CROWN COURT
(Before Mr. Justice Williams)
MURDER.—John Deadman, aged sixty, was indicted for the wilful murder of John Hall, on Sunday, the 19th of June last.
This prosecution was supported entirely by circumstantial evidence. The witnesses for the crown were thirty-two in number. It would therefore be impossible to present the evidence at length; but we shall state as briefly as possible the facts which were proved, and on which the conviction was effected.
The deceased was, and had been for 20 years, the letter carrier between Bramdean, in this county, and Alresford. His day's journey was from Bramdean Common, where he lived, through a wood called Old Park-wood, to Bishop's Sutton, and from thence to Alresford and back. On Sunday, the 19th of June last, at half-past five in the morning, he started on this journey, but did not reach Alresford, nor did he return at the usual time. Search was made for him, and about six o'clock on the Sunday evening his body was discovered in Old Park-wood. It was lying in a little hollow a few yards from the road. His head was beaten to pieces; and several stones, one of which was produced in Court, were lying about him, covered with blood and hair. His bag was by his side—his pockets were empty, and his purse was found empty several yards from his person, in the direction of the village of Ropley, which was about a mile distant. He was in the habit of taking with him in his purse eight or ten shillings every day to pay for the letters which he took from the post office at Alresford. On the day in question a young woman called on him to pay him a small sum, and saw him, in giving change, take from his purse two half crowns and two or three shillings.
The prisoner was a waggoner, but had not been in any regular employ for a considerable time. On the Saturday previous to the murder, about twelve o'clock in the day, he went into the shop of a man named Scoley, in Alresford, whom he had known for some time previous, and said he was very badly off, that he had neither money nor victuals, and thought he should go to his parish, but did not know exactly where it was. Scoley gave him threepence, upon which he went away and immediately spent it. He was proved to have been in the neighbourhood of Alresford by the following incident. A man named Kile was employed all the night between Saturday and Sunday in making some alterations in the road between Alresford and Petersfield. About 12 o'clock the prisoner came up to him, and repeated the story of his extreme distress. They were in conversation a few minutes, when the prisoner left, and proceeded towards the place where the road turns off to Bramdean. About half-past two a witness, who lived at Bishop's Sutton, was getting up, and, hearing footsteps, looked out of the window to see who was passing. He saw the prisoner walking towards the old Park Wood, where the murder was committed. At half-past four a witness who was cutting some grass saw a man dressed as the preceding witnesses described him walking towards the wood, but he could not swear to his identity. This was the last time the prisoner was seen before the murder occurred. About half-past six a woman, named Petts, who lived three-quarters of a mile from the spot where the body was found, and in the direction of the village of Ropley, saw the prisoner at a pond near her house washing his hands. She looked at him some time, and could distinctly recognise his person. Two boys also saw him crossing a footpath in the village. A man named Turner had some conversation with him. The prisoner told Turner that he knew him and his father; that his name was Black Jack Deadman, and he enquired his way to the Chequers; that he had come from Petersfield, and had lost himself. After going to a beer house in the village he went to the Chequers and spent 11d. While sitting there a little girl who came in observed on the sleeve of his round frock, which was tucked up, some blood, about the size of a man's hand. On that day he went to Southampton with a waggon, accompanied by another witness. They went to a man who kept the Vine Tap, of the name of Crosswell. Crosswell said "This is a terrible thing, the murder of the old postman." The other witness said, "Yes; do you know whom they suspect?" Crosswell said, "Yes; John Deadman there." Prisoner said, "How can they judge me, when I wasn't in that part of the country at the time?" The other witness returned with him to Alresford on the next day. The prisoner paid for several things on the way. On their return they went to an inn at Alresford. Shackell, a Bow-street officer, came there, and said to the prisoner, "I apprehend you for the wilful murder of John Hall." Shackell asked him where he was on that night? He said he slept at Petersfield. The officer said he must search him. Prisoner said he had got nothing, and put his hand to his breeches pocket, as if to take out something slily. The officer found half-a-crown and a farthing, and asked him where he got it? He said from a sister. On a subsequent occasion he said that his brother-in-law sent two shillings to him, and the other sixpence he begged. He had on two frocks. They were both bloody inside the arms; one of them appeared as if it had been dipped in blood. They were produced, but the colour was much fresher when the prisoner was apprehended than it appeared to be on their production. There were spots of blood also on his stockings and one of his boots. He said at first it was not blood. He afterwards said he had a bleed a horse near Brighton about ten weeks before, and then that he had wormed a dog. Shackell then advised him to be cautious, as he had already given him several different stories. He handed him over to Cooke, the constable of Alresford, who took charge of him during the night at the George Inn. He told Cooke that he had been to Petersfield the night in question to his sister's, and not being able to get in had slept all night under a hedge; that they could not hang him for it, as no one could prove it, and he was innocent. He did not sleep much in the night.
In addition to the above evidence we should add that near the body of the deceased was found a stick about six feet long, and a crook at the end. It was hidden in some bushes. A lad swore he had seen the prisoner with a stick like that sometime before, but could not swear to its identity.
James Lawes was then examined—I was in custody in Winchester gaol in June. I saw the prisoner in the same yard. There were no other prisoners with us. He said he had had two frocks taken from him because they were covered with blood. He called me aside, and I said "Now I tell you the truth; I was the man who knocked him down with a stick, and then knocked his brains out with a flint, and threw him into a hedge row." (The prisoner here changed colour very much.)
Cross examined—I was liberated because no bill was found against me. I did not say anything about it until I got out of gaol. I have been transported for seven years.
The Learned Judge was three hours in the summing up, and the jury immediately returned a verdict of guilty.
The prisoner, who seemed very little affected by any of the proceedings, was sentenced to be executed on Friday next.
Mr. Dampier and Mr. Greenwood for the Crown; Mr. Saunders and Mr. Poulden (at the request of the Judge) for the defence.