The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-11-10 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT WOODEATON, OXFORDSHIRE

On Wednesday an inquest was held at Woodeaton, on the
body of Thomas Cooper, gamekeeper to Richard Wetland,
Esq., M.P., who was found dead that innimitir near Woodeaton
Wood.—R. Weyland, Esq., stated that Cooper had been game-
keeper to the family about forty years, and he imagined his age
to be about sixty-eight. Two or three days since witness de-
sired him to go to the wood and procure two or three pheasants.
As witness was returning from his walk, on Tuesday eveniug,
he heard the report of a gun when crossing South-hill Paddock,
which, from the direction it came, must have been very near
the place where Cooper was found dead. In consequence of
hearing the report of. the gun witness went to Cooper's house,
and his wife informed him that her husband was not at home,
but had gone to the wood some time before. Witness thought
he was gone to execute the order given him, and returned home
to dinner. About eight o'clock on Wednesday morning, Lady
Johnstone informed him that Cooper had been found dead near
the wood. Witness sent for Mr. Cecil, the coroner. and Mr.
Walker, the surgeon, and went himself to the middle wood
ground, where he found Cooper lying dead, and apparently had
been so some time. He appeared to have been shot by some per-
son or persons who came up to him from behind, and the gun
must have been close to his head, inasmuch as the back part
of his hat was quite black with being singed. (The deceased
wore a white hat.) He had been shot through the head about
the neck, and the back part of his bead appeared to have been
very much injured by some blunt instrument. Witness then
returned home, and shortly afterwards got on horseback and
went to make inquiries. George Phillips, of Woodeaton, de-
posed to the wife of the deceased going to him and expressed
her fears that something had happened to her husband, he not
having been at home all night. Witness went in search and
found the body. He touched Cooper's skull and found it frac-
tured. He had on an old fustain shooting jacket, which was
very much burnt; but witness could not tell how it caught fire.
He was lying with his face towards the ground, and his hands
turned behind him. He had a shot-belt on, and a powder-flask
by the side of him, which had burst. There was no gun lying
by Cooper. Mr. Stephen Walker, a surgeon, residing at Islip,
stated that he examined the body, and found a gun shot wound
at the back part of his head, and the shots appeared to have
gone through his head, and to have come out at his right eye.
It was impossible he could have shot himself ; some other per-
son must have shot him; the shots had produced a fracture of
the right and temporal bone, as well as fractured the upper
jaw, and would have produced instant death. He was of opi-
nion that Cooper was first shot and afterwards struck on the
head.—A labouring man, named Clay, assistant to the deceased,
deposed that he had frequently heard guns go off in the woods
about dusk in the evening, and on Sunday be traced a number
of footsteps in and about the woods, one of which was a short
and very narrow foot-mark, and very much like the one he saw
near to where Cooper was shot, The jury returned a verdict
of wilful murder against some person or persons unknown. It
is understood that a poacher in the neighbourhood has been
taken up on suspicion, and committed for further examination.
—Oxford Journal.

LIABILITY OF CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS TO
, THE PAYMENT OF PARISH RATES.

An appeal was made at the Town-hall, Croyden, Surrey, on
Tuesday last, by the trustees of a charitable institution, estab-
lshed at .Croyden by members of the Society of Friends,
against a rate made upon them by the parish officers. Mr.
Marsh, on the part of the trustees, stated that by act of parlia-
ment charitable institutions were expressly exempt from being
rated, except under particular circumstances; the Friends did
not wish to claim a total exemption; but what they complained
of was, that the amount of rate had been increased-from £lOO to
£140., and if such increased amount were persisted in a total
exemption from rates would he claimed. l'he Vesta•-Clerk
contended that as the children educated iu the school contri-
buted a certain sum yearly towards their maintenance, the in-
stitution did not come within the meaning of the act of parlia-
ment. En reply, it was stated that it was true that owing to the
fact of the number of applications for admission into the school
being found to he too great for its funds, it was thought neces-
sary that a regulation should be made that no child should be
without, either by • its own-me-airs-or through-the assist-
ance of its friends, a small sum was paid yearly to the trustees,
but this sum did not exceed £lO or £l2 per annum, in any in-
stance. The Vestry-Clerk said they relied upon that fact. Mr.
Marsh observed that if such doctrine were to be adopted it
would apply to almost every charitable institution in the king-
dom. After some. further diseussion, the magistrates decided
in favour of the legality of the rate. The question, however,
it is understood, will be taken before another tribunal, as it
is considered of great importance to charitable institutions
generally.