The Sun. — 1839-05-30 (London, England)

THE MURDER AT AVOOLWICH.  CONFESSION OF THE MURDERER,,. On Tuesday. afternOon .the prioner _taetire Willis, At the termination of the 'Coritner's Inrniest Ofni again Oiathined heilore Sir John Webb, Captain Fead, R.N., and Adam Young, Esq., on the charge of murdering his sergeant-major, William Shepherd, and the evidence adduced was to the same effect as that given befOre the Coroner:. This xteP iras 6Onsidered tiecessary in conseqileb'ee or the prisoner having in the first instance been examined before Sir John Webb previous to the Coroner issuing his mandatO or an, inquest to be held on the body of Shepherd. Willis declined Makin* ail), defence before the Magistrates, and at the conclusion of the examination they made out his commitment to Newgate, and it was placed in the hands of Mr. Watts, the High Constable, who also held the Coroner's warrant for Willis's committal, liiut he could not legally be removed by the authority of the latter as from the time he was delivered over by the Military to the civil power he had been in the custody of the Magistrates. At five o'clock a carriage with pOthorses was as privately as possible drove in at the back entrance of the Rent Ordnance Hospital, and the prisoner, w;th his wrist handcuffed, was assisted into the vehicle by Mr. Watts, and two constables of Woolwich, named Jarratt and Samuel Watts, who accompanipd the prisoner to town. By some means, as the carriage containing Willis was leaving the hospital, the crowd got intimation of it, and the scene that ensued defies description. It was followed by thousands of the civilians and military for nearly a quarter of a mile, and the prisoner was assailed with loud hooting and yelling. The indignation thus expressed by his former comrades and the public did not in the slightest degree affect the prisoner Willis, who frequently spoke with the constable, Samuel Watts, about persons residing at Lymington, to which place both the prisoner and the constable formerly belonged. It will have been observed that there was no evidence brought before the inquest to show whether the musket was loaded by Willis, or anybody else ; and on their way to town the high constable observed, " Willis, you haye not told us how you loaded the piece ;" and the prisoner then stated that he, with the rest of the gunners. quartered in No. 11 Barrack-room, all came on to the parade together on Sunday morning, and that afterwards he returned to the room, and no other person being present, he loaded his musket, and while he was doing so he heard his name twice called over on the parade by the orderly. He added that he shot the deceased, because he thought he was against him, but denied speaking to him or. the parade, as stated by the orderly M'Gorary. He stated that his father and brother were both living, and resided at Lymington. He had also an uncle and aunt, who keep an inn at Dorchester. Willis represented that he enlisted at the same time, and in company with Charles Chiddy, the artilleryman, who blew his brains out in so determined a manner. about a month since. The prisoner followed this up by saying that it was his determination to have committed self-destruction after he had affected his purpose, if an opportunity had presented itself. A few minutes before six o'clock, the prisoner arrived at Newgate, and was delivered over to Mr. Cope, in the lobby of the prison. During the few seconds occasioned by his alighting from the vehicle, a crowd of persons gathered round, anxious to catch a glimpse of 'the prisoner.