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Northern Star (1837-1852), 22nd March 1845, Edition 2 of 3, Page 5, HOME CIRCUIT. Lewes, Wednesday, March 19...

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      The Late Explosion At Messrs. Samuda's F...

      8 hop 1 from 20 to 30 Tardsfromtheboder . Sawitabout seven or eight mrauteshefore the explosion , but did not observe anything then ; nor did he observe any wooe of wood with a nailin it placed against or under the handle . His attention was not particularlv directed to ft . —William Bain was then called , and stated that he was a surgeon , and was called to "Wn » ht and Grimes , and George Chapman , after the emlosion . They were all quite dead . Did not exanine them Terr particularl y at the time , as they 1 Kre all dead . Had since examined them , and as regards Wright , found that he had received a severe fracture of the skull , extending from one ear across ihe top of the head to the other ear ; he had also received several bruises , especially on the right and lower side ofthe chest , but without causing any fracl r ar . x-t . n la IVmn th (» bnilfir . F > 71 W it » V > TlllH

      torc . There was also a dislocation forwards ofthe right knee . These were the chief external appearances . The brain was lacerated in different parts , and efiuaionofbloodoetweenthe scalp and thebones of the head . Examined the month and windpipe , and found the lining membrane corrugated as from the action of steam or hot water . Tlie other organs seemed healthy . The cuticle was removed from the wliole of the face from the hot steam . These injuries were caused by the explosion , and accounted for his death . —James Chettle was again called , and said no other person was near the engine but Whitcombe , the engine-driver . The other persons were hurt by the pieeesflying . The Coroner remarked it was most important to have the evidence of

      Whitcombe , as something might have occurred of his doing which might give a different feature to the whole transaction ; and looking at the position in which Mr . Lowe stood , it appeared to him that it would be fairer to Lowe and to the public that the ease should be adjourned until Whitcombe was in a state to give evidence . Mr . Lowe then said he had not the slightest objection to answer any fair question that might lie put to liim , nor did he object to Whitcombe being examined . The Coroner : Perhaps it would be better to have the person here who was engaged in driving the engine . We can have no evidence on many points from any person but from him and Air . Lowe , who might be compromised by speaking . There were yet fire other persons in the hospital , and it would hardly be fair to Lowe if they

      were to press on him now for evidence , when they might get it from other persons who could speak to the transaction . He then asked Lowe if there was any other person whom he would like to call to rebut the evidence which seemed to pre * against him . Lowe : Whitconibe was standing with him in front ofthe boiler . —His ( Lowe ' s ) right side was burnt , and Whitcombe ' sleft side . For his part , he did not think that Whitcombe knew more about the matter than himself . He had , however , no objection to Whiteombo being examined . It was accordingly arranged that the inquest should then be adjourned to Thursday at ten o ' clock ; and in the event of Whitconibe ' s hung unable to attend , the jury would then go to the London Hospital , and take his examination

      Adjovbxed Isq , uest . — Thuksoat . —Verdict of Makslaugiiier . — Mr . Baker , the coroner for East Middlesex , and the jurymen appointed to conduct the inquiry into the deaths ofthe men Chapman , Grimes , Smith , and Wright , who -were killed by an explosion at ihe works of Mr . Samuda , at Bow-creek , BlackwalL re-assembled this morning at the Townhafl , Poplar . The Coroner informed the jury that another unfortunate man , named Neale , had died on board the Dreadnought hospital ship , and the jury having viewed the body , Mr . Baker informed them that he had received a medical certificate , stating that the important witness , Whitcombe , was in too dangerous a state to be removed , and it Wonld be necessarv , therefore , that his evidence

      should be taken at the London Hospital . On arriving * l the Hospital , the jury were conducted to the ward where Thomas Whitcombe was lying . He was sworn , and said—I am an engine-driver . I have been engaged at Blackwall since June last . I saw the boiler tried on Monday , but the steam would not touch the engine . In order to remedy this defect , Mr . Lowe got a cock put upon the steam-pipe , to draw the condensed water off ; still the engine did not go well . There was nothing done after . The cock was put there on Tuesday night . The steam was got up on Wednesday morning . We had a great deal of trouble , for the engine still went at a snail ' s pace .

      There were a great many men pulling the fly-wheel round with their hands , or the engine would not have gone at all . 1 saw a bit of a stick applied to keep the valve partly shut to keep up the power of steam . 1 cannot sav who did that , unless it was Mr . Lowe , who was at the safety-valve the whole time . I saw Mm work the valve several times , but did not understand the return of it . The fires were as low as possible , scarcely any at all , in fact the bars were quite Bare . I let the fire out , because I was afraid something would happen . I think that there were better than 60 lbs . of pressure on the square inch on Wednesday . I think there was sufficient water in the boiler . I was under Mr . Lowe ' s orders the whole time .

      I cannot form any conjecture as to the cause of the accident . I am of opinion that it was an over-pressure of steam that caused the explosion . I did not say anything to Mr . Lowe about there ' being too iiga a pressure on the boiler . The jury then re turned to Poplar , and the coroner summed np the evidence at considerable length . Having concluded , the jury retired to consider their verdict at a . quarter to four , and returned into court at six o ' clock . The foreman then announced that the jury had unanimously found a verdict of "Manslaughter" against George Lowe , and they added their opinion that the machinery generally on Mr . Sanvuda ' s establishment was of a most defective character .

      Tardsfromthebodersawitabout Left Than Th...

      Mauch 2 % 1 S 45 . THE NORTHERN STAR . 5 I i ( ^¦ ————— y ^^ ~^ ^ TTSSSSS ! SSS

      The Murder At Salt-Hill. Xbul Of Joes Ta...

      THE MURDER AT SALT-HILL . XBUL OF JOES TAWELL . ( Continued from last week . ) THIRD PAT . —Fmdat . Cosvictios asb Sentence . — The Court was again opened at eight o'clock this morning , and was more crowded even than yesterday . Air . Baron Parke took his seat on the bench at * a few minutes after that hour , and the prisoner was Immediately brought in and placed in the dock . He appeared much as he did yesterday , with this difference , that his face had a more anxious and worn expression . The feeling cf txaUment in Court with regard to theissuo appeared intense . The Learned Judge , as soon as silence had been proclaimed , commenced summing up the evidence . His Lordship began by the usual observation .

      that it had then become the province of the jury to decide upon the merits of this most deeply important case , and to decide , after having heard from him those observations which it was his peculiar duty to make , both upon the law of the case and the evidence given in it , upon the guilt or innocence of the pri soner who stood there upon his trial before them . The prisoner was charged with the commission of a crime almost unparalleled in the history of human wickedness . The question was one of fact , and it was the duty of the jury to consider it , they being the judges of the question , of fact . —His Lordship then proceeded to offer some comments on the present state of the law affecting the forms of prosecution and defence in cases like unto

      the present He proceeded as follows : —The case Was to be proved , as they had been told , by circumstantial evidence . It was the only sort of evidence that could be obtained in most cases of a similar nature . Tbe most atrocious crimes were committed in accret , but Providence had so ordered it that some traces were frequently left , which were sufficient to to lead to the discovery of the perpetrators . The law had , therefore , wisely provided that direct proof of crime was not absolutely necessary ; but , on the other hand , it was equally true that by circumstantial evidence the case should be so fully made out as to leave no rational doubt of its committal . He ( Baron Parke ) should , therefore , advise them ( the jury ) to lay down the rule , thai they should Urst

      consider what had been proved to their satisfaction , and then to consider whether all those facts were quite consistent with the guilt ofthe prisoner . Whilst on that part ofthe question he should observe that the counsel for the prisoner had admitted all those facts , but had asserted that the law required not only that those facts should beproved , but thatitshould also be shown directly that the deceased had died by poison , and that a sufficient quantity of poison to produce death had been found in her stomach . That was not true of thelaw . Itwas not necessary to give direct and positive evidence in every step of the case . There was no difference between direct and circumstantial evidence , if the evidence was sufficient to satLsfv their niinds that death had ensued from poison .

      Itwas not necessarv to prove what quantity ot that poison was necessarv to produce death by the testi mony of any person who had actually seen human life destroyed bv it , nor was it necessary to prove that such a quantity as would destroy life had been actually found in the ' bodv . They should consider all the facts o f the case , " and if they were satisfied that the prisoner had administered the poison to the deceased , and that she had died of it , it was not necessary to prove what quantity had been administered to her . The onlv positive fact which the law requires to be proved vas the finding of the body yheresnch was possible . He said " possible , " because «> such a case as a person being cast overboard at sea , for instance , the bodv could not be produced , and the 3 * ry should be contented with positive evidence of the * dtul casting overboard . But where possible the

      " »? should be proved to have been found . This was neces sary , because formerlv persons had been found ff ^ Hrofthe murder of persons who were afterwards tound , aJ- The bod of tne deceased having been "una , itwas to be considered whether the prisoner ™« »< hninistcred poison to her . The quantity was no . necessary to be proved . He ( Baron Parke ) ?& " ** *« h the Learned Counsellor the prisoner that " was iieeessair to prove that poison had been adnu » fetered , and that , if it had been , that the Question would be—whether it had been aoministered to the deceased bv the prisoner , or by herself . The onlv allegation that she had , done f *» that ofthe prisoner himself : and « the 3 W > - thought the extewrdinarv story told by hM Vas wortl , v of aedit , it would agree with the " « w mode of accountimr for her death . But it inty did not believe it , thev had no other conclusion

      The Murder At Salt-Hill. Xbul Of Joes Ta...

      left than that he had committed the crime imputed to Mm . The Learned Judge then proceeded to comment upon the evidence of Mrs . Ashley and others , who deposed to the perfect health and good spirits ofthe deceased up to a few minutes previously to the discovery of her lifeless body , and to the medical evidence of her state of perfect internal bodily vigour , leaving no doubt that she had not died from natural causes . He then went to the evidence of Messrs . Ghampneysand Pickering , the surgeons , who , on opening the body of the deceased on the day following her death , at once smelt the odour of prussic acid . There , then , was evidence at once of the presence of prussic acid in the stomach on the day following a sudden death , accompanied by appearances such as would be symptomatic of sudden death from lpft than fhnl- 1 > n 1— . 1 . « ....-.: i . A-J it . _ _« .- •_ .

      that powerful poison . Mr . Cooper , the chemist , had analysed the contents of the stomach subsequently , and fouud a quantity of pure prussic acid in it . His Lordship then proceeded to comment upon the evidence of prussic acid having been in the stomach immediately after death , and to observe upon the allegation of the prisoner ' s counsel that it was producible from apples , and that it might have been produced from natural causes in the stomach , which contained a quantity of apple pulp . He pointed out that , from all the medic . il evidence , it was proved that the acid was contained , not hi the apple , but in the pip , and the pips were not found in the pulp in the deceased ' s stomach . He also observed that prussic acid had been obtained from the pips themselves only by a process of distillation , and was

      not producible by the mere natural process of digestion in the stomach of a human being . No one would die from eating apple pips , although a person might be killed by the prussic acid obtained from them by chemical distillation . Besides , the action ofthe acid was sudden and immediate , and the deceased had died in tho manner she would have done after suddenl y swallowing some . Having drawn attention to the evidence regarding the smell having been perceptible or not under different circumstances , his Lordship said that all that could be inferred from it was , that although the perception of the odour of the acid was a positive proof of its presence , the non-perception was no proof of its not being present . As to the deceased having died from the water being poured down her throat , his Lordship said it

      was quite idle to attribute her death to such a cause . At that moment she was not living . Death had already done its work . With regard to the quantity of prussic acid requisite to hill a human being , it had been proved that less than a grain would kill in some cases , as appeared by the melancholy instance so frequently referred to of the seven epileptic patients in Paris ; and Mr . Cooper had proved that more than a grain existed in the stomach ofthe deceased . He having first found that no other poison existed in the body , he came to the conclusion that prussic acid was the cause of death ; and having tested the contents , he found that sufficient was actually there to destroy life . His Lordship then went to the consideration of the conduct of the prisoner , and observed that it would be necessarv for thejury to couple

      that conduct with all the other evidence in order to judge how far it bore out or contradicted the inferences which might be derived from it . After reviewing at some length the various movements and conduct of the prisoner from the time of the deceased ' s death to the time of his arrest in London . His Lordship read over the conversations of the prisoner with the constables when taken into custody , and then went on . On the Friday , about one o ' clock , the prisoner had an interview with his legal adviser ( Mr . Williams ) , and after that interview , and not until after it , did he make any attempt at explanation , or give any account of what had taken place , and the account he then gave was , that extraordinary statement which he ( Baron Parke ) should read at full length for them . ( His

      Lordship read the statement made by iawell to the two constables , in which he said the poor unfortunate woman had once lived in his service ; and gave tho account of her putting something out of the phial about the size of a thimble into her glass , and then drinking it off , & c . ) Here , then , the prisoner had represented himself as present when the poison was administered , and , as it was found in her stomach , it was for the jury to say whether the question did not amount to the simple one , of whether she had destroyed herself , or the prisoner had administered it . If he thought that she had been threatening to poison herself , he certainly should at least have stayed to see what theellect would really be upon her . The jury should next observe , keeping that story of the prisoner ' s in mind , that no such phial as thatdescribed

      by him was found in the house . His Lordship here explained that the bit of half-burned paper which had evidently been used to cover some small bottle , had not been produced by the counsel for the prosecution , hut by his ( Baron Parke ' s } own orders , he having found it mentioned in the . depositions , and having thought it a matter that should be inquired into , lie then returned again to the prisoner ' s conduct , and said that the fact was proved by Mi ' . Thomas , who had sold him the poison in the morning that the prisoner had prussic acid in his possession on that day . He ( Mr . Baron Parke ) did not give much weight to tho observation of prisoner ' s counsel that he would not have been likely to go back next day to the same shop for more if he were conscious of guilt , because in cases of murder , especially

      m cases of murder by poison , it was found that great precaution was not always used . The perpretators did not expect to be at all found out . As to the medicinal use alleged to have been made by the prisoner of this deadly poison , he might hare had various views ; but , at all events , it had been shown that he had the poison in his possession—he had the means of doing this act on the day it had been committed . The nest question was that of motive ; and for the purpose of coming to an opinion on that point , his Lordship thought it necessary to give a brief history of the connection between the prisoner and the deceased . Having gone through that portion ofthe evidence which detailed the commencement of that connection , his Lordship came to the scene between the prisoner and the deceased in

      his house , which Baron Parke commented on as showini the extraordinary affection and devotion of the deceased for the prisoner . "With striking selfdevotion she said , that in order not to prevent the union of the prisoner with the lady he was about to be married to , she would go out of the world , and be dead to the world , even to her own mother , from that day forth ; and the jury had heard from that very mother , that from that time she had never heard of her unfortunate daughter until after her death . She kept that promise . She did go out of the world , and went from place to place , until she went to reside at Slough . His lordship touched upon all the evidence regarding ^ the alleged pecuniary circumstances of the prisoner , and read ; the letter from his wife , in which allusion was made

      to the anxiety to have the papers from Sydney . The strong facte against the prisoner were his presence at the woman's house about the time she died ; his declarations before and after his arrest , and the fact that prussic acid was ^ found in her stomach . He had i ; ow given an outline of the case , and made the general observations it was his intention to make , and he would next proceed to read over the evidence . The Learned Judge then read the evidence in detail . He then proceeded to say that he believed he had gone through the whole of the case , and read all the material evidence at length ; and it was for them now to form their conscientious opinions as reasonable men , holding the scales of justice between the public and the prisoner . If the evidence adduced left any rational doubt upon their minds—a doubt which , : is sensible men , they thought had weight , but not a trivial doubt created by ingenuity , but a rational doubt—they were bound to give

      the prisoner the benefit of it . It was their duty to do so , for they were bound to convict no one on evidence which left any rational doubt upon their minds . But if they thought they could not explain all the circumstances of the case—the presence of prussic acid , and the conduct of the prisoner—if they believed his statements unworthy of credit , and conscientiously thought he was guilty ofthe offence with which he was charged , it would be their duty for the sake of public justice to find him guilty . He would add nothing more , but would leave the issue in their hands . The Learned Judgesaid there was one circumstance which he wished also to remind the jury of , and to which he had already adverted , but only in a general way—he meant the good character which the prisoner had received from several witnesses . Such evidence was admissible in cases of this kind , because it went to show the general impression of the habits and feelinss of a person . The prisoner was reputed to be a kind-hearted and benevolent man . Itwas

      admitted by his counsel that he had been transported for some offence , the nature of which they had not been told ; but it was said that it was not one which was calculated to affect his character for kindness of disposition . His Lordshi p then read over the evidence alluded to , and left it for the jury to decide in reference to its value to the prisoner in his present position . The Learned Judge concluded his summing up at thirtv-five minutes after eleven o ' clock , and the jury then retired to consider their verdict . At five minutes after twelve o ' clock the jury returned into court , and a passage was immediately cleared for them , in order that they might face the prisoner whilst delivering their verdict . The prisoner looked extremely pale , but advanced to the front ofthe dock with a firm step . The Clerk ofthe Crown said , —Gentlemen , are you agreed to your verdict ? Foreman—Yes

      . . ... Tho Clerkof the Crown—What say you , is the prisoner guilty or not guilty ? mm TV Foreman ( in a loud and firm tone ) . —U U lb 11 . The Clerk of the Crown , addressing the prisoner , said -You have been indicted for the wilful murder of Sarah Hart , and you have been found guilty ot having committed that murder . What have you now to say that the Court should not give you judgment to die according to law ? The prisoner made no reply . , The usual proclamation for silence , whilst tne Judge was pronouncing sentence , having been made , The Learned Judge put on the black cap , and addressed theprisonerin the following terms : —Prisoner

      The Murder At Salt-Hill. Xbul Of Joes Ta...

      at the bar , —The jury have just returned their unanimous and deliberate verdict against you . They have performed their painful duty under the solemn obligation of their oaths , and it now remains for me to perform my duty , by telling you that for that horrible , base , and cowardly crime , of which you have been convicted , upon clear and satisfactory evidence , you must die an ignominious and horrid death on the common scaffold . You thought to commit that crime , and you thought no eye would see you , except that eye which sees all things , and to which you probably paid no regard ; but , happily , circumstances were discovered , and numerous cogent and satisfactory reasons have been adduced which have left no doubt on the minds of the jury , as they have none upon mine , nor , I will venture to sav . unonthe minds of any ... _ ™ .

      of thati auditory who have been listening with painful attention to the trial , that you are guilty of one of themost diabolical offences that ever man committed . We now see almost as it were with our own eves , you mixing the poisonous ingredients in the cup from which she was to drink in a moment of unsuspecting confidence on her part , supposing that j'ou were her benefactor and protector . You hurried heryon hurried her in a moment , without allowing her an instant for the preparation of her thoughts , to give that awful account for which you have now only a few days left you to prepare . I will say nothing more of your heinous offence , because I do not wish to aggravate those feelings which I hope and believe are at this moment tearing your mind . I wish it were so , that you may be brought to repent

      of that grievous sin , and of that course of your life , which has been marked by hypocrisy , during which you wore the garb of a virtuous , peaceful , benevo lent , and religious body of persons . I say to you , repent of those grievous indulgences of your passions , and the crimes of which you liave been guilty , when in a state of mind so devoid of all feeling as to commit this wicked and cruel murder . I will say no more . I hope you will profit by the little time left you , which will not be longer than the law . allows , and endeavour to repent of your crimes . Prostrating yourself at the throne of mercy —seeking there , through the grace of the Almighty and the merits ofthe Saviour , that mercv which you cannot obtain from men . It remains for me to

      pass upon you now the sentence ofthe law—that sentence is , for the murder whereof you have been convicted , that you be taken from hence to the place from whence you came , and from thence to the place of execution , thereto be hanged by the neck until you are dead , and that your body be taken down and buried within the precincts of the gaol wherein you shall be confined after the passing of this sentence ; and may God hare mercy upon your miserable soul . During the passing ofthe sentence the prisoner appeared calm and unmoved , but when the last words ofthe Learned Judge were uttered the muscles of his face became slightly convidsed , but he walked back into the dock without the assistance of any person .

      Jvotwithsiandmg the calm demeanour of the unhappy criminal throughout the trial , and even while sentence was being passed upon him , his strength became exhausted when he descended the ladder which leads from the dock to the gaol-yard . He fell upon the ground in a fit , hut he was immediately raised by the gaolers who were conducting him to his cell , and he recovered in a few minutes . His spirits , which , during the time he was in prison previous to liia trial , were unusually good , have now sunk to the lowest possible ebb . Up to a late hour ofthe evening he continued to pace life cell , and cry " Oh dear , on dear , what will become of my poor wife and children ! " Dinner was served to him at his

      usual hour for eating , but he declined to partake of it . Later in the evening he ate some beefsteak . Whether in seriousness or otherwise , his conduct gave evidence of a feeling of certainty that he must be acquitted . He not only invited the person who daily served him with his meals to visit him at his house , but anticipating that his trial would terminate on Thursday night , he actually had a carriage in readiness to convey him to his home . His son , by the unfortunate woman Hart , was in the court during the trial . He is a very fine lad , about five years of age . When the verdict of guilty Was pronounced by the foreman of the jury , a murmur of applause was heard in court , but it was at once and very properly suppressed .

      The Salt-hili Murder . —Since the murder of Lord William Russell by his valet / . Courvoisier , in 1840 , no event of a similar kind has produced so deep a feeling in the public mind . as the " Salt-hill murder . " The early history ofthe convict , and the more recent events of his life , throw around the affair an air of romance . Transported upwards of a quarter of a century since for having a forged Bank of England note in his possession , he thus escaped the scaffold for a series of forgeries upon a local bank ; the remarkable feature in that extraordinary incident of his life being , that , though the Bank of England note found in his possession when taken into custody on the more serious charge , was a forged one , yet he was guiltless of knowing it to be forged . It was , however ,

      employed as the mode of extricating hint from the consequences ofthe capital offence , for which , as the law then stood , and the almost invariable execution of its sentence upon all who were brought within its condemnation , he would doubtless have been hanged . Tawell was , therefore , only too glad to plead guilty to a charge which involved transportation , to escape the gallows . In the land of his banishment his good conduct attracted the favourable notice of tho authorities , and eventually obtained from them a ticket of leave , enabling him to pursue any avocation he pleased for his own benefit , and finally emancipation . He had some knowledge of chemistry , and opened a shop as a chemist and druggist in the town of Sydney , combining with the sale of drugs advice as to the mode of using them . His trade increased ;

      and , having " made some money , " he embarked it in a series of joint-stock trading speculations of a more extensive description , which also succeeded beyond his hopes . He subsequently purchased some shares in a whaler , and speculated in oil , in all which success crowned his exertions * After residing in Sydney about fifteen years , John Tawell left tho colonywhich he entered as an outcast—a wealthy man . He returned home , and to the neighbourhood in which he resided previous to his expatriation . His original offences against society , if not wholly forgotten , were well nigh obliterated from the recollection of those who were acquainted with his early history . Such thought , and justly so , that the man who had redeemed his character in a penal colony by a course of industry and integrity , and who had returned

      home with the fruits of that industry and integrity , ought not to be placed beyond the pale of respectable society on account of offences for which he had repented , and was willing to atone by a future life of honesty and benevolence . Those who were young at the time of his departure from England , saw in John Tawell an intelligent , active , and prosperous man ; and knowing nothing which ought to deprive him of their respect , they received him to their circles , and co-operated with him in those benevolent exertions to which he was willing to contribute from his purse , and to aid by his personal exertions . One feature in his character at this season is remarkable ; and it seems to have been the clue to , and the ruling desire of his life . Before the forgery on the Uxbridge bank was discovered , Tawell was a member ofthe Society

      of Friends . He was , as a necessary consequence ot his detection as a forger , expelled from that respectable and strictly moral community . Since his return to England his efforts to obtain a restoration to the Society have been incessant . He subscribed to their schools , and to those benevolent objects in which the members of that sect are known to tike a peculiar interest . He dressed in their distinctive garb ; attended regularly their meetings for worship ; and in every external circumstance sought to be considered as identified with their body . With the characteristic caution of the members of that far-seeing sect , John Tawell was not permitted to be more than an outwardcourt worshipper . In this we offer a willing tribute to the prudence , and zeal to preserve their body from reproach , by which the Society of Friends is

      characterised . By their undeviating prudence in such matters , they have , to a very considerable extent , been exempted from the pain of seeing their religious community brought under public odium , however ungenerous and unfounded , by the detection in their fellowship of those who dishonour and disgrace a religious profession by the commission of crime . By his first wife the wretched man had two sons , both ot whom are now dead . The eldest , who was marned practised as a surgeon in London , and after his death his widow was chiefly supported by the charity ot Tawell ; but it is currently reported that lately he has not been so liberal in his allowance , assigning the same reason as itis supposed he did to the unfortunate victim of his cruelty , Sarah Hart—namely , the embarrassed state of his affairs in Australia . On the death of TawelTs first wifehe took another decided

      , step to evince his ardent desire to be yet more closely associated with the Society of Friends . He had been introduced to a lady , a member of that community , by whom the mental endowments and moral qualities which constitute the excellences of the female character were possessed in a somewhat e xtraordinary degree . Mrs . Cutforth was then a widow , having a daughter by her deceased husband of about seven years of age . Mr . Cutforth had been extensive ly engaged in trade , and was for a considerable time successful . The failure of several firms led eventually to his ruin ; and although no imputation rested on his integrity , and no reproach was cast on his management , his health and spirits had sustained a shock

      from which they never recovered , and he gradually sank into illness , which terminated in death . His widow , aided by friends who knew her in prosperity * and respected her in adversity , opened a school in Northampton-square , St . John-street , for the education of a lew young Mies , chiefly members of Quaker families . Thesuccess which attended Mrs . Cutforth s exertions for tho respectable maintenance of herseii and daughter , induced her to enter upon a larger establishment at Berkhampstead , which she was conducting with advantage when Tawell selected her as the object of his attentions , and eventually , against tbe advice and remonstrances of her best and most judicious friends , obtained her for his wife . They were married at the registrar ' s-oflicc , Berk-

      The Murder At Salt-Hill. Xbul Of Joes Ta...

      JfSSE ?' - ** M 41 » ^ the Friends refused in fhSt JW ? n for the marriage to be celebrated notohS ? V ' u U ? e ; and the contracting parties S » rfMfr ^ l " re a 80 ns > to uavc rec ° urse to X * tarW y- Theimmediateconsequenee „ , ow ; L tf 0 rt A ? marmge to Tawell was , as usual in tS'S ^ i ' ^^ "i ng" of her by aformal act of S , vW rt ^ rly meeting of " Friends , " the rules of that l » u > not tolerating a union which is not first f 22 irt . i T } ambers . Although excommunicated , the ladWnow Mrs . Tawell ) continued to attend meetings , and visited , and was visited in return bv hxr farmer friends . The school was given up . TawelTs income was sufficient t o maintain an establishment ofrespectabdity They lived in considerable comfort and in some style . He was active in the parish a .

      as participator in its public business , and as a promote ! of objects of benevolence . It was , however , remarked that there was an air of bsutle and self-importance about the man which showed a wish to make himself conspicuous—probabl y prompted by a self-consciousness that there was something to be done in the eye of maili to enable him to secure a position to which his right might be , some timo or other , questioned . All this time , and while Tawell was endeavouring to earn back for himself reputation and respect , there was a deeply-seated consciousness that ho was in hourly danger of being exposed as a hypocrite and deceiver . During Ms first svife ' s ilmoss , which termmatedin her death , Sarah Hart , a young woman

      ot some attractions , had been her nurse . Immediate ^ after , it not before her death , an illicit intercourse had commenced between this woman and her master It was continued at different places . Two children were its fruits . An allowance of £ l a week seems to have been paid for her maintenance by her seducer At length , wearied with the charge , or more probably prompted by fears ofthe effect upon his domestic peace and social position , should a discovery be made of his connexion with this woman , he planned and perpetrated her murder . This was detected in a manner so surprising , brought home to him by a body of circumstantial evidence so complete , as to leave no doubt of his guilt , the atrocity of which removes all sympathy for his fate .

      Aylesbury , Tuesday Some discussion has arisen among the authorities as to how he shall fare during the brief period he has te _ live , and whether he shall be executed in the prison dress or in the Quaker ' s dress he wore at his trial . The visiting magistrates met upon the subject on Saturday , and again to-day ( Tuesday ) . It is decided that the condemned man shall have no restrictions put upon his diet , and that he shall die , as he lived , in his Quaker ' s habiliments . Yesterday he was visited by his wife , his step-daughter , Miss Cutworth , and Ms brother , Mr . WilDani Tawell , who is said to be a draper in London . Mrs . Tawell had not seen her husband since Sunday week last . This meeting was thought likely to be a most painful one , and the prisoner had been heard to declare that he dreaded it more than death itself . It lasted for near two hours , after which they expressed themselves astonished at

      the manner m which it had been sustained . They evinced great fondness for one another , and Mrs . Tawsll , who mentions him in terms of great affection , does wot hesitate to express her firm conviction of her husband's innocence . Her daughter is of a similar opinion . Up to the time of the trial Mrs . Tawell spoke hopefully and cheerfully , and at times confidently , of her husband ' s acquittal . Tawell likewise made remarks , from which it appears that he felt certain of escape . After the meeting in question , Mrs . Tawell said she felt more reconciled to the fate of her husband , but his brother was in a state of distraction at the doom which has overtaken one so closely related to him . All alike speak of his kindness as a parent , his affection as a husband , his amiability as a friend , and his constant benevolence and unbounded charity . —The day of execution is now fixed for Friday , the 28 th instant .

      Atmisburt , Wednesday . It is extraordinary with what avidity every morsel of intelligence relating to the murderer Jolm Tawell is sought and snatched up by the public . As may be supposed , many incorrect stories concerning him find their way into circulation , but nothing can be more absurd and reprehensible than some of the inventions which idle gossip has promulgated . Public feeling is , generally speaking , against him ; every day some fresh amount of crime , in the way of poisoning , is attributed to him . Sarah Hart is supposed by the credulous to be by no means the only person upon whom he has practised his knowledge of chemistry ; and it is suspected that while he kept his druggist ' s shop in Sydney a wide field was open to him for the exercise of his skill . His partner at Sydney is said

      to have died suddenly , leaving lum all her property . His two sons are said to have left this world suddenly . His first wife , it is stated , died suddenly . Sarah Hart had a narrow escape once ; and these circumstances , in connexion with her murder , by no means lessen the belief of his guilt . By those who have any knowledge of the prisoner he is regarded very differently . Everybody who knows the wretched man speaks well of him , and everybody who has conversed with him has received a favourable Impression . Mild , gentlemanly , and unaffected in his manner , he listens to whatever is said to him with respectful attention , and converses with all the serenity of a martyr . A convict of the gaol remains with him at his request throughout the day , as a sort of attendant , and to this man he is particularly

      communicative . He received the visiting magistrates yesterday with great composure , and expressed his thankfulness for the consideration shown to him . It was intimated that nobody would bo allowed to visit him but those whom he expressed a wish to see , upon which he observed , that be desired to see nobod y but his wife , and he looked forward to another interview with her . One ofthe magistrates suggested to him the propriety of foregoing such a scene , and sparing the feelings of his wife in particular , of whom he bad so lately taken leave ^ He , however , persisted In the wish and hope of again seeing her , meekly alluding to the affectionate terms upon which they had lived

      together . It is remarkable that tlie culprit has never once complained of the sentence which was passed upon him . When the hope of escape ( which had been very great within him ) was suddenly crushed , he observed that " the judge was a just judge , but a stem one . " He has once remarked , with remote reference to his sentence , " that he could conscientiously acquit himself of cruelty or treachery to anybody . " But he rarely , if ever , adverts to his crime . Mrs . Tawell is known to have been aware of the existence of such a person as Sarah Hart , and even of Tawell ' s having children by her ; but she was utterly unconscious of his visiting her , and'attributes his last visit to purely humane motives .

      Aylesbury , Thursday . Tawell continues to maintain his accustomed meek demeanour , but makes no confession of his crime . To-day be has appeared somewhat more cheerful , probably in the expectation of seeing his wife , who arrived from Berkhampstead at two o ' clock , and had an interview with him . This unfortunate lady exhibits great fortitude and resignation , but she is evidently a great sufferer . She is much commisscrated and respected here , and remains unshaken in her belief of her husband ' s innocence . The interview was less distressing thaumighthave boon imagined .

      Mosr Awful Occurrence At Exeter.—Five Li...

      Mosr Awful Occurrence at Exeter . —Five Lives Lost . —Monday Afternoon , Two o'Clock . —We have to record one of the most fri ghtful accidents which has occurred in this city for manv years past . At half-past one o ' clock the committee of the Female Penitentiary , Holloway-street , assembled to transact tbe usual business , _ and several tradesmen were in attendance to receive orders . At these times it is customary , for the inmates to retire into an apartment provided for the purpose , so as not to see or communicate with any of the male sex . In the midst ofthe deliberations of the committee , they were all at once alarmed by the most awful and heartrending screams . On following the direction whence they came , they arrived at t' -a door of the roon . before alluded to , when a scce presented itself

      sufficiently frightful to daunt the hearts of the boldest , and which defies altogether our powers of description . It was at once evident that the floor of the apartment had given way , and the occupants , twenty-one in number , had been precipitated into a cess-pit which extended underneath to the size of the floor , and was at that time at least ten feet deep . In this awful place were tlie unfortunate beings struggling for life , and it was onl y by the promptest aid that sixteen could be extricated from their perilous position . The remaining five were soon after taken out , but wc regret to say life was extinct . Tlie time being so near the hour ot publication precludes our giving anymore particulars of this sad affair , nor can wc at present give the names of the sufferers . —Exeter News The Late Explosion at Algiers . — 'flic Algerie States , that the day after the explosion of the gunpowder magazine at Algiers ( particulars of which will be found in another page ) , 135 men did not respond when their names were called ; of these

      forty-eight are wounded . The number of artillery soldiers killed was eighty-eight , and the wounded eleven . The cause ofthe dreadful catastrophe was Still unknown . At tho bottom of the funnel produced by the explosion , was a small magazine of ammunition , generally containing empty projectiles , but in which were lately stored some powder and loaded fells , belonging to the navy . The magazine w « 5 hennetically closed by means of four double gates furnished with now locks . Its walls were extremely thick , measuring seven and a half feet on one side , ana more than four on the Other . It had not boon entered during a fortnight , and the avenues leading to it were carefully guarded . The singularity of the occurrence gave rise naturally to many conjectures ; neverthelessiit appeared almost impossible that the disaster could have been the work of malice . The Semaphore de Marseilles of the 15 th instant quotes a letter from Algiors , stating that the body of a negro or Moor had been found under the ruins ofthe powder magazine , who had not been ivenrmhoil lw nm- nft . be

      persons belonging to the naval department . ' Itwas thence believed that he might have been induced to commit ' an act of fanaticism , " of which he fell the first victim , but nothing positive was known on the subject .

      Mosr Awful Occurrence At Exeter.—Five Li...

      Dissolution op the Kbksixgtox Union . —By an order dated " Somerset House , March 11 1845 , " the poor law eomnvissioners have directed the dissolution of the Kensington Union , which order is te" take effect upon and after the 25 th day of March instant . " The above order is the first of the kind which has been issued by the commissioners under the provisions of the last new poor law , the 7 th and 8 th Victoria cap . 101 , sec . 03 , which gives power to the poor law * commissioners to dissolve unions should they see fit without the consent of two-thirds ofthe guardians of that union which was previously required , the introduction of which clause was successfully pressed upon Sir James Graham , Bart ., M . P ., by Colonel Wood , M . P ., and Mr . Waklev , M . P ., at the instance of the committee appointed by the inhabitants ofthe parish

      of St . Mary Abbot , Kensington , whose strenuous exertions to obtain a dissolution of so large and unwieldy a union deserves tho highest praise . B y a second order of the poor law commissioners , bearing the same date , the parish of Kensington will in future have a board of guardians of * its owneighteen in number—the election of whom will take place on the 10 th of April next . The parish of Paddington . under a similar order , will also in future be governed by a board of eighteen guardians ; and by a fourth order of the poor law commissioners the parishes of Hammersmith and Fulhani will lie joined together , the former having nine guardians and the latter eight guardians , making a total of fifty-three for the four parishes , while the number when in

      union was only eighteen , viz . - . —Kensington , six ; Paddington , five ; Hammersmith , four ; andFulhain , three . The poor law commissioners have also expressed an intention of uniting Kensington with other parishes not yet specified , for the purposes of district schools for the pauper children , and district asylums for casual poor . With regard to the district schools , the churchwardens have been requested to call a vestry meeting for the purpose ot memorialising the poor law commissioners against including that parish in a school district , on the ground that the number of pauper children is quite sufficient to form a district school of itself , the parish possessing ample convenience for establishing the same , and the advantage of certain charitable funds applicable to educational purposes .

      'Ihe Hajipstead Murder . —In addition to the mass of evidence which has alread y been laid before the public with regard to the investigations before Mr . Wakley the coroner , and Mr . Itawlinson the magistrate , as to the late horrid murder of Mr . James Delarue , some particulars have boon brought to light , having a tendency to substantiate more fully the guilt of the accused party . A young man named Thibblewaite , whose father keeps a chandler ' s shop at Finehley , has made the following statement : — " On the night of the murder I accompanied the constables towards the field with the stretcher , but I ran forward , and on arriving at the spot where the body was lying , I saw a man in conversation with Baklock , the officer . I said to the man , ' Is he dead V and he replied , ' O yes , he is quite dead . I have felt his hand , and he has no pulse . ' As soon as the stretcher came up tho body was removed , and 1 with the

      constables proceeded up the field . The young man I have spoken of went with us , and he reqeusted that 1 would allow him to light bis cigar , which I permitted him to do from a lamp belonging to one of the constables who bad asked me to carry it for him . I returned the lamp to the officer , and leaving the party , turned off to the right : the man went off in another direction , , towards the Swiss Cottage . " Thibblewaite describes the person to whom reference has been made by him , as being about 23 years of age , and wearing either a cloak or a cape ; he is quite satisfied that he should he able to recognise him if he were to see him again , as a strong light was thrown upon his features by the lamp when he ignited ther ewith his cigar . Thibblewaite will , no doubt , have an opportunity afforded him of seeing the prisoner in Newgate , and In the event ofthe latter being identified by him , he ( the former ) will of course be supposed as a witness at the trial .

      Hooker ' s Defence . —The line of defence that will probably be adopted by Hocker on his trial , for the murder of Delarue , seems pointed out by his conduct , and by his anxiety to correct the evidence of the policeman , who was left in charge of the body in the field whilst the stretcher was brought . He will , most probably , assert that whilst waiting by the body , he and the policeman agreed to plunder it , and that that was the whole extent of his criminality . Many of the circumstances would bear out such a defence . First , the great improbability that a murderer would revisit the spot so soon afterwards for no apparent object ; secondly , the withholding by the policeman of the fact that any one had been with him in the field ; and , thirdly , the buttoncd-up pockets of Delarue ; as it would not be likely for the murderer to stop and button the pockets ofthe man he had killed , whose cries , continuing nearly two minutes , would most probably have been heard . Such a line of

      defence would also account for the blood on Hocker ' s clothes , and for the silence he observed on the subject . The presence of the three ill-looking men in different pai-ts of llampstead , on the day of the murder , who were last seen going towards the place , and have not since been heard ot , would also afford some countenance to the statement that Delarue had been murdered by them , as originally supposed , and that becoming alarmed they had run away before plundering the body . The fact of the supposed murderous weapon having been discovered before tho murder was committed , and the absenw of proof that the prisoner had possessed any other weapon calculated to inflict the wounds on the head of Delarue , are also in his favour , so far as negative evidence goes . He would , indeed , have some difficulty in explaining other , though minuter , parts of the evidence against him ; but the line of defence we have mentioned would bo supported by several of the circumstances that have been adduced against him .

      Tragical Occurrence at Chelsea . —On Wednesday evening , about half-past seven o ' clock , Mary Anne Murray , a servant in the establishment of Mr . Blencoe , of 14 , Whitekead ' s-grove , Chelseftj entered the shop of Mr . Saunders , of 5 , King ' s-road , East Chelsea , and desired to be shown some articles of haberdashery . Shortly afterwards she was observed to take a roll of riband from a box , and secrete it about her person ; and , as she was preparing to leave the shop , the proprietor desired her to walk to the other end of the premises , whilst lie sent for a policeman . The woman did so . but on a sudden rushed

      down the stairs , throwing the roll of riband away in her progr ess , and suddenly seizing a table-knife from the dresser , cut her throat in tbe most frightful manner , literally severing the windpipe . Dr . Warren , of Putney , who was passing at the time , and Mr . Neale , a surgeon , of Sloanc-strect , immediately attended her , but life was extinct . On the circumstance becoming known , a large crowd assembled , and in the pressure an elderly woman was suddenly thrown down , and dislocated her thigh , the fracture being of a compound nature .

      8&9.W Mmtaeittt

      8 & 9 . W Mmtaeittt

      Home Circuit. Lewes, Wednesday, March 19...

      HOME CIRCUIT . Lewes , Wednesday , March 19 . —Crimi . valAssauxt —John Upton , 46 , described as a builder , and who , it was stated , acted as preacher to a Methodist congregation at Brighton , was charged with an offence of this description upon Elizabeth Mills , a child ten years of age . The charge , which was accompanied with circumstances of peculiar atrocity , was so clearly made out , that Mr . Clarkson , who was instructed for the prisoner , said it was hopeless for him to attempt to struggle with the evidence , and he should , therefore , not waste the time ofthe Court and jury by attempting to do so , but he must leave the prisoner to be disposed of as they should think fit . The prisoner was found Guilty , and the Lord Chief Justice sentenced him to be transported for life .

      Atrocious Conduct . —Anne Lewis , 30 , and Elizabeth Brown , 15 , were indicted for feloniously and maliciously aiding and assisting a man , unknown , to commit a felonious assault upon a child ten years old , named Charlotte Neville . The offence imputed to the prisoners was clearly brought home to them , and it was committed under the most aggravated circumstances . It appeared th at the elder prisoner was the keeper of a house of ill-fame at Brighton , and the other , it would seem , was a lodger , or , at all events , a resident in the house . On the day in question , the little

      girl , Charlotte Neville , was sitting on a step opposite the house of tho prisoner Lewis , when she beckoned her in , and on her getting inside , the other prisoner took her in her arms , and carried her up stairs to a room where there was a man , and there , in spite of her cries and entreaties for assistance , the offence was committed , the prisoner Brown being present all the time . The jury found the prisoners Guilty , and the Lord Chief Justice having commented in indi gnant and appropriate terms upon the atrocious nature of their offences , sentenced them to be transported for life .

      WESTERN CIRCUIT . DoKCUESTKK , SATURDAY , March 1-5 . —Betsy Christopher was indicted for tho wilful murder of her infant child at Poole , by stabbing and cutting it on the throat on the 13 th of February . Mr . C . Saunders conducted the case for the prosecution . Ho bogtjpd tho most serious attention of thejury to this case , for tho word '' murder" of itself denoted the importance and solemnity of the inquiry . He would conten ; himself with simply detailing the facts , and they would look at them with every tenderness on behalf of the prisoner but at the same time with that firmness which their dutv required . —Louisa Holland ; I was in the

      service of " Mr . Collins at Parkstone , and thepnsoner was mv fellow-servant . She was in the service about a fortnight . She slep t with me . On Thursday , the 13 th of February , I awoke about five o clock m the morning . The prisoner was then standing by the bed-sido . I asked what was the matter . She said , " Nothing . " I went to sleep again . I awoke again about six and she was then in bed . I got up . The prisoner also got up aud dressed herself , and WC went about our work . She came up to the nursery about eight o ' clock . She . said she was in very great pain I did not observe anything particular about her at

      Home Circuit. Lewes, Wednesday, March 19...

      that time . I advised her to go to bed , and she went upstairs as if for that purpose . I saw her again in about half an hour . When I went into her room she was lying on the bed . She said she was verv poorly . I left her and returned again to her a good bit afterwards but witliin an hour . She was then out of bod . I asked hor what was the matter with her . She said nothing more than ' usual . I saw blood on the boards ; it was a great deal of blood . I went down stairs again , and remained for half an hour . I wont upstairs again to her room ; she was still there . In about a quarter of an hour she came into the kitchen aud passed through . She had changed her dress . She went out towards the privy . Her apron appeared to be thrown over her arms . She came back again in ten minutes . I then observed blood on her hands .

      She asked me to get her some water to wash her hands . I got hor some water , and she washed her hands in my presence . She remained in the kitchen about a quarter of an hour . She said she was better . . Shortly afterwards she said she felt rather faint , and she would go up to bed , and 1 went upstairs with her , and she got into bed , and 1 left her and told my mistress , who desired mc to take her up some tea and gruel . I took sonic up , and she was still in bed . I had scen a kuitb in her possession about a week before ; she carried it about with her . —By the Jud ^ e ; 1 was not at all aware that she was pregnant . 1 'had been twelve months in the service . The prisoner told me she was 18 years of age . ( She looked nearly 40 . ) She used to carry the knife in her bosom . Our bed-room adjoined that of my mistress , and she could

      hear any talking in that room . My mistress was in her room , until I took tho tea up to the prisoner . — Mrs . Collins : My husband had gone out early that morning . My little boy told me that the prisoner was not well . ' In consequence of what the last witness told me I went into the prisoner ' s room . I asked bet what made her shake . She said she was very cold , and she directed my attention to the snow , which was falling . I said I hoped there was nothing the matter with her : that she had done nothing wrong . She said " No , that would be dreadful , wouldn't it !" I asked her if she had been so before , and she said , " Yes , twelve months before , when her mother told her she had received an injury . " I think I used tho word " miscarriage" to her . —By the Judge : If the doora ofthe rooms had been open I could have heard

      a newly-born child cry , and 1 cannot say but I could have heard it had the doors been shut . There was a considerable quantity of blood in two utensils in the prisoner ' s room . I had no idea or suspicion of a birth having taken place . —Jolm Collins : On my return home that morning , about halt-past nine , in consequence of wliat I heard I went to the privy . I saw marks of blood there . Upon making a search I found the body of a child with its throat cut . I gave information to the coroner . Mr . West , the surgeon , was present when the body was taken up . I afterwards asked the prisoner what she had done it with , and she gave up a knife with blood on it . She was asked if it was alive . She said she did not see it move . I asked if it cried . She said she dia not hear it . —John Wickcns West : I am a surgeon . It

      was a full-grown child . There was no other mark of violence except an extensive wound on the throat . I then went to the prisoner ' s room . I asked her if she had been confined , to which she replied , she had not . I then examined her , and ascertained that she had been recently confined . She took the knife which has been alluded to from her pocket . I asked her if she had inflicted the wound before or after the death of the child . She said after the death . From the appearance , in my judgment , the child was born alive . The lungs were increased in volume , and were of a colour to show there had been respiration . I consider that the labour had been rapid . Tlie wound in the throat was two inches in length , and an inch and a half in depth ; the head was nearly cut off . I could not tell whether the wound had been inflicted during

      life or after death . Had it been inflicted during life , there is no doubt it would have caused death . —By the Judge : Respiration mfty take place before complete birth . The knife was produced—it was a common penknife . —This was the case'for the prosecution . Mr . Justice Erie then summed up the case to the jury . It was most important , if murder had been committed , that public justice should be done , and it was most important , if the guilt was not clear , that they should acquit the prisoner and save an innocent person from suffering the extreme penalty ofthe law . The charge was , the murder of a child close at its birth . To constitute tho offence , they must bo satisfied that the child was completely born , and had a complete independent existence of its own , and thereof the

      while it was so in life it was deprived by wound inflicted by the prisoner at the bar . If they were not satisfied that tho wound was so inflicted , unquestionably it would be their duty to acquit the prisoner of the crime of murder , and then their attention would be directed to the question , whetherthey were satisfied the prisoner was guilty of the misdemeanour of having concealed the birth of the child . The great question was whether they were satisfied beyond that reasonable doubt which humane , sensible , and firm men might entertain that the prisoner was guilty of tho murder with which she was charged . The jury Acquitted the prisoner of murder , but found her Guilty of concealing the birth . She was sentenced to be imprisoned ami kept to hard labour for two years .

      OXFORD CIRCUIT . Stafford , Tuesday , March 18 . —The Game Laws and the "Pbemieb . "—James Walton , aged 25 , and George Protftt , aged 33 , two resolute-looking men , wore indicted for having on the night of the 28 th ot December last , entered certain lands at Tambourn , the property of the Right Hon . Sir Robert Peel , with several other persons unknown , armed with guns , for the purpose ot destroying game . The preserves of the Right Hon . Baronet had been visited very fr equently about Christmas last , by poachers from Lichfield , who , assembling In large gangs , rendered their capture by the gamekeepers a matter of great danger , if not of entire impossibility . On the night of Friday , the 27 th of December , a party of poachers , armed with guna and bludgeons , to the number of fourteen

      or sixteen , were discovered by four watchers on land of Sir Robert Peel , called Turnabout-field , and subsequently in tho Rough-cover , a favourite retreat for pheasants , in which the Right Hon . Baronet had intended to afford lus guests the gratification of a battue on the following morning . In compliance with the orders of their master , the watchers made no attempt to capture the trespassers , and avoided a conflict under such disadvantageous circumstances ; but one of them recognised among the party the pri soner Walton , whom be had known as " a Lichfield chap" for five years ; and two other keepers were equally positive as to the identity of Proffit . A muzzled mastiff , which ran from the keepers into the Rough on the report of guns in that cover , was found dead in the morning , the entire contents of a

      gunbarrel having entered the body ef the spirited but luckless animal . —Mr . Yardley " addressed thejury for the prisoners , and on their behalf set up a very plausible alibi , but notwithstanding all the skill and care with which it had been concerted , the attempt to establish it was frustrated by the searching crossexaminations of the counsel for the prosecution . —The jury , having consulted for about twenty minutes , pronounced both prisoners Guilty . A prcviousconviction for a similar offence was produced by the governor of the gaol against ProlKt , who was sentenced to seven years transportation , and Walton to an imprisonment of two years with hard labour . Stafford , Wednesday , March 19 . — Murdbr . — John Brough , aged 3 'J , farmer , was indicted for the wilful murder of his brother , Thomas Brough , at

      Biddulph , on the 3 rd of January last . The deceased , a person of saving habits , but of passionate temper towards his relatives , resided at High Bent , where he had acquired several small estates , one of which was Occupied by his mother and her second son , the prisoner . His determination to look after his own interests occasioned the lamentable catastrophe which produced his violent death by the hand of hia brother . A year ' s rent , amounting to £ 20 , was due from his mother for these premises , to recover which debt a distress was put in on the 3 rd of January , when two boxes of wearing apparel belonging to the prisoner and another brother , James Brough , were seized , and carried awav to the residence of the deceased by his bailiff , in spite of the tears and entreaties of the mother for time and forbearance . This adverse proceeding appears to have

      produced a collision between the deceased and the prisoner , a man of mild and affectionate disposition , who had joined in his parent ' s ineffectual appeal for mercy . The two brothers quitted their mother's presence together , after the removal of the boxes , and Thomas was killed , according to the statement of the prisoner , by a blow on the back of the head with a stone hammer , at the distance of 120 yards from the house , where the marks of blood were discovered by several witnesses . Mr . Allen , in a speech which was listened to with continued attention , urged that the evidence for the prosecution was mora consistent with a verdict of manslaughter than murder . Thejury retired at two o ' clock , and returned into court at seven o ' clock with a verdict of Guilty ; Mr . Baron Piatt passed sentence of death on the unhappy criminal , admonishing bun to expect no mercy on this side the grave . i .

      NORFOLK CIRCUIT . Bedford , Tuesday , March 18 . —Rape on an Infant . —John Gibbs was indicted for feloniously assaulting and abusing Sarah Gale , an infant , under ten , years of age . Tlie p risoner is a labourer , advanced in life , being- now of the age of sixty-four , and lives at ratenhall , where also tho prosecutrix resides . On the 0 th of October the latter was sent on a message by her mother to the shop to buy some plums . On her way she met the prisoner in a path , and there left him ; but on her return she again encountered

      ""«> when he took her basket from her , and accomplished the oftence with which he was how charged , From the evidence of the girl ' s mother , it appeared that she made no complaint of the man till she was discovered , on the 1 st of November , to bosufferine from great pam , and then , under the threat of a flogging , she disclosed tho transaction of the 0 th of Octohor and added also that the prisoner had repeated Ins oftence on the 24 th . The prisoner was found Guilty , and sentenced to be transported for the I term of his natural life . -

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), March 22, 1845, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_22031845/page/5/