Canterbury Journal, Kentish Times and Farmers' Gazette - Saturday 13 November 1847.

The Stabbing case at Throwley, near Faversham.

The quiet village of Throwley near Faversham, near which is the seat of Lord Harris, has been the scene of a most tragical occurrence, from the effects of which a man of the name of Richard Cox has died.

Wednesday week the ploughing match of the Faversham Agricultural Association took place at the above Village, which caused a great many of the agricultural population to meet together, and after the match a party of them adjourned to the public house, when a dispute arose between the deceased and a labourer, named Edward Spillett, which ended in a fight outside the house. It appears the deceased had obtained the advantage of Spillett, and had got him on the ground, when the latter it is supposed, took out his knife and stabbed deceased in several parts of the body; from one of the stabs deceased entrails protruded. Spillett was immediately taken into custody, and underwent an examination on Thursday, before Mr. E. Jarman, one of the county justice's, when he was remanded for further examination until the fate of Cox could be known. From the first no hopes were entertained of the deceased's recovery, and he expired on Friday morning, about 7 o'clock. Both the deceased and the accused were men of very bad character.

Spillett underwent a further examination before the Rev. Dr. Poore (chairman of the division of Upper Scray). G. Hilton Esq., General Gooselin, and N. J. Knatchbull Esq., at the "Ship Inn," Faversham, on Monday last, when the following evidence was adduced.

Daniel Rook, of Throwley, labourer examined:- On Wednesday evening last I was at the "Windmill" public house, Throwley, in company with Richard Cox (the deceased,) Edward Spillitt, Charles Clinch, and others, between 8 and 9n o'clock. Spillett and Clinch left the house, and went out on the green, just in front of the house, to fight. They had had a few words indoors. I and Cox and several others went out at the same time to see them fight. They fought about 10-minutes or a quarter of an hour, and Clinch then gave in. Cox acted a second to Clinch for the last round or two. As soon as Clinch gave in, Cox said he would fight "e'er a Spillett there and there with one hand;" and then Cox and Spillett went at it directly. Cox hit Spillett first, and Spillett returned it. Spillett then went down and Cox on top of him. They got up and fought again, and went down again and Cox was on Spillett again. I went up and said to Cox, "Come, Dick, get up;" and he said, "I can't, he holds me;" and I pulled him partly up, and he got up and went towards the public house. I think I was the first person who went up to Cox after they fell; it was very dark. Cox and Spillett were both "fresh." There were between 20 and 30 persons round whilst Cox and Spillett with fighting; but no one was near enough to touch Cox but Spillett.

George Epps, of Throwley, labourer examined:- I was present when Spillett and Clinch fought on the evening of Wednesday last on Throwley Green. After Clinch gave in, I heard Cox offer to fight any of the Spillett's with one hand. I then saw Cox go up and strike Spillett, and Spillett struck him again, and then they joined, and Spillett fell and Cox on him; they got up, and I went up to Spillett and told him to put on his clothes and go home, and he said, "No, ----- his heart, if he comes here again, I'll kill him." Cox came at him again and Spillett fell down again and Cox on top of him, and Rook came up and pulled him off.

John Stevens, of Faversham, labourer examine:- I was at the "Windmill" public house on Wednesday evening last, 3rd of November, and went out on the green just after Clinch and Spillett had done fighting. I heard Cox say to he would fight any of the Spillett's on the ground with one hand. Cox and Spillett had a round, I believe; but I was behind and did not see it. I then saw Cox and Spillett have another round, and Spillett went down, and Cox on him. I got through the crowd, and went up and took hold of Cox by the right arm to help him up, and he said "I am stabbed, Spillett is the man who done it, and no one else," and he asked me to let him lie. When I got through the crowd up to Cox he was on the ground, but I did not then see Spillett, and just after Filmer came up. I assisted Filmer in getting Cox into the house; we undressed him, and on examining him found several wounds, one in the small of the back, to which I held a handkerchief to stop the blood, and another in the belly, from which is entrails were hanging out. Cox asked to see Spillett, that he might forgive him, and said that he was the man who has done it, and no one else.

Julious Gaborian Shepherd of Faversham, Clerk to the magistrates, examined:- On Thursday last attended, in company with Mr. Jarman, one of the county magistrates, at the "Windmill" public house, Throwley, for the purpose of taking the statement of Richard Cox, who I understood was dying from wounds received by him on the previous evening. I produced a written declaration and statement; made by him, he being fully aware of his situation, and that he was then in a dying state. After the examination was taken and signed, it was ascertained that Spillett was in the house, and he was brought up before Cox, in the presence of Mr. Jarman and myself; and the examination so taken was then read over to Cox in the presence of Spillett, and he again stated that the whole was quite true and correct, and that he felt sure he could not live long.

The statement was then put in, which was to the effect as detailed by previous witnesses, and that when on the ground with Spillett he felt him stab him.

George Mundy, of Charing, surgeon, examined:- I was sent for on Wednesday evening last, at 9 o'clock, to attend at Throwley. I went and found Richard Cox at the "Windmill" public house, he was in a complete state of collapse from haemorrhage occasioned by loss of blood from wounds received in different parts of the body. I examined him, and found one in the abdomen, another on the right side just below the short ribs, and four others at different parts. The one in the abdomen was about an inch and a half in length, and from it the small bowels had protruded; the parts were inflated and inflamed in consequence of the smallest of the sperture of the wound. The wound on the right side was rather more than an inch wide, and, as I supposed, had penetrated nearly four inches. I have since discovered from a post-mortem examination of the body, that the liver had been wounded through the aperture or wound on the right. I felt sure that Cox's death was occasioned by the wounds he had so received. The wounds were inflicted by an instrument similar to the knife now produced (a knife found upon the prisoner Spillett when taken into custody.) They were inflicted by a single-edged instrument. I saw Cox about ten minutes after Mr. Jarman and Mr. Shepherd had left him on Thursday, and I then told him that from the nature of the wounds it was quite impossible he should could live, and asked him if he could tell me who inflicted those wounds; and he said it was Edward Spillett.

Several other witnesses, who were present at the fight, were called and examined, but their testimony was similar to that of the former witnesses.

At the conclusion of the examination the Rev. Dr. Poore told the prisoner he would stand committed to Maidstone Assizes, to take his trial for the wilful murder of Richard Cox. The prisoner is a young man, having a wife and two children, and was much affected during the examination.

An inquest was held on Tuesday before Mr. Delasaux, when the evidence was pretty much a recapitulation of that given before the magistrates, with the addition of the constables who took the prisoner into custody.

Giorgos Austin, constable of Eastling, deposed, that he went in company with Theobalds to the house of Spillett, the day after the occurrence, and told him that he must take him prisoner; when Spillett asked "what for?" Theobalds said "I suppose you know what for," and he replied "Yes - I suppose it's for that job of Cox's." Theobalds said "Yes it is;" and desired him to get a light, when he (Theobalds) said he must search Spillett to see if he had anything about him. Spillett then pulled out of his pocket a knife (now produced). Finding on examination that there were no marks of blood on it, but that it was greasy, and making a remark to the effect, Spellett said he had used it in eating his supper. There were several marks of blood on Spillett's clothes.

Thomas Theobolds, constable, corroborated this evidence, adding that after he had Spillett in custody, he said he had heard that Cox was stabbed; to which he (witness) replied in the affirmative.

The jury after a lengthened and patient inquiry returned the verdict of Manslaughter against Edward Spillett.