Mr J. Hammond went to see the was committed. He observed the body on the 28th of November. It left-hand side. It had been mopped was in a putrid state, but he was sure very much, and he looked particularit was Syms.

ly to that part, as it was so clean. He The Right Hon. C. Bathurst pro. could see the grain of the wood where duced the original depositions taken the paint had been rubbed off, and before him, and which corresponded discovered what appeared to be with the evidence which had been gi. marks of blood. He observed the ven.

gunwale, and the seats which run Elizabeth Chaffey keeps the Swan across the boat. Before the after. at Pyle. She was acquainted with thwart, it had been struck so as to Hurd and Syms; they used to fre. make a dent. In this dent there were quent her house. Syms and Burton the stains of blood. There were came to her house on the 5th of No. marks too, as if blood had run on the vember, from Bristol. Syms and edge of the gunwale. He went to Hurd went to bed together. Syms, Epney to view the body on the 28th Hurd, and Burton were together the of November. It was in a barn, and next morning. The prisoner had he knew it to be Syms. One of the eleven pints of beer, but could not eyes was out; and the head dread. pay for them.

fully disfigured. John Comingford saw the prisoner James Evans saw the prisoner at with Syms at Mrs Chaffey's, on the Chepstow on Monday the 9th of Noevening of November the 6th. The vember. Prisoner asked him what prisoner asked Syms to give him a time the vessel would sail to Bristol, pint of beer. The deceased was a and if he would take any thing to near man, but he had plenty of mo- drink? Witness said, “ Yes.” The ney. The prisoner asked the de. prisoner asked him to change him a ceased whether he would go home? L.5 bill. Witness got the bill chang. He said, “ Yes.” Witness said it was ed. Burton had some rum, and paid not weather to go in an open boat, for it with silver. the wind and rain being very strong.

John Hill, a shoemaker at ChepEsther Smith proved that the pri- stow, proved that, on the evening of soner had come to her and asked her the 7th of November, the prisoner to let him have some things on bought of him a pair of shoes, for Hurd's account: he had some bread which he paid with a L.5 Chepstow and tobacco.

bill. James Henry Ball lives at Wool. Several other witnesses were then laston. He knew the prisoner Syms, called, who proved that the prisoner, and Hurd. He saw them all three from being very poor, suddenly beembark in Hurd's boat for Bristol. came rich, and paid all bis debts. Burton asked him to lend him 2s. Priscilla Jones is wife to Jones, which he declined. Witness saw the who is steward to the ship Concert. prisoner the Sunday following, and she proved that her husband was sked him what he had done with Syms. unable to lend the prisoner L.8, nor He said he had put him on shore at was he much acquainted with him. the Eastern Point, and thought he Mr Woodriff produced a handkerhad either gone to America or Barba- chief, marked W. S., which he redoes. Witness caused the prisoner ceived from Sarah Davies. to be apprehended and taken before William Davies proved that he reMr Bathurst. He had the boat-head ceived the handkerchief from the priexamined on the day the prisoner soner.

Rachael Richards made for Syms, Bassett to Cricklade in the evening shortly before his death, the hand of that day, about half after nine kerchief produced in evidence. o'clock, he was shot near the village

Mrs Chaffey deposed, that the of Stoke, and about midway between handkerchief produced was like one Purton and Stoke. The report of which she saw the deceased drying the pistol or gun was heard by a perat her fire on the morning of the 7th son who lived near the spot. About of November.

an hour afterwards the body was disThis was the whole of the case for covered, yet warm. Upon its being the Crown.

opened, no doubt existed of the death The witnesses were ingeniously baving been occasioned by the guncross-examined by Mr Twiss for the shot wounds discovered on it. Alprisoner.

though the deceased is supposed to Mr Justice Richardson then sum. have had a very considerable sum on med up the evidence with great clear. his person at the time of the murder, ness and perspicuity, and the jury, he was robbed of all except a few after a short consultation, found the halfpence. Suspicions were of course prisoner Guilty.

various respecting the murderer. It The Learned Judge immediately was recollected, however, that the priproceeded to pass sentence of death. soner was at the White Hart Inn at The prisoner was ordered for execu- Cricklade, on Friday the 7th of May tion on Thursday, at one o'clock, on in the evening, and that he left that which day he underwent the punish- place between the hours of eight and ment due to his crime, having previ- nine, professedly, to go home; so that, ously acknowledged the justice of his supposing him to have left Cricklade sentence.

at half past eight, he could easily

have reached the spot where the

· murder was committed at half past Worcester Assizes, Wednesday, nine. At this time he was observed July 28.

to have a great coat, which he kept MURDER.

constantly rolled up, as a bundle, on

his knees. A person was observed Robert Turner Watkins and Ed. about half past nine in the evening ward Watkins were put to the bar, of the same day, at half a mile's discharged with the murder of Stephen tance, on the Cricklade side of the Rodway, the first as principal, the o. spot where the murder was committher as accessory after the fact. ted, who had on a great coat very

Mr Casberd, on the part of the much like this of the prisoner's. The prosecution, stated, that there was no person appeared to have something direct proof against Edward Wato concealed on the right shoulder, but, kins ; with regard to the other, how- though twice spoken to, gave no ano ever, the evidence, although entirely swer. He turned up a lane, as if to circumstantial, was of the strongest avoid inquiry; and yet he was obnature, and was as follows:

served to return again to the road The deceased, in the course of his immediately after the persons who business as a coal-merchant, went to observed him had passed by. A reWootton-Bassett on Friday the 7th port of fire-arms was immediately of May last. He rode a dark-colour- afterwards heard by a witness, who ed horse, and had a brown great-coat Jived very near the scene of the murstrappedon the hinder part of the sad- der, and who saw a man in a light-codle. On his returning from Wootton- loured dress, on a dark horse, turn

the note,

а

down a lane called Bentham-lane. place where he understood the more An apparent change in the prisoner's der was committed; nay, that be circumstances not a little contribu- overheard what was said, as well as ted to increase these suspicions. On the report of the pistol ; and that he the day after the murder, the pri- saw the murderer ride along the road, soner was observed to be possessed and then turn down a lane. He deof much ready money, a circum- scribed the appearance of the man, stance very unusual with him. On and on three or four persons being the Monday following be paid away shown bim, pointed out Thomas two one.pound notes, which will be Ockewell. Inquiry being made, it identified as having been the pro. was most satisfaciorily proved that perty of the deceased, paid to him Ockewell was at Oxford at the time on the 3d of May by his son-in-law, of the murder. The prisoner insisttogether with a five pound Bank of ed in one of his examinations that he England note, which the prisoner had never corresponded with Miss sent on the 8th to a person named Cozens after the 6th of May. Both Sophia Cozens, who lived near Cic of the letters before alluded to, the rencester. In this letter he states first on the 8th, and the second on that he sends her the note to buy a sow the 10th of May, would, however, be and pigs. He gives a description of proved to be in his handwriting. He

L.5 note, the Bank of stated, that for four or five years he England, NO. 11,390, 5th August never had a pistol ; but on being far1818, T. Booth.” He carried this ther examined he admitted that be letter himself to the post, and paid had had one, but had sold it to one the postage of it. On the 10th of William Blanchett. It will be proved May he sent another letter to the that two days before this murder a same person, in which he says, "there pistol was seen on his table; nay, that is a dispute about the note; the man he had employed a person in repairI took it of is in hold; I hope you ing it. The Learned Counsel ihen will return the note; I think it a mentioned the falsehood of the acforged note.” Both these letters counts which he had given respect, reached Miss Cozens together, on the ing his way of becoming possessed 12th : and she immediately returned of the notes, and of his disposal of the note in a letter, which was stop- them; and concluded a most lucid ped, and the note retained. This and masterly address to the jury, circumstance of the property of the with observing, that with regard to deceased being found immediately the second prisoner, the evidence after his death on the person of the was extremely slight, as the only prisoner, greatly tends to inculpate circumstance of suspicion attaching the latter in the murder. His exa- to him was, his being seen secreting minations before the magistrates con- a pistol in the garden. The wittained conflicting accounts. At his nesses called deposed to the followfirst examination he stated, that he ing effect :never heard any report, and that he Phæbe Grimes, of Stoke, in the never met any body till he cametoPur parish of Purton.-On Friday the ton, where he met a man on horseback 7th of May, about ten o'clock in the with a coat strapped on behind. At evening, in the turnpike road to Purhis second examination he admitted ton and Wootton-Bassett, and near that he saw a man on a black horse, to the village of Stoke, she found a in a smock frock, ride away from the man, who afterwards turned out to

a

be the deceased, apparently dead. and two nail-heads: It appeared, She rode back to Stoke, where she from the nature of the wound, that met with the next witness, and told the deceased must have been on him the circumstance.

horseback, and in a leaning position William Bath, solicitor, lives at at the time it was made, as the ball, Purton. He saw last witness on the &c. went obliquely downwards, and evening of the 7th of May last, near- passed out below the blade-bone on ly half past ten o'clock, and went ihe right shoulder. with her and a person named Corn- John Habgood bad married a daugh. wall Packer, to the spot spoken to ter of the deceased; managed his busiby the last witness, to a place called ness for him; and received and paid Moor-stone, half a mile from Stock- money for him. The deceased went lane. He saw the body lying across away from home between one and two the road; it was warm; it was lying o'clock, on the 7th of May; he rode on the back, with the legs and arms a black horse, and had a great coat extended. He sent immediately for on; and was going to Wootton-BasMr Wells, of Cricklade, surgeon. The sett, eight miles from Cricklade. The deceased's pockets being searched road branches off at Purton, at the by witness's direction, and in his turnpike. On the evening of Mon. presence, it was discovered that his day, the 3d of May, he paid the dewatch was gone, and nothing left in ceased with other money, the two his pockets except a few halfpence. one-pound notes, and the five pound

William Wells, surgeon, Crick- Bank of England note now produced. lade, about eleven o'clock at night, He put the name of J. Williams, the on the 7th day of May last, attended person he received it from, on the at the place where the deceased was five pound note. He also marked found." The body, by his order, was the other two one pound notes proremoved to the Bell public-house at duced, and knows them again. Stoke. Upon examining the body, Henry Cox, of Wootton-Bassett, it appeared to him that the deceased mason, about eight o'clock in the had come to his death by a shot evening of the 7th of May, went into which had entered at the top of his the White Hart Ion, at Cricklade. chest. , On the next day, on his fur- Within a few minutes afterwards the ther examining the body, he found prisoner, Robert Watkins, came in. one very large wound and two small Witness asked him whether he was ones on the chest, and on opening going home. He said, “ No, he was the body the first thing that present. not;" that he should not sleep at ed itself was a shirt-breast-buckle, the White Hart, but go

further

up which was forced with part of the in the town, which was towards Purbone into the chest, and had ruptur- ton. After this, witness and the pried the large ascending artery, which soner drank a little beer together: of itself was sufficient to cause im- the prisoner left the White Hart. mediate death. On proceeding fur. This was between eight and nine ther in examining the body, three o'clock, and the witness saw no more horse-nail heads, now produced, were

of him. The prisoner had a great found in different parts, viz. one in coat rolled up in a bundle, which he the spine, another near one of the kept constantly on his knees. ribs on the right side, and one on Thomas Eagles, servant of Messrs the top of the lungs. The spine J. and W. Poulton.--On the 7th of appeared to be perforated by a ball May last he was emploved with Wil

liam Hicks to drive some sheep of prosecution, lives at Cricklade. The their master's to Cricklade. When prisoner was taken into custody on he was passing the village of Stoke, ihe 12th of May. Witness saw him he saw a man on the road, about six at the White Hart, Cricklade. Vicor eight yards from him, and coming kery was present at the first examinain a line to meet him. The man turn- tion, and at several others : no ined aside, as though he was going to ducement or threat was offered : the the village ; but as soon as this wit. prisoner spoke freely : witness took ness had passed the road to the vil- minutes of what he said, but never lage, the man again returned into the told the prisoner he was taking notes. road. It seemed as though he did

this The prisoner voluntarily gave the acto avoid meeting the witness. The count, but was not pressed. Vickery man appeared to have something put questions to him, and witness concealed under the great coat on took down the minutes, which were his right shoulder. Witness could read over to the prisoner, who said not see the man's face, because his they were all true. (Prisoner's counhat was pulled down, and the collar sel objected to the notes being read, of his great coat buttoned up. on the ground of the danger of the

William Hicks corroborated the precedent, which was given up.) Pritestimony of the last witness. soner said he was at the White Hart at

Ann Seymour, of Purton-stoke, Cricklade about eight o'clock in the lived with her father, close to the evening of the 7th of May: he meant Irigh road, very near the spot where to have gone to his uncle's, but althe murder was committed. On tered his mind, and went towards Friday evening, the 7th of May, be- home about twenty minutes after tween nine and ten o'clock, as she eight, with a great coat under his was standing at the door of her fa. arm. He saw the place where the ther's house, she heard the report of murder was committed ; and he went a gun or pistol, and within a few mi. across the field which cuts off an nutes afterwards she saw a man ride angle towards Purton. He went by her father's house, and turn down straight home, but met a man and a lane, called Bentham-lane : he had horse at the blacksmith's shop at on a light coloured dress, and the Purton, with a great coat strapped on horse was dark coloured.

behind him ; he met no one else that William Simpkins, of Bentham, he knew. From thence he went tofound a loose horse in Bentham-lane wards Wootton-Bassett, where he arin the morning after the murder, rived at ten o'clock, or a little after, which he afterwards understood be- as he heard the church clock strike longed to the deceased.

ten before he got to his house. He Sophia Cozens lives at Hunston, did not hear a report of any gun or two miles from Cricklade, and knew pistol in his way home from CrickWatkins. She received three let- lade on the night of the murder. He ters from Robert Watkins on the met two men coming down Purton. 12th of May, and wrote an answer; hill, towards Cricklade, near Mr a five pound note had been sent her Perry's school, above 150 yards beinclosed in one of the letters of Wat- hind the man he had met on horsekins.

back with a great coat behind him. John Huse proved the handwri. He said, he had brought from Chiting of the prisoner.

chester (where he had been at work Nathaniel Wells, solicitor for the on a canal two or three weeks before)