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?]
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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![juainted with the deceased ; and this intimacy, it will appear, was kftowti to Mr. Wakefield ; for, from what cause I am not able to explain, he found fault with the connexion, and threatened, if he found Maddock on his premises, he would shoot him, or some expression to that effect. It will be shown, that at this period, Mr. Wakefield kept by his bed-side a sort of dagger, with three edges, about three quarters of a yard in length. -—The 8th of September last, was Northwich wake; and on that day, Martha Bradbury went early to the town, in order that Elizabeth Woodward might go in the evening, and that both of them might not be absent from their master’s house at the same time. Woodward was di¬ rected to get ready her Master’s dinner. Mr. Wakefield then mentioned Maddock to Elizabeth Woodward, and after some conversation, said she had better take his advice, and go to London with him. This occurred when he was at dinner. He had before asked her to go to London with him, and she had refused^—When Martha Bradbury came home, according to the agreement, it was the turn of Woodward to go out to the wake. She accordingly went out. About 10 o’clock at night, Mr. Wakefield came home, and was very angry, that she had not returned.—[An interruption of considerable length here took place, in consequence of the dreadfully crowded state of the Court—the spectators formed as it were one solid mass, moving in a frightful manner as the pressure on the sides prepon¬ derated. Had one individual only fallen down, the most terrible conse¬ quences would have resulted.—With great difficulty some degree of si¬ lence was obtained—and the Attorney-General proceeded.]-Shortly after, he went in a great hurry out of the house. It will now be necessary, Gentlemen, to call your attention to the situation of Elizabeth Woodward. At Northwich, it appears, she met with Maddock, the deceased, and he attended her on her way home. This, perhaps, was about half-past eleven o’clock.—They came arm in arm along the public highway, to the gate lead¬ ing to the premises of Mr. Wakefield ; and advancing towards the house, and seeing no light, she became apprehensive the family were gone to bed, and desired Maddock to return with her to Northwich, to sleep at his sis¬ ter’s, to avoid disturbing the family. Accordingly they began to retrace their steps, but had not reached the gate I before mentioned, when Mr. Wakefield rushed out of a little plantation, with a dagger in his hand. He immediately seized Maddock by the collar, and with such force, that both he, and Elizabeth Woodward (who held under his arm) fell to the ground. Maddock got up, and Mr. Wakefield insisted that he should go back to the house with him. He refused; another scuffle took place, in which Maddock was again thrown to the earth, and called out to Mr. Wake¬ field not to throttle him. The Prisoner then said he should go with him into the town, to which Maddock said, “ Very well, Sir; I will go with you into the town.” However, Mr. Wakefield kept pulling him to¬ wards the housef when Maddock suddenly extriettfing himself ran off](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30374285_0006.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
