The Staffordshire and Potteries Examiner. — 1880-11-27 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

THE SAFFRON WALDEN MURDER CASE.  The Rev. W. F. Lumley, chaplain of Chelmsford Prison, has been instrumental in the case of the Saffron Walden murder, as in that of the St. Albans murder, in ascertaining what are probably the real facts. It appears that Mr. Lumley was of opinion that the prisoner, William Wright, was maintaining silence in order to shield the companions who were supposed to have been poaching with him on the night of the murder of Lord Braybrooke's gamekeeper, John Prior, On Sunday this impression was confirmed, the prisoner stating 'he was going to be hanged because he would not tell," and adding that "some one at Wimbush could tell, and help the if they liked." The prisoner also, for the first tine, mentioned the name of William Taylor, a labourer, living at Wimbush. The authorities at the Home Office having expressed a desire for every possible information in the case, the chaplain on Monday went to Wimbush and interrepted Taylor. He at first declared that he could s xothing, but upon 'ueing pressed and assured that no weld in no way injure himself by any statement it lie might make, he said "Then I will tell you the :I ash." lie then went on to say:—" On the morning of Oct. 12, at three o'clock, the prisoner, William Wright, his younger brother, Walter Wright, and myself went out to poach. We met on the Walden road by appointment. I was carrying a single-barrelled gun. The prisomr had with him a double-barrelled gun. Walter Wright had no gun. We then went into the plantation and did as gentlemen do. Walter Wright left us and , went into the wood (by inference to drive). I went one side of the plantation and William Wright went the other. After we had been parted a little while I fired at a hare. It was rather dark at the time and my gun flashed. About three or four minutes afterwards, I heard a shot on the other side of the plantation, but I did not see who fired it. In about tit:Le minutes I saw William Wright running away carrying his gun, and with his het off. I then ran myself. Later in the day, about eleven o'clock, I was walking with William Wright through the wood trading down to Delden. le then told me what he had done in the plantation that morning. Ile said, "I first heard the fire of a gun, and almost immediately after the keeper came round the cerner towards me with a stick in his hand. I thought he was going to strike me, so I pointed my gun at him; but he kept coming on, and when he WM about yards oft I lowered my gun and fired at his legs to stop him. did not mean to kill him. Ile then sprang on to me. We had a rare tussle. I got free from him, and then another keeper came round, and I kept him off and ran away." Mr. Lumley, with same difficulty, also procured from Taylor the doublebarrelled gun with which prisoner shot the keeper. I As the chaplain was about to leave Taylor said: "Prentice made a mistake in swearing to the coat worn by prisoner being the plaid one which was produced in court, and to the scarf, for the coat he wore was a drab one; he had no scarf, :aid the coat which the prisoner had on was burnt with the trousers that morning," meaning the morning of the inurder. Mr. Lumley arrived at Chelmsford late at night bringing the gun with him. lie saw the prisoner the same night, and from him obtained a tacit acknowledgment of the truth of Taylor's statement. Subsequently the prisoner admitted the whole truth of the statement, and, in fact, made an independent statement perfectly agreeing with it in substance. On Monday afternoon, in consequence of this additional information, the under-sheriff and Mr. Lumley had another interview with the authorities at the Borne Office. The circumstances just narrated  We'res.-filiTairl tare the authorities, Ind an intimation was then made that the respite would be lot; lowed by a commutation of the sentence to penal servitude for life.