The Sun. — 1845-03-13 (London, England)

THE CROOME MURDER.  It was arranged last night that the trial of the poachers for the murder at Croome should take place to- day. Accordingly at twelve o'clock, after the disposal of some other Crown business, the following prisoners were arraigned before Chief Baron Pollock :--JosephiTurvey, 43, gardener; Francis Mny. ley, 34, capenter ; Samuel Turvey, 37, labourer; George Brant, 18, boatman; Thomas Hooper, 19, labourer; John Cooke, 25, labourer; Joseph Tandy, 42, gardener; Thomas Collins, 20, gardener ; William Cosnett, 25, labourer ; and William Bromfield, 19, labourer. George Lippett, 35, carpenter, was admitted approver. Mr. Lee and Mr. Whitmore conducted the prosecution; Mr. Godson, Q..C., and Mr. lluddleston defended the prisoners.  There were seven indictments against the prisoners. In the first, second, and fifth, the prisoners were all charged jointly with assaulting and beating Thomas Staite, and indicting woundsof which he died ; with wounding Wm. Compton, with intent to kill and murder him ; and with shooting at John Frances, with the same murderous intent. The third indictment charged one of the prisoners, Thomas Collins, with shooting at George Baylis, and the others with aiding and abetting; and the fourth indictment charged Samuel Turvey, Thomas Hooper, and Joseph Tandy with wounding Richard Compton and George Brant, John Cook, Thomas Collins, ,and William Cosnett, with aiding and abetting. There were two indictments which were not read, but to the whole of those brought into Court the prisoners pleaded Not Guilty. The whole of the prisoners having been placed upon their trial on the first indictment, charging them with the murder of Thomas Staite on the 19th of December last, _ _ _  Mr. LEE prOceeded to state the facts of the case as they have already been detailed in the newspapers, and called • witnesses.  The first witness examined was Mr. Boulter, the landlord of the Plough Inn, Preston, in which town the whole of the prisoners lived. He merely proved that ou the night in question, Francis Dingley and Bromtigld applied to him for the loan of a gun, which, however, Wdid not lend them. The next witness, Thomas Kings, an inhabitant of Preston, proved that the prisoners Bromfield, Cook, Dingley, Hooper, and the two Turveys, were seen together on the same night. The third witness was William Wheeler, who was at one time in custody in connexion with this affair. His testi • mony went to considerable length, and it appeared from his statements that the whole body of poachers met by appoint-. merit on the night of the fatal affray, at a place called the Hollow-way. It would appear from Wheeler's testimony, that he was to have accompanied the party, but that at the last hour his heart failed him, and, instead of going himself, he lent his gun to Cook and his smock frock to another of the party. Next morning his gun was returned to him by Dingley with the stock broken, as if by someviolent usage. The party were afterwards seen by several other witnesses proceeding in the direction of the Croome covers. Two young girls, named Mary Ann and Julia Ann White, saw the poachers together as they were returning from I'erton School (Groom), where they had been having a singing lesson. The evidence of Richard Compton, one of the watchers on the night of the 19th December, then detailed the particulars of the attack upon them in similar terms to those employed by him in his evidence before the coroner, which was published at the time'  George Lippett, the approver, was then-called, and was examined at considerable length, his testimony bearing out that already detailed as having been given on the inquest. His examination was closed shortly before eight o'clock this evening, when au adjournment_ took place until to-morrow morning. It is fully expected that the trial.Will;occupy the whole of to-morrow. The popular excitement increases every hour.  Lord William Lennox visited Captain Siborne's new Waterloo model yesterday, his Lordship was the fourth member of his family on this glorious field, accompanying the late Duke of Richmond who was present, although not a military man. Smatort