Hants Assizes
WEDNESDAY.—MURDER.—John Deadman, aged sixty, stood indicted for feloniously killing and slaying John Hall, alias Boyce, at the parish of Bishop's Sutton, on the 19th of June, by striking him on the head with stones, by which he then and there died. There were four other counts in the indictment varying the modes of the offence.
The prisoner, who is a stout muscular man, pleaded Not Guilty to the indictment, in a firm voice, and appeared but little moved at the perilous situation in which he stood.
Mr. Dampier conducted the prosecution, and in addressing the Jury, said he should abstain from any observations as to the deceased, or to the prisoner at the bar. He should detail the evidence, as without he did so, perhaps the most minute parts of it, and which were most essential, may perhaps escape their notice. He then proceeded to comment on the evidence which was given by the witnesses, and which it is, therefore, unnecessary to detail.
Daniel Smith, the elder—I am a labourer, and live on Bramdean Common, about 200 yards from Hall's house; I married his daughter; he was 77 years old; he was a letter carrier to Alresford, and had been so twenty years; he generally started about half-past five o'clock; he went straight across the common into a wood, called Old Park, and from thence he went over a horse-road to the London road; he generally came back about ten o'clock. Saw him leave his house that morning, about half-past five o'clock, and saw him into Park Wood. Never saw him afterwards alive.
Daniel Smith, the younger, the grandson of the murdered man, went to search for his grandfather, as he did not return, and with other people, found his body, at a place close to the road, within three or four yards. He knew Sophia Pett's house, and the body was found on the same side; he looked at deceased, and his head was beat all to pieces; his stick, hat, and umbrella were lying beside him. There were two stones with blood and hair on them; his grandfather carried his money in a dirty brown purse. By the Judge—The body was on the right-hand side of the road as you go to Alresford from Bramdean.
Benjamin Harding—I am a labourer, and live near the cottage of Hall. Found his body about seven o'clock; it was beside the road close by Old Park; it was concealed by some bushes, and was lying about five yards from the roadside. There was his stick and hat by his side; he knew the stick. The letter-bag was lying by his side, and a basket on his head. There were two or three stones, but he took no particular notice of them at that time.
George Hayles, a surgeon at Alresford, was called; and Thomas Harding was also sworn. Harding said he went to Alresford the day of the murder, and found the body. He passed the place where the murder was committed about half-past six in the morning. It was about a mile from the road; he saw no one in the morning. He was cross-examined by Mr. Saunders, who, with Mr. Poulden, were appointed by Mr. Justice Williams to defend the prisoner; but nothing material was elicited.
Mr. Hayles—I am a surgeon, and saw the body at Hall's cottage. I found a slight contusion over the left temple, and a contusion and fracture of the right temple, and laceration of the scalp in various directions over the head,—fractures of various degrees of violence which must have been produced by a knob stick or stones. I saw the stick of Hall, and it would have produced these fractures. The injuries would have caused instant death. Cross examined—Death would have been produced by the contusion on the left temple.—Should say the injury was inflicted by force. Could not say if the blow was inflicted by the stone striking the head, or the head falling against a stone.
Richard Brown was also present at the place where the body was found. He knows the Old Park Wood, and saw spots of blood. It was on the Cleney Hill side of the road—the further side of the wood from Bramdean Common. He found a bag there; it was on the Ropley side of the road.—The bag was beyond the spots of blood towards Ropley.
Sarah Childs—I saw Hall on the Saturday before he was murdered, at nine o'clock. I paid him a half-crown piece; he took out a purse; it was a dark brown one; he had two or three half-crowns and other silver.
Henry Truin produced the purse, a stone, and the round-frock of the prisoner. Picked up the stone where the body was found.
Benjamin Harding re-called—He saw a stone lying near the body. The stone produced appeared to be the same, but could not swear it was the same.
Richard Brown re-called—The parcel produced in Court is the same he found near the place of the murder. Cross-examined—Did not know it by any particular mark, but by its general form and it being dirty.
Sarah Childs re-called—It was the sort of person now produced that Hall had.
Daniel Smith, the younger, re-called—The stone produced was one of those near the body. The purse was the sort of one his grandfather had. The stick produced was his grandfather's.
Richard Windybank—I went from time to time to the place where the body was found. I found a stick in a little "hossick" of boughs, about three yards from where the body was found. It was covered over with grass. (Produced it. It was about six feet long, and had a fork at the end. Some blood and hair were on it.)
Thomas Skinner—I am a post-master at Alresford.—Hall was the Bramdean postman; he did not come on the 19th of June; he lives four miles from Alresford, and the road to his house lay through Sutton.
Benjamin Harding re-called—Identified the stick as the one Windybank showed him. There was blood and hair on the end of it.
Thomas Stacey—I am fourteen years old, and live at Ropley. Saw the prisoner Deadman on Tuesday, the 14th of June, in the Petersfield road from Alresford. He was coming from the direction of Petersfield. I walked with him; he had a long stick in his hand with a crook to it; it was nearly six feet; I saw it since at Mr Hopkins's; the stick produced is the same; could not swear to it, but it is like it.
Henry Scorey—I live at Alresford, and am a blacksmith; I know the prisoner, and have done so twenty-six years. I last saw him on Saturday, the 18th of June, at his shop, about eleven or twelve o'clock. He said he was very badly off, and had neither victuals or drink, nor money to buy it. I gave him three pence.
Sarah Meatchum—I live at the Dolphin public-house, at Alresford. I saw the prisoner at my house on the Saturday, about twelve o'clock; he had some bread and cheese; he called for a pint of small beer, and gave her a penny in payment for it. He had some more bread and cheese, and remained there until four o'clock. When he went away, he threw down a halfpenny on the table, saying it was all he had got in the world.
William Jefferey—I live at Titchbourne, near Alresford. I was at work on the road the Saturday before the murder, between Sutton and Ropley, where the road turns off to Bramdean, and saw the prisoner there; he remained there an hour or more; he said he had a good mind to go to his parish, which he thought was at Alresford. I persuaded him to go there. He said he had no money or victuals, and was very badly off. He begged of a man who was passing by at the time, but he gave him nothing.
William Hill—was at work on the day in question on the road, about two miles from Alresford; he was there to watch a new piece of road at night. Saw the prisoner there at about twelve o'clock at night. He stood there a few minutes, and said he did not know where to go nor what to do. The spot was about four miles from Old Park Wood, the scene of the murder.
Wm. Maton—A waggoner, and lives at Sutton. He saw the prisoner on the morning of the murder, at about half-past two o'clock. He was going along the turnpike road, towards Bramdean; he was about three-quarters of a mile from the turning of the road which leads to Bramdean, and he was going in that direction. He was quite sure he was the man. By the Judge—He was the first asked about seeing the prisoner about a week after. He was sure it was a Sunday, and he was sure because he knew the man, and that he drove the waggon occasionally; and he thought he was going on to call up the horse-keepers, that the waggon should not wait.—He was cross-examined by Mr, Saunders, as to his certainty of the prisoners identity, but nothing was elicited.
Charles Harris—Lived with Mr. Minchin, and was employed at a barn close to the Bramdean turnpike. He was there early on the Sunday morning; he saw a man about a quarter-past four going towards Old Park; we watched him go along the road about a quarter of a mile; he had on a brown round-frock, or a dirty one, he could not say which. He was about the size of the prisoner.
Sophia Pett said she lived at New Barn, in the parish of Ropley. She knew the road from Bramdean to Alresford. Her house is on the right-hand as you go from Bramdean to Alresford. Knows the sport where the body was found. She remembers the Sunday morning of the murder. She went about half-past six o'clock, by her clock, which is half an hour faster than the Ropley clock, to a pond near her house. The pond is between her house and the place where the body was found; saw a man there washing his hands; she waited in the road til he had done, as she was not quite dressed; he was there full five minutes. She saw his face and his person when he left the pond, and he went towards the house of Turner, who lives at Ropley. She went to the Chequers Inn at Ropley about an hour afterwards, and saw the prisoner there. She was sure he is the same man. He was standing at the pond on the side nearest Od Park Wood, the scene of the murder. Cross-examined by Mr. Saunders—Can see the pond from her house. Never had seen the prisoner before that time. Examined by the Judge—I knew the man again by his bushy hair; he had on a frock, white by nature, not very dirty or clean; it was plain to see it was a white one.
Edward Turner, a lad, said he lived at Ropley. On the 19th of June saw the prisoner about half-past six o'clock, coming across the fields from Old Park and the direction of Pett's house. Saw him again about seven o'clock, near his uncle's house, Wm. Turner. He was then going towards the Chequers. By the Judge—He knew the prisoner by the clothes he had on. Saw the prisoner again at Alresford on the Thursday, and he then had on a velveteen jacket. He then knew him by his face. He was sure it was the same man.
Wm. Harris, another lad, said he was with the last witness at the time of the prisoners passing them. He looked at him, and said before the magistrates last Monday week that the prisoner is the same man. Cross-examined—Never knew him before, nor ever spoke to him.
William Turner—saw the prisoner pass his house, at Ropley, on the morning of the murder. He said to the witness that he was lost, and wanted to go to the Chequers, and came from Petersfield. He came opposite to the witness, and he said he knew him and knew his father, and made other remarks. He said he lived once with Christopher Yalden, at Ropley, and said his name was a Black Jack Deadman. He then went to Privet's beer-shop. Saw him again afterwards at Privet's house, and he said he could not get in, and then he went with him (witness) to the Chequers.—Cross-examined by Mr. Saunders—He made himself known to me; I had a good opportunity of seeing his dress.
John Alder—I keep the Chequers, at Ropley, and the prisoner came to my house on the morning of the 19th of June. He came from the direction of Pett's house. He had some bread and bacon and a pint of beer. My wife came in and asked, "Master Deadman are you come from Petersfield this morning?" He said "No, he slept at the Troopers, and Mr. Carter did not charge him anything for his bed." The Troopers is about three miles from Petersfield. Took a half-crown piece from him in payment of his beer and food. By the judge—Never saw the man before, but is quite sure the prisoner is he.
Mary Alder corroborated the above. She knew Deadman before, when he used to drive a waggon.
Stephen Smith said he kept a beer-shop at Ropley, and knew the prisoner. He came to his house about two o'clock on the Sunday of the murder, and had some refreshment.—He left there about seven o'clock, and drank four pints of beer.
Jane Knight, a girl twelve years old, said she knew Stephen Smith's house, and was there on the 19th of June. She was there about an hour, and saw a man there. The prisoner at of the bar is the man; he had a round frock on.—She observed the sleeves of it, and they were turned up near his hands. They slipped down a little way sometimes, and then he would put them up again. She noticed the sleeve of his right arm, and saw some blood on it.
James Langridge said he kept a public-house at Medstead, adjoining Ropley. The prisoner came to his house on the Monday morning; he came there about six in the morning, and left again about an hour afterwards. He returned again in the evening, and stayed till the next morning, and then went with the witness to Southampton. They stayed at Fair Oak, where the prisoner purchased some bread and meat.—He purchased some other bread and cheese at Southampton. Crosswell, a waggoner, came in, and the witness asked if he had heard of the dreadful murder of the postman, and if he had heard of any person being suspected. Deadman said "how can they judge me, when I was no where near the place."—The prisoner returned with him.
Wm. Crosswell corroborated the above; and he said to Deadman "John, I thought you were seen in Ropley parish on the same morning?" to which he made no answer.
Joseph Shackwell, a Bow-street officer, apprehended the prisoner on Wednesday, at the Windmill public-house at Medstead. He told him he took him for the wilful murder of John Hall. He said he had no money. He searched the prisoner, and observed that he attempted to put his hand in his pocket. Witness prevented him. He did so, and found in one of his pockets a half-crown piece and a farthing.—Prisoner said he was at Petersfield on Saturday night, and slept at the Troopers public-house. Took him to Truin's house at Alresford, and there asked him where he got the half-crown, to which he replied that his brother, George Deadman, at Oakhanger, had sent it to him. He then said his brother-in-law, named Horne, had given him 2s. and he had begged the other 6d. He said he had been at Petersfield on the Saturday, and had a slept under the hedge at the Troopers. Took him to the George Inn, and searched him minutely. He had on two frocks, and the sleeves of both were bloody. The top one was the bloodiest. He said to prisoner "This is all blood," he denied it. The left-hand sleeve of the frocks looked as if part of them had been put into blood. One of his boots had also blood and mud. (The boot was handed to his Lordship.) The prisoner said that it was not blood on his shoes. He then examined his stockings, and found them both spotted with blood. (The stockings were produced, and had some spots resembling ironmoulds upon them; and the frocks were produced, which also had marks of blood upon them). He saw him again on the next morning, and asked him to account for the blood, when he said he had bled a horse ten weeks ago, near Brighton, and that had caused it. When conveying him to prison, after his examination, he then said that he had wounded a dog two months ago and had then got it. He cautioned him at that time that he was telling two or three different stories, to which the prisoner replied, "They did not see me do it, and cannot hang me."
Richard Cooke had the prisoner in custody on Wednesday night. They had a good deal of conversation about this job. The prisoner said he had been to Hurst Gate, to his sister's, and he got there about twelve o'clock, and could not get in; that he came back as far as the Troopers, and slept there under a furze bush. He came off towards Ropley in the morning.
Elizabeth Carter keeps the Troopers. She does not know Deadman, and he was not there on the Saturday, nor slept there.
James Lawes was in the gaol at Winchester with Deadman since his committal; Deadman said he had two round-frocks taken from him because they were covered with blood; his shoes were also taken from him for the same cause. They went into the privy together and sat down, and Deadman said, "Now I will tell you the truth—I was the man that knocked him down with a stick, and knocked his brains out with a flint stone, and afterwards drawed him into a row."—Cross-examined by Mr. Saunders—Did not tell this directly. Got out of prison without being tried for bacon-stealing.—did not tell of it till he was out of gaol. Did not give it a thought at the time. He was transported for seven years ten years ago. By the Judge—First mentioned it to Mrs order, at the checkers. Could not say if prisoner said, "they took away the clothes because they were bloody," or "because they said they were bloody."
James Truin produced the round-frocks, and identified them as the same as were taken from the prisoner. In his opinion the marks on the clothes when taken from the prisoner were those of fresh blood.
Mrs. Alder re-called—She said Lawes called at her house the day he came home, and told her something which Deadman had told him.
This closed the case for the prosecution.
The prisoner, one being called upon for his defence by the Learned Judge, said Lawes was a false man in what he had said. No word that he had said was mentioned.—Lawes asked him questions which he could not answer without telling a lie. He asked him to go into the privy, and then said he was going to Alresford tomorrow, and if he (Deadman) would tell who did the murder, he (Lawes) would help him through it. He (the prisoner) could not say what he did not know. The blood was on his sleeves from his hand being torn by the handcuff, and he told the constable of it at the time.
Truin was re-called, and asked as to the statement of the blood. The handcuffs were not tight. They did occasion some blood on the thumb. There was none about the wrists, nor could it account for the blood on the clothes.
The Learned Judge then proceeded to sum up the evidence. There could be no doubt at all that Hall had been murdered by some person or persons, and the single question was if the party accused is fixed sufficiently to satisfy them, that by himself, or by the aid of others, he did commit to this murder. The case was one of circumstantial evidence, and to make it satisfactory it should point to the person accused in a much stronger degree than to any other person, and also in a degree strong enough to satisfy them of his guilt. The case depends partly on the position in which the prisoner was placed by the witnesses, tending to show that he might have done it. The next point was, the means he had of doing it, and also the possession of money by him on the day after the murder. Another head of evidence was—the contradictory account which the prisoner gave of himself, as to where he was on the night of the murder, which, if he was innocent, was unnecessary. There was also the state of the clothes of the prisoner, and the blood said to be upon them, which they had seen and could judge of. There were also the accounts he gave of the blood—first, from bleeding a horse, and afterwards from the wounding of a dog. They would also use the best discretion as to the belief they would attach to the confession said by Lawes to be made to him, which if they believed, the case was one of a stronger nature that could generally be produced. They would, however, consider as to the probability of a man's, after so short an acquaintance, thus trusting his life into the hands of another person, and also the character of Lawes. He did not mention this to at all influence their minds, which was not his duty nor his inclination; but that they might operate as a sort of index, to assist them to understand the points of the evidence as he (the learned Judge) summed up.
The Jury, after a consultation of some length, found the prisoner guilty.
The learned Judge then put on the black cap, and proceeded to address the unhappy man as follows:—Prisoner at the Bar, you have been convicted, after a long, a patient, and, I trust, an impartial trial, of the crime with which you stand charged, on evidence which, I have no doubt, could not fail to make the same impression on everyone who heard it, and could understand it, as it has made on the minds of the jury who did attend, and who did understand it. I can only say, that although I attempted to place every circumstance—if circumstance there was—in your favour; yet I do entirely, absolutely, and fully agree with the verdict: and I entertain no particle of doubt but you are guilty of the crime you have been convicted of. It is not my intention to aggravate or exaggerate the heinous nature of the offence you have committed by any observations. The magnitude of it is felt and understood by mankind too well to need it. I will not harrow your feelings by dwelling on the fact, that you sent to his account an old and unprepared man, who never did you any wrong; and I only mention it, because I would request you to employ the short time you have left you in this world, to make that preparation which you did not allow to another. I trust, therefore, you will give up all thoughts of this world, from which you must soon be taken away, and trusting to that through which, (according to some dispensation which we but imperfectly know—justice and mercy may be blended), you may, through repentance, obtain the pardon for the great sin you have committed. The sentence of the court is, that you'll be taken back to the place for whence you came, and that you be fed upon bread and water until Friday next; and that then you are to be taken to the place of execution, and hung by the neck till you be dead; and that your body be buried within the precincts of the gaol—and may the Lord have mercy upon your soul.
The prisoner stood perfectly unmoved during the time of passing sentence, as well as when the verdict of the jury was returned, and walked from the dock apparently insensible of the awful situation in which he was placed.