Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1890-02-08 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

RICHARD DAVIES'II CONFESSION.  Be (the inspector) lead out Richand's confession, which couteined the following :—" I hereby coulees that me and my brother George made it up to kW father. On Saturday, January 25th, I left the ehop about eight o'olock to p home, but instead of going home I was to wait in Crewe-lane for father to come. Then I was to come out of the heige.and seise the pony's head, while George, who was riding with him, was to jump up and strike him. He did it, and  AFTER °SORGE HAD STRTICIHIM two or three times I °aim) and caught hold of him behind, mad pulled him out of the trap. Then George got out of the trap, and I went home. It was arranged that George should go running home saying father had hew stopped up the lane by two soon. I arrived home at eleven o'clock, and in ten minutes or a quarter of an hour George wan in and told us. I ran and gat to him first, but father was on the opposite side to where I left him. lie was quite dead. I took his money out of his pocket, and Jack, my older brother, came  up. wit DID IS BECAUSE HE WAS SUCH A BID FATHER, not to me exactly, but to George and the root, and • bed husband to mother, for mother and the others had been very nearly starved. Sometimes he would neither bey them fuel for fire or meat to eat when he was in a had temper. May the Lord forgive us; we never thought of the crime we were committing nor the consequences of it, and I hope the law will deal mercifully with ' me and with George. We don't deserve it, I know, I but let it be for the sake of mother and ui little brothers, and spare one of us to them." This ended the confession. Neither of the prieoners showed any emotion while these confessions were read, and witness went on to I explain that after the confessions were read aloud Dick asserted thet George's statement was untrue, and George reiterated his assertion that he did not I use the are. On Sunday the prisoners had an inter- I view with their brother John in witness's presence, I and Richard said, "Well, John, I hope you will forgive us for what we have dons to father." John replied, "Then it is true ?" and Richard rejoined, " Oh, yes, only too true, I am sorry to say." John then added that he forgave them, but they would have to seek forgiveness elsewhere. The prisoner George said, in reply to the obser vation, "This is a sad job," "Yes, it is; but I am innocent." The prisoners at the elm of the witness's evidence were asked by the Chairman if they wished to ask any questions. Richard said," No, sir, I have not," and the other prisoner contented himself with a simple negative. Emily Davies, the sister of the aoonsed, a delicate, diminutive girl, was the next witness. Sheidentifitid the handle of the missing axe with which the murder is alleged to have been committed. She spoke to Richard leaving Crewe with his overcoat on over two hours before his father and George,and she deposed to his returning after midnight, when he told her that "father's killed." The witness further said George and Richard were both employed by their father. They had no regnlar wages, but he gave them sixpence occasionally. Her father, she was sure, lived on good terms with both the prisoners. Sometimes there were words between them about the work. It was next proposed to call Frederick Davies. The Chairman thought it regrettable that so young a boy the is but ten years of age) should be celled in the awe, bet the prosecuting ' mid he wanted his evidence as to axe handle. The boy was placed a chair, and in reply to the Magis-.state Clerk said that little boys who told lies went to hell—an outspoken statement which caused laughter in the Court. The child was then sworn, and gave the Testament a mounding kiss. Ile simply identified the axe handle. The little lad gave his evidence very clearly, and mot carious glances at the accused and round the court—The next witness was another brother, John Davies, and his examination was not coneluded, when the case was adjourned for a week.  Itor  I the in  1 tratie