The Atherstone Times. — 1879-02-08 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

THE VERDICT.  The juty retired at thirteen minutes past seven to consider their verdict. They returned at twenty five minutes past, having been exacly twelve minutes absent, with a verdict of "Guilty," The Clerk of Arraigns then asked the prisoner if he had anything to say why sentence of death should not be passed upon him according to law. The Prisoner: Is it any use my saying anything  IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL ITEMS, The Central News states, that immediat9ly after the trial of Peace was over on Tuesday night, and he was removed from the dock, he was handcuff and leg chains were put upon him. The prison vau was then backed to the inner gate of the Town,  ball. Peace walked along the corridor to the gate, muttering as he went. He was lifted into the vann and was driven to Armlei goal shortley before 8 o'clock. A crowd of people had assembled near the gates in the hope ot getting a glimpse of the con. demned culprit as he was being !removed, but they were disappointed. Mr. K-eue the governor of the gaol, ac oompanieci the van, with one warder outside and four inside with Peace. The only male he had on Tuesday at the Town-hall were breakfast and dinner, both of which he ate heartily. The previous night be was confined in the sick-room with three warders, another being stationed on guard at the door of the room. On Wednesday morning the convict professed to be extremely ill, and unable  to take 'food. The Press Association says : Implrt ant revelations have been made to-day (Wednesday), regarding the letters wl i :11 have been an of ten referred to in the course of the proceedings taken against Peace It will be seen that Mrs. Dyson is exculpated fr3m being the authoress of those letters, and that her husband was fully acquainted with their contents. It has been dep3sed that on the 14 July, 1876, Peace went to Mrs. Dyson when she was conversing with some friends at Darnel, and after presenting a revolver at her head threatened to blow her brains out and those of her husband. Mrs. Dyson informed her husband of this and he at once went to c utsalt with his solicitors, Messrs. Chamb ra and Son, of Sheffield. 114 then told Mr. Chambers that a summons must be taken out against Peace for using the threateuicg language, and also stated that the man hal for some time pursued a system of annoyance towards himself and his family. He then said he knew that Peace had in his possession a number of letters which he had shown to people, representing that they were written to Mrs. Dyson. The contents of these letters (Mr. Dyson added) a:ere 'lnomn to himself. He characterised them as most impudent forgeries, and there wass not one iota of truth in them. They had beenwritten for the purpose of annoyance, or perhaps for some other ulterior object. However, Mr Dyson asked whether it would not be possible to have the letters read in court, when the summon was heard, so that he and Mrs. Dyson might have an opportunity of vindicating their charactrs and of punishing the man for the calumnies. Mr chambers expressed an opinion at the time that he did not believe they would be able to have the letters in court, or copfes of them, but he would use his efforts to cause that to be done Wen the summons came on for hearing, Peace did not attend and a warrant was issued for his apprehension. It was that warrant which was in fqrce at the time he oommitted the murder. It will thus be seen that when Mr. Campbell Post r took a course which prevented the introduction of the letters to the trial, he knew them to be irrelevant, as he stated, to the real halm, and the only result qf their bAug read would have been to prolong the trial unnecessarily. The scene of the murder was on 'Wednesday visited by a large number of people, both (rom Bheffielii and the adjacent towns. Information received in answer to inquiries made last night in Lee s was to the effect that Peace complains of illness, and that he has refused to take food since his condemnation. A special watch is kept upon his movements by the prison officials, as it is believed he intends to destroy himself if the least opportunity is allowed. It is expected that the execution, the time fixing which rests with the high sheliff, will take place in about a fortnight.