William Adams

218

Dianne Jones on 27th May 2022

NEWSPAPER report of the trial: 29 December, 1843 -- Evening Mail, p7: "William Adams was indicted for cutting and wounding William Green, at Romsey, with intent to kill and murder him, or to do him some grievous bodily harm. Mr. Missing appeared for the prosecution, Mr. Pohlden defended the prisoner. William Green.—I am servant to Mr. Rawlings and was appointed by him to assist in looking after his game. I was out at 4 o’clock in the morning of the 17th September. I saw the prisoner standing in the turnpike-road near the corner. Some birds flew into the turnip-field, and the prisoner crossed to the gate of the field. He saw me coming, and he walked along the turnpike-road. He passed me and I wished him good morning. He shortly afterwards looked round after me. I got into the field and went back again till I got to a copse, where I saw the prisoner just standing by the road. He got on the bank, took a gun from his pocket, placed it at his shoulder, and fired at a hen pheasant. The bird fell, and he was going to pick it up, but seeing me struck off in another direction. I went after him and said, 'Young man, you are early in the season for this kind of thing.’ He took the barrel from the stock of his gun, and threw the stock in the hedge. He then held up the barrel and told me three times to stand off. I said it was my master’s duty, and I must do it. He then struck at me with the barrel of the gun. I smiled, and he said, 'Stand off or I’ll slaughter you on the place.' I said, 'There’s no runaway in me.' He then ran away and I after him. I said, 'I want to know what your name is.' He again threatened to butcher me. He kept striking at me. He again ran away. I tripped myself up and fell down; as I was rising he turned back and struck me across the shoulders with the barrel of the gun, and before I could get up he struck me on the head, and there is the wound now. The blood ran down both sides of my face, and I was very nearly stunned. I jumped back into the field, and he came at me again. I struck him on the head with my stick; he staggered at it a little. I ran into him and collared him, and threw him on his back, and tried to take the barrel of the gun from him, but he turned it under him, and said, 'I’ve got you now,' and struck me across the forehead and cut it open. I managed to get on the top of him. My little finger came near his mouth, he snapped at it, and got it in his mouth. I called for help but no one came. He then bit the bone of my finger in two. I asked if he would yield to me, but he said he would not. I told him he should be there till he did. At last he yielded to me. My finger was obliged to be cut off. I took the prisoner down to my master. I was all over blood. I have not recovered the use of my hand or arm. I was ten weeks under medical care... Mr. Sainsbury, the surgeon, attended me. I did not see that the prisoner’s head was injured. Mr. Rawlings.—Green was employed by me look after game. I saw Green when he came to my house on the Sunday morning. He was covered with blood from head to foot. I searched the prisoner, and found on him powder and shot. I did not see that the prisoner was wounded. Mr. Pohlden addressed the jury for the prisoner. He feared that while the game law continued as it now was, and agricultural distress was so great, these cases would not be infrequent. No doubt an assault had been committed upon Green, and there could be as little doubt that the prisoner was out for the purpose of taking game; but he thought there were some circumstances of mitigation. The prisoner felt he was where he had a right to be, and he found that Green was resolute in his intention of apprehending him; he had endeavoured to intimidate him, in the hope that he could get away and avoid incarceration; but at first it was evident he did not intend to injure Green because he ran away twice, and he would not have committed any act of brutality if he could by any possibility have escaped. There was a second count, charging the prisoner with having assaulted Green with an intent to resist his lawful apprehension; but with regard to that fact, Green had no right at that time of the day to apprehend the prisoner, and therefore that count would fall to the ground. The question, therefore, came this, whether they thought the prisoner had intended to do Green some grievous bodily harm. He would not dispute the fact of the prisoner having committed common assault. Mr. Justice Erskine, in summing up, observed that did not think it appeared that Green intended to apprehend the prisoner, and therefore the question would be whether they considered the prisoner intended to do Green some grievous bodily harm. It was for them to say whether he could have struck another [with] such blows with such a weapon without having an intention of doing some grievous bodily harm. The Jury found the prisoner Guilty, with an intent to do some grievous bodily harm, and he was sentenced to be transported for 21 years." (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/) --00--

108

Nell Murphy on 2nd September 2017

William ADAMS was convicted at Winchester 20 Dec 1843 for assault, with grievous bodily harm. Stated he had been in a quarrel and he was cut with a stick. Gaol Report: states previous conviction, but William denied this. 21yr transportation sentence. Sent to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) per the ship 'Blundell' arriving 6 July 1844. Aged 42yrs; saddler & harness maker; Church of England; can read & write; married man; fresh complexion; brown hair; Hazel eyes. Native Place: Romsey, England. Colony: (note - Norfolk Island, off the east coast of Australia was at that time administered by Van Diemen's Land) 1st Station Gang: Norfolk Island. Transferred to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) per the ship 'Governor Phillip' in Feb 1847. Stationed at Swan River. 1848: Assigned to Mr. Fraser, Collins St. Hobart. 24 Nov 1851: Ticket of Leave granted. 3 March 1853: Conditional Pardon approved. 17 Jan 1865: Hobart - charge of Larceny. 3 mths hard labour.