The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1872-11-23 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

ROBERT CHARTER." The Coroner : it has been said there was • great deal of money in the house. Do you know anything of that? •  Witness : No it is mdd an. The bureau was locked. There was no money, but several deeds. One deed, worth £1,200 miming. lapprehended William Hardwick, farmer, of Lastlugham, on Friday. He married charter's daughter. When I apprehended him I charged him with being an accessory after the fact. He answered, "1 know nothing abouut the murder. I only took the letter to Liverpool. Charter came to my house some time on Monday night." Policwsergeant Silverside', of Pickering, narrated that on Friday the prisoner Charter, at four o'clock in the afternoon, called him and asked to see the superintendent Upon being told that Mr. Jonas was away he volunteered the confession just read. Inspector Nicholson, who was called over last Wednesday week to assist Mr Jonas, corroborated some of the evidence given by the superintendent. The Coroner said It was necessary to have Charter pre. less. "  Superintendent Jonas said he was very 111, and would have to be broueht to the room. The jury, however, wished to see the prisoner, and they went in a body to his celL Ile was lying on his pallet, wth his head propped up and partly hound. Such of his face as was visible was not at all forbidding. The Coroner explained to him the nature of the visit, and told him he might make any explanation he wished, ne there had been statements given in evidence with within he was seriously concerned. - • • • -•-- --•- —, Charter, in a weak voice, and speaking very slowly, said he had nothing to say at present. After an interval, he added, that he had told "those gentlemen," meaning the police, eventhing he anew. By and bye he said, In reply to a final remark from the coroner, he had nothing on his mind to speak of at present, that his head was very dizzy, and that he could not think. The Coroner, upon the return of the party into court, summed up the case, reminding the jury that Chsrter's second confession was a direct admission of murder on his part. After a short absence, the jury returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Robert Charter. . .  •• With reference to the prisoner's suggestion that his nephew was devoured by pigs, it is known that in the fold yard at tne time there were eight half grown and half starved pigs kept.  The search has been continued, and further discoveries were made on Sunday and Monday on the farm of the murdered man Wood. On Monday some bones, supposed to be those of the boy, were found in manure spread in a field, and it is said the manure in which the bones were found came from the foldyard. The younger Charter was set at liberty on Monday, there being no evidence against him. The examination of the elder Charter and Hardwick is fixed for next Monday. and is expected to last two days.  The funeral of the murdered man Wood took place in Cropton Churchyard, on Tuesday. The funeral procesrims started from the police station, Pickering, at eleven o'clock. A hearse contained the remains, enclosed in a plain coffin covered with black cloth, beai Mg the inscription, "Joseph Wood, dicl 1872, aged 58 gears." On the route the deceased's house was passed, 9111 the homestead at the junction of two roads, with the disturbed ground of the orchard, wherein was the first grave of the deceased still untouched and within a few feet of the highway, were observable. Three mourning coaches, containing relations of deceased and friends, and Superintendent Jonas and Inspector Nicholson, and nine other carriages followed the remains. There was a large crowd at Pickering and Croptom and great interest was evinced. The Rev. Walter Turner, vicar of Middleton and Cropton, officiated, the Rev. R. D. Easterby, Ladaingham, being also present. The service was very impressive. All the farmers and others from the neighbourhood, akso many from Melton, Scarborough, and Rosedale, were present. The eearch for farther remains of the mis-ing boy was continued on Tuesday. The bones already found include thigh, leg, shoulder, and rib bones, and parts of the skull. All show traces of having been gnawed.