The Sun. — 1841-04-22 (London, England)

BRISTOL.  BRISTOL, APRIL 19.—One of the most atrocious murders ever recorded was perpetrated on Saturday morning last at the quiet village of Focklington, about eight miles from Bristol, under the following circumstances :—The unfortunate deceased, Mr. William Fisher, was 54 years of age, and a farmer, living on his own" freehold. On Saturday morning he was drinking some cyder at a roadside public house. The prisoner was there, and entered into conversation with the persons in the house, to whom he was well known, and said that he had been to the post-office, where he had got a penny letter containing 50/. The farmers present, knowing the prisoner's habitual mendacity, joked him upon this, and the deceased Mr. Fisher said, " That's a lie, I know." The prisoner immediately answered, " If you had said that outside, fisher, you should never have kicked more." The deceased, being a man of jocular habits, said, " Pshaw," and repeated the observation. The prisoner then got up from his seat and went into the back kitchen for a minute or two, and on his return clapped his pistol against the cheek of the deceased, and before either of the persons in the house had time to interfere, discharged its contents through the head of Fisher, who fell instantly on the floor, the pistol falling beside him. A medical gentleman, who happened to be riding by at the moment, heari:ig the report of the pistol, came into the house and examined the deceased, who was, however, quite dead, his tongue being shot off and the lower part of his cheek very much shattered. While the surgeon Was examining the body, the prisoner, with the greatest coolness, said, " I know that's a dead shot." The Coroner's inquest was held this day before Mr. Ellis, and from the evidence adduced, and the statements made by the prisoner after his apprehension, it appeared that the prisoner had been contemplating the commission of this atrocious act for some days. It was proved that on Friday last he purchased some gunpowder and two marbles at 'a shop in the neighbourhood, and that iii the afternoon of Friday he told a man named Cook that he had been looking about for Mr. Fisher all the day, and that if he had found him he -would have shot him. The constable also deposed to the prisoner's hating said to him when apprehended, " I will go anywhere with you, for I know I shall be hanged for it ; but I shall die happy, as it was all for that woman." 'I he prisoner did not mention the woman's name, but having also said that "he had had it harbouring in his breast before he went into the army," it was understood to be an allusion to the wife of the fletsased, for whom it was said that. about nine arid twenty years ago he professed an attachment, although she was then only about l yolks of age. The prisoner having committed a robbery at tliat to avoid apprehension entered the army, and w.ts present at the battle of Waterloo. During his absence Mr. Fisher married the young woman, and lived happily with her until the periu:lwhen his existence was thus awfully terminated. The prisoner also said he had kept the pistol loaded for four days, but that he could not find Fisher before that morning, when, thinking it a convenient opportunity, he shot him. The Jury, after hearing tile whole of the evidence, returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder ae.ainst William Weyman," who was committed to Gloucester daol for trial.