The Forest of Dean Examiner : — 1875-03-19 (Blakeney, Gloucestershire, England)

WILFUL MURDER AT STAFFORD. John Stanton, a young man, a shoemaker, was indieted for the wilful murder of Thomas Nield. The prisoner was related to deceased, who was about 49 years of age, and had a wife and several children. Both men were engaged in the shoe trade. On the afternoon and evening of Saturday. the 16th of Jeanary, they were drinking at the Dog and Partridge beerhonee, in the Ilackwalls South, a low part of Stafford, and there appeared to have been a good deal of wrangling between them, arising oat of a remark made by Nield that his wife should no longer do his washing without payment. The prisoner used violent language, and struck Nield. Shortly afterwards he left the house, declaring that he would do for Nield, and went to his lodging near, where he was seen by a fellew-lodger to take a sharp-pointed shoemaker's knife from his workbench, and put it in his breast pocket. The prisoner then returned to the Dog and Partridge, where he sat down quietly for two or three minutes opposite Nield. Afterwarde, however, he went and sat on the right hand side of Nield, and suddenly he was seen by some four or five witnesses to put his hand in his pocket, and pull out a knife, which he plunged into Niel& s left breast. Having withdrawn the knife, he walked quietly out of the house, the rest of the company being too much astonished to interfere with him. The landlady shouted after him, .' Thu little villain, what have you done ? You have stabbed your uncle." 'Co this the prisoner replied, "I have done it, and I am willing to be taken." A man whom he met outside and who saw him throw the blood-stained knife over a garden wall, said to him, having heard the landlady's remark, "In the name of God, Jack, what made you do that?" He replied, I have done it, lad, and I intended to do it ;" and then walked on. He was, however, arrested before he had gone many yards further. Meanwhile Nield, who on receiving the fatal stab fell forward, bleeding from his breast, was lifted upon a bench, and a surgeon was sent for. It was at once seen that the wound was mortal. Nield never spoke after being stabbed. He lingered until eight o'clock the next morning, when he died. A post-mortem examination showed that the knife had penetrated the ribs and. punctured the heart. . _  M;. Bonghey, with Mr. Fnlford, was for the prosecution ; and the prisoner having, in reply to the learned Judge, intimated his desire to be defended by counael, at the request of his lordship, Mr. Selfe undertook the defence. .  The -------------- co—U;;;lerin opening the ease against the accused, detailed the circumstances attending the commission of the act whereby the deceased man, Thomas Nield, met his death. Evidence for the prosecution was then adduced. It was a repetition of what has already appeared in our columns.  The Jury, after two minutes' consultation, returned a verdict of guilty; and, in answer to the usual question why sentence should not be passed, prisoner said the witnesses had been swearing false Noild had struck him and Iriven him wild -by his accusations of having illtreated hie (prisioner's) wife. His Lordship, in passing sentence, addressing the Prisoner, said: John Stanton, you have been connoted on the clearest evidence of the dreadful crime of murder. You stand there a solemn warning to people not to give way to a revengeful spirit. I do not wish to say anything to agravate your sufferings at this moment, but I must, at the same time, tell you that I cannot hold out to you the slightest hope of I mercy." Sentence of death was then passed in the usual , form, the prisoner meantime preserving a demeanour I which betrayed far less concern than was evinced by scores of those present in the crowded court.