The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-03-28 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE SELBY MURDER.  Frederick Parker bag been indicted for the wilful murder of Daniel Driscoll, at south Driflieid, near Selhy, in the East Riding, on the Ist of March inst. The prisoner, a young man of about twenty-one, was up to Saturday, the 29th of February last, imprisoned in Beverley Gaol, where the deceased man Driscoll was also detained. On the 29th of February the period of imprisonment of both men expired. Driscol left the gaol at about bine a.m., having previously hail delivered to him by the governor £4 lie., of which 1:4 10s. was in gill, a silver watch, silver watch-guard and key, a trowel, and some other articles, his property. The prisoner left the gaol a few minutes after Driscoll, and also had given to him Is. 4isl. in money, which he had had upon him when brought to gaol, and 4s. worth of postage-stamps, which had been sent to him by his friends during his imprisonment. Between tell and eleven the same morning Driscoll went into the Red Lion puhlic.house at Beverley, and the prisoner came in to the same house a minute or two afterwards. They remained there two hours, and had refreshment together, for which Driscoll paid. During that time Driscoll, in the presence of the prisoner, told the landlord of the Red Lou that he had "four quids" (sovereigns), and the landlord then noticed that Driscoll was wearing a silver watchchain. The prisoner and Driscoll left the Red Lion together, and were next seen at a public-house at Bubwith, about eighteen miles from Beverley. At this public-house they arrived together about seven in the evening of the same day. They left after having had one or two glasses of ale, which *Driscoll paid for, and as they were leaving the prisoner said he was going to Hemingbrough, where it seemedhis relations reside. Driscoll and the prisoner were never seen again together, nor was Driscoll again seen alive. On the morning of Sunday, the lot of March, about nine o'clock, a witness named Jackson, who was going along the Cliff turnpike-road, about three miles from Bub. with, noticed a bundle lying in the road and a trowel, and almost immediately afterwards saw in the ditch by the road-side the dead body of a man, which was afterwards identified as that of Driscoll. By the side of the body was an immense hedge-stake, and on the head of the deceased were several severe wounds which might have been caused by such an instrument. One of those wounds, which had fractured the skull, was no doubt the cause of death. There was no watch or chain upon the body, and the only money found upon it was twopence. About a quarter to nine on the same morning the prisoner came alone to the house of a person named Bentley, at Brind, which is about five mileofroin Bobwith. He then had with him some money in gold and silver, and Driscoll's silver watch and guard. He told Bentley that he had been in Beverley Gaol, and that the money, watch, and chain were his property, and hail been given opts him on his discharge from prison. Bentley's wife said that the prisoner appeared very restless and uneasy, and asked more than once whether the police ever passed the house. The prisoner was next seen on the same day at Long New land, a village in the neighbourhood, where he saw a person named David Dilcock, to whom he offered the watch, which, however, Dilcock refused to tab a. The prisoner then offered him four sovereigns, which he took and afterwards spent. According to Dilcock's evidence, who, however, contradicted himself very much, and who had, when before the coroner, denied that he had received any money from the prisoner, the prisoner then concealed the watch in a hedge, where it was afterwards found. On the next day, the 2nd of March, the priscabir ni-t William Dilcock, a brother of David, and proposed to give him a watch which he said was "planted." William Dilcock, however, refused to have anything to do with the watch. On the lid of March the prisoner went to the house of his sister at Barmby-in-the-Manh, a neighbouring village, and left there a pair of trouser', upon which it was