The Potteries Examiner : — 1879-02-01 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

TRENT.  THE STAFFORDSHIRE MURDER.  B. W. Boys for Cash,  No one could read the lucid and impartiai summing up of Mr. Justice Fry in the County Assize trial for alleged murder at Burstein, without thoroughly concurring in the verdict of the jury. The evidence was not only conflicting but altogether circumstantial as against the prisoner. First, it should be remembered that no sufficient motive for the mime of murder was brought out, and, however strong the circumtances may appear against an alleged criminal, the absence of motive should always throw the strongest doubt on mere circumstances, which sometimes cruelly combine to fasten the net of apparent guilt around a suspected person. The fact cannot be ignored that the pris, ner did not desert his supposed victim, but stay, d with her upon a well frequented footpath, while, one after another wayfarers passed by. some of whom knew him. The clear consciousness of guilt was wanting. The medical evidence for the prosecution and defence was also so contradictory and conflicting as to whether the wound had or had not been inflicted by a knife, or might not have been caused by a fall, that the direction of the learned judge left the twelve impartial jurymen no alternative but to return a verdict of not guilty. Mr. Justice Fry said : "If they thought that the wound was caused by an accident they would, of course, acquit the prisoner. If on the other hand they were convinced that the evidence pointed to the prisoner as having inflicted the cut, they would find him guilty. If they said they did not know, they could not tell which way it was caused, they would give the prisoner the benefit of the doubt and acquit him." John Pointon has received '' the benefit of the doubt," has escaped from what may have been a grievous peril to a perfectly innocent man, or he may have come comparatively scot free from a position in which he may have been partially responsible tor placing himself. That there is nothing in the evidence to point to premeditated murder we thoroughly agree with the counsel for the defence. That Pointon could throw some light upon tliat bloody trail from the bottom to the top of Grange fields there can be no doubt. It has been often said in North Staffordshire that charges of murder brought against criminals from that part of the country generally break down, and that there are usually circumstances surrounding the cases which conspire to rob the gallows of its victim. There is certainly some truth in this rough and in most cases vulgar statement, and the effect of that truth should be to promote such a state of society as will *rider even the suspicion of such a fearful crime as murder of much less frequent occurrence than it has been of late. Formerly it was South Staffordshire that was discredited by the cases of homicide that were brought for trial to our county town, but recently the Potteries has attained an unenviable prominence in the criminal annals of Staffordshire.  J 011 N M. RATCLIFFE, (Late W. Tompkin,) Wholesale and Retail GROCER and CORN FACTOR, Implement and Machine Agent, SILVERDALE, Now offers Fine Season Brewed ALM, in nine, twelve, and eighteen gallon casks, from Is. per gallon.  ----FURNITritE,