The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1876-08-08 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

THE CHARGE OF MURDER BY A FATHER. At the Taunton Assize; before Mr. Justice Blackburn. ' Charles Hale, a coal miner, was indicted for the wilful murder of Emma Hale, his daughter, at Cainerton, on the 4th of April—Mr Saunders and Mr. Hutch prosecuted, and Mr. Norris defended. —On the 19th of April, the body of a young girl, aged about 15, was discovered in the Somerset Coal Canal, in the neighbourhood of Canter. ton, by a young man named Heals, and was identified beyond doubt as that of the prisoner's daughter. Upon medical examination it was found that the body must have been in the water a fortnight or so. There did not appear to be any marks of violence upon the body. There was a bruise on one of the thighs, but in all Probability it was caused after death by • boat, as the canal was navigated by • considerable traffic—almeet exclusively in coal—from Radstock towards London. Prisoner admitted that the child was his own, and, suspicion naturally turning to Inui, he was apprehended. Ile was is poor man—entirely destitute the latter years of his life had been almost entirely spent in the Clutton Union Workhouse, Hale WM a married limn, and had three children, of whom the deceased was the youngest. Many years ago the wife separated from him, and was summed to be now living in Bristol ; at any rate, the deco:wed was entirely bereft of her care, and left to her own slender resources, and was repeatedly an inmate of the Workhouse. The last time she entered the Union was in November, 1074, and she remained there until the 3rd of last April. Prisoner went in on the Itith March, and gave notice that he Intended to leave on April 3rd. Hales wish was to leave without taking the girl with him, but the master of the house informed him that by the rules it could not be permitted. Prisoner demurred about being burdened with the child and prevented earning • Being, saying he was a very poor emu had no house to take her to, and aid not know what to do with her. Prisoner and deceased left the union at 10 o'clock. What they did, where they wandered, or how they managed, Was not known ; but at nine o'clock in the evening they were admitted to the house of a Mr*. Webber, at Peasedown. Carnerton. The girl asked Mrs. Webber, • kindhearted friend, for a eight's lodging, and she slept there, but the prisoner remained out. Both had breakfast there the next morning, and Mee. Webber suggested that the girl should go to Bath the next day with a friend and endeavour to obtain a situation. Prisoner demurred, as the girl's clothes were unfit for service, but it was arranged that she should sleep there that night, and go to Rath on the morrow. The Hales left at 10 o'clock, and were next found about half-past three at Keynsham, where they met a drayman coming from BristoL Hale told him they were going to Bristol to find his wife, anal leave the girl there. Prisoner suggested leaving the girl at Keynsham Union, but it was not done. For smne unexplained reason, when the Hales returnet to Mulford, the girl became very excited, anal called out "Murder !" While they were in the Radford Brewery yard a Mr. Langford spoke to them, and noticed that the prisoner—who asked for assistance—was the worse for liquor. At this request Mr. Longford directed them to Carnicot 14 miles distant, and they went along the towing path by the side of the canal. It was by no means a deep or wide canal, and the bank was very shelving. At the spot whore a girl was found—a mile from Radbury Brewery—for a considerable distance across, the water WIS only 4or l feet deep, but 20 or 30 yards from the spot where the body was found there is a stop, and the canal is very much narrowed by walled sides. At ten o'clock the girl, alone, went to some cottages at the point where the highway branches off, half a mile from the fatal spot, and in an excited state applied to three persons —Mrs. Cooper, Mrs. Ruddock, and Mrs.