The Sun. — 1866-07-26 (London, England)

CROWN COURT. (Beford Mr. Justice Shee.)  William Collier, 35, farmer, was indicted for the wilful murder of Thomas Smith, on the sth July, at the parish of Kingsley, near Cheadle, in North Staffordshire.  Mr. A. S. Hill, with Mr. Young, prosecuted; Mr. Motteram and Mr. Loxdale Warren defended the  prisoner.  The evidence against the prisoner was almost entirely circumstantial, but it was very strong. The deceased, Mr. Thomas Smith, was the eldest son of a large landowner, at Whiston Eaves, near Cheadle, in North Staffordshire, and resided on his father's estate. It was his custom at times to go out at night for the purpose. of watching his father's preserves, and on the night of the 4th of July he arranged with one of the servants, a man named Bamford, that they should both go out early on the following morning, Bataford to a place called Cotton Bank, about a mile away, and he (Mr. Smith) to a cover near to the house, known as the Black Plantation. The servant got up at about 1 o'clock the next morning, and proceeded to the place to which he had been sent, and the deceased, two hours later, went to the plantation named. Shortly afterwards shots were heard in the neighbourhood of the preserves near Whistou Eaves by some of the villagers who were stirring. Bamford watched until 6 o'clock, and then returned to the house, expecting to find his young master there, but he was told the deceased had not come back. Mr. Smith, sen., became very anxious, and, togeilier with Bamford, he commenced a search about the woods contiguous to the house. In a quarry where, it is supposed, the deceased wouldl have stood while watching, they found his leggings and a piece of sacking which he had taken to lie upon, and not far away from this Mr. Smith picked up his son's hat. In the band there was a white rose, which the poor young gentleman had placed there the previous night. The clown of the hat was torn in two places, apparently by shots fired from behind. A little further on, in a hollow, and amongst a great quantity of briars and fern, they found the dead body of the deceased. He was lying on his back, quite cold, and had been dead for some hours. When the head was lifted up it was found that the skull had been entirely beaten in. Underneath the head there was a pool of blood, and there could be no doubt that death was caused by the injuries inflicted at the back of the skull. A very short distance from the body was found a trigger and one of the locks of a gun, and further on part of a gun stock was picked up. On the day after the murder a servant in the employ of Mr. Smith's father commenced to examine the vicinity to see if he could find any instrument such as would inflict the injuries described, and in a dry ditch in a field on the prisoner's farm he found the double barrel of a gun, broken off at the stock. On one of the barrels there was a hair of the same colour as that of the deceased, and a spot of blood was also observed. The trigger, locks, and stock corresponded with the barrels, and the gun was identified by a gunsmith, named Mellor,who lived nearW histon Eaves, as one he sold to the prisoner in November last. When arrested there were spots of blood on the prisoner's clothing. The result of the post mortem examination was the finding of three shots in the deceased's skull, and the opinion of the surgeon was that the wounds at the back of the head had been inflicted with a blunt instrument ; in fact, they were such as would be caused by the stock of a gun. The surgeon also examined the trousers of the prisoner, and ho found that from the knee downwards they were blood. damp, as if they had recently been sponged,eeof whilst on the lining there were several traces inaneanblsooadt dTohhe, cwl ohtoh i sPtarionfsess.w eorreTtahyolsoer,o of fbLonfnogu nwda st hsaetn tthteo ood, present within but he was not atbhlee distinguish means hthuem from that of many domestic animals. The learned professor'ssecution. At 10 o'clock the jury found the prisoner guilty evidence concluded the case for the pro. but recommended him to mercy on account of his' previous good Sentence of death was passed in the usual form. character.