The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1893-08-26 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE SENSATIONAL ARRESTS IN  ESSEX.  Jaa. Ramsey (X), engine driver, was brought before the magistrates at MaMon on Monday charged with stealing corn from the barn in Hazeleigh Hall Farm, the property of Mr Fitch, ex-Mayor of Malden, on April 15th last, the night upon which Sergeant Eves, of the Essex Constabulary, was murdered, whilst endeavouring to arrest the Ithieves. Mr Pearce. who prosecuted in the murder trial, also conducted the prosecution in the present instance. Ramsey, who was undofernled, gazed about the court with an air of indifference, and did not appear disconcerted by his position. Richard Davis attended to give evidence, and was temporarily placed in one of the private rooms attached to the court.—Prisoner, replying to the formal reading of the charge, said, "I know nothing about it, only what I have heard." Mr Pearce, in . opening the ease, said the witnesses would include not only Richard Davis, but Mrs John Davis, the latter of whom would state that Ramsey called at her house on the evening of the murder, and walked away with her husband. John Moss, bailiff at Hazeleigh, deposed that prisoner, who had charge of a threshing machine, presented the day before the murder a false tally of corn threshed.—Mr Fitch, tenant of the farm, was also called—Crossexamined by prisoner he said that more oorn would have been put into the barn than was stated on the tally, • because an allowance had to be made for waste in dressing.—Sergeant Hurrell deposed that when he arrested Ramsey the latter said he knew nothing about the murder, and that the Davis's had no more to do with it than he had. Ramsey also said witness had I got hold of the wrong perons, and that the job belonged to gipsies who were on the green. Mrs John Davies, who was dressed in deep mourning, and seemed greatly distressed, said on the night of the murder leamsav called at her I house and said lie had some sacks. She left Ramsay and her husband talking, and went to bed. An hour after she heard voices outside. Some one said, "Put out the light." She went to sleep again, and when she awoke her husband was in bed.—Richard Davies, who was senteneed to death, but respited, was greeted with hisses. He said on the night of the murder his brother John called him. He went to John's house, and there found John and Ramsay. They said they were going to Hardleigh Hall to get come of the corn they bad thrashed. They went to the Hall, and put PAM of the wheat in sacks Each took one. Witness went first, John nexCßanway last. When witness got through the gate ha heard his brother call out twice. lie turned beck, and saw his brother John, the prisoner, and the sergeant. Witness believed the sergeant was then dead. Ramsay said, "You're a good sort of mate," and John told witness that he himself knocked the sergeant down and Ramsay cut his throat. Ramsay wanted to throw the body on the railway, but John and Ramsay threw the body into the ditch. Wituess got in to see if the sergeant was dead, and finding he made no sign they flung the corn into the pond, went home, and burnt their clothes.—Ramsay was I committed to the Assizes.—The crowd cheered Ithe convict-witness as he passed out.