The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1843-03-24 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

DERBY, MONDAY, MARCH 20  CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron Gurney  , ged 26, William Bland, aged 39, and 21ias John Holmes, alias Starbuck, alias Jack, i for the wilful murder, on the 30th of Septemr last, at the township of Stanley, in the parish of Spann, in this county, of Martha Goddard. They also stood indicted for a burglary, accompanied by violence to the person. _ .  Samuel Bonsa  John Holm  Mr. Serjeant Clarke opened the case for the prosecution. That a murder of a very horrid description had been committed would not be disputed. The only question then would be whether these prisoners or any of them were the men. The deceased was a maiden lady of good family and property, living with her sister in a large house at Stanley-hall, six miles from Derby. without any domestic, and they employed somebody in a neighbouring village to do work for them as occasion might require. They were ladies of very eccentric character, living in separate rooms, taking their meals separately, and seldom even speaking to each other. The surviving sister was not in a fit state to be called to give evidence, being in fact too weak in her intellects so to do. She was, however, in the neighbourhood, and might be called if the prisoners or any one of them should desire to call her. The learned counsel then proceeded to give an outline of the case. The three prisoners were seen, be stated, about two or three o'clock, in a road which was between Stanley and Heap, about five miles from Heap, with three bundles. They were afterwards seen going into Hulme's house with a bog. This bag was afterwards found to contain a variety of articles of ladies' apparel, many of which would be identified as the property of the deceased. The deed was done on the night of Thursday, the 29th. On the Saturday following, Bonsall and Bland were apprehended. Hulme, who had been away, returned on the Sunday night, and went with a boy and got up the bag from the garden wherein it 'had been buried, and they proceeded on their way to Leek, in Staffordshire. When at Amber-gate, Hulme hid it in a sough. Each of the prisoners bad made a statement. They had each admitted having been at the house joining in the robbery, but each had sought to cast upon one of the others the actual murder. Hulme bad been examined at Leek, in Staffordshire, and the before Sir H. Wilmot. The learned counsel then They had taken with  ned thi  aw upon the subject,  eavy staves and a crowbar, as well as a razorone of them had just sharpened. From the t appeared that there had been  risoners  resistance on the part of the deceased lad  evidence, and then say whet,  at the prisoners were the men who had conjointly the barbarous and horrid deed.  en adduced as to themelan miscreants had left th  n whic  the followir  voluntary confession of the read  land was  ,nt in a  lful murder. I was e outside ; I mean, on the outside of the ed. Samuel Boman began to  I am innocent of the  arge of  ere the lad; ,s off, and g,  them to me. This John Sweep, e goes by the name of John Starbuck— stand on one side, and let me take the was a' bit of a ladder to get up to them. aid, They have nailed a piece of wood on ere here before.' Samuel Bonsall went up  Starbuc  tilled it  came down, and t !Eh. As soon as  h at  and said,  I could u  John S  inside, and I and 1  t in. Ti  . Samuel Bonsall and John Starbuek stairs. I did not offer to go up. John I did not , unr, . '  aid. cort  gs into  g he would  e several chests opei vas. They g