The trial of Mr. Jno. Wakefield, for the wilful murder of Richard Maddock, at Winnington : in the Assize court at Chester ... on Friday, April third, 1818 ... / Taken in court by the editor of the Chester Chronicle.

  • Wakefield, John.
Date:
[1818?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The trial of Mr. Jno. Wakefield, for the wilful murder of Richard Maddock, at Winnington : in the Assize court at Chester ... on Friday, April third, 1818 ... / Taken in court by the editor of the Chester Chronicle. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    John Wakefield, are you guilty of this Murder, or Not Guilty ?”—The prisoner, forcibly striking his left breast with his right hand, in a most emphatic manner replied, “ I am Not Guilty, Sir.”* Here a general buzz of conversation prevailed in the Court; and it was a considerable time before silence could be obtained. Mr. Attorney-General then addressed the Jury to the following effect: Gentlemen of the Jury, You are now assembled to try a question, of great importance to the country, and particularly to the Prisoner at the Bar, Mr. John Wakefield. He is charged with the crime of Wilful Murder, in having with malice aforethought, taken away the life of one Richard Maddock—and that crime is punishable by our law, as it is by the law of every other civilized country, with death.—My object in noticing the nature of the offence, is by no means to excite feelings in your mind which might operate unfairly against the Prisoner—and I shall therefore content myself with stating in a regular detail, the circumstance which will be adduced before you in evi¬ dence, being well aware, that the more simple the narration, the better it will be for the ends of public justice : And upon such testimony, it will be for you to say, under the direction of their Lordships in points of Law, whether the prisoner be guilty of the Murder or not guilty.—At the time, Gentlemen, that Maddock met with his death, Mr. Wakefield re¬ sided at Winnington, about a quarter of a mile from Northwich, and the only inmates in his house were himself and two maid servants, Elizabeth Woodward, and Martha Bradbury. The former, in July last, became ac- '* In those parts of the Indictment where he was charged with com¬ mitting the offence “ with malice aforethought,” he shook his head, as if in abhorrence of the idea.