The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-02-14 00:00:00

MURDER OF A GAMEKEEPER, NEAR MOLD,
AND APPREHENSION AND COMMITTAL OF
THE SUPPOSED MURDERER.

`We regret to have to record a most brutal murder, com-
mitted on Monday night week, in the county of Flint—a county
generally remarkable for the infrequency of capital crimes,
arid the lightness of capital offences. But in this case, the
particulars will disclose a case scarcely exceeded by any on
record,' for the cold-bloodedness and brutality with which it
was perpetrated. -
The unfortunate victim is David Evans, gamekeeper to
John Wynne Eyton, Esq of Leeswood, near Mold, for his
property in the parish of Northop, being near to Coed-y-llen-
dre pine, near Mold. . _ _

The de.ceasetl.-who was a man about 45 years •of-rge7- had
on Monday last been following his usual occupation, and was..
returning home in' the, evening. A! little' bet* six o'iclotic;7;
he passed. thrdugh the farm-yard of Mr. Jones, a respectable
farmer, living near to. Coed-y-liendre mine, on the mountain..
leading to Halkin ; and in passing he had some conversation
with Mr. Jones and his men. He left them to proceed along.
the bye-road leading to the mine ; and in a very few minutes
they heard the report of a gun, and a man's voice exClairn,'
"Oh ! Lord ! Oh ! God ! " In about ten minutes, a boy
leading a mare came to the house, and stated that a man was
lying in the lane either dead or drunk, and that he had hard •
work to get the mare to pass him. It is remarkable that the
boy had passed the same part of the lane on his way to the
farm some few minutes before, when the body was not then
there ; and having missed his way he had to turn back, when
he discovered the body ; but in the interim he had heard a
gun fired. Mr. Jones immediately summoned his men ; and
it being dark, they went with a lanthorn to the place described
by the lad, where they found the body of a man, amid a mass
of fresh blood. One of the men immediately recognised the
body as that of David Evans, the keeper, who had left the
farmyard not many minutes before. They guarded the body,
and instantly despatched a messenger to Peter Parry, Esq.
the coroner, residing at Mold, and he, after sending inform.
Lion to Mr. Wynne Eyton, proceeded to •the place, accom-
panied by his brother, Robert Parry, Esq. surgeon. Mr.
Parry directed the body to be taken to the deceased's own
house, and Mr. Jones got a cart and followed his direction.
The body of the deceased when examined, presented a most
horrid appearance ; the head being nearly separated from the
body with some sharp instrument, and the ,face contused as
if with a blow, and the head lacerated in several parts. A
minute examination showed thalthe unfortunate man had
first been shot at. A charge of shot had grazed the muscular
part of the right.arm, then penetrated the skin on the right
side of the breast, carrying • with it a button from the waist-
coat, passed under the skin to about the centre of the breast,
when
.a part.had.broken the skin and escaped, the rest pro-
ceeding under the skin, fracturing slightly the second and
third ribs, and ultimately lodging in the muscles of the left
side : only one, shot had penetrated the chest, and that was
found loose, the lungs and other. intestine objects being en-
tirely untouched. This wound could scarcely have been at-
tended with fatal results. The murderer must then have
stunned his victith by a blow with the fowling piece, as a
contusion, as if inflicted with some blunt instrument, was
found nn the forehead and face, the cartilege of the nose
being divided. Then the murderer must have resorted to the
use of the knife, as there was a cut of one inch long in the
forehead ; four on the right side of the head, one being two
inches long. The knife had been stuck in the throat on the
left side under the ear, and by one vigourous slash, the whole
of the muscles, arteries, windpipe, &c. • divided in the front
to the other side, leaving the head attached to the body by the
vertebra of the neck and the back muscles. Death must then
have'been instantaneous.

Mr. Eyton, on hearing of the fate of his servant, sent a
messenger off obtain the services of Mr. Hill, superin-
tendent of the Chester police, and Mr. Copeland, police
officer, Holywell. The messenger sent to Chester never
went near Mr. Hill,.but contented himself with informing
the Coroner for Cheshire of the circumstance, but Copeland

arrived in the course of the night. Mr. Eyton also proceeded
to the spot; and, in conjunction with Mr. Parry, the Coroner,
instituted the most active and searching enquiries, in order
to discover the perpetrator of this horrid deed.
The exertions to find some clue that might lead to the de-
tection of the perpetrator of this inhuman slaughter were not
long in being rewarded. A lad, in the employ of Mr. Lloyd,
a respectable farmer, near to the mine, and concerned in
mining operations, stated, that some little time before the
murder was committed, and within seven or eight minutes'
walk of the place where the deceased was found, a man ac-
costed him, dressed in a velveteen coat, and in breeches and
gaiters, having -a single-barrelled gun on his arm. He asked
him what hour David Evans, the keeper, passed morning and
evening„ and whether he had heard any shooting ? The lad
replied, that he heard two guns fired within five minutes of
each other. The *man replied, that he would hear him fire
soon • and asked him if the keeper carried a gun ? The lad
replied, that he did not know; that he had heard shooting,
but he did not know whether the keeper shot or not. The
man appeared to have' his face flushed, as if he had been
drinking a tittle; and, after telling the lad not to tell any
body what he had asked him, he went towards the lane where
David Evans was found dead. The time corresponded with
that stated by Mr. Jones as the time he saw Evans, and
would have enabled the man to arrive at the lane in time to
meet Evans•there.

The description given by the lad answered to a man named
Ed%Vard Jones, who lived in a cottage on the edge of Halkin
mountain, about a mile from Coed-y-Hendre mine; and Mr.
Eyton, Mr. Parry, Copeland, and Price, the Mold officer,
proceeded to his residence : this was early in the forenoon
of Tuesday. As they approached, Jones was outside the
cottage, and on seeing them he went in. The party went
into the cottage, and on seeing the prisoner he had some
blood on his face, and Mr. Eyton asked him how he got it?
He seemed confused, and said he supposed he got it in chop-
ping gorse.• He had also some spots of blood on his clothes.
They found a singlebarrelied fowling-piece loaded. They
informed Jones of the suspicion that attached to him, took
him into custody, secured the gun, and brought him away.
Jones was identified bythe boy as the man he had seen. On
their way to the Leeswood Arms Hotel, Mold, they were
joined by Mr. Hill of Chester, for whom a second messenger
had-been despatched. On arriving at that hotel4ories•Was
told by Mr. Hill that he was suspected of having, murdered
David Evans, and he replied that he could clear hiiriself, as
he had been drinkinc, from a little before six o'clock till ten
o'clock, at a beer shop on the top of the Mountain, kept by
John Jones, his brother. Mr. Hill then asked pith how he
accounted for being seen by the lad ? He replied, no lad had
ever Seen him, .nor slid the lad Say so. -Blood; apparently
fresh, was found on his jacket, and on the inner part of the
right thigh of his small chitties; and his hat had the markstif
bloody fin ers on the left side and on the left rim, and where
those marks were, was literally saturated with blood. He did
not aecount for these appearance. The shot in the charge
of the gun, when drawn and compared "with the shot taken
front Evans' side, exactly corresponded. Mr. Eyton being
a magistrate, ordered Jones to be detained in custOdy, to
await the result.of the coroner's inquisition.
On Wednesday, an inquest was held on the body of the
unfortunate inan,'at a public-house near to where the body
was found, before Peter Parry, Esq., coroner for the county,
and the following most respectable jury :—Mr. John Hamp-
ton, Great House, Mold, fore Man ; Mr. Robert Harrison,
Mold ; Mr. .William Marsden, drUggist, Mold ; Mr. John
Owen, nailor, Mold ; Mr. John Snow Berrington, coachman,'
Mold ; Mr, Robert Williams, Royal Oak; Mold ; Mr. Wm.
Williams, Ty Draw, near ,Mold ; Mr. John Jones, joiner,
Mold ; Mr. Evan Edwards, draper, Mold ; Mr. Thomas
Jones, saddler, Mold ; Mr. Edw. Roberts, Coed-y-Hendre,
near Mold ; Mr. Joel Williams, Rhydymwyn, near Mold ;
Thomas Richardson Trueman, Bryn Allyn, near Mold. The
inquiry commenced at eight o'clock in the morning, and was
conducted with great ability by the worthy coroner and
patience by the jury, and did not terminate until nearly eight
o'clock at night. Ei4ht witnesses were examined in all, in-
cluding the parties on whose statement the above narrative is
drawn out. The body had been examined by Mr. Parry,
surgeon, who detailed most minutely the wounds, their ap-
pearances, and consequences. It appeared from the state;
ment.of the witnesses who found the body; that Evans must
haVe first fallen in the middle of the road, and afterwards
have either struggled or been dragged to the side, as his head
was lying under the hedge. There was a gread deal of blood
lying at the place next day ; but nothing to indicate there
had been much struggling. In fact, the conflict, if there
had been one, must, have been very short, and, as the result
proves, decisive ; • and by coupling together the leading points
in the chain of evidence, not' more than five or ten 'minutes
could have elapsed, from the time Evans left Mr. Jones, to
the time his dead body was first discovered. The jury re-
turned an unanimous verdict of " wilful murder against the
prisoner Edward Jones," and he was committed on the
coroner's warrant to Flint gaol, to await his trial for the
offence at the Spring assizes.
As might be anticipated the event caused great anxiety to
prevail. The atrociousness of the crime—and the novelty .of
such an offence in this county—combined to attract together
a great concourse of people. Every one seemed anxious that
the perpetrator should be detected. All parties directly itt-
terested in the enquiry displayed great activity and zeal
Mr. Eyton, Mr. Parry, coroner, Mr. Parry, surgeon, Mr.
Hill of Chester, Mr. Copeland of Holywell, and Mr. Price,
the Mold constable.

The prisoner, Edward Jones, appears to be a man about
fifty years of age, and has already been convicted of felony.
tie is a widower, but has four daughters. He has generally
had the character of being a poacher ; and assuming that he
has committed this horrible murder, the provocation is sup
posed to be, that David Evans, the deceased man, was the
cause of him being, some time since, convicted in a penalty
of £5 for shooting a pheasant. We are also informed that
his brother was recently convicted in a similar offence against
the game laws ; but there is nothing to connect him with any
knowledge of or participation in this offence.
The deceased was a very quiet man, and a good servant,
and confined himself strictly to the duties of his situation.
He was about 45 years of age, and has left a wife and family.
Further enquiries are going on, in order to ascertain whe-
ther any reasonable suspicion rests against any other parties.

We have authority for 'stating that her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Gloucester was prevented from being present
upon the occasion of her Majesty's wedding, in consequence
of her royal highness having for this last fortnight been con-
fined to her house, suffering from the effects of a severe cold,
and not being sufficiently recovered to encounter the fatigue
of a considerable procession at so early an hour.—Morning
Herald.
REPRESENTATION OF WEST SOMERSET—PEERAGES.----
The conservatives of West Somerset must buckle on their
armour, and be ready for the tight. It is stated in some
well-informed circles that Mr. E. A. Sanford, M.P. for West
Somerset; will be included in the next batch of new peers.
And it is further rumoured that Mr. Labouchere, member
for Taunton, will be similarly honoured. Two vacancies will
thus occur, one for West Somerset, and one for Taunton,
and we trust that in neither case will the conservatives allow
themselves to be taken by surprise. The most remarkable
feature in the contemplated bestowal of dignities, is the omis-
sion of the name of Sir Thomas Lethbridge.—Dorset County
Chronicle.
DESIRABLENESS OF TIIE QUEEN'S MARRIAGE.—WO
copy the following from a pamphlet just published by Mr.
Murray, in the form of a letter " On the Marriage of the
Queen :"—" Without entering into the detail of the present
position and circumstances of the royal family of England, I
think I may assume that, by the.general consent of the na-
tion, without distinction of classes or parties, it was held ex-
tremely desirable that the Queen should contract a mar-
riage : most, if not all of us, felt this to be highly important
to the best interests of the country. Such being the ease,
the Queen must marry either a subject or .a foreigner. If
the former, I need not point out to you the jealousies, the
intrigues, the thousand inconveniences that w ould probably
have ensued. The question then is reduced to this :—' If it
was desirable that the Queen should contract an early and-a
foreign marriage, where shall we find in Europe a prince to
be preferred, on political, personal, or religious grounds, to
the consort whom she has herself selected?' " The writer
thus continues :—" My friends, I have not yet touched upon
the personal character of Prince Albert, "and I shall do so
very briefly now. If I were desirous of writing a panegyric
upon him, I might probably have little difficulty in adducing
satisfactory testimony, even at this early zge, to the extent
of his accomplishments, and the excellence of his abilities
and disposition. But such is not the purpose of the present
letter. I write simply to warn you against unfair prejudice
—to remind you of what is due to justice, due to ourselves,
and to our national character. A young prince, of Whom
we may at least say that report speaks favourably—respect-
ing whom even the tongue of scandal has spoken no evil—is
chosen as the consort of our Queen. Leaving his native soil,
and a home where all his early affections have centred, he
comes, unattended by the friends of his youth, to throw him-
self upon the candour and generosity of England, and, with
a mind yet too fresh to be imbued with prejudice, he conies
to place himself under England's laws, to adopt England's
usages, and to be,
ing only in every acceptation of the term
birth),(except-
an Englishman." We think every candid
and generous mind will respond to this appeal.