The Forest of Dean Examiner : — 1875-04-16 (Blakeney, Gloucestershire, England)

THE ALLEGED CONFESSION OF KILLING A GAMEKEEPER IN THE FOREST OF DEAN.  DISMISSAL OF THE ACCUSED.  • • John Davis, 45 years of age, was brought up yesterday, before Captain Geoid, and the Rev. C. E. Dighton. at the Little Dean Police Court, charged on the statement of his wife and son-inlaw, with the murder of a gamekeeper, of Meole, near Shrewsbury, 25 years ago. Prisoner was placed in the dock with his wife, who, under a warrant, had been apprehended on a charge of threatening to kill the first named prisoner. Sergeant Tanner addressed the justices, stated that on the Bth of February Mrs. Davis obtained a warrant against her husband for assaulting and beating her, but upon appearing in court she said the fault was hers, and she was therefore released. On the sth of April Davis had his wife apprehended under a warrant, he having alleged that his wife took a knife with which she threatened to cut his throat. Mrs. Davis stated to him that her husband/ had told her that he left his native village nee. Shrewsbury on account of having killed a gamekeeper in a poaching affray some years ago. A son of Mrs. Davis, named Bennett, likewise stated to him (the officer) that he had heard his father-indaw repeatedly say that why he left his native place was that he was poachin,g in a wood when a keeper came up to him and attempted to arrest him, when he (Davis) knocked him down, beat him with his gun on the heed, and on leaving him thought he was dead. A few months ago an inquiry had gone the round of the police for a man named John Davis, about 45 years of age. 5 feet 7 or Inches in height, who had left Shrewsbury twenty-five years ago, thinking he had killed la gamekeeper in a poaching affray. and that he was supposed to be working at an iron furnace in the Forest of Dean. He (the speaker) traced Davis. but the result of dieeoveries was that he was a native of Worcester. The subject discovered that the man was a native of Steele. near Shrewsbury, as stated by his wife and son-in-law. Since the prisoner's apprehension he had made a long statement to the effect that he desired to get his wife apprehended with a view of his selling up and leaving the neighbourhood, that he had already sold some pigs for £9, and some portion of household goods. He like- I wise entered into a long account of his previous life—among other things that his father died when he was a child, that he lived with his mother until he was 20 years of age, when she died, and he had since then been working in Scotland, Merthyr, 14 years at Worcester waggon works, and then at Gloucester, where he married his wife, who was then a widow, earring on the Old Bear Inn, and was subsequently said up, coming to the I Forest four years ago, worked at Parkend Iron Furnaces, and subsequently at Sewdley until the furnace were blown ant. Prisoner had also stated that his mother flied possessed of some cottage property and a few acres of land; admitting that he had not visited his native Tillage since he left it, that he had two uncles, who were farmers, and a sta. ter many years ago was in business at Shrewsbury. The Sergeant added that he had that earning received a letter from Superintendent Ohipp, who had made enquiries at Shrewsbury, the police authorities knowing nothing of the ease, and he, therefore, applied for the prisoner's discharge.—After a severe rebuke to Mrs. Davis, the Jastiees dismissed the prisoner, who then appealed to the bench to release his wife, on the charge of threatening to murder him.