CRIME AND MYSTERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 13, 16 January 1926, Page 23

CRIME AND MYSTERY.

THE MAN WITH A HOLE IN HIS CHEEK, COLD-BLOODED MURDER IN A SHOP. EXECUTION OF A HOUSEBREAKER.

From the year ISI9 onwards, in the Midland counties of England, offences swelled to such proportions that the various Assize Courts could' barely keep abreast of the Tfork imposed upon judges and juries.

Crimes of violence, unfortunately, inerased as the century grew older, the year 1526 being mem.Table in this respect. The following case is typical : Michael Ford was an Irishman from County Clare. lie had been in Birmingham, employed as a labourer, for some twelve ' jnonths, when arrestee. His identity was < marked by a large purulent hole in his right Cheek, which he frequently covered with a black patch. The first witness against him was Mary Perry, niece of the victim, and her evidence •was frequently checked by manifest distress. She said she had seen the prisoner several times at ber husband's shop, the last occasion being about twenty miuutes after ten on the night of December 6, 1525. He came In and asked for a hock of pork. She was in the kitchen at the time, but could see into the shop, aDd observed her uncle, aunt, and "the man with a hole in his cheek." Shortly afterwards her aunt came out of the shop and went down into the cellar. Soon after that there was a sound of chopping, as of thflt Of meat ou the block. This was followed by the fall of the till and a rattling of money. Ehe then walked from the kitchen Into the sitting room, which was next to the shop. When she got into the sitting loom she saw the prisoner with the "cleaver held up in both hands coining towards the IcltC—en door." A Woman's Bravery. She cried out, "Yon have murdered my nncle!" and rushing at him, wrested the cleaver away and threw it to the floor. He then attempted to close with her, but she tripped him up, ran through the door Into the street and 6creamed "Murder I" Prisoner made off. When she returned Into the shop, she saw her uncle "lying behind the counter with the blood running from his face, and her aunt In the shor." Mr. H. Adkins then produced the cleaver and the victim's hat, which was of black straw and had two cuts in it. The uncle died nest day. Hannah P< . widow of the victim, went tadly through the ordeal of examination, ghe said she had known the prisoner for some three weeks before her husband's death. Her husband employed him to dig potatoes. Ford came Into the shop at about half-past ten, and asked for a loaf, half an ounce of coffee, half a lb of bacon, a quarter of sugar, <_v some potatoes. Her husband was fastening the shutters when the man came. The things he bought were put upon the counter, bnt he ..:so asked for a hock of pork, and her husband chopped it for him, and laid the cleaver on a bench which stood on the customers' side erf the counter. Her husband then walked behind the counter, and "when she left the shop to go into the cellar, the prisoner stood close by him." They had been talking and joking together for some time. When in the cellar she heard the money drawer drop, so ran up the stairs Instantly, In -_*c to see prisoner go down the shop steps Ir.to the street. Her niece soon ran In from outside, and said the man had murdered her uncle. *

"They found her husband lying behind the counter, his hc_d lying on . small tub of emery; he bled in a dreadful manner, _d never spoke rfterwards. The articles tad the book were left on the counter, and the potatoes were sc- 'iered about the floor near where her husband lay."

This was the principal evidence offered as to the actual crime. The Prisoner's Defence. Prisoner spoke but few words in reply : "My lord, I am innocent of this crime. I never had anything to do with it." A written form of address was then put in, wMch was read by an officer of the Court. Its purport was this: That the accused, after visiting a relative in London, had stopped in Birmingham and obtained work to maintain himself properly. He admitted baying provisions from Mr. Perry, put asserted that he left these on the counter, promising to caU for them on the following morning. Soon after he left the shop he heard a cry of murder, and returned to see who had raised it. Hearing that Mr. Perry had been murdered, he became frightened and ran, away. He pleaded, that, being friendless in a strange town, he acted on impulse, and trusted that his lordship would accept this perfectly true explanation. It was not to be thought of that he murdered a man so kind to him as Mr. Perry had been, and "the blood of that good man was not at his hands."

The prisoner then called on Mr. Tatnall, governor of the gaol, but that gentleman could testify only to the prisoner's conduct Whilst under his charge. Within that period prisoner had shown himself to be a goodtempered, quiet, inoffensive man.

The Judge then summed up, when the iury, in the short space of one minute, returned a verdict of "Guilty," whereupon his lordship passed sentence of death in the usual form.

As seen in the dock, prisoner appeared to be about 26 years of age, and of slender but muscnlar build, his height about oft BJln. Throughout the whole trial he exhibited great firmness and a resolute face. A» he turned from the Court, he directed an indignant look, accompanied by a kind of ghastly smile, towards the judge. The Execution. At half-past nine o'clock on the morning of hii execution, he received the Sacrament, and was then conducted to the drop. He ascended with firm step and no sort of fear or trouble was apparent on his visage. He joined In the devotional rites with respect and fervour, however, and then the bolt was drawn, and he yielded up his life in return for the one he had taken. Six verses conclude the broadside. Of these the most pertinent are :— "I've slain a good and virtuous man And Richard Perry was his name, I saw him bleeding on the floor. And weltering in the crimson gore. This did not make my heart relent, But now I mournfully repent, 'Tis now too late—the day is past My state is fis'd—the die is cast. The solemn bell which now I hear Bids mc to meet my Judge prepare. I now must yield my fleeting breath, And go unpardoned down to death." Execution of a Housebreaker. In the same year, Wright, printer,- Birmingham, issued a crime sheet entitled, "Particulars of the Life, Trial and Execution of John Hobday, Aged 21, Who Was Executed at Worcester on Friday, July 21, 1826, for House Breaking." A conventional woodcut tops the sheet, representing the criminal's body dangling from "the triple tree," with halberdiers in attendance to preserve the peace amongst a closelypacked multitude. This young man was bom in Birmingham, of respectable parentage, and followed ttS trade of blacksmith. The usual influence

of bad company changed a decent life into one of profligacy and crime, until It wag ended on the scaffold. The offence for which he suffered was stealing money, spoons, etc., from the Bell Inn, Kidderminster, on the night of the 25th of September, 1525. He had long been wanted, for two companions, William Davis and William Bubb, had been convicted at the previous Assize for the same offence, "chiefly on the evidence of an accomplice, John Davis."

Evidence showed that the parties went to Kidderminster from Birmingham a fewhours before the robbery, and were seen together, returning to Birmingham early on the following morning. But on the occasion of Hobday's trial, "as the prosecution could not again produce the informer, there was a chasm in the evidence" ; but that fact weighed lightly with the jury, because Hobday was known to be a desperate rogue, and was one of the party ou the return journey to Birmingham.

Mr. Justice Burrough sentenced him to death on July 12. He behaved himself very well in prison, accepted spiritual consolation eagerly, and was very affected by the chaplain's sermon on the Sunday following conviction. He hoped for a respite, and afterwards devoted nearly the whole of his time to devotion and seemed resigned to his fate, for on the following Thursday he observed, "The time Is near at hand."

On Friday he received the Sacrament a little before noon, and was then conducted to the gallows, around which an immense number of spectators had gathered. He was hanged "at fifteen, minutes after twelve o'clock and died truly penitent." Highway Robbers. A third crime sheet of this year was printed by Wright, "Trial and Execution of James Adams, Aged 23 ; John Bosworth, aged 20; and John Williams, Aged 19, Who Was (sic) Executed at Stafford on Saturday, August the sth, 1826, for Highway Robbery. Likewise an Account of the Various Crimes Committed by Them in Different Parts."

The charge against them was one of assaulting Edward Ridley, on the King's highway, in the Parish of Wolverhampton, and stealing from his person a silver watch, a pocketbook, and other articles of his property. Adams pleaded guilty, but Bosworth and Williams "put. themselves upon their trial."

It is a very singular fact that the party robbed was not himself bound to pursue a robber, or compelled to lend his own horse for the purpose of pursuit, and yet he could demand compensation from the Hundred—after forty days had elapsed— should the malefactor not have been arrested.

The commission of the present robbery comprised all the points which constituted a capital offence, for it was carried out with continued and cowardly violence. Mr. Ridley was a wheelwright, a resident of Pattingham, Staffordshire, and had been detained late at Wolverhampton, over business affairs. He started on the homeward journey at midnight, and had travelled only about half a mile when he was overtaken by four men. They attacked him from behind; a knee was placed in the small of his back, his arms secured behind him, and then he was thrown heavily i«to a ditch. Being a man of courage and strong and agile as well, he regained footing, and prepared to tackle his assailants. Adams then struck him t-rro forcible blows on the head with a stick, and aimed a third blow at him which numbed his left arm and rendered it practically useless. The attacked man then knocked two of his assailants down with his right fist. Strong in numbers, they rallied together again, and began a second and more desperate attack, finally succeeding in pinioning him against a bank of the ditch, and taking advantage of his predicament to rob him. Immediately their main object was accomplished, they made off without further abusing their victim.

Mr. Ridley, though badly beaten, recovered sufficiently from the effects of the blows to return to Wolverhampton and acquaint Constnble Sparrow with details of the outrage and robbery. Sparrow wasted no time, for by six o'clock in the morning he had tracked Williams, whom he charged with the offence. Williams denied it, so Sparrow affected to be mistaken, treated the fellow to a glass of gin, and let him go " as a trap to secure the rest of the gang."

" About twelve o'clock the same day, Sparrow went to the Pied Ball (quasi Bull) on Snow Hill, a suspected retreat, and found three men, Bosworth, Adams, and a

third person, whose identity being somewhat questionable, was discharged before the magistrates. On searching the party Ridley's watch was found in Adams' fob. The party was then taken into custody."

The only evidence in favour of either of the malefactors was that of a sister of Williams, who attempted to establish an alibi on his behalf. The attempt was a failure, and the jury found all the prisoners " Guilty."

The Judge, in his address to the criminals, told two of them that though youths in age they were old in crime, and reminded Adams that he was a proved desperado, having been charged as confederate in a capital offence at the Summer Assizes of 1823, when he escaped by turning evidence for the Crown. Since that period he had changed his gang, but not his habits, as there were three capital offences charged against him on the present calendar. His lordship then addressed WiUiams directly, saying that although only 19 years of age, he had been a principal In the commission of three felonies little short of capital, antecedent to the present crime. Bosworth stood clear of any former charge, but was evidently devoted to evil associates and a. life of outrage and plunder. Sentence of death was then pronounced in such measured and moving tones that the prisoners v .roke into loud lamentation which " seemed to awaken the sympathies of every individual in a crowded Court."

The crime sheet has a postscript headed " Stafford, August 5, 1526," stating that all the prisoners had been well behaved, devout and contrite whilst in gaol. Their friends were allowed to visit them on Thursday, the day previous, "and at parting the scene was deeply affecting."

At six o'clock on Friday morning the Sheriff arrived and demanded their bodies for execution. They partook of the Holy Sacrament, and at a few minues before eight o'clock were conducted to the platform of the gallows. They walked firmly, but were otherwise unmanned, " their eyes looking fearfully around in search of a friendly face, and their lips moving in inarticulate speech." They appeared to join the chaplain in prayer, however, and at about six minutes after the hour a signal was given, the bolt drawn, and their earthly career was forfeited.