Henry Murril deposed that some time in January last was twelvemonth, he was informed that some persons were at his house, enquiring after some tea they had lost, but could not tell who they were; that he went to young Cockrel’s, who keeps a public-house at Yapton; where he saw Jerry Curtis and two others, drinking. Curtis was very angry; said some rogues had stolen two bags of tea from him, and d—n him, he would find it out, and severely punish those concerned therein; for d—n him, he had whipt many a rogue, and washed his hands in their blood; that Curtis had offered this deponent five guineas to get the tea again, or find out who had got it; and then said that if money could not get it, he would come sword in hand, and find it out and take it away.
Being asked by the court if the prisoner Mills was one of them that were with Curtis, said he could not tell.
Henry Titcomb deposed that one day in January last was twelvemonth, Curtis and Mills came to Mr. Boniface’s barn, where he, the prisoner, and Richard Hawkins (the deceased) were at work; that Curtis called Hawkins out to speak with him; that he did not hear what passed between them, but that Hawkins went away with them; that a little while after, the same afternoon, he saw Hawkins riding behind Mills from Walberton towards Slindon, and never saw Hawkins the deceased afterwards.
John Saxby deposed that he was a servant to Cockrel the elder, of Walberton; that the day Hawkins (the deceased) was missing, Curtis, Mills, and Hawkins came to his master’s house and drank together; that at going away, Mills bid Hawkins get up behind him, which he at first refused, saying he would not, without making a sure bargain; that they bid him get up for they would satisfy him, which Hawkins did; and this deponent never saw the deceased afterwards.
Thomas Winter, alias the Coachman, an accomplice, deposed that one day the latter end of January was twelvemonth, he, with Jerry Curtis, alias Pollard, were at the prisoner Reynolds’s house, who kept the Dog and Partridge on Slindon Common; that Curtis presently went away from him, and promised to come to him again very soon, for he was to pay this witness some money he owed him; that this deponent stayed at the Dog and Partridge the rest of the day; that towards evening Richard Rowland, alias Robb, came to the house, asked for his master Curtis, and stayed with this deponent till night, when the prisoners Mills and Curtis came; that Curtis called for Robb, and said, “Robb, we have got a prisoner here”; then Hawkins got down from behind Mills, and all went in together, to a parlour in the prisoner Reynolds’s house; that they all, viz., Hawkins (the deceased), Curtis, Mills, Rowland, otherwise Robb, and this deponent, sat down together; that then they began to examine Hawkins about the two bags of tea, which he denied, saying he knew nothing of the matter; that Curtis said, “D—n you, you do know, and if you do not confess I shall whip you till you do, for, d—n you, I have whipped many a rogue, and washed my hands in his blood;” that the prisoner Reynolds came in when they were urging the deceased to confess, and said to the deceased, “Dick, you had better confess, it will be better for you”; his answer was, “I know nothing of it.” After Reynolds was gone, Mills and Robb were angry with the deceased; that Robb struck him in the face and made his nose bleed, and threatened to whip him to death; that Mills showed he was pleased with what Robb had done, and again threatened the deceased, who said, “If you whip me to death, I know nothing of it”; that then Mills and Robb made the deceased strip to his shirt, then they began to whip him over the face, arms and body, till they were out of breath, he all the while crying out that he was innocent, and begged them, for God’s sake, and Christ’s sake, to spare his life for the sake of his wife and child; that when they were out of breath, they pulled off their clothes to their shirts, and whipped him again till he fell down; when he was down they whipped him over the legs and belly, and upon the deceased kicking up his legs to save his belly, they saw his private parts; then they took aim thereat, and whipped him so that he roared out most grievously; that then they kicked him over the private parts and belly; they in the intervals asking after the tea; the deceased mentioned his father and brother, meaning the two Cockrels; that upon this Curtis and Mills took their horses, and said they would go and fetch them, and rode away, leaving the deceased with Robb and this deponent. That after they were gone, he and Robb placed the deceased in a chair by the fire, where he died.
John Mills alias Smoker, & Richd. Rowland alias Robb, Whipping Richd. Hawkins, to Death, at ye Dog & Partridge on Slindon Common, & Jeremiah Curtis, & Thos. Winter alias Coachman, Standing by Aiding & abetting ye Murder of the said Richd. Hawkins.
Being asked by the court if the deceased was in good health when he came to the prisoner Reynolds’s house, and if he believed he died of the ill-usage he there met with, his answer was, “He was in good health when he came there, and was a stout man, and I am sure he died of the kicks and bruises he received from Mills and Robb.”
He further deposed that when they found he was dead Robb locked the door, put the key in his pocket, then they took their horses and rode towards Walberton to meet Curtis and Mills; that in the lane leading to Walberton he met them, with each a man behind him; that he desiring to speak with them, the men behind them got off and stood at a distance. That this deponent asked Curtis what they were going to do with these two men, who answered, “To confront them with Hawkins.” Then the deponent told him he was dead, and desired that no more mischief might be done, when Curtis replied, “By God, we will go through with it now.” That this deponent begged that the two men might be sent home, for there had been mischief enough done already; that then Curtis bid the two men go home, and said when they wanted them they would fetch them. That they rode all together to the prisoner Reynolds’s house, when Reynolds said to Curtis, “You have ruined me,” and Curtis replied he would make him amends. That then they consulted what to do with the body, when it was proposed to throw him into the well in Mr. Kemp’s park, and give out that they had carried him to France; that the prisoner Reynolds objected to it, as that was too near, and would soon be found. That they laid him on a horse and carried him to Parham Park, about twelve miles from Slindon Common, where they tied large stones to him in order to sink the body, and threw him into a pond belonging to Sir Cecil Bishop.
John Cockrel the younger deposed that the 28th day of January last was twelvemonth, about ten o’clock at night the prisoner Mills came to his house, called for some ale, ordered his horse into the stable; that while he was in the stable Curtis came in, and demanded two bags of tea, which he said his brother-in-law had confessed he had got; that this deponent denied his having them, upon which Curtis beat him with an oak stick till he was tired; that after this they took him with them to his father’s at Walberton, where they took his father and him with them, to carry them to Slindon, on Mills’s and Curtis’s horses, one behind each, and about a mile before they came to Slindon, they met two men on horseback, who called to them, and said they wanted to talk with them; that then they were ordered to get off from behind Curtis and Mills; that after the two men had talked with Curtis and Mills some time, Curtis bid them go home, and when they wanted them they would fetch them.