Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1879-02-08 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

THE .BANNERCROSS MURDER. TRIAL OF CHARLES PEACE. At Leeds Assises, before Mr. Justice Lopes, the ; notorious convict, Charles Peace, alias John Ward, described as a joiner or carver and gilder, was placed upon his trial for the murder of Arthur Dyson„ at Bannercross, Sheffield, on the 29th Nov., 1876, Mr. Campbell Forster, Q. 0., and Mr. 11. Shield , (instructed by the Treasury) appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Lockwood and Mr. S. Wortley (instructed by Messrs. Clegg and Son) appeared for the defence. The case has excited great public interest, and the court was densely crowded, amongst those present being a distinguished party from Lord Houghton's, the Vicar of Leeds, the Mayor, &c. On the case • being called, the convict was placed in the dock, assisted by a number of warders. He appeared to be extremely feeble and ill, and was placed in a chair between two warders. On being charged he pleaded not guilty in a low tons, and during the opening address of the counsel maintained a languid appearance; but nevertheless he seemed to take a great interest in the proceedings. The jury were then sworn, and during the time this preliminary was being gone through, the prisoner was closely scanned by the people in the crowded court. Mr. Campbell Forster detailed the circumstances of the murder at great length. He observed that the charge against the prisoner was one which lead created considerable excitement and public comment, and therefore he felt it his duty to remind the jury that they must not be biassed by what they had read, but must give their verdict on the evidence laid before them. He then proceeded to lay the facts of the case against the prisoner before the Court. The prisoner—who had been obnoxious to Mr. Dyson, the deceased, in consequence of his attentions to his wife, and this caused him to remove from Darnall to Bannercross—on the night of the murder concealed himself in the garden at the back of the house of the deceased. During the evening Mrs. Dyson went outside to the closet, and as she was coming out she was confronted by the prisoner. She screamed, and this attracted the attention of the deceased, who came out of the house. Prisoner presented a revolver at Mrs. Dyson, upon 'which she ran back into the closet. No sooner did Peace see Mr. Dyson coming than he at once tired at him. The first shot proved ineffectual, but the second shot took effect, and the prisoner at once decamped across some field. Deceased bled profusely from the left temple, and died the some night from the injuries. There could, the counsel said, be no doubt about Peace being the murderer, as Mrs. Dyson knew him well, and would be prepared to swear to him quite distinctly. In addition to Mrs. Dyson's evidence some papers had been found on the ground. Peace from that night disappeared, and was not again heard of until his connection with the Blackheath burglaries became apparent, and the min in custody was then recognised asthe Peace who shot Mr. Dyson at Bannercross, near Sheffield, in the November of 1876. There could be no question that prisoner fired the shot by which Mr. Arthur Dyson was killed, and hate and malignity were shown in the evidence to have existed between murderer and victim. That the fatal deed was planned and predetermined he thought there was sufficient, and, indeed, convincing  „ proof. If that proof convinced the jury, they would, of course, find that the man Peace was guilty of wilful murder. The first witness was Mr. Johnson, surveyor, of Sheffield. In answer to Mr. Stuart Wortley, he gave details of the locality of the crime. Mr. Lockwood elicited front him in his cross-examination that the ground was very steep behind the houses, the gardens of which were reached by steps. The house occupied by the Dysons had two storeys and an attic etorey. It would be possible for anyone in the garden to see in at the windows of the first-floor. The witness further said that he knew the late Arthur Dyson, who I was a fine, big man, but somewhat delicate. In answer to Mr. Justice Lopes, witness said the late Mr. Dyson was a muscular man, and very tall—nearly six feet six ' inches.