The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-07-26 00:00:00

• EXETER ASSISES, J. uLT.23.

• • ••
Jo on Ford. aged-13, was inflicted for rnanelangh-
fer.at Plymouth. on the 2d of May last, on the finding
of a -Coroner's Jury. The prisoner it app.-wed bad
bern-arousing himself with several of his companions
a maypole. In the coarse of their Indies he
flung a stone at the maypole. The stone which was
raf':er a large and.sharp one, rebounded from the pole
• and struck a boy named Thomas Williams, and pene-
traded hia stomach. The boy survived only 21 -hours.-1
'Pt e evidence showed that there was not the least ma-
lire imputable to the prisoner. He was found Utility,
all sentenced topaY cline of one .
l'attheteleaeie and Edw. Cooke, were charged, the
brat nith baelai. violet-ad Mary Ward, aged 19, nail the
latter with aiding in the commission of the crime.
Mary Word elated. that on the night of the 29th -of
April last, lto4h. woo Tenoning home by -the Tiverton
toad W •tint•fparish of Fremington, in company with
another female, binned 'Ann Simmons, they were met
Ly the plis4ners dh uarnstaple-bridge. The prisoners
necoited her, and her compaidon, and after sf few words
they entered her to proceed on her way. She had not
gone lac, howeVer, before she Was overtaken by those
glee; learis knocked liar down, and kicked her
violently, but proceeded no farther at that time. She got
wp end resumed her road in company with Ann Simmons.
After going a short distaste they stopped in a garden
for a few minutes to allow the prisoners to pass them_
As they saw nobi4le, vireo enpposteil that the men had
• no ir.teotinn oR puesnilg them, NO again trey proceeded
OP their way. As soon as they, came to a lane called
Iteikingtoo,l4,oo,..tiny were.agato,ntrt by the prisoners,.
Lewis then laid Violent hated:ippon her, and perpetrated
• tl•ictione foe 'Nab he was now indicted. Cooke, the
other prisoner, aided him in the act of violerme. She_
eried‘ otitair lokslityos she could, but no one came to her
es.istance anti! deciding*, limo two men appaoroa, to,
whom the Aide Ilia been toonitanicated by het letnale
companioo,, •
LiA her ceoa's-cxemlnationsheiklor itted that she offered•
to coinpromise,tpe affair for 11. Her friend, Ann Sim
mons, would not appear becaise, she said, she was in.
fietreed :by-the friends of the prisoners. Oa her exami-
nation before the Magistrate, who took her information,
aho'seettsed the prisoners only of robbing her of a thaw!,
and 4s in money. She deposed that she never said to
;Hrs. Cliaepet or any body'etie The prisoners had not
done anyooyto her. delve. Chappel bad offered her.
XI anti a,sokfor clothes to settle the matter. .
The twoorren who were alarmed by Ann Simmons con-
Seined the girl'. statement so far as they were concerned.
When they came up with her, the prisoners had run away.
by different roads, but Cooke was overtaken and cons-
ist tt 44.

he prisoners *holly denied the charge. They se-
ceired evcelleut characters from several witnesses.
Mr. Justice BEST charged the Jury iu the most
favourable• manner to the prisoners, in consequence of
the suspicious cnsrarter of the prosecutrix, and the
Jury immediately returned a verdict of—Nut Guilty.
Matthew Lewis, one of the above prisoners, was in-
a second time for robbing Mary Ward, the same
witness, of a shawl and 4s. in silver, on the night of the
2Jth of April. tier story appeared so improbable, and
as she wis contradicted in some points by witnesses
trour,ht forward by the prisoner, the Jan., enter
the di, Wien of the Learned J tidy, acquitted the prisoner.

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:A.?

JuLy Z-77

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• GROWN. SID& .." •. • •
Joks Lavetterme was indieted, under toedlieltife-
sough's, Act. for ,felenienthy, stab biag Janos Tity/or
younger, at Kingston-Spot-Thome., on the 17. th at May.
wltb intent teasorder isim. Two ether Mounts /wiled.
• * terms of she charge aceelediecto the Antral, nr!
41te statute. The pasties were in a ktemble condition
at life. The prisoner had married the pvesecater's!
slater. Thoprosemitor replenished the priaorter for ill-
ming his wife, sod told bins he must Wend hie,beliani-1
oar. A souffle ensued ; both -fell on the pound; the
reeeentor king uppermost. When the totter arose,'
lie observed blood issuing through his coat team -hie
aide, and then perceived that he was wounded.. Thesproe
teenier, deposed that be was dot sensible of theotenimi
till he saw the blood, and did not know Istri.bpitarbf
.havelailen upon the knife which the prisoner bet
his hand. Upon this state of the facts—
Mr. Sergeant Orescow charged the Jury that the4o4-
saner was, entitled to an acquittal, on two grounds r fleet,
that supposing death had ensued; the affeuce would Doty
,have amounted to manslaughter; .and, second, it was at
-least doubtful whether the prosecutor, in the sta., bed
not fallen on the knife, without any malicious intention
on the pert of the prisoner.
The Jury, under this direction, found the prisoner—
Not Guilty,
Fattier, Jinx 25.
MURDER OF MRS. RICHARDS AT CLAPHAM.
rAilip Skeen and Charles Keppell 'dere indicted for
the wilful wurder of Elisabeth Richards, by suffocating
her with an apron, at Clapham, on the Bth of April last.
The intense interest which this case excited, is almost
incredible. Every part of the • Conn was at an early
hour crowded to exeess, and when the doors were open-
ed to the public, it was a useless ceremony, as there
were then no more accommodations for the spectators.—
Even the gentlemen of the bar were obliged to make a
special application to the Bench to be accommodated
with sitting room. The gentlemen connected with the
press were absolutely excluded by .the pressure of the
crowd ; but upon an intimation being given to C. H.
Turner, Eaq. the . High Sheriff, of their situation, he
with promptitude and the greatest politeness did every
thing to his powei to afford them such accommodation
as circumstances would permit. The majority of the
crowd consisted of the ladies, who bad influence enough
to pre-occupy every desirable seat in the Court, before
the doors were opened. As soon as something like-or-
der was restored, the prisoners were placed at the bar.—
Both were very young men, the oldest • not bring more
than 21. Their deportment was firm, correct, and be-
coming their awful situation. On the arraignment, the
prisoner Stoffell pleaded not guilty to the indictment for
the murder, but said he was guilty of the robbery in the
house of the deceased. He was reminded that be was
then called upon 'to plead only to the.alleged murder, to
Which with a firm voice, he pleaded not guilty, and pot
himself upon Goo and the country. The other prisoner
put in a like. plea. They were then arraigned upon a
second indictment, charging them with a burglary and
robbery in the house of the deceased on the seine day, to
which they severally pleaded not guilty. At half-past
nine the trial commenced. The Jury were gentlemen of
respectable appearance, and as intelligent as was ever
observed in a Court oeJustice, and throughout the trial
paid the most anxious attention to the case on both sides,
The prosecution was conducted'br Mr. Comyn and
Mr. Holland, anal the defence of Stollen by Mr. Andrews,
tint of Keppell by Mr. Adolphus.
Mr. Comfit opened the case with great temper and
moderation, and called upon the Joratin an earnest exor
diem, to dismiss from their winds all preconceived int.
pensions which they might have imbibed fromahe
bit-
proper,and indeed unlawful publication of tile proceed.
Jugs which bad tiken place before the committing Ma-
gistrates prior to the trial. Upon this poiatthe Leans,
ed Counsel observed with great earnestness, and:insisted
that the publication of an ex-parte statement of proceed-
ings before Magistrates against a prisoner, was a com-
mon La. offence and indictable, as had been held by the
highest authority. Such publications were destructive
of the first princii .as of justice, because -it was utterly
impossible for the human mind to reject those impres-
sions which they were calculated to produce against un
fortunate persons labouring, perhaps, under an unjust
accusation, and subjeeting them to a degree of prejudice
inconsistent with the impartial administration of justice,
The avidity of public curiosity upon matters of this kind,
might, perhaps afford some excuse ; but the interests of
justice, a rational feeling of humanity towards the accus-
ed, ought to suggest a course far different, and prisms
the disclosure of ex-parte statements until the solemn
deliberation of a Court and Jury upon the offence of the
alleged criminal. .In this case the most exaggerated
stateurents bad been sent forth in the public press, and
• be earnestly implored the Jury to dismiss if possible the
'impressions which they were calculated to excite, and
bring their sober judgment to an impartial consideration
Of the facts and circumstances of the case submitted
to them as a judicial tribunal. The Learned Counsel
then entered into a detail of the circumstances of the
• (the particulars of which..have already been
absolutely• forestalled and anticipated in the police
rteports), and concluded by an earnest appeal to the
Jury to decide she guilt or innocence of the prisoners
upon the evidence they should hear disclosed on oath.
The evidence against the prisoners ranged itself under
four Leads; first, the facia and circumstances of the mur-
der of Mrs. Richards; second, the testimony of Rub'-rt
Scott, an accomplice of the prisoners ; third, the volun-
tary confession of the prisoner Stoffell ; and fourth, the
testimony of a great number of witnesses, corroborating
I the testimony of Scott and the confession of Steffen, to
many collateral, but material circumstances. A brief
Moline of the hauling features of the case will, for the
}present purpose, be sufficient to recall the attention of the
ipablic to the atrocious crime with which the prisoners
'steed charged. The deceased, Mrs. Elizabeth Richards,
'was a widow woman of small income, and turned of 74.
;She resided in a cottage, forming one of a row of houses
in the Clapham-road, near Acre-lane, on the left hand
side coming from London. An elderly woman, named
Bell, lodged with her, who was in the habit of going to a
Dissenting Chapel on certain evenings in the week. The
deceased was occasionally visited by a young woman
named Sophle-"Jobes, a dress maker, whose constant
practice was to call upon the deceased every Tuesday.
evening, for the purpose of reading for her amusement.
On Tuesday evening, the Bth of April, 31re. Bell left the
cottage of the deceased for the purpose if going to
Chapel as usual. The deceased, who eceupied the front
parlour, Which opened upon the road, without a hell or
passage, fastened up her doors. Between seven and.eight
o'clock Mils Jones called to read to her according toiler
,practice.' She knocked at the door, and received no
answer. The" kdocks trete repeated, but 'without
effect. Observing the door to be fastened, she
,pothed
it open; and 'found every thing in darkness. She ve-
hemeotlyeallei to time deceased, but received no reply;
upon entering; she found the deceased lying on her back,
apparently dead ; en alarm was given ; the neighbours
collected, end, upon entering the deceased was found it
lifeless corpse upon the floor. tier face was covered with
a whliespron, one end of which was twisted, and thrust
down her throat, to the extent or several Inches.' Upon
pelting It out, the pert 10110 had been la her mouth was
saturated w th sabre, end stained with blood, in conse-
quence of the forcible expulsion of a tooth from her jaw,
which was supposed to have been swallowed In the agonies
of death. A surgeon was called In, but the spark of life
was ler. voeribly wine, thosgh the body mall!! warm.
These sere the outlines of the circumstances and manner
of thee! nth: To prove that -the prisoners were the per,
etrators 9f the crime, the facts elicited in etideace were

";AX-M'

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thamot.4lll•- beam had bens robbed-4U. 'OOlll neetdb.
mine silver spoons, sotast.ureariog apparel, and some
mosey, *o the amount_ of about M.
.10‘. Og the Aide In
the apertatearmts found a brown paper pareel, addressed
as follerors.;—•+tllrs..lloll,. hat 48ns.-itilikards, tilliptiant
iiatreli".whicb. upon dating ripened, IBM deasodttoatontetet;
oelhiag.but a piece of blank paper. HMIs slay Meiotic*
wetwoo the stmt. A reward of tvoiosedord,:powtria
' offered for the apprehension of the. :mangerittes, . 'Mall
mid Olansen ino; active police aeon of 1 the Public
Mee Union Hall, obtained information -wile& led 'to Ib
opprehrosloa of the prisoner Modell. Ha wastakentato
1 custody do the Ilth of April, and brought before Mr.
Allen 'the Magistrate. The dicer Moll, being 'possr*ed
of .the bream-paper parcel aboramantiouod.-indeed the'
prisonectastrwsite thLasldresa waitron upon ,it, upon a
piece of white mei, and having *tattoo -showed him
the brown paper 'parcel, tied asked hi.,. leboloserofthat?
The prisonekpanic struck by this testimony:VS.4%mM.
which was fowl exactly tocorrespond with the hand-
, writing upon tha piece of paper, imesediately-said. he
certainly was concerned in-the robberv,'and was present
at the murder of the deceased, and said he would confess
all. The Magistrate, who vas present during part of
the time the primmer was- writiag,,Marsod bun that -he
was not booed. to-confess any thing to his own .preja-
dice. However, the prisoner desired. his statement to be
received,. and be catered accordingly •intos -minute de-
, tail of-the circumstances of the robbery and Murder.—
In this be implicated Scott, Keppell, and a man named
Prichard. From his statement it appeared distal, rob-
bery bad .been planned a month before it Was effected.—
No personal violence was intended towards the de-
. ceased; bath was arranged,that au entry into the house
was to be gained by making up the brown paper parcel
above mentioned, directed-for Mrs. Bell, who ass known
• to lodge with the deceased. This plan was according.
ly executed. The accomplice, Scott, knocked at the
door, which was opened by the deceased, sod upon re-
ceiving the parcel she took out her spectacles to read the
address.. Whilst she ws engaged, the rest of the party
entered. The prisoner Stoffell, who was her nephew,
laid hold of her, told her nit violence was intended, and
advised her totnake no poise. She was laid down on
the floor, and the prisoner Keppell was left to keep her
quirt, whilst the rest of the gang pioceeded to rifle.tbe
house. As soon as they had accomplished this object,
they quitted the house, leaving the door ajar.—
These, which were only toe leading circumstances of
Stoffell's confession, led to the apprehension of Kep-
pell and Scott, who, after the robbery and murder,
had gone with Prichard to Bris'ol, but returned to Lon-
. don after a week's absence. The father of Scott, who
was a rat-catcher by trade, was instrumental to the de-
tection of his son, on the condition that he should be
admitted as en approver. On a day tired in the follow-
ing week, Scott accordingly surrendered himself into the
custody of Hall and °lemon, the officers, and was con-
fined in the house of the latter for nearly two months
before he was bronght np for examination. The reason
for this delay as to Scott, was suggested to be with a.
view to render him instrumental to the apprehension of
Prichard, who had absconded, and was not yet hrongh t
to justice. The same inferwa'ion given by Stolfell led
to the apprehension of Keppell, who, Wing brought
before the Magistrate, desired to hear Stoffelrs statement
read over to him; which Wavaccofdingly done. He was
about to make an admission tending to implicate himself,
when the Magistrate, at the snggestion of Mr. Andrews,'
the Counsel, who was attending the office at Union 11111,1
upon another case, told him that any confession or state-
ment he should make would he adduced in evidence
against him on his trial ; he therefore declined saying
any thing. The accomplice, Scott, made a full conies- 1
sion of the robbery and murder, which, in the details,did I
not' differ materially Irmn the statement of Stolid! I
Throughout the whOle transaction it was quite marifes-
'that the death Of the deceased was not originallrcont
template& and that the fatal termination of her life
'seemed to have arisen from a desire to prevent any inter-
ruption whilst the desperate gang were accomplishing
the robbery.
A number of witnesses were examined in support of
the fourth head of evidence, nith a view to corroborate
the accomplice and the confession of the prisoner Stof-
fell. It was stated by the accomplice that the plunder
had been sold to a man named Parkins, who kept an iron-
stall and rag-Shop in Ball alley, in the Mint,'in the Bo-
rough. This person was called as a witness,•but denied*
all knowledge of the transaction.
In the course of the trial, Mr. Sergeant Oxstow ani-
madverted in strong terms of reprehension upon the
practice of publishing police reports of cases brought
c.r-parte before the -Magistrates,. and observed that it
was a matter which ought to be taken notice 6f by the
Attorney-General. In the time of Mr. Wallace, the At
torney-general, no such publications ever took place.
The case for the prosecution being closed, the prison-
ers were called upon for their defence, bat said nothing.
Mr. Sergeant Onstow then summed up the evidence
with the greatest minuteness..
The 'Jury deliberated a few minutes, and found the
ptiseners guilty, and they were ordered for execution on
1 Monday morn;ng.
.1 . The trial was not over till half-past six in the evening.