The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-19 00:00:00

DISCOVERY OF A SUPPOSED MURDER COMMITTED
THREE YEARS AGO—EXAMINATION OF TIIE ACCUSED.
—Lewes, Thursday.—The magistrates of Lewes have been
for some time past engaged in investigating a murder said to
have been committed three years back, and several private
examinations have taken place. It appears that the deceased
was a woman named Hannah Devonshire, alias Smith, aged
42, who was in the habit of travelling the country with lace,
tapes, &c. On the 2d June, 1838, she was in Ringmer, a
small village near Lewes, drinking with several men, and the
following morning was found drowned, under the circum-
stances detailed below. A coroner's inquest was held at the
time, and the open verdict of " found drowned," returned,
leaving the case for further investigation. Mr. Fagan, the
superintendent of the East Sussex constabulary, has been for
some time past actively engaged in collecting evidence, and
on Monday last apprehended a man named General Washer,
a dealer at Ringmer. After undergoing a short examination,
he was remanded for the attendance of the numerous wit-
nesses until this day. After evidence had been adduced as
to the finding of the body, and the fact of the prisoner and
the deceased having been seen drinking together the day be-
fore the woman's body was discovered, and also, that the
prisoner had been seen, later on the same night, lurking
about the fields in the direction which the deceased had taken
to go to Lewes, William Smith deposed that he resided at
Lewes, and had lived with the deceased for six years and a
half as man and wife. She was 43 years of age, and witness
was 66. On the 2d June, 1838, the deceased left home about
six o'clock in the morning, taking with her a basket con-
taining about nine or ten shillings worth of goods, and a
new pack on her back. She had also a snuff-box and a pair
of spectacles. Witness did not know whether she had any
money. Witness went towards Ringmer to meet her, and
waited upwards of an hour, and then returned home about
eight o'clock. Witness heard of her death about eleven
o'clock the next morning, and received her clothes and va-
rious articles. There were only three small wooden boxes,
and two tin pots worth about three halfpence each, left in the
basket. A thimble was all that was found in her pocket.
The pack, which was quite new, had two holes cut in it.
Witness was positive the deceased had her spectacles and her
snuff-box at the time she left home. The prisoner, after
being cautioned by the noble chairman, denied all knowledge
of the affair, and said he WAS 11. V.. in Liao oompony of the a,-
ceased until the day in question, and being a fine night, he
was sauntering about smoking a pipe. The pristmer was then
remanded for further examination until Monday next, when
some important evidence respecting the spectacles is expected
to be adduced. The examination lasted upwards of seven

LAMENTAULE OCCURRENCE.—For the last three or four
days a most pa:.iful degree of excitement has prevailed in
Sheerness, Queeuborough, and Chatham, in consequence of
the report that an old seaman, 56 years of age, belonging to
her majesty's ship Wellington, lying in ordinary in the
Medway, near the royal dockyard, had been killed by a war-
rant-officer of the same vessel. It appears, that on Thurs-
day last, being pay-day, several boats came ashore from the
different ships in the river. Amongst them was the crew of
the Wellington, under the command of Mr. Ward, the
warrant-officer. There were with them three women (the
wife and daughter of Ward, and the wife of one of the crew
named Sheppard.) There were two other seamen, named
Kingdom, and a boy, besides Maxwell, the unfortunate de-
ceased. After the receipt of their pay, they all proceeded to
the Fountain Tavern, situate near the pier. They remained
drinking until after dark, with the exception of Maxwell and
the boy. On leaving the inn at a late hour, they were scarcely
able to walk to the ship's boat, then lying off the pier. They
managed to crawl into it, and it was put off, Ward taking
charge of the tiller; Maxwell, Kingdom, Sheppard, and the
boy manned the oars. The. boat, instead of being steered
down the river towards the spot where the Wellington was
moored, was steered across, and ran ashore. Maxwell, find-
ing this was the case, and being sober, offered to take charge
of the tiller, saying, " Master, you had better let me steer
for you." Ward, with an oath, replied, "If you think
you can steer better than me, you had better come and
do it." Maxwell got up for the purpose of going to the
tiller, when the boat ran aground. Ward swore at Maxwell,
declaring, that it would not have happened if he had not
made himself so officious. Maxwell made some reply, when
Ward snatched up one of the stretchers of the boat, and
struck Maxwell a violent blow with it on the face, which
knocked him down. Maxwell got up, and a scuffle ensued,
in the midst of which Ward pulled out a large clasp-knife,
and rushing towards him swore, " he would rip his b-y
guts up." Maxwell, to avoid the blow, sprang towards the
gunwale of the boat, and perceiving Ward following him,
jumped overboard, and was seen no more. He was unable
to swim. The statements of the crew differ materially, but
the boy declares that Maxwell was knocked overboard by the
blow on the head by the stretcher, whilst others say he was
swept away by the sea on jumping over. The boy, however,
was the only one sober, except the deceased. Although
orders have not yet been received from the Admiralty with
respect to Ward, the warrant-officer, it is expected, should
the body not be found, that he will be tried by a special court-
martial for drunkenness and disobedience of orders, and
afterwards be delivered over to the civil authorities of
Sheerness.

HORRID MURDER AT DARFIELD, NEAR BARNSLEY.—
II is our painful duty to lay before our readers the following
particulars connected with one of the most diabolical and
coolly-premeditated murders that has ever been committed
in this part of the country. What renders the event, if
possible, more shocking, is the fact that the unfortunate vic-
tim was assassinated by mistake, owing, it is supposed, to
his being in age, appearance, and dress, very similar to the
person marked out for the murderers' dreadful pursese. The
deceased was a young man of the name of Thomas Depledge,
about 21 years of age, and was a farming servant in the
service of Mr. Timothy Heptenstall, of Billingley, near
Darfield. The murder was committed on the turnpike road
between those two places, and very near the cross roads
leading from Darfield to Doncaster, Pontefract, and Rother-
ham. It appears, that on the night of Monday last, two
boat-haulers, named Joseph and William Lodge, residing at
Wombwell, were returning from Barnsley fair ; and when
they had got as far as Measbrough Hill, a short distance from
Barnsley, they became engaged in a quarrel with two men,
named Marsden and Mills, who were walking on the road.
Joseph Lodge got off his horse, and attacked the two men ;
giving one a severe bite on the cheeek, and almost biting the
fingers off the hand of the other. He received himself some
very severe scratches and bruises, which seem to have ex-
asperated him, and roused him to a determination of deadly
revenge. Marsden and Mills having picked up the hat which
Joseph Lodge had lost in the scuffle, proceeded on their road
home, and called at the Ring of Bells public-house at Dar-
field Bridge, where they met with Thomas Depledge and
some companions, who were also returning from the fair.
In the meantime, the two Lodges, who are brothers, had
gone back to Barnsley, evidently with the intention of
collecting a force for the purpose of assisting in their re-
vengeful purpose. They called with their companions,
one of whom was a nephew named John Lodge, at all
the beer-houses and public-houses on the road ; and at
length, their friends having left them, the three Lodges en-
tered the public-house at Darfield-bridge, where they found
Joseph's hat on the table, and saw the two men with whom
they had quarrelled. Some suspicious expaesions fell from
them there ; and they were perceived to be watching for
Marsden and Mills leaving the house. Some evil purpose
was so apparent, that Mills was strongly advised not to leave
the house that night. At length, however, Marsden and
Mills, along with Depledge and several others, left the house,
and proceeded homewards, towards Billingley. When they
had got to the Milnhouses, a short distance from Darfield,
the two former went forward before the others. At the cross
roads they had- gained ground a good deal ; and near this
place, Depledge. it is sup-posed, in consequence of hearing
footsteps behind, and wishful to apprise the men of some
danger, left his friends, and proceeded forward at a quicker
pace. Joseph and William Lodge then came up, spoke to
hedge stake. W
the party behind, and walked sharply past. One was in his
shirt sleeves, which were doubled up, and carried a large
lying hats they had gone about one hundred yards
_further, a very severe blow was heard by those who were in
the rear. They hastened forward, and found their companion
Depledge•
imme •bleeding on the road. On raising him up, he
immediately expired. His mouth and nose were bleeding
profusely, and it was found that he had received a dreadful
and corupletelayeetiawththt,ineehd
blow on the f hiat.d briohkeenliftellieessbobnoedsy ofwa
sh
tsn nose,m ed
i-
directly after the murLeen
ately conveyed by
speed, passed a large hedge companions to Milnhouses. Almost
by the constable ; and Ofee
to two Lodges, running at full
stake, which was afterwards found
to Wombwell, where they ywer:nb turned down a lane leading
taken into custody the
same night. John Lodge, the nenttl' , had left them at Dar-
field-bridge. An in9uest was heldp oenw
Wednes-
day, when the jury returned a verdict of wilful body
on
mWilliam Lodge, who were committed,
against
Joseph and , under the
coroner's warrant, to take their trial at the ensuing assizes.—
Doecoter Gazette.