The Sun. — 1841-04-08 (London, England)

OXFORD CIRCUIT—GLOUCESTER, APRIL 7. TRIAL OF WILLIAM BOWEN FOR MURDER. oWirthi:iaamt EtowsteonnafoHr atrhdei, imckuer,dehrarainndg rboebebnefiryaeodf for this morning, the Court and every avenuo loading to it eas eenaplete'y blocked up by a little past seven o'clock, and the interest created was incense. The length of time the culprit has,been in prison, the cool and deliberate manner in which the atrocious crime was perpetrated, and the various rumours which have been circulated, all conspired to excite the curiosity of the whole county ; and Gloucester at a very early hour was crowded by strangers from all parts, but more particularly the Forest of Dean, where the family of the unfortunate deceased reside. At eight o'clock Mr. Justice COLERIDGE took his seat in the Crown Court, and the prisoner was placed at the bar, and pleaded Not Guilty. Mr. ALEXANDER opened the case for the prosecution. The prisoner and deceased travelled together by the Wellington coach on the 11th of January, 1840. When they arrived at the Coombe-hill public-house, which stands in the centre of three rJads, lea,ing to Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, and Gloucester, they went in, and deceased had a glass of ale, and the prisoner a glass of gin. They then walked out towards Cheltenham, and at the distance Of a quarter of a mile from Coombehill, the prisoner said " Stand," and immediately discharged a pistol in the neck of the deceased, who put out his right arm, upon which a second pistol was discharged to the right side. The man then asked for his money; the deceased said he could not give it him. The man then rifled his pockets of seven 51. notes, eleven or twelve sovereigns, and several bills of exchango. The deceased had been receiving money for his father, who was quarryman in the Forest of Dean, and was a fine powerful man. The deceased told the murderer not to leave him in the road, cc he would be run over, upon which he dragged deceased to the side of the road, put his hat on his head, and said " lan s ,cry I shot you, but it was your own fault," and than returned in the direction they had come, viz., towards Tewkesbury. The deceased was shortly afterwards picked up and carried to Pill' Elm House, from whence'he was r,moved in April to his own home, where he expired from the injuries re eived on the 6th of August. Handbills were issued containing a description of the prisoner, and offering a reward 701.-for his apprehension. The prisoner was apprehended in on the 26th of January, and taken before the Chelttnala Magistrates, who discharged him after six examina": I-4 -was _again taken into custody, and committed' by the Magistrates from Coombe hill. A verdict of_ wilful murder was returned against him at the Coroner Invisition which sat on the body of the unfortunate  Yancorth. The trial was postpone,' at the ast :7;ll,llmer As sizes, in eiinsequenee of the illness of a material witness name( Siiarp. A true bid was returned against him at the last Sin in Assizes.  A great number of witnesses having been exa,nhed 'br t pr.secuton and ;iefe,-,c,,, w ,s A Brown, when  iii. Loa iisniv told ih Jury that was a case of urea' i,ouht, and if they foood the pri coer wi,u'd be virtoady convicting the witnesses for the defence of pc, jury. The witnesses for the prosecution might be mistaken as to the prisoner's identity, arid if thy had a doubt they should give it in favour of the prisoner. The Jury, after a few minutes' consultation, returned a verdict of Not Guilty. His LORDSHIP said, that from the contradictory evidence it wa, a proper case for prosecution There was another indictment against the prisoner, charging him with the robbery, of which he was of course alsoacquitted. The trial lasted ten hours.