The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-10-26 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE MURDER AT RINGMER.—A young man, named Steadman, has been apprehended at Watford, charged with the murder of Hannah Devonshire, which happened so far back as the year 1838—viz., three years ago, the particulars of which have appeared in our journal. The circumstances are as follows :—Stephen Steadman has been working for a Mr. Rogers, a highly-respectable tradesman in the town of Watford, in the ironmongery' trade, &c., in whose service he lived as a smith, and had been in that capacity for nearly a year and a half. He was taken into custody by Superintendent Fagan, of the London police, and Inspector Pye, of the Watford division of Hertfordshire rural police, and from Watford was conveyed to Lewes, a spot adjacent to the scene of the murder. It also appears that, upon being taken into custody by the superintendent, &c., that he confessed that bad company had brought him into it, and added that he would make a full confession before the magistrates. His conduct ever since he has been engaged in the service of Mr. Rodgers has been that of a very steady man. He was advised, when taken into custody, to say nothing relating to the case to the policeman. His employer said to him, at the same time, " Prove yourself innocent, and I will immediately take you back into my service." On Sunday last, an account which appeared in the morning papers of Saturday last relative to the transaction was read to him when he was observed immediately to leave the room. He was in a short period to have been married to a highly-respectable girl residing in the neighbourhood of Watford. It would appear from what was stated by the prisoner after his apprehension, that the affair originated in a drunken frolic, but whether such is the case, or no remains to be elicited by the magistrates of Lewes, before whom he has shortly to appear. The canvass preparatory to the election of Town-councillors on the first of November is going on admirably. Day after day have we increased reason to hope that the approaching struggle will put the finishing stroke to the radical dynasty in the borough of Cambridge. No more snug "family parties—no more town-clerkships for one hungry liberal, clerkships of the peach for a second, and coronerships for a third —no more " loaves and fishes" to partake of with an appetite voracious and indiscrininating—no more piquant quarrels with a tory university—ten days hence, we do most heartily believe, the last lingering hopes of a return of blessings so dearly cherished, yet so scandalously abused, will have quitted the liberals for ever. Their doom is sealed. For five years were they rampant in their monopoly of power and profit, pledges, so free from factious and then who strutted with so insolent an air—who so grand in motives,h i s ownan readycdonscoeicta,rseofulof thewithpublic p money, (teste the townclerk job,) as your liberal town-councillor; Last year the tide was at full ; but 'ere another fortnight shall have joined the past we predict the current will have changed its course and be flowing peacefully along the old channel of conservatism.—Cambridge Chronicle.