The Sun. — 1862-02-28 (London, England)

THE MURDER OF A TAX COLLECTOR.  George Clark was this morning placed at the bar charged with the murder of Mr. Mark Frater, tax collector. Mr. Davison and Mr. G. Bruce appeared for the prosecution ; the prisoner conducted his own. defence. The facts, as stated by the counsel for the prosecution,_were shortly these. Mr. Mark Frater, a gentleman 45 years of age, had been for many years employed in Newcastle as a collector of land and. assessed taxes. Mr. Frater resided at a place called. Bulman's Village, about a mile and a half or two miles distant from the town, but for the purpose of his business as collector of assessed taxes, he occupied in Blackett-stieet, at the time of the occurrence, certain offices, and his habit was to go by an omnibus, which plies between Bulman's Village and the town, somewhere about halfpast nine o'clock in the morning, attend to his business during the course of the day, and return home some time in the afternoon._ On the morning of the Ist of October he got off the omnibus near the corner of Blackett-street , and a Mr. Horn approached and entered into conversation with him, and shortly after the prisoner came up armfrom round sFtrr uateekr hbimy putting his hisomethlientat in his hand. A short struggle took place, Mr. Frater became disengaged, and Mr. Horn then. observed blood running from bis neck. The prisoner was apprehended, and from him was taken a knife with blood upon it. Some observations were made by Mr. Frater, he was got into the house, and in the space of seven or ten minutes was a corpse. Aswould be to otill intention of the man who struck the blow, it be shown that malice had been ranking in prisoner'smind towards Mr. Frater for a considerable period. On the 18th May the prisoner was alleged to be in arrear for a half year's dog tax, and Mr. Frater, as he was bound to do, issued a distress warrant upon the tools of the prisoner's trade, for he was a rable illwill on the part of the chairmaker. ,That seemed to havecapursiseodnaervteorywcaorndssitdheepersons engaged in the transaction, and on the first 18th of May, the prisoner said to liifflls,m"alife you pay dearly for bailiffs, was told by Cook, to whom ho you or Mr. Frater hidtsstTpreoenktuednranytfithhaafettineihe tools had been taken to Mr. TCouoeksci, aoyneafotefr theee Frater's ofice. Six weeks after that time, bringing it down to the latter end of September, and not long before the occurrence, they heard him again nthemspeakCook shortly about m tl, tools, make and saying's it." On the 25th of Septembery If you don't opuri poanyerdweaarslysefeon in the workshop with a knife, and sr when asked what he was going to do with it, he replied, " It's for my return g to enemies." At that time the blade of the knife wasround at the end. And the same man afterwards saw the prisoner knocking at it with a cold chisel. The knife taken from him showed that it had been. struck with some instrument of that sort, and instead of a round point, one side had been taken off, thereby le • leaving a sharp and angular point. The next day prisoner was seen to take out of the box where they kept the tools something having a handle resembling that of a knife. During the address of the learned counsel, lie wns frequently interrupted by the remarks of the Prisoner.  Evidence having been called in support of the above facts, Clark refused to have acounsel allotted to him to defend him, and comported himself cur' ing the solemn inquiry in such a strange manner, that it would be difficult to say whether he really was insane or merely acting. Upon being called for his defence, he entered into a long story with regard to the seizure of his tools for dog tax—and alleged that when he went into Blaekett-street he so found that Mr. Frater had stabbner)ed merely himself with a knife, and that he (the pri somewhatgood ol(lw i e . abuassuhaeld terms. after of tswaoi dh otuor st the en d a quarter, the jury returned into court with a verdict of guilty, and sentence of death waspassed in knife out of his hand. • After an absence Youwho are was a tihudef ge”, on leaving the sentence, An nnnuns° concourse of people Nv ingTthheeperofusornte;‘, as present.