THE ASSIZES.

At most of the Assize', where cases of horse-stealing were tried, the Judges expressed their determination to visit that crime with the highest punish- ment of the law, on account of its recent frequency.

At Monmouth, on the 12th, Farmer and Thompson, notwithstandine their ready plea of guilty', were condemned to death, for the theft of two horses. For the last ten years they have carried on the trade in almost every part of the kingdom ; the purloined horses were generally sent to the Continent. It is mentioned, that Judge Gazelee, in approaching Monmouth, was nearly overturned in his carriage ; and it is further recorded as a " curious fact, which perhaps ought to induce gentlemen to be cautious ill examining horses and drivers on the circuit," that for the last five assizes, some accident of this kind has invariably occurred; and on the present occasion there have been no fewer than nine upsets. The governor of Stafford Gaol was twice upset in his journey to give evidence against the above- named Criminals; front which it seems to be inferred, that the horse-drivers are in some cases in league with the thieves.

At Hereford, on the IIth, a boy, under the age of fourteen, was tried for having caused the death of another boy, aged nine, by drowning him in a

pond. The boys were bathing together, and in the course of their gambols,

the living lad pulled his companion under the water, and he and his youthful friends for a short space troubled themselves no more about him, under the

impression that the water was too shallow to cause the fatal result which

formed the subject of the prosecution. They at last milled him out, but still had no idea that he was dead, till they found that he neither moved nor spoke to them. The principal evitness was it boy eight years of age. There being no evidence of malice, the jury acquited the prisoner; who, during, the trial, appeared deeply affected.

At the same assizes, James Roger; and John Harford, the one a paper- maker and the other a harness-maker, at Poplar, were charged vvith having

stolen from the arsenal, at Woolwich, a mortar weighing ten hundre■I weight and valued at 40/. the property of the Eing. The mortar was seen safe at the Arsenal on the evening of the 29111 of May, and Nvas missed on the

morning of the 30th ; and the Deputy Storekeeper observed the tracks of a

cart's wheels at the place, and troced them along. the road to Etatham OIL the way to London. That the prisoners were the persons who committed

this strange theft, was proved from various circumstances: one of them had borroweiCa spring cart from a neighbour, under the protext of bringing house some " light goods ;" both had assisted in carrying the mortar to an ion- founder's, where it was broken up and melted, and one of theta had offered the metal for sale in the form of ingots. 13oth the prisoners were found guilty, and sentenced to be transported for seven years. At Norwich,:on the 12th, Thomas Vaughan was charged with having unlaw- fully and indecently opened a grave in the church-yard of the parish of Great Yarmouth, and stolen the hotly of a woman, named Elizabeth Beck. The husband of the deceased proved that the body was buried in a shrowd tuld one of her own dimity morning-gowns ; but some days afterwards, whoa the grave was opened, in consequence of a rumour that the sepulchres of the lead had been violated, it was found that the corpse had been stolen. though the gown was left at the foot of the coffin. Barber, one of Valihan's com- panions in trade, whose wages were 21. a week, gave a lively account of the visit to the churchyard. " We went up to a tomb-stone, round which there was an iron palisade. The prisoner then began to open one of the graves, desiring me to stand behind one of the tombs, to watch if anybody came.

He then opened the grave with a shove!, and took it body. The operatioa took about an hour ; I held a bag when Vaughan put the body (a female) into it. He then told use to pull the mould into the grave, as he did. Prisoner

then said, have another,' and we got another iu the same way, and carried them to the corner of the churchyard. Next morning we packed them in two deal boxes ; putting' in saw-dust and screwing the lids down. I borrowed a wheelbarrow. and the leaties were put on to the waggen. the prisoner having put on a direction." l'eter Coble searched the defendant's

house which is immediately opposite the corner of the churhyarlI, ()Ile of the officers said to him, " D—n it, Tout. you'll be lagged this time ; you're charged, I see in the warrant, with steatite, a dimity gown ae well as the

body." Prisoner replied, You ought to know me better than that ; if I have taken it, they'll find the gown in the coffin, I dare say." Job I torace, proved making the packing-cases for the prisoner; they were two feet fort inches long, fourteen inches deep. and the same wide. One day, at a

funeral, he saw the prisoner attending it ; he looked into the graves, and told witness the ages of the people buried in them. Mrs. Clarke made sonic

linen bags for the prisoner, but it was innocently done. "I'd no 'dear me soul what they were for. I'm so 'fused ! They were to be made as long as a woman's gown, and as wide as a woman's apron, and to be sewed with strong twine." Young Barber paid for them. The prisoner and Barber said, ""They hoped they should have good luck." The defence set up by the prisoner's counsel, turned upon the importance of anatomical studies, &e. The bird Chief Baron said, it was for the legislature alone to deal with these considerations ; and the prisoner was found guilty.

At the Norwich Assizes, Mr. Maitland, an attorney and late clerk to the magistrates of Norwich, prosecuted the proprietor and printer of the -YornoWe Mercury, in a civil action, for injury to his character by a publication in the said newspaper. It appeared that the action arose out of a paper war which had been carried on for some time between the plautiff and a third person, in the columns of the Norwich Mercury; and the plaintiff, either on account of getting the worst of the conflict, or for some other reason, chose to bring an action of libel, not against his antagonist, but against the editor who had al- lowed both parties the use of his journal for the exercise of their powers in mutual attack and recrimination. The Jury awarded one farthing damages ; and the Lord Chief Baron haying exercised his discretionary power of certifi- cation, each party must pay his own costs, which are said to be considerable. At the Newcastle Assizes, on the Sth current, a respectable-looking old man was arraigned on the charge of having shot his soil. On being asked to plead to the indictment, he said, " I know nothing about loading the gun; I cannot be guilty of things I did not do." It was clearly proved, that the unhappy father had fired a loaded gun at his son in his own house, and that

on receiving the shot, the deceased tell, but jumped up again completely over a chair, and cried " Lord have mercy upon me, I am shot !" then the deceased ran as far as the barn-door, and then fell more than forty yards from the house. The prisoner's sister stated, that her father and grandfather had been insane ; that the prisoner himself was considered insane ; that his wife had committed suicide ; that her brother had attempted to cut her with a knife, and that he told her that he had long carried a cord in his pocket to hang himself. Another witness proved that the prisoner had shaved himself thirty times in one day. The prisoner was acquitted on the ground of insanity, but ordered to be detained. He paid little attention to the proceedings of the court.

At Wells, on the 13th, George Edwards and Charles Hellier were capi- tally indicted for having assaulted Joseph Weeks, put him in bodily fear, and extorted from him 6/ by a threat of accusing him of having com-

mitted an unnatural offence. The case disclosed some of the practices of a most atrocious system, chiefly by the evidence of a party in the conspiracy— a fellow whose very appearance excited horror as he stood in the witness-

box. He avowed, that he was himself the principal director of the pro- ceedings, and that he had arranged what was necessary to be sworn, Charles Hellier undertaking to swear against the prosecutor anything which the

witness might dictate. The two prisoners, when the prosecutor called on them, told him that if he did not give them Gl. his life was not worth a

penny ; that he cried bitterly, and protested his innocence, and that the prisoners cried out upon him, that his innocence would not save him ; that they would swear against him in such a manner as would hang him beyond all chance of escaping, and that they would state such a variety of minute and particular facts as would hang the prosecutor, "as sure as God hung apples." Verdict, guilty ; sentence deferred.

At these Assizes, a fellow was charged with having stolen 3301. in guineas, half-guineas, and seven-shilling pieces, from the house of a farmer. The

prisoner and another man entered the house on an evening in December ; and while the one, armed with a club, stood guard over the farmer's wife, who had got out of bed and was about to give the alarm, the other ransacked the house for money, which they seemed to have a perfect knowledge was in it. At last they fell upon a box, from which the woman saw them take five bags of gold, which had been laid up as the marriage-portions of the farmer' five daughters. Each bag originally contained 75/. 12s. in gold, and tlfe name of the daughter was inscribed on each bag. Two of them had received three guineas each out of their portions ; and the others had received various sums, so as to considerably reduce the contents. Upon the division of the booty, the rubbers shared the money freely in a public-house, in which they quarrelled. The prisoner was found guilty, but recommended to mercy, because no personal violence had been used.

At the Cork Assises, on the 11th current, Captain Stewart of the Mary Russell, whose murder of seven of his crew was noticed in the first number of the Seecraron, was placed upon his trial for this extraordinary offence ; and notwithstanding the general belief that Stewart was insane, the judicial pro- ceedings excited uncommon interest. It appeared from the evidence of Daniel Scully, a boy about eleven years of age, who sailed from Barhadoes with the prisoner, that, on the voyage home, the prisoner conceived an opinion that Smith, the mate, was at the head of a mutiny which had been organised to seize the vessel ; and at one time he came upon deck with a harpoon in his hand and threatened to run it through Smith. The prisoner soon after came as far as the half-hatch, armed with pistols, called the men, and asked which of them would tie Smith ? The men declined the task, on the ground that they did not know what Smith had done. The Captain's wish was complied with by Swanson, the second mate. Sullivan, Cramer, and Connell, a passenger, were next called down into the cabin and succes- sively tied by the Captain himself. The Captain soon after came upon deck, and tied Keating to the deck companion ; and two of the other men allowed themselves to be treated in the same manner ; two of them, who complained of cold, were dragged 'below. One of the seamen named Howes was in the after hold, and on visiting him, the prisoner finind that he was not tied in the manner in which he left him. He wished him to come under the hatch and submit to be tied over again ; but on his refusal the Captain, who was armed with pistols, fired twice at Howse, and wounded him in the hand. While he was reloading his pistols the wounded man made his escape, armed himself with a harpoon, pushed the Captain down, and seized one of the pistols, and put his knee on him. Rickards then ran upon deck, got a hatchet, and struck Howse three times upon the head. At this time a vessel hove in sight, and those who were at liberty twice attempted to reach her,int she steered another course. The Captain then went down into the cabin and exclaimed "The curse of God was on them all!" The prisoner then raised a crow-bar which he had in his hand and killed Swanson, then Connell, next Morley, also a passenger, then Frank Sullivan, Cramer, Keating ; and lastly, Captain Baynes, another passenger. He then took the crow-bar and struck down into the Lazarette with it, and then put his hand down and felt the back of Smith's head cold, when he observed that he was done for. The poor men cried out and begged for mercy, but he replied, "You ruffians, you intended to kill me ; I will now take your lives." To Captain Baynes, he said, ".Jemmy, I put a heavy curse on you, but now I will take it off.'' He after- wards held up his hand, and addressing the boys, said, " See, boys, how firm any hand is—it is the same as if I had not killed one of them ; I could walk over them like mad dogs." He said that each of the boys was to get a hundred golden guineas, and that Rickards should get 20001. for saving his life, and that he (prisoner) should get 70001. or 8000/. from Lloyd's, and the largest ship out of London. He then made the witness sign a paper, stating that the men had mutinied ; he therm went down into the cabin, and he closed up the companion,and fixed the speaking trumpet inside, to make a noise if any one should come down, fearing that Howse did not bleed to death. He then went into his state cabin and the boys with him. He slept till half past twelve, and got up, and the boys slept till four. There was a compass in the cabin to see the points on which the ship was going; the vessel at this time was going ESE, and was as straight as if one thousand men were steer- ing, on which he said that Howse must be at the wheel, and he called out " John, one point more to the leeward;" the prisoner then looked, at an old watch he had, and saw it going. He said it would never go before, and the Almighty God told him that the boys were guilty. He then tied the boys and the watch stopped ; and the prisoner then said they were innocent. The watch went on again, and he said they were again guilty, and he had the words only out of his mouth when a vessel hailed them, and they were res leased. The witness did not hear one word that could be construed into mutiny by anyone on board. Ou the contrary, the people would not hurt a hair of the captain's head. Before the scuffle between the captain and Howes the witness saw the evil, and called out. The captain then said, " It was God Almighty who had sent it, to get rid of the people." The prisoner also said that he would give them the long-boat and provisions to go away from the ship ; but he would only loose one man at a time. One man how.. ever was not sufficient to get the boat out ; and neither the prisoner nor the boys could do it. Captain Callendar, of the vessel who released the sur- vivors, mentioned, that on his approaching the prisoner's vessel, the captain called out " for God's sake to assist him, as there was a mutiny on board." When he boarded the vessel, Captain Stewart, after asking if he knew Cap- tain Baynes and Howse, said " They are all dead, except one man who made his escape, who was very resolute." When he came on board, prisoner shook hands with him and gave him a loaded pistol : there was a signal of distress up when time Mary Russell was met ; prisoner went and broke a pane with his foot in one place, and then another, and bid witness look down at the dead people ; witness went down two steps of the cabin ladder and looked into the cabin ; prisoner said " I can trample over those like dead sheep ; was I not a valiant little fellow to kill so many men ? " The prisoner then produced a paper from a prayer-book, which he had in his bosom, which he said the boys had signed, stating that the dead men had admitted that there was a mutiny on board. Howse was traced to the fore- castle ; and on finding that relief had reached the ship he came on deck, and submitted to have his hands tied at the request of the prisoner. Howse then mentioned that Smith the mate had spoken ; but [he Captain said that was impossible, as he had made him dead enough. The prisoner, when Smith came on deck, asked him if the others had lint confessed that there was a mutiny on board ; and lie answered" They had." Three men were left on board the vessel ; but Capt. Callendar did nut visit the ship for two days afterwards. When lie did so, he asked the prisoner how he felt? The an- swer was "Not very well." The prisoner seemed still to entertain the opi- nion that his people were going to take his life. He then got on the main chains, and saying, " God help us," threw himself overboard—the boat was lowered, and he was picked up : he then said, " God help myself and my family; will you carry me safe to Cork ?" He then said he was afraid to stop on deck, and threw himself overboard a second time, and was again picked up. Having been removed to Captain Callendar's vessel, he a third time threw himself into the sea, but was again rescued. Other witnesses spoke to va- rious acts of extravagance and eccentricity of conduct on the part of Stewart ; and it appeared that he had previously been deemed occasionally insane. The medical gentlemen who were examined said that the prisoner since his confinement had given decided proofs of insanity. Dr. Osborne heard the evidence given that day in court, and had no doubt from what he heard from the witnesses that the prisoner must have been insane, when he committed the act. The Chief Baron—" Do you consider every man insane who com- mits a diabolical act ?" Witness—" I do not, my Lord." The Chief Baron —" Why then you have formed yourself into a thirteenth juror ; the whole object of the trial is to ascertain the question you have answered so easily— might he not assume insanity to cover his act ?" Witness—." I only judge from the evidence given." The Chief Baron—." Pray can you say that all the witnesses swore trimly ?" Witness—" I presume that all the witnesses swore truly, as they swore upon their oaths—and my opinion was given from time experience I have had as physician at the Lunatic Asylum for the last two years, and from the attention I have given to insanity in general." After deliberating about an hour, the Jury delivered the following verdict —" Guilty, but we consider him to have been in an insane state of mind

at the time." Chief Baron, "We can't receive such a verdict ; go back and rectify it." Baron Pennefather—" The verdict is actually tan- tamount to Not guilty;' for the law does not recognize that as guilt, which is committed when a person does not know right from wrong ; you can amend it without leaving your box." The issue was accordingly returned to the Jury, when, after a short pause, the foreman handed it to the clerk of the crown, who read it aloud as follows : " Not Guilty, having committed the act when labouring under mental derangement." The Lord Chief Baron then directed that the prisoner should be conveyed back to gaol, to remain there until further orders. The prisoner continued unmoved, and without evincing any symptoms of mental or corporeal weak- ness, during the trial. Before lie was removed from the dock he expressed his gratitude to his solicitor and his counsel for their exertions, and requested that an intimation might be immediately made to his wife of the result. Just before he left the dock, he lifted up his hands with great apparent fervour, and said, "I have great reason to bless God, for if I had committed the mur- der wilfully, I would, not have wished to live myself; but I did not." Time prisoner was then conveyed, in the custody of the sheriffs, to the gaol, fol- lowed by a vast multitude.

The ruffian Corder was executed, according to his sentence, on Monday at twelve o'clock, in a large field behind the County Gaol of Bury St. Ed- munds. The scene was witnessed by an immense multitude, including a very large proportion of females, many of them (if we may believe the re- porters) " dressed in the first style of fashion !" From three o'clock in the morning, the peasantry had been in motion from all the neighbouring country; some walked twenty or thirty miles. Corder, poor wretch, appears to have spent the hours numbered out to him in much disquietude, and sinking of the spirit. He attended to all the religious exercises of the prison, and seemed impressed by them ; and, in the loose popular sense of the terms, it may be said that he died penitent. His confession, indeed, was both reluctant and measured : he first had a scruple of conscience against confession in general—he thought it Popish; and when the ingenious casu- istry of the worthy Governor, Mr. Orridge, made out a case in favour of a public confession of public crimes, of which he had been accused and con- demned, he cautiously suited his admissions to the terms of that case—ac- knowledging that he had killed his paramour with a pistol, but denying that he had stabbed or strangled her. To other inquiries (we quote again from the veracious chroniclers of his deeds and sayings) his reply was," Sparc me upon that point ; I have confessed what is sufficient for public justice." " When all was completed," he murmured to Mr. Orridge, " I have offended my God, I acknowledge the justice of my sentence, and die in peace with all mankind;" and Mr. Orridge announced the communication to the gaping multitude. An executioner from London did the honours of the law on this occasion. A galvanic battery from Cambridge was to have operated on the dead body ; but this promise, we believe, was not realized. In due time, however, and after a decent exhibition in the Shire-Hall, which women did

not shun, the body was dissected. There was a scramble for his relics ; the halter that hanged him (we still quote as aforesaid) was sold at the price of " a guinea an inch ;" and the Sheriff " would not part with his pistols for a hundred guineas," or his whole shtievalty. Further details will be found subjoined in a sort of official manifesto by Mr. Orridge ; and if still more be wanted " to satisfy the public anxiety," after a week's repletion at this banquet of blood, the public, we presume, knows where to find the °frills.

Mn. ORRIDGE'S STATEMENT.

"Upon William Corder's returning from the Shire-hall, after he had re- ceived sentence, I took him into my office, and explained to him that I had a melancholy and painful duty to perform with respect to him, and that a part of that duty was to have him immediately stript of his clothes, and have the prison clothes put on him ; this was accordingly done. I then told him I thought the sooner he could forget all earthly matters the better ; and, therefore, if lie had any request to make, I begged he would recollect himself, and do it immediately, and that I would instantly tell him if his wishes, what- ever they might be,:could or would he complied with. After some consider- ation, he said it would be a great consolation to tell him if his wife could be permitted to spend the remainder of his time with him. This, I told him,

was impossible, but that she would be allowed two interviews with him. He was then removed to another room. The Chaplain (Mr. Stocking) attended him in the evening. After the chaplain was gone, I continued with him till half-past ten o'clock. I hinted to him that his defence, though, perhaps ingenious, could not be believed, and that surely he would feel an inward satisfaction in confessing the truth. He then declared, his defence was true, and that he had nothing to confess; indeed he said the confession, of his faults would only tend to disgrace his family more, and could be of no use tohis soul ; and upon any other question put to him respecting the murder during that evening he preserved a sullen silence. In the course of the evening he mentioned the particulars of his marriage. He stated he left home the latter end of September ; that he went to 'Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, and Southampton ; that he returned to London in about two months, and advertised for a wife ; that he had forty-five applications to the advertise- ment, and that one of them was from a lady who wrote to him to say that she should go to church in a certain dress, and sit in a particular place ; and re- questing him to go to church with his left arm in a black sling, a black handkerchief round his neck, and place himself in such a position that they might see each other, and then judge if a personal interview would be de- sirable. He said he accordingly went to the church, but by some means lie had mistaken the hour of divine service, so that he never saw that lady. He said, that, after he saw his present wife, he never left her till they were married; that from the time of his advertising to his marriage, was about a week. I observed to him, that he was a most fortunate man, under these circumstances, to have met with a woman who had been so kind to him during the whole of his confinement. I then left him.

" My two servants told me the next morning, that he fell asleep about

eleven o'clock and slept till after four o'clock ; that he did not talk to them ; during Saturday, the Chaplain (Mr. Stocking) was several times with him. At other times I now and then hinted the necessity of confession. In the course of that day he said, that confession to God was all that was necessary, and that confession to man was what he called Popedom, or Popery, and he would never do it.' It was hinted to him, some time in the day, that he must have had great nerve, to dig the hole during the time the body laid in his sight ; his reply was, Nobody knows that the body lay in the barn and in sight whilst I dug the hole,' and would then say no more on the subject, but exclaimed, 0, God ! nobody will dig my grave.' His wife saw him in my presence for near an hour. He expressed much anxiety about her future welfare. She entreated him to forget tier, and employ his few hours, yet remaining, in prayer for his salvation and eternal welfare. I went to hiS. room on Saturday evening, about eight o'clock, with an intention of sitting an hour or two with him, but he had gone to bed and was asleep, and my men told me the next morning that he slept until near three o'clock.

" On Sunday morning, Mr. Stocking was with him early, and endeavoured

to lead his mind to the necessity of confession ; he attended chapel and was very much affected. About half-past twelve o'clock his wife had her last interview ; they were both very much affected ; in the course of that inter- view he exclaimed—' Well might Mr. Orridge say that I was a most fortu- nate man to meet with such a woman as you are.' He then explained to her that he had told me the way in which they had come together, and that be had forty-five applications to his advertisement ; he entreated, if ever she married again, to be sure nut to answer any similar advertisement, as woeful experience must have convinced her how dangerous a step it was. The parting scene was most affecting ; the poor woman remained in a state of stupor for some time. Corder was much affected throughout the day. Mr. Stocking had several interviews with him, and in the evening the Sheriff's Chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Sheen, attended him, for which attention he expressed himself as feeling very grateful. About nine o'clock I sent him the annexed paper.

" Confession.—Confession to the world has always been held necessary atonement where the party has committed offences affecting the interests of society at large. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth shall have mercy.' Surely confession to God cannot be here meant as no man can hope to hide his sins from God. ' Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another.'—James v. 16. Archbishop Tillot- son says, In case our sins have been public and scandalous, both reason and the practice of the Christian Church do require that when men have publicly offended they should give public satisfaction and open testimony of their repentance. The text in James is a direct command.' The Christian Doctrine of the necessity of restitution is strong; and-if you will not con- fess, how can you make restitution to the reputation of your victim ? You have accused her of having murdered herself. If you died without denying that accusation, how do you obey the command—' to do that to another which we would have another do to us ?' The doctrine of confession, which is objectionable in a Popish point of view, is the private confession to a Priest of private vices ; but the duty of making acknowledgment of public crimes can have nothing to do with such objections. Even supposing it doubtful whether a man is bound, after offending society, to confess his errors to the world, there can be no doubt that he will not do anything wrong by confessing. One course is therefore certain, the other uncertain. Can

a man hesitate to seize the former? JOHN °MUDGE:

" I begged he would read it attentively, and that I would come to hint soon, I went to his room a little before ten, and remained in earuest con-

versation with him till half-past eleven ; I told hint that during the thirty years I have held my situation, I had the satisfaction in assuring him that no man who had been executed during that time had ever dared to take the sacra- ment in sullen silence about his crime, or without confession ; that 1 well knew front his letters that I had seen, and from other circumstances, that the line of defence he had adopted was not the dictates of his own mind—at least, for a long time after his commitment—and that 1 was sure that be would not, and dare not, take the sacrament, and remain silent, or deny being the guilty cause of the death of poor Maria Marten. He then exclaimed, ' Oh! Sir, I wish I had made a confident of you before ; I have often wished to have done it, but you know, Sir, it was no use eitiloy- hug a legal adviser, and then not follow his advice.' I told bins that up to the time of his conviction it was proper, but that being over, all earthly considerations must cease. He then exclaimed, I mn a guilty man !' I then went for a pen and ink, and began to ask him the particulars of the offence, which I had told hint the public had supposed him to be guilty of. He said, ' Oh, spare me ! I can only mention to you the particulars how Maria came by her death ; with this the public must be satisfied ; I cannot say more.' I then wrote the following confession nearly in his own words. I read it to him attentively, and lie signed it with a firm hand. I left him about half-past one o'clock, and my men told me he laid very still, and ap- peared to sleep through the night. " On Saturday he told a respectable individual whom I had asked to sit and read to him, that he was guilty of the forgery upon Messrs. Alexander's bank, and that he had been assured the money was paid ; there are some parts of the foregoing, statement which he also mentioned to the same indi- vidual. He also expressed much horror at the thoughts of being dissected and anatomized. He also stated, after he had signed the confession, that he felt great respect for the girl, but that he had no intention to marry her at that time.

(Signed) " JOHN Cement."

CONFESSION.

"Bury Gaol, Aug. 10, 1820—Condemned Cell, Sunday evening, half-past eleven. " I acknowledge being guilty of the death of poor Maria Marten, by shoot- ing her with a pistol. The particulars are. as follows :—When we left her father's house, we began quarrelling about the burial of the child; she ap- prehended that the place wherein it was deposited would be found out. The quarrel continued for about three-quarters of an hour, upon this and about other subjects. A scuffle ensued, and during the scuffle, and at the time I think that she had hold of me, I took the pistol from the side pocket of my velveteen jacket, and fired. She fell, and died in an instant. I never saw even a struggle. I was overwhelmed with agitation and dismay. The body fell near the front doors on the floor of the barn. A vast quantity of blood issued from the wound, and ran on to the floor and through the crevices. Having determined to bury the body in the barn (about two hours after she was dead), I went and borrowed the spade of Mrs. Stowe; but before I went there I dragged the body from the barn into the chaff-house, and locked up the barn. I returned again to the barn and began to dig the hole ; but the spade being a bad one, and the earth firm and hard, I was obliged to go home for a pick-axe and a better spade, with which I dug the hole, and thee buried the body. I think I dragged the body by the handkerchief that was tied round her neck. It was dark when I finished covering up the body. I went the next day, and washed the blood from off the barn floor. I declare to Almighty God I had no sharp instrument about me, and that no other wound but the one made by the pistol was inflicted by me. I have been guilty of great idleness, and at times led a dissolute life, but I hope, through the mercy of God, to be forgiven. "W. CoaDee." " 'Witness to the signing by the said William Corder, " Sunday evening, half-past 12. JOHN ()MUDGE."

" Condemned Cell, eleven o'clock, Monday morning, Aug. 11.

" The above confession was read over carefully to the prisoner in our presence, who stated most solemnly that it was true; that he had nothing to add to or retract front it.

cc W. STOCKING, Chaplain.

" T. R. HOLMES, Under Sheriff."