The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-08-13 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

TILE MURDER AT WYMQNDHAM.—JOHN SELF'S CONFESSION.—About nine o'clock in the morning of the day of the day of the murder, Jemima Simpson passed him on her way from a neighbouring cottage to her work. A few words passed between them of only common import. At his dinner hour he walked to her, and found her seated on a bank. He sat down by her side. She had a knife in her hand : he asked her to let him look at it. He took it, and put it into his pocket, and said he should keep it. He began to play with her ; and, after a time, took hold of her clothes in a manner that she much resented, threatening to tell her mother of him, and to expose him. He desisted, and denies at any time having violated her person. He returned to his work ; and, brooding over the threat, first thought of murdering her, if she would not retract it. At four o'clock he left off work, and met her near the fatal spot. After they had got over the gap, he inquired whether she still intended to tell her mother. She replied, yes ; and that she would " mob'' him for it wherever she met him. He said, then she would tell nothing but lies, and he took her by the throat. She said she would tell her mother that he graned her. Upon this, he threw her down, and struck her with his spade, and repeated the blows till he supposed he had killed her. She shrieked after the first blow, be believes, but once. He then took her by the heels, and dragged her on her back pond, and threw her into a part of it that was not turned to the place of the murder, and finding there e He herhat and apron, in which she had tied up some sticks, he took and hid them in au adjoining field, and then returned for his spade. When he came back, he saw, to his lie fixed her oo took eyes onby me heels,, b t neitheran sled dragged cri e d great surprise, the poor girl sitting on the, margin of the pond about two yards from it. The blood was running from .Sohen the way, she caught hold of the grass, and put his spade upon her neck, to keep and clinched it in her hands. He threw her into another lohlueerrt anN wounds. nor esntp: spoke. e. part and, after a short lute • her under the water ; interval, lie pushed her with it into the middle of the pond, and left her with her head, and mouth more especially, above the surface. The of the pond, whole of this latter scene of the horrid transaction did not occupy, according to his account, much more than a minute. He denies having struck her in this second attack, except in thrusting the spade upon her neck ; and says, that he saw the wound, which was described as more..lmmediately cau sing sitting on the side of the pond. On her death, when she was being asked whether be was sure that she did not shriek , during this part of the he hesitated, and said he did dot remember that she did ; which might be the case in the hurry, confusion, and agitation that. must necessarily have horrid deed. The accompanied the whole of thisbloody cloth which was found was what it was sworn to be, and the wet stocking was his father's. The blood on his trousers belonged to the poor girl, but the stain on his hat was not the stain of blood. - •