Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1873-10-25 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE ANNFIELD PLAIN 'TRAGEDY. At the Lancnester Petty Sessions, on Thursday, Charles Thompson was again brought up on remand, charged with the murder of Ann Johnson, at Annfield Plain, on the 4th of October. A large crowd assembled at the court-house, and great interest was manifested in the hearing of the case. Edward Johnson, Mary Ann Hall, and Mary Ann Parker having repeated the evidence they had given before the Coroner, Ann Thompson, wife of Alexander Thompson, pitman, Dipton, stated that on Saturday night, the 4th of October, prisoner came to their house and asked where his brother was. Be was not in. Prisoner was in his shirt sleeves, but had on a waistcoat. There wds ail one in the house but herself when ha came, mid as she was afraid of him she wen. out. In the .house he put off both his white and ' his woollen shirtt)ll6 Carew the woollen shirt upon a chair at the bedside, and put the white shirt on again. The woollen shirt lay on the chair till morning when she rapped it up and put it into the dratrer. .84bsednently the pelicteman asked for it, and she gave it to him. It was after nine o'clock at night when prisoner came in. 11e frightened her so that she thought he was a lunatic, and she went to the door, where she fainted. He seemed very excited and wild. When abs cape r,o her serums there were several people &Atli), house.— Margaret Cain, wife of George Cain, Dipton, had been called Mrs Thompson's hones by Mrs Neill!. She saw prisoner throw his shirt of, and heard him say, "Yon b--s, I took the razor and cut her throat."—Mrs Sarah Ncil, wife of George Neil, pitmen. corroborated the evidence of the last witness.—At this stage of the proceedings the court adjourned. The prisoner. William Thompson, who is earged with the murder of Jane Johnson at the above plaae on the 4th of Oct. last, was brought up on Friday, at the adjourned sitting of the Lancheater Petty Sessions, far the purpose of Isompleting the depositions of the various witnesses.— The whole of the depositions having been completed, he was asked, after being cautioned in the usual way, whether or not he wit-hed to make any statement, in answer to which he said, "I have something to say. A fortnight to-morrow we went went into Richardsou's public-house in Newcastle. She wcut out with a man, and left me sitting for half an leouryfrid thud i,went out t 4 see if she was coming I apWher, but there was no man with her. We came home, and the old man went out for a quart of ale at night, and I told her after her father went out about being with this man. She told me I had aptlifig to do with who she went with. 1 laid my head' tipbn my armtron the table, and when I liited up my head she bad the razor in her baud. I made a run after hey on her going to the door. I struck her on the hind with my " neaf " (fist) She ran about two yards, and I then saw blood streaming down. but I never saw the razor except when I Iptilltd:int heed tit the table; that was the only Time I tam it. rthen ran off to my  brother's. "The X mark of WILLIAM Thomrsort." Mr Kearney (the chairman), then addressing the prisoner, said : The Bench find it their painful duty to commit you to Durham Gaol to stand your trial for the murder of Jane Johnson. The prisoner, before being removed, said: If I had had anybody to speak for me, not one of them would have had so much to say as they have said. They have all laid their heads together and made it up before they came near the court. The prisoner was then removed. In consequence of a suspicious movement, of which the police were apprised of during the hearing of the case, the prfsoner was immediately searched on being taken to his cell, when a stout piece of tarry spun yarn was found in hi 8 pocket, and also a pfpe, tobacco, and matches. The articles, it is alleged, had been conveyed to him by some friendly hand in court.