Star. — 1827-08-27 (London, England)

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.  MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—WARWICK, Meese 24. Willies* Miller, aned thirty.five years, stood indicted forthe wilfel murder of Mary Ann Lane, on the night of the 26th of May last, by casting her into a pond, at Harbury, in this county. In a second count he stood charged with the murder of Maly Ann Greenway; and he also stood charged, on the Coroner's Inquisition, with the like murder. He pleaded Not Guilty. Mr. Sergeant ADAMS (with whom was Mr. Gout. susses), said, it was his duty, as Counsel, conducting this very important prosecution, to lay the facts before the Jury. He should not animadvert upon the nature of the atrocious crimes imputed to the prisoner, but he should confine himself to a brief outline of the evidence which he should al terwards bring before them, to satisfy their minds that the prisoner at the bar was guilty of the murder of the female, who, in one count, was called by the name of Mary Ann Lane, and in another count,' Mary Ann Gteenway. A chain of circumstantial evidence would be brought before them, all tending to one point—the guilt of the prisoner ; and in confirmation of his guilt, Witnesses would be called, to whom he had, since his arrival in gaol, confessed the crime. The' brief statement which he was about to make, might materially assist them in the inquiry, and better enable them to understand and apply the evidence. The prisoner was a labourer in the employment of a Mr. Heath, a farmer at Harbury, and the deceased woman, Mary Ann Lane, bad been living in the same family as a wet muse. On the 26th May last, Mr. Heath gave an enter. tainment to all the servants, labourers, &c. who were at that time, and had been previously,employed by hi noand Mary Ann L was invited. The prisoner and Lane. were at the entertainment, and some conversation took place between her and the prisoner, in the kitchen. which would be stated by a witness to the Jury, from which conversation they would drag slid) conclusions as they thought the facts warranted. At a gum ter before eight o'clock at night, the dece.o.td, Mar y Ann Lane, who was said to he a married woman, residing at Bishop's littchinten, left Mt. Heath's hou.e, in a direction to go towards her residence. Tne dis-, tance was more than two miles. The prisoner followed. soon afterwards along a road, though shorter, yet .ead-. ing in the same direction in which Lane had gone. The prisoner was not seen again till near ten o'clock the same night, and then he gas near his on n residence at Harbury. Had he gone in a direct way to his own home, he must have taken a oifferesit road to that which he took, wong a foot-path leading to Bi.hop's Hitchinton. It would be proved that the prisoner pas-ed through the second gate—(Here the Counsel directed the Jury to examine a map which he wife. d in their hands, and he pointed cut the gate and road in tines, tion,)—and made a short cut t • overtake the deceased. On the following turning a Mr. Plat, who lives at Harbury Field, was passing by a pond (eating towards Harbury Heath, and he saw something black, and an umbrella was sticking up above the sitiface of the water. Oa apptoaching closer to the pond the body of the deceased was discovered wi h marks of violence thereon; there were narks f struggling near the vide of the pond, and the ground had been torn up in different places; these were deep font m ,rks, and masks on the clay, which had been caused by a f erson kneeling thereon, with corduroy breeches. The body of the deceased was removed from the pond. and it was clearly ascertained that she h.d d ed a violent death; no su picion at first existed against the prisoner, and he assisted in removing the body to the place where the Corot'. l'a quest sat upon it; the prisoner was dirrwards taken into custody. and the Jury would ►ay it the manner in which he had subsequently conducted himself, and n.t accounting for the period between eight and ten o'clock, did not tend to confirm his guilt. Edward -Bentley cumin:el by Mr.