The Sun. — 1845-03-14 (London, England)

THE CROOME MURDER. The trial of the ten men for the murder of Thomas Staite, at Croome, on the night of the 19th of December last, was resumed this morning, before Chief Baron Pollock. At the adjournment of the Court List night, the jury were locked up for the night, provision being made for their accommodation at the county Courts. The trial was resumed at the early hour of eight o'clock this morning, at which time, on the Court being opened, there was again an awful crush for• places, and •the Court was crammed to excess throughout the day. ' The day's proceedings commenced with the examination 'of witnesses called for the purpose of showing that several of the prisoners had, during their incarceration, expressed a desire to make confessions to the officers of the gaol. Mr. Stables, the clerk to the county .prison ; the Rev. W. Adlington, the chaplain ; T. G. Curtler, Esq. one of the visiting magistrates; and one of the turnkeys were called for this purpose, and separately examined. These statements by the prisoners were, under the direction of the magistrates, subsequently taken down in writing, and were now produced as evidence against them. The Prisoners' Counsel (Mr. Godson, Q.C., and Mr. Hoddlestone) objected to theadmission of these documents, on the ground that the statements were made in the hope and expectation of pardon.. Mr. I.7CE and Mr. Witrri.norsz argued contra, and a good deal of dicussion ensued,. which ended in the Judge ruling that the statements might be read. They were accordingly read by Mr. Bellamy at length, and being of a very voluminous nature a good deal. of time was occupied therebk." It would be impossible to give any like a sketch of these statements within reasonable limits; suttee it to say, that the several confessions implieated the whole of the prisoners in the transactions of the fatal night of the 19th December. The examination of the other witnesses for the prosecution was then proceeded with. Joseph HoOper,, a gamekeeper, regularly employed on the Earl of Coventry's estates, and who was out with the ot fo pieces."Keiop3 ey Mr. (near Croome), who • watchers on the night of the affray, provedthat the unfor • tunate deceased was brought to his (Hooper's) house about midnight, in an insensible state, and ("s he described it) with sPritchett, beaten all surgeon, evidence was followed by that of Mr. Pierpont, one of the surgeons to the Worcester Inflimarv, whore the deceased was 1i afterwards taken, who minutely described the nature of the was called up to the deceased, was .next examined, and his injuries which the deceased had suffered, and which caused his death. The chief. of these were severe fractures of the skull, through which the brain protruded. The operation of trepanning was performed at the infirmary, but Staite died a clay or two afterwards, without an interval of semibility, -• This, with the testimony of R. Temple, Escri 0120O1' the trnsteeS of the infant Earl of Coventry,. who was \ railed to prove Hooper's appointment under the trust, competed the evidence for the prosecution. amaotpirforoi ueitr eßrsrireliodetetrnehhitire, oroGa.rui aforethought Dbhislinvse.ttleo:l la; Nltiachiisnfltieololytivlneivoi gnaeetwiiaaodi u(Onnit ygededond: eecteassoootbsshnpeal aeesdrrdniyodsdtvheptuehroeecetsece djid: ucehetor xahts foittrolsio maliceitt throughout glot: aselhecl eoeojotundirwtitehes:eht:n whole h,oniwo:( to: (31);