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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    sed (seized) Haddock, and got hold his of collar, saying, *' What are you doing on my premises ?” Maddock said “ I’m not come to do you any harm.” The prisoner then said, “ You must come with me into the house.” Maddock, refused, saying “ I will not.”—Mr. Wakefield then observed, “ ^ ou must go with me down into the town”.—When he seized Maddock, the latter fell down by some means, and I also fell. I suppose the fall was owing to being seized with such violence. I think Maddock was down twice. Wakefield twice asked him to go to the house ; I don’t know whe¬ ther he was violent then. Maddock positively refused. Wakefield had then a dagger in his hand, which he held against Haddock’s breast, say¬ ing “ if you molest, I’ll stab you.” I had seen the dagger before. The sevfrantman slept in the house, and had it under his head. I cannot exactly tell its length : perhaps it was as long as my arm. I think there were three edges to it. I do not know what sort of a point it had. When he was seized, Maddock said, “ Don’t throttle me, Mr. Wakefield.” It was between light and dark, and Maddock struggled hard to get away. He asked Maddock to go into the town with him, and Maddock said he would.—I afterwards saw him get loose, and run away. At this time they were not far from the gate. Mr. Wakefield called for Mr. Ansdell, who lived close by. I do not know what became then of Mr. Wake¬ field, only that he followed Maddock towards the gate. I run home as fast as I could. I can’t say, that Maddock had gone through the gate. When I got home I found m3;r fellow servant Martha Bradbury, in her bed room. About five minutes after Wakefield came in ; he called me down, and asked me to light a candle. I did so. He said, “ What should you have thought if I had stabbed him?” I said, “you durst not do it; he was not come to do you any harm.’’ I then went to bed. This con¬ versation was in the kitchen ; I left him in the lobby. I heard him in the other rooms as if he was making up the windows. Perhaps in an hour and a half after I had been in bed, I was alarmed by two men at the bed room window, and I soon knew of Maddock being dead. Cross-examined by Mr. Cross. I had lived about three quarters of a year in the house; from last Christmas but one. I now live in Staffordshire with my father’s sister; her husband is a farmer; I have wages from them as a servant. I once saw Price, a servant, in the house, sleep with the dagger. Mr. Wake¬ field’s is a lone house. X thought nothing of the man sleeping with a weapon under his head. T don’t know any thing of other houses having arms to protect them in the night. There had been no robbery in the house, as I know of, but there had in the out-buildings, one night, whilst I lived there. There was one of the window staunchions loosened. Mr. Wakefield sometimes looked after the doors at night, but I don’t know
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