220 ROBERT ANDERSON , otherwise HENDERSON proceedingsdefend , and MATTHEW GOODALL proceedingsdefend , were indicted for that they, not having the fear of God before their eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devil, on the 8th day of May , on Susannah, the wife of John Dell < no role > , in the peace of God, and our Lordthe King, then being, feloniously, wilfully, and of their malice aforethought, did make an assault, and him the said Robert Anderson < no role > , with a clasped knife, value one penny, which he then had and held in his right hand, her, the said Susannah Dell proceedingsvictim , in and upon her right breast feloniously, wilfully, and of his malice aforethought, did strike, stab, cut, and penetrate, thereby giving her, by the striking, stabbing, and cutting aforesaid, one mortal wound, of the length of one inch, and of the depth of three inches, of which she instantly died. And the indictment further charges the other prisoner, Matthew Goodall < no role > , to have been present, aiding abetting, comforting, and assisting the said Robert Anderson < no role > , her the said Susannah Dell < no role > , to kill and murder; and so the jurors aforesaid, upon their oaths say, that both the said prisoners, the said Susannah Dell < no role > , feloniously, wilfully, and of their malice aforethought did kill and murder .

They were charged also on the coroner's inquisition with the like murder.

The case opened by Mr. Knowlys.

The witnesses examined separate.

JOHN DELL < no role > sworn.

I was the husband of the deceased Susannah Dell < no role > ; I live in Shawe's-court, Newtoner's lane ; on the 8th of May I left off work about seven, came to the court, my wife, was in James Field < no role > 's room in company with both the prisoners, and with Ann Laurence < no role > and James Field < no role > ; Field and Laurence live together - I went up into the room; there had been some words between Anderson and some other people either out of doors or in the room, and Robert Anderson began upon me almost directly as I came into the room: he began upon me with a naked knife and swore he would run it into me; he had the knife in his hand; I told him several times to be quiet, treated him with a pot of beer, and the landlord also treated him with a pot of beer: he began afresh, and my wife jumped up and caught hold of him by the arm and said, my dear Bob, do not hurt my husband. I told him, says I Bob, if I had a stick I would make you be quiet, but I had no stick or any thing else; he wanted me to take hold of any thing to defend myself; I took hold of nothing at all; my wife throwing Bob Anderson < no role > on the bed to keep him away from me, had hold of him round the middle, got him in her arms; she begged of him several times, my dear Bob do not hurt my husband; she did not give him an angry word then. James Field < no role > seeing Anderson so resolute with a knife, laid hold of Laurence and dragged her out of the room. - He told my wife several times that if she did not let him go he would score her - that was said before Field took Laurence out of the room; they had not been gone a minute before I saw Bob Anderson < no role > strike my wife - I saw the blood - and ran down stairs directly and cried out oh Lord! oh Lord! they have killed my wife! they have killed my wife! Goodall begged of Anderson for the knife; says he, Bob, give me the knife, I will serve it out among any of them; that was before she received the wound: he repeated those words several times; then upon my running down stairs Goodall followed me with a quart pot, and Robert Anderson < no role > with a naked knife in his hand - I did not mind what he had in his hand beside the quart pot, but he threw it at me, and said he would cut my scull open - he hit me somewhere in the body, but I did not feel where in my fright. - Then they both came round me into the street, not many yards from Shawe's-court; they had both knives then in their hands, but how Goodall came by the knife I cannot say: they said they would serve me as they had served my wife; both of them made use of those words, till John Fox < no role > coming up, and took my wife and them away from me or else I certainly should have been killed. My wife had not provoked either of them or given them anyangry words that I saw or heard: my wife lived about three quarters of an hour; she bled very much; she said not a word.

Mr. Garrow, Prisoner's Counsel. You had been at sea some time? - Yes.

How long have you been at home? - Six or seven months.

There had been an improper connection between this young man and her? - Yes, there had been; they had cohabited together, but she flew to me.

You all lived on friendly terms together. - Yes.

These people had been drinking when you came home? - They were together when I came home.

And then very unfortunately, as it should seem, there was more liquor got amongst you? - I sent for a pot of beer to keep them quiet, and my landlord another.

The expression that Goodall used in asking for the knife was while the deceased and Anderson were struggling on the bed? - Yes.

Goodall at that time, if he had any knife, had not produced it? - No, I did not see it.

He was asking this man to give him the knife? - Yes.

If the man had given him the knife he might have prevented mischief by it? - I do not know; I believe they were fully bent on murder.

You had no reason to believe so; you knew of no quarrel? - I had no reason to believe any other.

JAMES FIELD < no role > sworn.

I lived directly opposite to this place where Dell and the deceased lived; I recollect the evening; on Tuesday the 8th of May last me and Robert Anderson < no role > , and Matthew Goodall < no role > , and Ann Laurence < no role > , were together at my room, and we had a pot of porter between us four, and with that Matthew Goodall < no role > and Anderson had some words together about two shillings as Goodall owed Anderson, and Anderson struck Goodall, and they were close by the window in the room, and there was a man, a sailor, hollowed out in the court to Anderson, and said, are you not ashamed; - and he said to Anderson, if you will come down stairs I will give you a good licking. Anderson ran down, and they fell to fighting, and Susan Dell < no role > hearing Anderson's voice she came up stairs and got him away from the man; that sailor was not Dell: - then Susan Dell and John Dell < no role > came up and we were all in the room, and the landlord gave us a pot of porter; we had another pot, which John Dell < no role > paid for; in the course of drinking the beer two little boys came up; says he I have brought them up to have some beer; and John Dell < no role > asked him if he was not ashamed to have a pack of little boys after him. Anderson said to Dell, what is that to you; and John Dell < no role > said to Anderson, if I could find a stick about the room I would give you a good licking, and he asked for a stick twice: Anderson immediately passed him with a knife in his hand from the window, and said take the fender if you cannot find a stick and defend yourself with; he had the knife in his hand, but it was shut at that time; with that Susan Dell < no role > ran between them and caught hold of Robert Anderson < no role > round the neck because he should not hurt her husband: with that she threw him down on the bed in her arms, and said, my dear Bob (to Henderson) do not hurt my husband: he said, let me get up Suke, or else I shall stick you with the knife; let me get up; and at that time he said to Matthew Goodall < no role > , Matt. Matt. take the knife, as he was down on the bed.

Mr. Knowlys. What did he desire him to take the knife for? - I do not know; because he did not mean to hurt the woman I believe. Goodall said give me the knife and I will serve it out, but he did not offer to take the knife.

Mr. Garrow. You say you think Goodall asked for the knife that he should not hurt the woman?

Mr. Knowlys. Was the knife open or shut at the time? - I do not know; I saw it open; she asked him to lend it to her tocut some pig's face about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour before the accident happened and he would not; then they got up off the bed a second time, and he got from her somehow; and she fell down a second time; when Anderson got up the second time he said here is the knife, I will give it to any of you: I said leave the room to themselves; I thought there was danger; I was examined before the coroner; Robert Anderson < no role > said while the woman held him down upon the bed, if you don't get up I will score you; I then went to the bottom of the stairs and in a minute or two Dell came running down and said they have murdered Suke; the two prisoners followed Dell; I then run up stairs and saw the woman leaning against the wall; she then walked a little way, a yard or two, and then fell. Susannah Dell < no role > lived with Anderson during Dell's absence; she liked one as well as the other; I don't believe there was any malice from the prisoner to the deceased.

ANN LAURENCE < no role > sworn.

About five o'clock in the evening Robert Anderson < no role > and Matthew Goodall < no role > , came up into the deceased's room and they had a pot of beer, and after they had drank the beer some words arose about money between Anderson and Goodall; Anderson said he owed him half-a-crown, and Goodall said it is but two shillings and threepence, but I have no money and cannot pay you now; upon that he took up a knife and cut Goodall across the hand; he cried, and told him not to cut him; I put up my hand to prevent the knife cutting Goodall, and Anderson said if the knife frightens you I will put it down again; he then took a stick and struck Goodall, and the people in the court heard it, and a man said, are you not ashamed, come down and I will thrash you: Anderson took the knife off the table and ran down to the man who spoke to him; some blows passed, and Anderson made a push at him with the knife, which by that means was broke; Goodall came running down and I believe struck the man; Susan Dell < no role > came down and prevailed upon them to return up to her room, and presently came in the husband: Anderson and him began to joke, and then Anderson pulled out a knife to fight him with; Susan Dell < no role > said, my dear Bob don't hurt my husband; she put her arms round him and threw him on the bed; Anderson told her to let him go, if you don't let me go, I will score you, I suppose by that he meant he would cut; she did not let him go, but Goodall stood by the side of the bed; he had a pot in his hand, and he said go it, Bob, go it, give me the knife and I will serve it out; by that I suppose he meant he would cut other people; immediately James Field took hold of my right hand and pulled me out of the room. I don't know on what occasion he first pulled out the knife; as I stood at the street-door, I saw Dell run out, Anderson followed with a knife in his hand, I cannot say whether it was open or shut; I saw Goodall throw the quart pot at Dell's head, but I did not see Anderson do any thing; I went up about two minutes after and found her bleeding; she died in about half an hour afterwards.

JOHN FOX sworn.

I know the prisoners, I saw Anderson and Goodall both with knives in their hands, standing before Dell in Newtoner's-lane; I asked Dell what was the matter, and he told me that Bob Anderson < no role > had killed his wife, and they told him that they would serve him as they had done his wife; then they went away.

WILLIAM PARLET < no role > sworn.

I am a surgeon; I was called upon to see Susannah Dell < no role > ; there was a wound on the upper part of the right breast; it appeared to have been given with a sharp instrument; it was about two inches deep; it had almost divided the axillary artery; I have no doubt of that wound being the occasion of her death.

PRISONER ANDERSON's DEFENCE.

The deceased and the witnesses with myself were all drinking together, and we were very drunk, and words arose, and Dell struck me over the shoulder with the fender; my Lord, I had too great a regard for the deceased to hurt her; Dell has got up at four o'clock in the morning and left me in bed with his wife; my Lord, he went and laid with a common prostitute the very night his wife was buried, and lives with her now.

PRISONER GOODALL's DEFENCE.

Please you, my Lord, we were all drinking together, and Dell and Anderson quarrelled, and Dell up with the fender and struck Anderson, that is all I know.

ROBERT ANDERSON < no role > , GUILTY , Death .

MATTHEW GOODALL < no role > , Not GUILTY .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice ASHURST.

Sentence of death was immediately passed on Anderson, to be executed on Monday next, and his body to be dissected and anatomized, which was done pursuant to the sentence .