The Express.
London, England, 1862-09-25 00:00:00

MYSTERIOUS MURDER AND murnirrom OP

I Voilii.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. J. Payne resumed an
inquiry at the Saracen's Head, Northumrigandalley, Fen-
church-street, as to the mysterious circumstances attending
the death al Elizabeth Gardiner, on the 15th inst.
The evidence on the former occasion showed that the de-
mand, her husband (Samuel Gardiner), and • young woman
named Elizabeth Humbler, all resided in thehouse, North-
umberlaad- +ll6y, apparently on very amicable terms, but it
appeared that an intercourse of an improper nature existed
between Gardiner and the girl Humbler, who was married to
a man of that name. At four o'clock on the morning of the
15th. Gardiner went out to his work, leaving his wife and
child asleep, and some short time afterwards the woman
Humbler came down from her bed-room, which was at the
top of the house, and entered that of Mrs. Gardiner, for the
purpose of obtaining a Inciter match to light the fire. Being
barefooted, she found something slippery on the floor, and
on obtaining • light she discovered Met Gardiner on the
door, cloee by the door, with her throat cut entirely roue,
and both her hands mangled in • most frightful manner.
One of her fingers was cut entirely through, the bone
banging by the skin. She was weltering in her blood. and
from her appearance it was evident that • deadly struggle
bad taken place between her and her assailant, whoever he
might have been. She was quite dead, but a little child
three years old was calling to her murdered mother. Hum-
bler picked up the child and went for a policemac. Sergeant
Mobtie,wea soon on the spot, and sent for Dr. Sequeira, a
surgeon. He speedly arrived, but he found that life had
for some time been extinct The body when found was
lying ins perfectly horizontal position near the side of the
bed, but with the right hand partially bent on the chest,
and holding a knife with the sharp edge towards the left
side. The husband returned home to his breakfast at about
eight o'clock, when he was told by a person
who met him at the door that she found his
wife was dead this person wee the woman
Humbler, upon which he said, "You wretch, you have done
this." and she replied, " If you did it, you did it."
The medical testimony being rather unastisfactory, a
postmortem examination was ordered, which was conducted
by several medical men, who now were unanimous that
the death of the deceased was one of murder and not of
suicide.
At the meeting of the jury, yesterday, the following ad-
ditional evidence was taken :
Sergeant Mobta, City police, said he bad made an exami-
nation of the house on Thursday. the 18th, and found
nothing that gave the slightest clue to this affair. The
inner room is used as • kitchen, above where the body of the
deceased was found, and the room above where Humbler
slept. He also examined the cellar and found nothing. On
Friday they went again, and Gardiner was in the parlour.
He pointed to the window, and Gardiner said, "sloe"—bat
did not say who—" opened the window that morning."
Witness then saw on the top of the window curtain a 4W,
stein of blood, as if touched with the Gager.
Witness then opened the window. One shutter
was abut and the other was not, and there
wee a finger mark of blood on the inside of the shutter that
was shut. Gardiner said it was not there the day previous.
He then odd, "Upstairs in the bedroom I maw other
splashesof blood on the wall." Witness then went up-
stairs sod found several spots of blood at the had of the
bed, likewine on the wall at the side of the bed. The bed
was in • recces, and be found the blood on the well. Neer
the fort of the bed was a large splash of blood Dearly r
large as • man's hand on the walL On the font of the bed-
stead, at the left-hand earner, standing at the foot, there
was the appearance of a large bloody cloth having been
dawn across the bedstead. There were two spots of blood
on the door near the lock. On • portion of the cornice of
the bed, which had been pulled off, and standing at the
head of the bed, there was a large splash of clotted blood,
not then quite dry. Gardiner was there the whole time.
and wetness said neither the wall, cornice, nor bedstead had
any blood upon them when they ruched before. They bad
searched it three days before most minutely, and there was
no blood then. Gardiner said perhaps it might have 001130
from some cloths they cleaned the body with. Witness
with his knife cut off the papers from the wall, and took
them to Mr. Sequeira, and he gave it as his opinion
that they were recent splashes. A desk car
there, and Gardiner opened it. Some valentines were
in a cupboard that was unlocked. In the top room the
witness said be ford a copy of Aristotle's works, and he
told Gardiner thatit was not there when he searched before.
He said he could not account for it, but they MOWd them-
selves by yearling it. Gardieer said he believed Humbler
bad murdered his wife, u she had to leave, and had threat-
ened to take her own life before. He rid some time aro
he went up to her bed before she was up, and saw • knife
sticking between the ledge of • door. He said he took it
and asked her what she meant. She said, " Idid not intend
you to find me alive." He said be had often seen her
sharpening knives on the door-steps sod sink in the cellar,
and when asking her what they were for, she has rid,
sometimes, " for you," and at other times, " for myself."
By the Jury—He had examined the water-olceet. and
found nothing. He had examined the staircase, and found
no marks of blood on them. No portion of the stairs had
been removed sad replaced.
By the Coroner—From what Gardiner said he bad no dif-
ficulty in Endre the spots of blood he alluded to.
By • Juror—When he was first ailed to the house he
found Humbler and another woman in the room, and be
turned them both out. Every article of clothing belonging
to the deceased and Gardiner had been easefully examined,
and no marks of blood were to be found on them. The
cornice on which coagulated blood was found could not have
received it while the body was being washed Gardiner said
that he had seen Humbler on more than one occasion sharp-
ening knives.
Anthony Wilson Monger, detective officer of the City
police, corroborated Sergeant Mobbs as to the search of the
house. He added that he told Gardiner that he should like
to look at the body, and be did so. Gardiner was with
him. Gardiner burst out crying. MA said, "My poor wife
has been murdered." Witness asked why he said so, and
he replied that she was too feeble sod nervous to do it her-
self. Witness asked him if he suspected any one com-
mitting this murder. He aid, "Yes, Elizabeth Humbler."
He asked him his rears for suspecting her, sod he said
because he bad observed her several times sharpening kens.
on the step of the door and sink down stairs. and on several
occasions found the knives sticking in the wainscotting. He
said be asked her what she meant be having the knife up
there, and she said. " To rake your life sod then my own."
On another occasion she said, '• To take your life away,
Some else, and then my owe." Ou Saturday he went to
Gravesend, accompanied by Sergeant Mobbs, and saw
Humbler. She was first cautioned, and thee some questions
put to her. She denied that Gardiner bad ever taken
knives out of her room, sad the only time libel
had spoken
to bee about sharpening a knife ou the door step be told
her that she was only going outside to show herself to the
public. In referesce to the morning when the body wee
found, she said she went into Mr. Gardiner's room for a
match, and having got a light she saw Mrs. Gardiner,
and then she went for • doctor. Humbler said she bad
not left her room from seven on Sunday night until half.
past seven on Monday morning, when she went down stein
to light the fire.
The Coroner said at this stage of the preredings, consi-
dering the very serious aspect the case had wormed, be
should order the man Gardiner and woman Humbler to be
taken into custody and conveyed before the Lord Mayor.
The jury having sat nearly four house, the receedinp
were adjourned.

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