she was landlady of the cottage which Bishop had lately occupied. The
houses Nos. 1, 2, and 3, Nova Scotia Gardens, belonged to her husband,
for whom she collected the rents. In the month of July, 1830, she let
the house, No. 3, to Bishop's wife. Bishop lived there until the 5th of
November, 1831. About four months since, she let the house adjoining,
No. 2, to the prisoner Williams, alias Head, and he lived there about
two months. The house stood empty for some time, but it was now in
the occupation of a man named Woodcock. The gardens of the two houses
were separated by a paling, about three feet high, and there was a
gate which opened from one to the other. Witness had frequently seen
Williams in Bishop's house and garden since he gave up the occupation
of the house next door. She had also seen Williams's wife there without
her bonnet.
Mr. MINSHULL.--The question we want you to answer is this--Have you
seen the prisoner Williams residing at the house of Bishop?
WITNESS.--I have seen him frequently there, but I cannot positively say
that he resided there.
Mr. THOMAS said, that he took Mrs. Williams into custody at the house
of Bishop, where she appeared to be residing at the time.
Mr. MINSHULL.--Who paid the rent of Bishop's cottage?
WITNESS.--It was sometimes paid by Mrs. Bishop, and sometimes by Bishop
himself. Williams paid his own rent, while he occupied the house next
door.
Prisoner WILLIAMS.--She knows I took the house to work at the glass
trade.
ROBERT MORTIMER, of Nova Scotia Gardens, tailor, was then sworn.
About two months ago he was employed to turn a coat for the prisoner
Williams, and frequently called upon him for payment at Bishop's house.
He appeared to be living there, up to the period of his apprehension on
the present charge.
WILLIAM WOODCOCK sworn.--I am a brass-founder, and occupy the house
No. 2, Nova Scotia Gardens, adjoining Bishop's cottage. I went to
live there on Monday, the 7th of October last. I had frequently seen
Williams in Bishop's house. I remember the night of Thursday, the 3d of
November. On that night I went to bed at half-past nine o'clock, and
about three or four hours after, I was awakened by a noise in Bishop's
house. I got up, and heard a scuffling or struggling.
Mr. MINSHULL.--Describe particularly the sort of noise you heard.
WITNESS.--It was like men's feet; I can swear to three men.
Mr. MINSHULL.--At what hour do you suppose this occurred?
WITNESS.--I went to bed at half-past nine; and I suppose I might have
slept for about four hours, when I was awakened by the noise I have
described.
Mr. MINSHULL.--You speak of the feet of three men;--how can you tell
the number?
WITNESS.--I can account for it in this way. After I heard the scuffling
in the house, I listened, and heard the gate shut, and knew, from
the sound of the feet, that two men ran away through the gate, from
Bishop's house. They came back again almost immediately; and while they
were absent, I heard the heavy tread of only one man in Bishop's house.
Mr. HALLS.--When you heard the scuffle you describe, did you at the
same time hear the voices of the men who appeared to be engaged in it?
did they say anything?
WITNESS.--I heard the voices of men, but could not tell what was said.
I can speak to the voices of two of the men, but cannot speak as to the
third.
Mr. MINSHULL.--To the best of your belief, were there three men?
WITNESS.--There must have been three, for I distinctly heard two of
them run from the house, and at the same time I heard the foot of the
third man in the house. Everything was quite still at the time, and I
could have heard a mouse stir.
Mr. CORDER.--Then it was before the two men ran from the house that you
heard the struggle?
WITNESS.--It was when the two men returned to the house, that all was
still.
Mr. MINSHULL.--How long was it before the two men returned?
WITNESS.--About a minute, I should think. I thought it had been a
family quarrel, and that two of the party had gone to fetch the police.
Mr. MINSHULL.--Did you hear any female voices?
The witness replied in the negative, and added, that as soon as all
was still, and finding that the noise was not in his own house, he went
to sleep, and thought no more about the matter.
Mr. MINSHULL.--Should you know the voices of the men again?
WITNESS.--I cannot positively say that I could swear to the three
voices.
Mr. MINSHULL.--Are you familiar with the voices of the prisoners, May,
Bishop, and Williams?
WITNESS.--I never heard the voices of either May or Bishop before that
time, but I think I can swear to the voice of Williams. I have reason
to believe that his was one of the three voices that I heard.
Mr. HALLS.--Did it strike you at the moment that you heard the voice of
Williams?
WITNESS.--Yes, it struck me at the moment that it was the voice of
Williams. Had I known that anything wrong was going on at the time,
I might have put my ear closer to the wall, and might have heard
everything that passed.
Mr. BURNABY, the clerk.--In what part of the house did you hear the
scuffling?
WITNESS.--It took place in the front parlour, and my bed was in the
front parlour of the house adjoining.
The prisoner Williams here observed, that on the Thursday night spoken
to by the witness, Bishop kicked up a row, and broke his things.
WITNESS.--The row of which you speak, when Bishop broke his things, was
on the previous Sunday night.
WILLIAMS.--No, it was on the Thursday; and I went for the policeman,
who came with me to the palings, about two o'clock in the morning, but
refused to go any further. I took care of my wife's bonnet and shawl,
and also a looking-glass, to prevent Bishop from breaking them. The
policeman was present at the time.
Mr. MINSHULL.--The explanation, prisoner, which you give is, that the
row, as you call it, took place on the night of Thursday, and not on
the Sunday night.
WILLIAMS.--It was either Thursday night or Friday night. The women can
say which night it was. (Here Bishop whispered Williams, and the latter
said no more.)
WILLIAM WOODCOCK, aged twelve, son of the witness Woodcock already
examined, was next called to prove that Bishop and Williams were joint
occupiers of the house, No. 3, Nova Scotia Gardens. Witness remembered
Saturday, the 5th of November, because it was Guy Fawkes' day; and two
or three days before that he saw Williams smoking a pipe in Bishop's
garden.
THOMAS WIGLEY, of No. 17, Cock Lane, Smithfield, was then sworn, and
stated that he lived next door to the Fortune of War public-house, in
Giltspur street, and was employed as porter at the Cross Keys Inn,
Wood-street. He remembered the night of the 4th of November. He went
into the tap-room of the Fortune of War about half-past six o'clock on
that night, and remained until half-past eight. About half-past seven,
Bishop and May came into the room. Bishop sat next to witness, and May
sat on the opposite side. Bishop said to May, 'What do you think of our
new one? did not he go up to him well? I told you he was a staunch one.
Don't you think he is a staunch one now?' (The face of Bishop became
suddenly flushed as the witness repeated the words attributed to him.)
Mr. MINSHULL.--Did Bishop say anything more to May?
WITNESS.--Yes, he said to May, 'Do you stick by me, and I will stick
to you. I know the other one is all right; he's nothing but a good
one.' In about an hour after this, Williams came in, upon which Bishop
said, 'I told you he would come; there's a good one.' (Here Williams
laughed.)
Mr. MINSHULL asked the witness if May said anything in answer to what
Bishop said.
The witness replied, that May said in reply to Bishop, 'I don't know
what you mean.' Soon after, Bishop and Williams got up, and said they
would go home. May said, I am going to stop a bit.' He then took up a
newspaper, and Bishop and Williams left the room together.
Mr. CORDER.--Did you perceive that May, during this conversation, had
anything with him wrapped up in a handkerchief?
WITNESS.--I saw that he had a handkerchief in his hand, which appeared
to contain something, but I cannot say what. The handkerchief was wet.
The depositions of the witnesses previously examined were then ordered
to be read over. When the evidence of Davis, the porter at Guy's
Hospital, was read to him, he complained of a statement which, he said,
appeared in the morning papers of the preceding day, and particularly
in the Times.
Mr. MINSHULL told the witness, that if he had any addition to make
to his evidence, he would willingly swear him; but he had nothing to
do with what was published in the newspapers. If anything had been
mis-stated, his proper course was to apply to the editors of the
papers, who would, no doubt, willingly correct any error.
The reading of the depositions was then resumed, and having been
concluded,
Mr. CORDER then read the statements made by the prisoners before the
Coroner, and which had been committed to writing by order of the
Coroner.
Mr. HALLS asked if it was in evidence that the body which was offered
at the King's College was the same upon which the inquest was
subsequently held.
Mr. HILL, of the King's College, who received the body there, and Mr.
Thomas, to whom it was afterwards delivered at the station-house,
proved that fact.
Mr. CORDER said, that the whole of the evidence was now gone through,
as applying to the prisoners Bishop, Williams, and May. With regard to
the prisoner Shields, it was not intended to offer any evidence against
him.
Mr. MINSHULL then directed that the prisoner Shields should be removed
from the bar, and brought round in front of the bench. The magistrate
told him he was discharged from this offence, but that he meant to
swear him as a witness. The oath having been administered to him, he
went into a long statement as to the manner in which he met Bishop, who
told him that he wanted him to do a little job on the Saturday morning.
He agreed, and went to Guy's Hospital, Bishop having previously
procured a hamper, for the purpose of conveying the body from that
place to the King's College. He accordingly carried it from Guy's
Hospital to the latter place on the Saturday, but knew nothing whatever
of what the hamper contained. Bishop was to have given him half-a-crown
for the job, but he had not 'as yet' received the money.
Mr. CORDER observed, that the statement of Shields differed in several
points from the account which he gave before the Coroner.
Mr. MINSHULL.--You say you were not aware of what the hamper contained;
do you still persist in saying so?
SHIELDS.--Upon my word, your worship, I knew nothing of what the
hamper contained. I carried it as I would any other job.
A MAGISTRATE.--Did you ever carry any load for Bishop or May before?
SHIELDS.--No, your honour, never.
Mr. BURNABY, the clerk.--You know, Shields, you have carried bodies
repeatedly to the hospitals. You should remember you are now on your
oath.
SHIELDS.--I mean to say, that I did not know what the hamper contained
that May and Bishop hired me to carry.
Mr. MINSHULL.--Have you heard any conversation pass between the
prisoners relating to this murder, during any time you may have passed
in their company since they and you were apprehended?
SHIELDS.--None whatever, your worship, except that I heard Bishop say
he got the body from the ground.
Mr. CORDER.--It is quite clear that this man cannot be believed on his
oath, and therefore it would be useless to make a witness of him.
Mr. MINSHULL said, he certainly should not allow him to give evidence;
for every word which he had as yet spoken went for nothing. If he
discharged him now, it would be on the condition of his undertaking to
communicate to Mr. Thomas where he went to live, in the event of his
removing from his present residence.
Mr. CORDER submitted, that Shields ought to be detained, at least for
the present.
Mr. MINSHULL then told Shields, that as there might be a charge of
another description against him, he certainly should not now consent
to his discharge. He would take time to consider how he ought to be
disposed of.
Shields was then removed in custody.
Mr. MINSHULL then addressed Bishop, saying, 'John Bishop, you have
heard all the witnesses who came to give evidence against you. The
whole of that evidence is now completed; and therefore, if you wish to
say anything, now is your time, as this is the last opportunity you
will have of appearing before me.
BISHOP.--No, Sir, I have nothing to say at present.
Mr. MINSHULL.--James Williams, alias Head, have you anything which you
wish to say?
WILLIAMS.--Nothing, Sir.
Mr. MINSHULL.--John May, is it your wish to speak before you are
finally committed?
MAY.--I have nothing more to say, Sir, than what I said already at the
Coroner's inquest. This man, Bishop, can clear me of everything, if he
likes to speak the truth. He knows I am innocent of the charge. The man
says he got the body from the ground, but he don't like to say where,
because he is loth to injure the two watchmen left to guard it. Things,
however, are come to such a crisis now, that he ought to speak the
truth, and I wish him to speak the truth--(he added, looking full in
Bishop's face)--for I defy him to say anything to implicate me. I knew
nothing of the body until I went to take it from Bishop's house.
BISHOP, in a low tone, said, I have said nothing against you. It is
true what you say, you knew nothing of it till then.
MAY.--I did not; that is the truth.
Mr. MINSHULL.--Have you anything more to say?
MAY.--No, your worship, not now.
Mr. MINSHULL.--Prisoners, you will all be committed to Newgate, to take
your trial at the ensuing sessions at the Old Bailey, commencing on
the 1st of December next, for the Wilful Murder of CARLO FERRARI; and
there will be another count in the indictment, charging you with the
wilful murder of a person unknown. You are now committed accordingly.
The prisoners were then about to be removed, when Williams requested
that his friends might be allowed to see him; adding, that he had
nothing to say to any person that he would not be willing should be
heard in the presence of the officers of the jail.
Mr. MINSHULL.--You will be lodged in Newgate, and whatever
accommodations are customary there, will, I have no doubt, be afforded
you. I have no power to interfere.
The prisoners were then removed from the bar, strongly guarded.
Mr. CORDER then, addressing the magistrate, observed, that he had done
all he could to assist the prosecution, and on the part of the parish
which he represented, he should, of course, proceed. He was, however,
instructed to say, that the expense of prosecuting this case fell
rather hard upon the parish, inasmuch as the body was not found in
it; neither had the boy come by his death in the parish. He was aware
that it was necessary that the body should have been removed, for safe
custody, to the station-house, and therefore that, so far, the thing
was unavoidable. The parish, however, was not in a very prosperous
state, and he was fearful, from an interview he had had with a member
of the government at the Home Office, that no pecuniary assistance was
to be looked to from that quarter.
Mr. HARMER said, that being aware that the parish of St. Paul, Covent
Garden, was not at present in the most flourishing condition, he had
offered the parish officers his humble efforts gratuitously to conduct
the prosecution.
Mr. CORDER said, he was bound to acknowledge the able assistance which
he had received from Mr. Harmer.
Mr. HARMER said, that the difficulty of prosecuting such a case, in
which there were so many witnesses, would be considerably lessened by
the manner in which the evidence was taken and arranged by the clerk.
Mr. MINSHULL then directed the jailer to bring in the wives of Bishop
and Williams.
They were accordingly brought forward, and Mr. Minshull told them they
were discharged, and might go where they pleased. The cottage, however,
in which they had lived was in the possession of the police; and, under
all circumstances, he supposed they would not think of returning there.
Mrs. BISHOP said, they certainly would not.
They were then removed, and ordered to be taken care of by the jailer,
and on no account to be allowed to go into the street while it was
crowded by so large a concourse of people.
Mr. Thomas had previously told Bishop that his wife would be discharged
that day. His reply was, 'I thank you, Sir. I hope you will look to
her, and see that she is not insulted by the mob.' Shields was ordered
to be detained for a similar reason; and it was not until late on the
same night that he was liberated, after the crowds had left the street.
Notwithstanding the heavy rain that fell during the whole of the
afternoon, the concourse of persons in Bow-street remained undiminished
until the arrival of the van, when considerable difficulty was
experienced by the officers to get the prisoners conveyed with safety
into the vehicle. The yells and hootings which the mob set up on
their appearance was deafening; and but for an additional guard of
constables, the consequences might have been very serious. Williams
and Bishop cowered down, as if to avoid at once the fury and the gaze
of the assembled crowds. May, however, stood more erect, and jumped
lightly into the van, which immediately drove off to Newgate, followed
by the shouts and execrations of the people.
When May was removed to the lock-up room, after he was taken from the
bar, he burst into tears, and declared solemnly to Dodd, the jailer,
that he knew nothing whatever of the boy's death, and never saw the
body until Bishop showed it to him in the box. He then said, that an
acquittal would almost be as bad as a conviction to him; for where
could he find employment after this charge? Bishop and Williams, on
the contrary, were by no means cast down. They appeared to rally their
spirits, and assumed a levity of manner, which, however, was but of
short duration.
On the prisoners being conveyed in the prison van from Bow-street to
Newgate, they were followed by a mob of between two and three hundred
persons, hooting and yelling. In order to evade the mob, the van drove
out of Fleet-street, through Chancery-lane, towards the House of
Correction, where two or three other prisoners were disposed of, whence
the van proceeded towards the Old Bailey; and the mob still increasing,
on arriving at Newgate, it was with the greatest difficulty that a
number of officers could clear the way before the felon's door for the
admission of the prisoners. The discordant yells were so tremendous as
to frighten several horses in the different vehicles as they passed by.
It will be remembered that, previously to the final committal to
Newgate of Bishop, Williams, and May, for the murder of the Italian
boy, the entire dress of a woman was found in the privy of the house
adjoining to that which Bishop and Williams occupied at the time
of their apprehension. The articles so found were, on Saturday, the
26th of November, fully identified as having belonged to a poor woman
named Frances Pigburn, who suddenly disappeared about six weeks
ago; and a warrant, charging Bishop and Williams with her murder,
was lodged in Newgate on the evening of that day. Mr. Thomas was
since that time unremitting in his exertions to procure additional
evidence; and on Monday night Michael Shields, the porter, who was
discharged from custody on the previous Friday, came to Mr. Thomas at
the station-house; and having declared that he wished to do all in his
power to forward the ends of justice, made a voluntary statement, which
Mr. Thomas took down in writing, and of which the following is the
substance:--
He said he was employed by Bishop and Williams early in the morning
of Sunday, the 9th of October last, to go, along with Bishop's sister
(Rhoda Head, alias Williams), into the Borough to carry a trunk. Bishop
and Williams called upon him at his lodgings in Eagle-street, Red
Lion-square, and called him up. He then accompanied them to Bishop's
house in Nova Scotia Gardens, and when he got there, Bishop placed a
trunk upon his knot. It was the same trunk which Mr. Thomas produced
at Bow-street, in the late inquiry. They all left Nova Scotia Gardens
together, namely, Bishop, Williams, Mrs. Williams and himself, and
proceeded to St. Thomas's Hospital in the Borough. Bishop and Williams
walked on one side of the way, and Mrs. Williams walked by the side
of informant, carrying a band-box, tied up in a handkerchief, for
the purpose, as informant verily believes, of giving the journey the
appearance of a servant going to her situation. On arriving at St.
Thomas's Hospital, he was joined by Bishop and Williams, and they
entered the hospital together, while Mrs. Williams stopped outside. The
trunk having been deposited in the hospital, they all went together
to a public-house to have some refreshment. Bishop, not being able
to sell the body at St. Thomas's Hospital, resolved on going to Mr.
Grainger's dissecting-rooms, and he (Shields) walked with him, leaving
the trunk behind. When they reached Mr. Grainger's anatomical theatre,
Bishop held a private conference with Mr. Appleton, the porter to the
dissecting-rooms, which lasted a few minutes. They then returned to St.
Thomas's hospital, and fetched the trunk from thence to Mr. Grainger's
rooms. On arriving there, Bishop took a body from the trunk for Mr.
Appleton's inspection. It was that of a middle-aged female. It was
a particularly fresh subject, and had not the appearance of a body
taken from a grave. There was no dirt upon it, and informant observed,
that the hair of the corpse was dark and short, and that the subject
altogether was thin, and remarkably light in weight. Mrs. Williams was
not present then, but remained at the public-house as a kind of pledge
for what was drank, until the money should be procured. Mr. Appleton
and Bishop bargained for some short time, and a price being agreed
on, Mr. Appleton paid Bishop part of the money, and promised to pay
the remainder on the following day. Gin was then sent for, and Mr.
Appleton and all of them partook of it. Bishop, Williams and informant
then went back to the public-house, and found Mrs. Williams crying, on
account of her having been questioned about the reckoning. Bishop went
into a great rage, and paid it, saying he never would enter the house
again, nor should any of his friends. They then went away together,
and returned over London-bridge as far as Bishopsgate-street, and had
some gin at a public-house there, where coaches stopped. Bishop paid
for the gin, and informant then went away. Mrs. Williams still retained
possession of the band-box, and it was just in the same state as when
she took it from home. Bishop paid informant ten shillings for the job,
and said if that did not satisfy him, he might have more to-morrow.
Shields, having made this statement, said he was so frightened when in
custody, that he did not know what to say, and was fearful if he let
slip any thing it might implicate himself. He now, however, wished to
atone, as far as lay in his power, for the part which he had taken in
that and the other transactions.
Mr. THOMAS, perceiving that the statement of Shields corresponded not
only with the time of the disappearance of Fanny Pigburn, (she having
been seen last alive on the night of the 8th of October, and Shields
dating the above transaction on the 9th,) but also with the description
of her age and personal appearance, as described by her sister, and
other witnesses, felt that the information was important, and that Mrs.
Williams was sufficiently implicated in the transaction to warrant
her apprehension. He accordingly proceeded to Newgate on Tuesday the
29th of November, and having taken her into custody there, while she
was waiting to see her husband, immediately conveyed her to Bow-street
police-office, and charged her before Mr. Minshull, as an accessary
after the fact, in the wilful murder of Frances Pigburn, adding, that
he took the prisoner into custody, in the lodge at Newgate, about half
an hour before; and that, on a future day, he expected to produce
further evidence against her.
The prisoner wept bitterly while the clerk was writing down the charge
against her, and when it was entered,
Mr. MINSHULL asked her if she wished to say any thing, at the same time
cautioning her that whatever she said would be taken down in writing,
and might be made evidence against her.