The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-01-04 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

DREADFUL MURDER IN SOMERSETSHIRE.—On Saturday the coroner for the county of Somerset was engaged in an investigation into a murder wh ch, from its savage character, resembles many of those which have recently disgraced the sister country. The inquest has been adjourned, but the main circumstances of the case are as follow:—The murdered man, who was named John Wall, bore the character of being a sober, industrious, and inoffensive man; he was about 42 or 43 years of age. It appears from his statement, that at between three and four o'clock on the day of asssassination, while it was quite light, he was in his cottage, engaged near the fire preparing some food for pigs; be was stooping down, and while in that position he heard the crash of a pane of glass in the window. He fose up, and saw a gun pointed through the broken glass, but before be could move the gun was discharged, and he received the contents in his thigh. In an instant after, he saw a man looking in, evidently to see whether the murderous deed had been accomplished. This person he described as being dressed in a black coat, with a dark cap, and having a singular mark over the right eye. The w,,tinded man rushed out of the cottage and saw some young men running ,across the fields, but could not recognise them. He then contrived to reach the surgery of Mr. Bisdee, at West Town, by whom the wound was dressed, and by whom, together with Mr. Macey, he was attended at his own house, where he lingered until Thursday night, when he expired from lockjaw, arising from the wound. From the description given by the deceased, a youth named Manfield was on the following day apprehended by the constable of Nailsea, who also found the gun with which the crime was perpetrated, and traced it to Manfield's possession. The prisoner, when taken before the deceased, was at once recognised by him as the man whom he saw looking in through the window. He was subsequently taken before a magistrate of the county, and when about to be conveyed to prison he said that he ought not to be taken alone, but that his brother, Charles Manfield, and a relative named Robert Jakeways, ought to be taken with him. It appears, also, from a statement which he made, that the prisoner himself, his brother Charles, another brother, quite a boy, and Robert Jakeways, were out shooting in the neighbourhood of deceased's house, and, not being very happy in finding game, Jakeways said, "Come, let us shoot the old fellow.". This was agreed upon; but either not wishing to implicate the boy, or probably from the fear that he might betray them, they sent him away under the pretence that he should gather some "Christmas" in a neighbouring wood, they saying that they were going to shoot a wild duck down, by the drain. Jakeways then took the gun and fired in at the window at the deceased, and the prisoner looked in to see the effect of the shot. It was then that he was seen by the deceased. The prisoner is a youth of not more than sixteen years of age; the other parties named in his statement have not yet been apprehended, having absconded, as it is supposed! to Birmingham; but active exertions are malting for their capture.