The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-05
A CURIOUS MURDER TRIAL.
n BELIEF IN WITCHCRAFT STILL
PREY1LENT IN ENGLAND.
A Man In south Warwick-bire whs Wanted
TO kiiI all the Witches Fatally stsbbins
Woman with n Fork The Testimony.

~ Wan IN south WarWtrkshire Whe Wanted
TO kiiI all the witches Fatally stabbins
Woman with n Pork - The Testimony.
from N, london Times
At the winter assizes OF the Midland
Circuit held by Mr.. Justice Bramwell at War
wick on Dec: IS, J,nrs Haywood was tried for
'Ns %T pSsd St ann a@a H Gsabyn appeared
for the prosecution; Mr.. Buszard, at the re-
quest Of the learned Judge, defended the pris-
Oner.
This Is curiou. case from tie fact that It
shows that there Is general belief ~ witch.
South warwickshre among certain class Of
tie agricultural reputation.
From the opening statement and the evidence
II Appeared that Ann Tenant. the deceased,wa
an old woman Of ~ years Of age, living at Long
Compton. She had never had any quarrel with
Is man Of good character. ON the afternoon
of sept. II Ann Tenant went 20 the bakers,
when the prisoner met her He was
walking with boy Of about 10. When
struck her on the leg with FORK, with which he
had been working. A fter he had struck her
two or three tlpe,. Mr.. TAYLOR, farmer, came
Ann Remnant died from theenects THE wounds.
1T appeared that the prisoner was. and slill Is,
under the belief that there are fifteen or sixteen
witches who live in the village, aud that Ann
Tenant was one Of them. aud that they had be
witched him ard prevented his dolng. his work,
and that, being possessed - that delusiOn 10
excited him to stab the old woman.
John Tenant said that Ann Tenant was his
mother often complained to witness, when the
prisoner was boy, hat the witches would not
let the hoy lone. The prisoner had lived next
door to him for thirty years and he was looked
ON In the village not much otherwise than as
inadman: They had always been on friendly
terms with hiin, and, In his opinion. the prisoner
Killed the deceased, as she was the first old
woman he happened to meet with. He remem-
bered that the prisoner hai met with un injury
to his head by hough falling on him, and "a
deep scar still remained.
Tnr MURDER.
Ivan. the boy who wa. walking with the pfis.
oncr aid, ~ they went along the prisoner told
HIN that there were ever 50 many witches w
ola Compton, Gft,cn 90 six cen of them, and
mention cd their names, ana that he would Xiii
them. aud he was taking like u ~ altman. When
the rrisonsr s'ruck. the oid wSnan. she cned
up md seized The fork from the prisoner.
Mf. Ia l.rs vi wuen I've he I'd the cries he ran
out. ana When he had scizeu the prisoner he
cried out that lac would XIII al the witches in
the village. The prisoner hid II, duently " OrKed
for him and his son ana was a general farm
had q belief IN familiar spirits. lie todd witness
that they hid haunted mn, three times tbat
drS. md hid lreNentcd MIN from working. lie
was very ex liable when he had had n little
beer, snd had threatened To Kill him. The vii
layers, witness said. believed In witches and
wizards to the present dsy, and u was believed
that some II the people are witches. snd no
could nume them. The supposed witches
when Mrs liza, don, the dead womans daugh-
ter. W called ~ n witness. the prisoner called
out, There Is another witch." She aid sne
went to her mothers assistance. The prisoner
called out, - have done IL; meant TO do il:
there are several Of them viii serve the same
She said she knew the prisoner, and that he " "a
full ~ wickedness, hut good workman. lie
had told her the witches had tormented him,
aud advised her 10 keep away from all ged W.T.
men. add that II she did not thew would make
her as bad a. themselves. she said sue bad
ofte0 heard the people talk Of otber perpons be-
tng witches, but they had Des said her mother
was one.
The Superintendent Of Police and constable,
who were called. both stated that may OF the
people believe still in witchcrSft, and that tho
prisoner said that the witches had been In him
three hours On the dav In question. The pris-
oucr dad not realize the drsbdful character Of
the act he mad done he seemed so indifferent,
and considered II was praiseworthy act.
1T. Hutchinson said he practised at Long
Comoton and that IL was quite true there was a
" wise man" water doctor, somewhere near
Banbury, whom the people went to.
THE JAILER's TESTIMONY.
Mr.. Anderson, the governor Of the jail, was
bad been in bis charge that his general conduct
was that Of an eccentric man, although he was
was that Of a weak minded man. The prisoner
sent for him to his cell, and said that II he
wond lend him a small bottle OF water he would
prove TO him that he was bewitohed and IN at
there were witches. The next day be showed
S" the .s sa' s.s on tSss sde wS The
along 1t was proof that there were
witches, snd that he was bewitohsd He told him
him he WIS Possessed that Mrs. Tennant b nd
set her eyes on him and possessed bin tint u
ciently wicked before they had any power. lie
was quiet, inoneDsive man, except on the sub
XII h %, e ne the saa a Ss
TO let him on. lie said he had done It to avsnge
some injury Ann Tenant had done him. lie
referred To Acts witt, Gil, and Levticus III, %,
to show that he was Justified In killing her, aud
marked those passages In his Bible.
DR.. Parvey, Of the County Lunatic Asylum. and
Mr.. VIM, the surgeon Of the jail. stated III j /
the prisoner was feeble- IN ndsd man, and had
stated TO them that he did not wish to XIII the
dogeaa0u. MlalRH tn her ID
a. then her nower over him would cease, aud
he considered hat she had no right To i've. lie
man" Of CrOton. He said he was a cunning
man, who worked by water Tue " wise man /"
how to find them out. They thought the prs
oner was OF an imbecile and unsound MIND, aud
would sign certificate to that effect after the
trial, although he was In ut state to plead.
He would never be cured.
THE DEFENCE.
Mr. Bupzard. for the defence, stated that the
Jury must either find the prisoner guilty or E
duit him on the ground OF insanity. The medi-
cal evidence proved that the prisoner was IN
mind. The learned counsel regretted that the
wise man " was not on his trial instead Of the
prisoner.
baron Bramwell. In summing up the evidence,
said, 10 his opinion, the Prisoner mad been "a
well defended As II he was the richest tpap In
the land. He never remembered : oder c $50
than seeing that haf-wltted man stand charged
with the murder Of poor inonensve old
woman, wnom lac had XII ed under on Impulse
arising from belief In wifchcr n, which would
be scredit ,hlc {" set pf savagcs. Ills Lord.
ship having cnrrllilly explained the law as laid
down In NcNaughteu's case, sid the prs
oner was not sufe ing under deusion
OF character To Justify HIM IN killing
tine won u, but they must consider the medical
testimony IN the case Of the prisoners sanity
He said It would be a shocking thing that this
miserable creature should be put to death, and
II they found the prisoner not guilty they would
return a verdict y ry few people would regret
The jury acquitted the prisoner on the ground
OF insaeity.
Baron brarnwell said he hoped something
would he done TO dlu-buse the people OF a be #
10 witchcraft, and ordered that the prisoner
should DO detained during her MaJesiy's pleas
uIo.