The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1850-10-23 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THE MURDER AT FRIMLEY.-CONFESSION OF ONE OF THE MURDERERS.  in if prion _ _ ~r, and committed for  _ sonars are , they will tit, trial. •   Friday morning having been appointed for the reexamination of the four prisoners, a great degree of excitement prevailed in Guildford, in consequence of its being known that one of the prisoners had confessed to a share of guilt in the matter, attributing the death of the deceased to one of his companions in crime. Especial ' care had been taken to keep all knowledge of the confession of Hiram Smith from the other parties charged, viz, Levi Harwood, James Jones, and Samuel Harwood. The presiding magistrate was Mr. George Best, of Compton, and this gentleman was supported by Mr. E. Bray, and Mr. G. Gibson, two other county magistrates. The prisoners were brought from their respective cells at a few minutes after ten o'clock, each attended by an officer. In accordance with a previous arrangement, no allusion was made to the confession until after all the witnesses had been called, and so little suspicion had the three prisoners of the fact, that one of them, Jones, during a temporary adjournment of the proceedings, actually joked with one of the bystanders on the subject of his confinement in the jail. The testimony adduced was chiefly with the view of showing that the prisoners had been seen proceeding in the direction of Frimley on the night of the murder. On this point the evidence was most conclusive, and every question addressed by the prisoners to the witnesses only the more clearly established their own guilt. Witnesses swore to having seen all the prisoners in the neighbourhood of Frimley on the 27th of September last, the night the robbery was committed. A police sergeant deposed to having found some green beige, a marble, an empty powder flask, and other objects, at the house of the brother-in-law of one of the prisoners; and other witnesses repeated much of the evidence that has already been detailed at the inquest. The proceedings were then formally adjourned until Saturday next,  It will be satisfactory to the public to know that the above dreadful occurrence is now completely brought to light by the confession of one of the guilty parties. Although very little moral doubt existed that the persons who are in custody were in reality the authors of the crime, yet there was very great difficulty in obtaining the necessary legal evidence to establish their guilt; and it is possible that they might have escaped justice if one of them had not made a confession. Of this fact there is not the least doubt and the following particulars on the subject may be relied upon. It appears that upon Monday afternoon Hiram Smith, alias Hiram Trower, one of the four men in custody upon the charge of murdering Mr. Holiest, expressed a desire to see Mr. W. Keene, the governor of Guildford jail, where he is confined, stating that he had something of importance to communicate to him. Mr. Keene accordingly went to him in his cell, and the prisoner then expressed a wish to tell him all he knew of the matter. The Governor informed him that he must take the responsibility of such a proceeding, and that he could not hold out the least I inducement for him to do so, but, if he persisted, he was at 'liberty to make any statement he thought proper. The prisoner then made a statement, which was taken down in writing by Mr. Keene, of all the circumstances connected with the dreadful affair, stating that the burglary was planned by himself and the other three men in custody, and that the fatal shot was fired by Levi Harwood. He 1 also stated, that after the murder they all came to Kingston together, and Harwood went to London to dispose of the stolen property, and when became back he gave him 7s 61 as his share. The prisoner entered minutely into the details of the outrage; but stated that the pistol was only intended to terrify the inmates into submission; and that there was no intention originally to commit any violence. It appears from inquiries that have since been set on foot, that the statement of the accomplice can be confirmed ir many material points by independent testimony, and this should be correct the case will be complete. The r - -••••s are to undergo another examination on Friday. 11 then, in all probability, be fully r- • "