"A sad affair has occured at Buckland, which has created a great sensation in the neighbourhood. About four months ago, a farmer named Bird, being in want of a servant, applied to the Union, and took therefrom the daughter of a man named Parsons, who was transported some years since from this place; she was well recommended by the Governor. On Saturday the girl died, and an inquest was held on her body, the result of which proves that her death was the result of ill-treatment.
"A verdict of Wilful Murder was returned against the farmer and his wife, and they have been commited to the county Gaol to await their trial at the Assizes.
"The treatment of the deceased as deposed to by the various witnesses was brutal in the extreme, and the description of her body as given by the surgeon, Mr. Gunner, and others horrified the assembly in the Court.
"Suffice it to say that her body was a mass of wounds, bruises, abscessess, and cuts from whips, sticks, &c.; and the deceased was reduced to this frightful condition by the prisoners.
"Their conduct excited the deepest indignation, and it was with difficulty that the perpetrators of this horrid crime were kept by the Police officers from the hands of the infuriated mob on their being conveyed from the Court to prison. So much excitement has not been witnessed in this place since the unfortunate omnibus accident three years ago.
"On the morning of their departure for Exeter, the bridge, which they had to cross, was thronged by hundreds of people, - but the authorities judiciously ordered a car at the gaol door, in which the prisoners were conveyed two miles out of town, to await the arrival of the Exeter mail. No doubt, if this step had not been taken, the prisoners would have been torn to pieces."
No comment, - Too sad!
Source: The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 12th January, 1850.
No comments:
Post a Comment