The Sun. — 1858-03-06 (London, England)

THE NITTRDHR AT STEVENAGE. Jeremiah Carpenter, 38, described as a labourer, was charged. upon an indictment, and also upon the coroner's inquisition, with the wilful murder of John Starkins. The prisoner, who is a powerful determined looking man, pleaded not guilty. Mr. Sergeant Parry and Mr. Watkin Williams defended the prisoner. The learned counsel for the prosecution opened the case to the jury in a very clear anl able manner, and having called their attention to the very solemn and important duty they had to discharge upon the occasion he proceeded to give a narrative of the circumstances under which the charge was preferred against the prisoner. The deceased, he said, was a young man about 22 years of age, and at the time he met his death he was a constable beog to the Herts constabulary, and statione at Stevenage, in this county. The prisoner was a labouring man, residing in a cottage about half a mile from Stevenage, and at the time of the transaction be was in the service of Mr. Horne, a farmer, who occupied a farm called Norton Green Farm, about a mile from the town. It appeared that Mr. Horne had a suspicion that he was being robbed by some of the persons in his service, and that he had made a communication to that effect to Mr. Hawkes, the inspector of the constabulary at Stevenage, and on Friday, the 30th of October, the day of the murder, the latter had given the unfortunate deceased mere instructions to watch the prisoner as he came from his work, and ascertain if he haTanything about him that did not belong to him. deceased appeared to have left Stevenage about five in the evening with this object. He was dressed in his ttniforin, but with a plain great coat over it, and it appeared that he took with him a pair of handcuffs and a stick. The usual route taken by the prisoner int his way home from his work would appear to e been kn3wn to him, for he was seen by several persons going straight in the direction where he would have expected to meet the prisoner, and he wAs p trticularry o'rervel ,:t; a Tilace called Woolmer Common, looking in the direction of a field called Cooper's }leeches field, and appar ntly observing some one he was looking for, he immediately made ff towards that field. This was about half-past five o'clock in the evening, and the unfortunate man was never again seen alive. He did not report himself to his superior officers, and no information was obtained respecting him, and as he was a very well-conducted man, and always performed his duties in a regular and proper manner, his disappearance under such circumstances excited alarm and suspicion, and the officers of the district immediately in.tituted an active search to ascertain what had become of him. No information whatever could be obtained cn the Saturday •or the Sunday ; but on the following Monday morning a constable named Isgate, who was crossing the Cooper's Breeches field, had his attention attracted to a deep pond in that field, and upon going to it he saw a foot and hand of a man projecting from the water ; and upon the body being taken out of the pond it proved to be that of the unfortunate deceased. There were several severe cuts on tie throat, which had the effect of nearly severing the head from the body ; and there were other marks of violence on the face of the deceased, which left no doubt that a most foul and brutal murder had been committed. The learned counselconcluded.by stating that since the assizes had commenced a fresh piece of evidence had been obtained in a statement made by the prisoner himself, and he said that if he should succeed in establishing it to the satisfaction of the jury, it would leave them no alternative but to convict the prisoner of the awful crime imputed to him, as it seemed to him that it amounted to an admission of his guilt. There were 30 witnesses to be examined for the prosecution, and at a late hour the trial was adjourned