arm in arm, were very good
(rounds, and had been so at Roberts's sale.
Re.examined.—Witness was at the sale about six
o'clock, and began to drink between six and seven;
he knew they had been buying wood that morning ;
as tar as he went with them they were good friends.
titepfen Chandler, brother of the deceased. and
Asa of the primer, said that his uncle and the de-
ceased lived in a cottage at Radley. On Wednesday
the 4th of December, he was at the sale, and left
about ball past four o'clock ; he left his uncle and
the deceased there, and they were very good friends
1 all the time. Witness was called sip about eleven
o'clock by the prisute:r. Witness struck a light and
came down to his brother, and he (the prisoner)
came to the window and said, .6 My brother Francis
has fallen down in a fit, or otherwise he is dead,
under Radley wood." Witness called his neighbour,
Mr. Bennett, and asked tlise prisoner how the job
happened who said he did not know how, for lie
was at the time intoxicated. They set off fur Rad-
ley wood, and on the way witness asked him if he
had ill-used the deceased at all ? He replied, No,
I did not." Bennett and witness's wife were a little
behind. Witness was rather forward, and about a
mile before he came up to the body, he met Mr.
John Gee, and they proceeded to the sp.a where the
body was, and found' his uncle sitting down by else
deceased, having hold of his hand, on the bare
gu*nd. Witness asked the prisoner to assist him In
fetching a hurdle to carry the deceased haw. l'ri-
soner said, " .1 -don't like to't ; moreover, I am
afraid." Witness and John Gee got a hurdle and
carried the body home to their own house. When
the prisoner got to the body, witness asked him if
they had done him any harm, or misused or kicked
him in any shape, and the prisoner and uncle replied
they had not. About three weeks after the prisoner
was committed to gaol, witness saw him there, and
asked him to tell the truth how the job happened.—
(Witness said he might have told him it would be
better for him to speak the truth ; the conversation,
therefore, between the witness and the prisoner could
not be 1:gally received).
James Bennett, of Radley, said, that on the night
of the 4th of December'he was called by Hannah
Chandler, and went along with them to Radley
wood. Witness asked him if they_ had any falling
out or disagreement together I He said, 66 No."
Witness and Hannah Chandler went on together, and
the prisoner staid a little behind, but came up to
them before they got to the body, when be said,
66 Here lies my poor dear brother." While S. Chand-
ler and Gee had gone far the hurdle, the prisoner
said, i‘ Uncle, we shall nee* be happy any more;„
and the uncle (William Chandler) replied. D—n
your aggravating tongue." On their way home the
Prisoner said, " I don't know what we shall do with-
out lay brother Francis, because he used to do the
wt itiag."
John Gee, a gardener and farmer at Radley, cor-
roborated the testimony of the former witnesses in
many points, and added, that the uncle said, 46 We
never came on in so good a humour before, for
Frank had hold of my arm all the way; but he ap-
peared to hang heavy on my arm all at once, and I
said, 6 Frank, what is the matter r He made no
answer, and I said to Will (the prisoner), Will,
come back, there is something the matter with Frank ;
upon which he fell down and never spoke afterwards."
Stephen then asked the prisoner again, if they had
not been quarrelling He said no, they had not ;
but, said the prisoner, is I saw something run swift
along the ditch, and it came out just like a naked
sword, and Flank fell immediately." Prisoner's
brother Stephen repeatedly asked prisoner if they had
not been quarrelling; but he strongly denied it, but
observed that the &ceases) had hold of his uncle's
arm all the way. After they had .put the body on
the hurdle, and had come near Radley, the prisoner •
said. " I shalt never be happy any more; no more
will you, uncle."
Re-esamined.—The prisoner did not appear much
affected. Ater they had got home,' witness believed
be slept in the same house where the body lay; he
was much intoxicated.

Hannah Chandler, wife of Stephen Chandler, re-
membered being called up on the 4th of December
by the prisoaer. AV knew, accompanied them to Rad.
ley wood ; the prisoner said lie had not done the de-
ceased any injury. On the Tuesday following wit-
ness went to Abingdon gaol; she saw the prisoner,
and told biro that itwould be better for Mew, and he
confessed—

Mr. Justice BURAOllOll—".Stay, this must not be
heard, as it was evidently done under the influence
of a promise."
James Latham stated, that on the 11th of Decem-
ber he watched a field, called Mildle Grove, by
which the high road from RaJley goes, and alma
three quarters of a mile from the spot where the
body was found, witness found the knife produced—
tit is a long clasp knife, on the blade there was an
appearance of blood, but there bad been a good deal
of VAIR in the course of the week.3—Witness took the
knife to the gaol, and held it in his hand. Witness
'hewed it to the prisoner, and he said it was his.
Sarah Chandler, wife of the deceased, _said, the
knife produced was the prisoner's: he.always carried
it about him.

Mr. Thomas West, surgeon, deposed, that he eta-

min,ed ilte body tilf tile deceased on the 6th of Decem-
ber; above the right breast, between the second and
third ribs, there was the appearance of a wound.
Witness opened the body, and traced the wound in a
transverse direction towards the left cavity of the
chest, and it ruactured the great artery of the heart.
The pericardium was punctured ; the external ori-
ot the wound was one inch and oae-eighth, and
three inches deep. It must have been inflicted by A
sharp instrument, and would occasion almost iustan-
taaeous death.

This dosed the case for the prosecution, and the
prisoner being called on for his defence, did not effdr
any thing, but kept his eyes fixed towards Heaven.
Mr. Waitatmn, as Counsel for the Prisoner, said
he could call the uncle, if he thought fit ; but as his
Learned Friend had not put him in the box he should
not call him.

Mr. Enem--es You ma call him, if you ai.,11."
Mr. WAXIISIE.LD,...." No: I shall not, as you have
not."

Mr. Justice Bcnamon then commenced summing
up the evidence ; and observed, that to find the pri-
soner guilty of the murder, the Jury must he fully
satisfied that the prisoner's was the hand that mom-
muted it. They were then to consider whether the
offence Amounted to murder or manslaughter. Mur-
der was an offence committed without any justifica-
tion, extenuation, or palliation whatever. In his opi-
nion, supposing the pri ,oner had been guilty of the
offence, there was not sufficient proof in the evidence
to establish it. Whatever might be conjectured, and
it was all conjecture, there was no proof of any ma.
lice aforethought existing bttween the prisoner and
the deceased.

The Jury consulted for a few minutes. and found
the prisoner Guilty of Manslaughter.
Mr. Justice Bouttouott—" William Chandler, you
have been tried for the murder of your brother. The
J iry have very properly found pits guilty of man-
slaughter. There is no doubt, however, but you
were the cause of your brother's death ; but there is
no proof that there was any ill will up to the time of
his death,however depraved and nicked gout nature
may have been.—The judgment upon you. William
Chandler, is, that you be imprisoned fur one year."
The prisoner, it appears, has often confessed the
murder; and so made up was his mind to die, that
he requested Mr. Eaststaff, the Governor ..f the pri-
son, to interfere with the Judge in his behalf, to al-
low him to live as long as lie consistently could. An
executioner arrived in the town the slight previous,
from Winchester, so certain was every body that he
would be condemned. At a public-house whi re the
executioner took his station, l►e was boasting of the
advantages at:ending his calling, at which the coin
pany ►ecame so indignata, that thy turned him out
of the house, and threatened him with violence if he
ever dared to appear there again under_cirzumstances
so disgraceful.