The Express.
London, England, 1863-11-10 00:00:00

THE LATE EXTRAORDINARY ME'RbEits
IX A CAB.

APPREHENSION OP OF THE SUPPOSED HIIITP:SER.

AND HIS DEATH AT THE POLICEATATION.

Since the perpetration of this extraordinary
tragedy the pollee have bees indefatigable is %dreier%
to discover some else to the perpetrator. Every inquiry
has been set on foot on the south side of the water that
experience could suggest, and with important testae.
. .

From inquiries made by Inspectors Meloy sod Smith,
they ascertained that a man answering in every respect but
one the description of the supposed murderer resided at
Ann's-cottage, Willingtow-road, Cold•harbour.laue. They
also ascertaieed that this man bad a wife and two children
Answering the description of the unfortunate dammed,
and that neither the wife nor the children had been
seen since Saturday. The only particular in which the man
d'ffered from the description given of him was that he had
so moustache.

Acting on their roof:Woe% Inspectors Meloy and Smith
proceeded about 20 minutes to 10 last eight to
the house in question, and :.ked at the door. All
was quiet and no light was to be seen in the
house. No answer being returned to their summons
they knocked again and again, bat without ob-
taining any reply. While thus engaged Inspector Dane
arrived at the spot, having received similar isfonuation
from another source. The knocking was again repeated,
when Inspector Meloy fancied he heard something moving
io the house. They then commenced a vigorous kicking at
thedoor, which after some delay was opened on the chain.
A man then asked the inspectors who they were
and what they wanted. when Inspector Smith said
they belonged to the polio., and demanded admittance.
The chain was then withdrawn, and they entered the
house. The man then said, " Weil • minute, wait a mi.
note ; 11l get • light," and he then me le • bolt towards
the stairs. They prevented him doing so, Inspector Smith
replying " Never mind, we've got • light." They then all
went up into • bedroom on the first.goor, when the Ulan
commenced retch' ng, a circumstance which aroused
the suspicion of the inspectors, and indica
Meloy to question him as to whether he had
not taken pane, to which he replied, " No; I
have not; my heart is affected." He then asked them what
they wanted, and Inspector Smith asked him if his see sad
family were at home. He said, "No, they are a'! in the
country ; they have gone to Southampton." When asked
the date of their departure he replied that they went away
on Friday night last. Inspector Meloy said, " Have you
not made &mistake ; was it not on Saturday night." The
man replied, "No ; I am positive tint it was on Friday
night." At intervals during this conversation the mac
retched violently. He was then asked as to his family, and
he said be had two children, both girls, one 8 and the other
4 years of age.
Inspector Smith asked him to describe the eliqdren, which
he did, and his description tallied exactly with that of the
children found in the cab. He also stated the age of his
wife to be 27. Inspector Donn said to him, "Have
you read the account of the murder in the papers!'
To which he replied, "I have read the account of
the murder;" and immediately added rather sharply,
" but you don't suppose it's my family, do you!"
Inspector Maim asked the man how his wife and family
were dressed, to which he replied by asking how the da-
mmed were dressed. Meloy said they were drained in
black. On which be said, " They cannot be mine, for mine
all were light drained," and added, "She has gone on • visit
to her uncle, Mr. Campbell, who lives at 29, Harmwood-
street, Southampton." Inspector Dann then requested him
togo with them to the police-station to hear the description
of the deceased woman and children read. He expressed
his willingness to do so, and then asked Inspector Meloy
if be would take charge of 40/. in Bank of England
note", • request which he declined to comply with. He
then accompanied them to the station, and on the way
said, "My wife and myself have lived very unhappily, and
she was always very jealous, and, oh ! she led me a dreadful
life, always accusing me, wrongfully, and talking to that
extent that I have frequently been obliged to leave my
bed and walk the streets. The children have told as
something which has aroused my suspicions of her. They
went oat one day, 'and when they returned they said
they had met a gentleman who had taken them all in a cab,
and that he was kind, like me, and looked like me, only that
he had • moustache. I did not like this." When offering
the bank-notes r, Inspector Meloy, he said, " I want you
to take charge of these to give to my wife and children, if
they are alive." He afterwards said, "She used to chinks
and her bottles were always about the boos' ; what I drank
this evening was a part of what she left behind in a bottle."
Inspector Meloy asked him if he knew what it was that he
had drunk ; and he replied, " I have no doubt but that it
was gin."
On his arrival at the police-station E. J. Langley, of the
detective police of Scotlandiard, was at once despatched to
obtain medical assistance, the man's retching having become
more violent on the road, and returned with Mr. Puckle,
surgeon, of Cold Harbour-lane, who proceeded without delay
to administer emetics. This was resisted, and it was only
after several fi zitless attempts that Mr. Puckle sac.
'waded in making him swallow one. Mr. Mussy
of Camberwell-green, shortly after arrived, and Dr,
Mauls Sutton, • physician, late of the Queen's
Hospital, Birmingham, who was passing, also rendered his
assistance. Previous to the anival of the medical men, he,
being weak from excessive vomiting, sat down whilst the
description of the deceased woman and children was read
over to him, on hearicg which he exclaimed *arena times,
" That is them," as the inspector proceeded in reading
the account. He was then asked if his wife had
• sore foot, and he said " Yes." Meloy thee asked
" Doss she use ointment?' to which he replied, " Yes,
have applied it to the sore myself." The vomiting coati-
suing to increase, he said he thought be was dying, and
asked to lie down. This was complied with, and the me-
(Boil gentlemen then questioned him as to what he had
taken. He replied, " I think it was sorrething in the glom,
which was not spirits." He afterwards continued, "
know what my wife died of now—it's prussi.:, acid,
and it was in the house. I might have taken
aconite-1 think I did." After this he continued
retching for the space of nearly an hour,
when he again referred to his wife, and said that her uncle
had given them 50/. which enabled him to live without
drawing his salary, and he had Dot touched it for the last
eighteen months. Just previous to his death be seemed
to sleep and suddenly awake, when be said, " I have bad
the most beautiful dream. I want to write, I am dying,
and before I die 1 want to write." Writing materials
having been supplied he was just able to write as follows,
but could not alga it :
"Mr. John Cullock,—Pay to my wife the money doe
to me, namely, 1204, due the 17th of September last, and
the remainder due to me."

Ile then said, "My employer owes me 18 months'
salary. We've had s good many rows about that, and I
wish to leave it to my children if they are alive." Shortly
after this be died.

The body was removed about half-past 12 to the house of
the demised, when it wu ascertained that his name was
Hunt, his initials being S. W., and that for some consider-
able time past he had held the situation of traveller to Mr:
Jno. Unlock, a wholesale chemist at the West.end. The
body was then again examiassl by Dr. Sutton as to
the cause of death, but he could find no signs of
prank acid. The inspectors then, in conjunction
with Detective Langley, instituted • thorough search
through the house, which was rewarded by the discovery
by luspector Melo), of a bottle cootaiuiug • small quantity
of aconite. The body wsa well dressed in black cloth dress
cost and trousers, and to an appearance was that of agouti..
man. Theexpressiouoftlecouutenancewascalm,although
he had died from exhaustion brought on from excessive
retching, and struggled violently just before his death.
The house, though small, bore • very respectable appearance,
and sonic of the rJoms were well and comfortably
furnished. The most mysterious part of all this
is that the district postman and the neighbours
who have known him for the last two years all
agree in saying that the deceased m►n, Hunt, has never
wore • moustache. Charles could, • cab proprietor, who
drives his own cab, and resides at Min's-place, lleorgeotreet.
Camberwell, came to view the body after its removal to
Ano'snottage, when be recognises! it at a fare he bad takes
on Saturday last from Camberwell green to Shoreditch, he
being at the time in company with his wife and two
children. He further said that they had two or three small
panels with them.
The deosseed's house is now in the hands of the police.

It seems tbat the authorities of the llo)al Aca-
demy base not determined to exclude female students from
their schools, but h►se simply made known that they esusot
■t present, for want of space, admit inure female students
than those already is the schools.