The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-03-22
Forty Years Of Injustice.

AN OLD CONVICT PROVES AN ALIBI AT LAST
INTEREST IN A FORGOTTEN CASE.
About forty years ago a farmer named
May was murdered and robbed in South
Devon. A man named Oliver, alias "Buck.
ing ham Joe," and Edmund Carey, alias
"Turpin," were tried for the murder. Oil
yer was hanged and Galley transported, the
extreme sentence of the law not being car
ried out in Galley's case because of some
doubt which existed in the minds of the
Judges to whom, after the sentance, the
matter was referred on petition. Galley il
still alive. and now writes home from New
South Wales that he has found among his
fellow convicts the real confederate of Oil
yer, He has sent particulars to the Home
Office and to the Colonial Office, but no no.
tice has been taken of his communications
by those departments.
A letter of Galley's, however has come un.
der the notice of Mr.. Lstimer, senior Mag
istrate of Exeter who reported the trial for
| the Western Times, and who now writes to
that journal history of the case and his
recollectons of the execution, etc. 1t ap-
pears from Mr.. Latmer's statement that
Mr.. Cherer, who was then reporter on cir
cult for the times, Mr.. Latimer himself and
many Others who watched the trial. believ-
ed at the time that Galley was not guilty Of
any participation in the murder. Oliver
himself who confessed his guilt, declared
that Galley was not his companion in tho
crime, vnd reiterated the statement when on
the drop of the scaflold. Mr.. Latimer's
statement is supported by Mr.. Ralph Sam
ders, another Magistrate, who also now
gives his recollection of the circumstances
attending the trial.
He shows that the principal evidence
against the prisoner was that of woman,
who deposed to have seen the murder COM
mitted. When buckingham Joe" was brougt
before her she Immediately identified him
She gave description of his companion,
who she said was called "Turpin." Gal
ley, who was tramp, went by the name of
: "Turpin," and he was also crought before
thewomsn, and introduced to her as 'Turpin." !"
She, however, hesitated for some time to
speak as to his identity, and then said:
"Yes. that is Turpin; but he is very
!. much altered"
;. 1t is a remarkable fact, too, Mr.. Sanders
?. says, speaking from his recollections (he
was County Clerk at the time,) that two, l
not three of the witnesses who spoke of hav
ing seen buckingham Joe' and "Turpin,
Galley together at Moretonhampstead OIL
2. the day of the murder, would not speal
positively to "Turpin" until they knew ths
the woman had done so. Mr.. Sanders say
he is willing to make a declaration tha
Galley was not the man implicated wit
"Buckham Joe" and that he is innocent {
er the murder. 1t should be mentioned tn,
"a Mr.. Sanders on account of his official pos
,m tion, had interviews with Galley; and it
MT worthy of note, because it was stated in Ii
ne newspapers at the time that when Gale
he was sent to the Ganymede hulk as convi,
net all the witnesses for the alibi which was .
rst up identified him, even in his convict gar
ar. as the man "Turpin," who was in the neig
borhood of London at the time of Mr.. MAY
re- murder in Devonshire.
,ou AS showing the interest which is now b
ing taken in the case after the lapse of fort
one years, it may be added that several p,
i've sons of position in the county haye cont
for buted 10 fund to bring about an investig
ton into the case; among them is Sir Ly
stone Newman, Bart. who has sent 60.
Ps3 AaR Gasrtts.