The Sun. — 1863-03-30 (London, England)

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.  MIDLAND CIRCUIT-WARWICK, MARCH 28.  THE BIRMINGHAM MURDER. Henry Carter, aged 20, was tried morning before Mr. Justice Willes, on the charge of having murdered Alice Hinckley. Mr. Adams appeared for the Crown, and Mr. Elers for the defence.  The facts of the case are very simple, and will appear best from the evidence of the witnesses. Elizabeth Hinckley said—l am the grandmother of the deceased. She used to live with me at a  court leading out of Bissit-street, Birmingham. She had kept company with the prisoner for about eight months. On the night of the 4th of last December she was standing with the prisoner at the bottom of the court. They were in conversation, and appeared on friendly terms. I went and asked her to come in, andshe said that:she would come in directly. Her manner was not excited, and she answered in her usual tone of voice. I went back  into a neighbour's house. Shortly after I heard the report of a pistol. I went out and saw her lying dead on the pavement. I did not see Carter. Cross•examined—Carter was in the habit of visiting her at my house. There was nothing unusual in their conversation on the occasion in question.  He had been in my house with her until 8 o'clock. Their conversation was of a friendly and affectionate character. The report of the pistol was not more than two minutes after I left them. _ _  Mary Cowrie said—About 20 minutes to 11 on the night in question I saw Carter and the deceased talking together at the bottom of the court. I said to her, " How foolish it is for you to stand there, with such a cold as you've got." She said, " I havn't been above half-a-minute, and I'm coming in directly." I was turning away from her when I heard Carter say to her, "Do you mean it P" She said, " Yes." I then went on about 30 yards and heard the report of a pistol. Soon after Carter passed me running. I turned back, and found the deceased lying dead on a sofa in her grandmother's house. Mr. Waddilove—l am a surgeon practising at Birmingham. I examined the body of the deceased. There was a hole between her left shoulder bone and spine. It presented the appearance of a gun shot wound. I found a track which passed upwards through the spine and right side of the chest to the anterior part of the neck. It passed through and ruptured the aorta. I found a ball in the rignt side of the collar bone. The shot must have been fired from some one standing near. Samuel Moore—l live in Birmingham, and know  the prisoner. On the afternoon of b_c. 4 I saw him looking into a pawnbroker's shop. I asked him whether he was looking at the whtches. He said that he was looking for a pistol. I asked him if he wanted to shoot himself with it. He said, "No ; I want it for a friend in the country." I walked with him to a shop in Weaman-street. He bought a double-barrelled pistol, some powder, and caps. He took them away with him. We then went into a shop in Persia-street and bought some bullets. We then went into three publichouses and drank together. Cross-examined—l have known Carter for some years. In the third publichouse be practised firing the pistol at the gas lights. There was only a cap on then. Henry Hart—l am a gunmaker in Persia-street. On the evening of the 4th of December last the prisoner and Moore came to my shop and bought some bullets. The prisoner had a double barrelled pistol with him. 1 told him that I had no bullets of the