Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1867-03-30 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

TRIAL FOR MURDER-AND SENTENCE OF DEATH.  At the assizes held at Kingston, James Longburst, a young labourer, described in the calendar as twentyone years old, and of "no degree of instruction," was indicted for the wilful murder of a little girl named Jane Sax, at Shere, Surrey, on the 28th of June last year, and was one of the most shocking cases which ever came into a court of justice. The prisoner had been arraigned at the Summer Assizes, but, as it was sworn that there was evidence to sustain the defence of insanity, which it was intended to set up, and that there had not been time to prepare for it, the trial was put off.  An intelligent child of seven years of age had been sent by her parents on an errand, and was found ion field through which she had to pass bleeding from a wound in the throat. Cries had been heard from the field, one or two passers-by rushed thither, and the poor child was found lying against a hank, rapidly bleeding to death. One of the persons who found her saw the prisoner crouching down tinder a hedge not far if, and trying to get away. lie was seized upon the Spot. Blood was found upon his hands (which one of the witnesses said he licked off , 1111 d ill his pocket a knife W. found, marked with fresh blood. Ile was brought back to the girl, and she was asked who did it, and she said" That boy !" but, on account of her imminent danger, and the necessity for taking Instant care of her, he was let go at the moment, though he was taken soon afterwards two or three fields off. The child was carried to the house of a medical man of Shore. She was bleeding profusely fruits a terrible wound in her throat, caused by a deep stab of a knife. She was very faint, though still quite sensilde. When the bleeding had been arrested, the prisoner, who, It should be mentioned, is short In stature and very boydooking, was brought in. and she was asked who had done it. She was looking towards the prisoner, and said, "That boy did it." She was asked again, and told to take care she spoke truly, and she again said it was he. He did not say a word In denial, until the surgeon asked him how he came to do it, and he then said that he had not done it. The poor child was carried to the hospital at Guildford. where she was carefully treated, but where, on the 25th of July she died. The wound she had received in her throat was so deep that the knife had gone right through to the back of her neck, struck against the spine, anti injured the spinal canal, thus causing inflammation them which resulted  in her death. Before she died she made, In the presence of the prisoner, the fidlowing deposition— "l met the prisoner on the path. lie took hold of me and threw me down, he. lie .then picked me up and took me into the path, and again threw me down, &c. I cried out, and he tried to choke me. I saw a knife in his hand, and he cut me with it. I ran away and cried out, and a man canse. The prisoner is the boy who did it. lam sure the prisoner lathe boy."  The evidence was conclusive as to the prisoner having committed the crime.  The defence consisted chiefly of a weak and hopeless attempt to throw a doubt on the evidence as to the identity, and not a word was said about the defence of insanity- There was also a weak attempt to suggest that the crime might possibly be manslaughter, and it was urged upon the jury that the penalty of man. slaughter would suffice. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the sentence of death was passed upon him; upon which the prisoner burst into a paroxysm of passion, and was removed to the cells with difficulty.