The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-15 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT CLAPHAM.

Math apparel in the Byrne, of Saturday, a brief
amment of ibe monist of a woman and her thild by the
lostrol. •
At the Wasthereitth pike crort, es that day, acts after
Mr. Porter bad MAN his seat upon the heath, Mr. Per
rett, jaw, of fAaPlemmommoa, bergeth, arrived at the
•8111 S, eel saki that he was la attendee's to gin evident, is
the can.
' Is Use moans of half ea hear the murderer was ligesskt
efate emit, la the onstedy of Mr. Caslilail. the frnmsaisaf
the Clapham thstrist, ead Posed is the deek. Tao
who is • mielicemed ma, with aotaing fern:ins=
rime% Iroseleseribed Isthe eitarinehrot es 'MISS Wag-
tailTA Witham,.
that tritons oreasised was William Coleman, who
=1 um ono of the inapeetees of patios, and have the
of the Clapham section of Übe V division. This
stendoig. at • quarter past saves o'dorek, the primate
seine to the MUNI, sad 'Adze/slag me, said, I ban
some to give myself up. I asked him what for, and
he said, or murder. (Here the prisoner burst isle
a puthyom of grief, width lasted several minutia.)
I punned that then wen marks of blood es
his leads ad oath sad I asked him wheat he had men
thred,.aad he said his wife. I &shed him will he lied WV
death her, lid how he did it ;he replied, with a razor, and
he then put his head in his left-band waistcoat pocket, lid
heeded the near to me (a Week-handled no). I saw that
it wee covered with blood. I then asked him his same sad
where he lived, and he answered, " James Weston,' Cu-
peater'nhnildinge, Clapham." I @eked him if he had say
other articles is his posesmion, whoa he handed ate throe
keine, as also the key of his apartments. I than at owe
despatched Sergeant Langton to his naideoce. Sergeant
Leaven was present, and hoard all that tramped
up to this tint. After Sergeant Lemma was gone,
the prisoner said, "I have also murdered my child." I
asked him the sm.:and he said it was s female,
apt no year and sine months. Hs this said
"-Then is seethes 'lend then else; I wish von weakling&
after tee mart to lave her takes away." I wind Maass he
came to de it, sad whether he had had a.y quarrel with
his wife, a's he masa that they were Ia Use habit el
havirg withal; broths, like other pee*, bei=ief Si
scion nature. said—" I west to hod lost'
Dian, and felt so up to 4 o'clock this neseeing, whim pt.
eat of bed, creek • light with • match, west down s aisa
and fetched $ near (the tee produced); bat when I re-
turned I isle that I could sot do it, bet atter beieg tempted
I formed a 'lsolation, and attacked my wits as she wee
doming herself in bed." primer Acworth mode
several leaobatat expessioes, having ao re wenn whinier
to what had treaspred, but from sae nature of those ex-
pressions I believed him to be insane. The prisoner further
speaking of his wife. " W• were to hats been dile
sr this day, sad I could not hear it." lie farther mid
Mr. Parrott sad aceninisered inedierne to him sun does
previously.
Prices—lt wee on Monday week.
Ezernination resumed—He bald he gave him some thugs,
and forced him to take them, and that it was dose by the
sanction and advice of the Bev. Mr. Pritchard.
Mr. Fervor—Before the primasr made these statements
did you scathe him ?
Inspector Coleman—l did so, your worship. After a little
while he sobbed bitterly, and spoke is affectionate terms of
his wife and child.
The next witness exusin d was Frederick Lentos, who
stated he was a sergeant It the V divides. Noe. 19. He
begged the magistrate would pardon any discrepant' he
might make, as the sight which he had witnessed had com-
pletely unnerved him. The witness then preceded with
his evidence. and said—l went to the hone No. 1, Carpen-
ter's-place, High-strut, Clapham, and pt there einout seen
o'clock. On my way *Aber I celled on Mr. Herring, tee
relieving officer, he eroompanied me. I found tee key
prisoner gave me uulocked the front door of the house 'winch
as rents. Then was nothing to indicate disorder down
stain, bat on going up stain I saw the leg of • womaa
protruding on the Madam; • bed-room door was opts, and
another leg rested 'pint the door-sell, the remainder pat
of abs body was in tee room. The women was I; hag on he,
hsek; she was dressed, all but her *hoes and etchings.
Underneath her head there was a man's oat, and a wunsnes
boot was betide her Gee. I also necked two foot necks
withouishoes, se if some one had endeavoured to get into the
adjuisieg room; the marks had bean made by naked feet 1
went towards UM woman's bead, and Mead her throat cut.
Tears was • no, great deal of blood about toe bed-post
and bedding. Then was a great flow of blood over the
room. The head was nearly cut off. The woman was dead,
but warm. The pulse had mated heating. Oat bed, and
in the same room, I sew a child lying oa its face ; I examined
it; and it* throat was cut. [rho prissier hers became over
+holland with grief.] The amid was quite dead, but warm.
I could not intuit, the bodies. I afterwards opened the
adjoining room door, la which direction I had seen the foot-
marks, and I there found • little girl sitting up in bed. I
don't know her exact ego. She might have bun four or
an years old.
Pruner—. She was jest upon nine years old."
Essainatios rousted—" Tee child seemed very fright-
ened at me. I Inked whether she bad heard anything, and
the meld, ' "
Mr. John Parrott. jos. sargesa, was met sworn sad said
—I strived at the house' between half-pest eons and eight
o'cliek. I found a weenie lylag up-stales with her throat
cat. It was completely cut mom, the cot had divided the
wiodpipe and carotid arteries, sad penetreted into V e spinal
cord. Toe monad mast hive bean Instantly fatal. The
WORMS was lying is a pool of blood. See was draw I with
the exception of her oboes. I found a frank child lying
on Its it
on the bed also in a pool tf Mood. I
tamed it roiled, and. aiseevered its throat cot, so mash ee
as to have separated the spinal cord and extended to
tile:urducasassusealer wbeuid:! thlehanreecrOmenarreoU•cdonrallr P11)0161°11
deceased. I believe she was cook is • gentleman'' beau es
Cisphanneontese lid she had run • needle in her hied,
abuse I extracted: I did set know she was married. I
should think the deceased must hen endeavoured, is beg
strogoln, to oat out el the room from the toot arks I saw ;
eat it must ben ben after she had been wain led. It ap
p and as it she had been trying to reach the other room.,
Winces said, is answer to some further questions from the
bench, the ha had never to his knowlefies seen tits mi.
aster previously. The Rev. Mr. Pritchard was a subscriber
to the diceroary, and. he had sines learnt, had given ties
prisoner an order for atedislas, wbieh he now believed was
administered by him. He understood the prisoner to be in
tionetaet rk ; his hens wee very oentfertahly furnished,
end there did not appear to be any foundation tor his suppo.
th the was tweed or disgraced.
Icons' C insin produced the marriage certificate,
which the poison" bed banded to bun when es first came
to the cad by which it appeared be wee married in April.
1847, Ping thee • bachelor, to Karim Glover, widow, aid
shot ;no serving child was by a former hothead.
Mr Pointer end he should remand the prisoner until
('hurad. y nese, when evidence mast be produced to identity
the b dies ..f the murdered woman and child, end he hoped
lie • would be acne of that dramatic effect that had hero
t rows Imo • resent ew of murder. There was no neon-
sity for co prodnelen of a great number of withers*, as
the fact- were very clear.
The prisoner was thee removed in custody.
The ez.tieerrent at this mnmeat existing is this usually
quiet village is 111.1,1*P. MI Seine of so pest a magnitude as
mar.. er hairier polluted this lac JP,' dace 1816, when en in.
depodet.t aged lady, named Richardson, was mardend by
her apron being Ironed into her month, which act mend
suffocation. This lady lived In a hews seer the pin
chapel ; the had • very absolute nephew aimed flu.ffell,
sad with ti fee me 'nailer Pritchad, Heppe% liEli
Soon, deceased epering the old la Heppe` it being
amp • d 'here was a large slim of money In the hoses.
Vb. ma der and robbery were effected, but it was sot until
a nosed or 2001. h been offered that a clue was obtained to
the p rostra, on. Seat turned EL ere evidenoe, and, priori.
evilly upon his ustieneny. Weevil sod Hopped were Imaged.
Pritebent wee never des nude heard of, and Bout, the ap-
prover, wan afterwards trensproted for math a watch. It
aro on this carom thee Mr. Lewis, the thee coroner for the
ofrnuquee;sci"LclossrAteser,,cuser
oedinanerd.mtheiintaisistbeit hohfriathlttpteratonldt
°wooer Pr Beet Surrey, Nevins hitherto held ell inquests in
that district.
Mr. Teaser Higgs, the coroner for the Duchy of Len-
meter, came to Chiantis &bees six o'clock, and made his
engagements wire If, id the beadle, to hold the inquest et
welre OM At this day (la sd.y), at Mr. W. Anna% the
Tio Sneers: A novidesiet km been impressed to see the
Croce, which has been very properly clocked by Inspects's
of the V. sad Ethiserma, of the P divisrna.

From information received on Saturday htisy
li Se
canereoe, the brigade format for the illirset, e
Seward west up boo therefi leer rest seen, where
Men two bevies, whisk are believed hi be the. of the two
Wager children, hum the kind's particulars given by a
female now in Guy's Hospital, who acted as seventh
it ire. Berlin She states that eke was in the host loom
ende first leer at the time the alphabet ermarred, and
rat she was blows completely oat of the wham A
Minute or two Won du noticed the no children lyint
bed, en the opposite side of the nem te when the bodies
was *sad, and she had an dean that when she was eared
sult albs window, the eddldren wen blows out of their
beds. The appestats:net sack indicate that they had bees
foned with great 'fetew ermine the wall of the roost,- as
the lade( the ringer °se was rest is twee.
The tint two bodied found by the Swan bawls= as-
ateen to be those of Isms Baldwin, anitd pow, who
woo is fir. Barites employ, and Mr. Barthel thin son,
/Minas aged SO. The bodies el the two railer band last
seethes of Alf ed sad lanemßarlin, of the respective's'. of
, Wand 4 years. The other three children were found wander-
' fie about the streets by the polite in the early pert of the
lensing, and taken to a place o safety.
The stateliest made by Me'. Berlin, the wile of the own-
pier, is the authorities of Ours Hespitel, explain the whole
as to the origin of the melancholy occurreace.
Moo, states that her husband had been in the habit
edmekiag works for Dome time in the house in Brook-
street. They were gesendly made in the frost parlour,
where they also took their meals, end the upper pertain we
seed partly as "stores" and bedrooms. She bad sine Wid-
en, all of whom, with herself, her husband, the female
Pelee Wynn, end ',the man Baldwin, were in the hones at
Ike tints of the accident. The reheat chile's, James
and Allred (both &wised), were seen in the front room
,spetaire, and three others is as back room ; the remeader
were with her at work with their fatter " tiabklag off " •
large easier that was to be &bend yesterday. It °resisted
of many grosses of wren, crackers, eatherthe wheels, blue
candles, Sc. She cannot asp the nest quantity, bat there
were considerable quantifies, and ad that had to be den to
them wee tying them up sod waling them with wax. The
man Baldwin bad been with them out • day or so to mist
in completing the order. They were at work fa the port
melon?, when at about ten ulautes pest ten Vase she
asked ber husband it he would have supper, diode to the
tin. He answered in the affirmative, and silk," to Charles,
th, it son, to hand him over • chair. This the young man
wee in the act of doing whim, in passing the chair over the
table he knocked it against a lighted naphtha lamp
lensing from the eating, and the fork threw a
pees of the red hot wick amongst the heap of fireworks
piled up on the table beneath. It was men by the whole of
them to tell among the stock, and they instantly attempted
to prevent the combustible materials from igniting; but.
alas! it wee beyond their mean for a bundle ot makers
weeded the moment the bunting wick touched them, end,
flying about the place, almost instantaneously set light to
heaps of fireworks is other parts of the room, notwitbstand-
Jos they one and all combated with the exploding articles
with all their might, by trampling them under their feet r.nd
throwing water sr them. This they continued as long se
they were able, and finding the fire becoming &fur, and
burning sulphur affecting bar senses, she made her escape
into the back yard, followed by her husband, and she ima-
gined that both her sons and the man Baldwin escaped at
the same time. Bee heard her son William scream out,
" Mother, mother, come out," and called to him that she was
safe. She believed he heard her, and managed to get out at
the front.
Mrs. Ballo, it should be observed, is unconscious of the
feet that any of her family are lost. There is no doubt that
Willies misunderstood his mother ; he suspected she wee
amidst the explain, fireworks, and rushed in with an idea
to rescue her, and perished. Her first thought, on somewhat
recovering from the sulphurouus vapour she had inhaled, woe
her children. To get at them, and the staircase, was beyond
human power ; the continued explosions bad knocked down
the lath and plaster pert. loos, and the whole of the lower
part of the place was in flame, gushing up the stainw and
out of the bark door. With the help of her husband she
managed to climb out on to the roof of an outhouse, neer the
window of the room where they slept. They heed their
cries, and the children then opened the window, got out,
and Jumped into her arms. After which she hes no recrellee-
tion of what occurred, exteptieg being brought to the hos-
pital. She declares that the re was no "composites," exposed
in the frost parlour, but that in the caws left for pasties and
securing up. There might be some powder in other pars of
the house, but not any great quantity. She was confident
that the orcifinsinee of her son knocking the chair west
the lamp was purely accidental. He wee a well coned( di
young inn to his father, and he used all his efforts to pre-
vent the fireworks from igni.ing. [The poor woman is
thockingly injured ; her face, neck, and arms are greatly
burnt, and it is much feared she will lose her eyesight. Fre-
quently during the day she inquired for her son Charles,
but it wee not deemed prudent to communicate the sad beep
of his fate or that of bet youngest children.]
In the course of Saturday afternoon the sufferers were
visited by the Bev. Mr. Odra°, the rector of Bermondsey,
who kindly condoled with them, and promised his attention
to the condition of the remainder of the family, who are
lodged in Bermondsey Workhouse.
Last evening the condition of the survivors at Guy'. HA-
pita was thus reported by the principal engem :
.6 wnit,ey Berle, era 46, severe bares over the Irina,
face, and head ; going on favourably.
" Ann Berlin, aged 40, his wife; race, bead, sad lower
part of the body very much burnt; hopes entertained of her
" Charles Berlin, aged 17, son of the former ; face shock-
ingly disfigured, and arms and chest burned ; favourable,
symptoms of recovery.
..Pteehe Wynn, aged 22; extensive laceration of this
thigh by falling on some spikes in leaping front the first
floor window ; in a fair way of recovery."
The latter unfortunate creature, strange to say, was found
by the polite lying welte.ing in bled near Newington. It
seems that after she wee extricated by some persons from the
spikes, ehe ran away towards her mother's house, wii,cb is
situate la the above locality ; exhaustion, however, over-
, came her from loss of blood, ad she dropped on the pave-
' sent, where she was pick- d up by the police.
From the devastating consequences of the explosion it is
'obvious that a large gustily of powder and other com-
bustible material must h .v 8 been on the permit's, although
it is denied by Berlin end hie wife, and much surprise hee
been Manifested by the inhabitants at the apparent neglect
of the police in allowing so dangerous a trade to be carried
n in so crowded • neighbourhood.

PAA3IY XExBLE.—It is rumoured that Mr.. Bntar
is about to starry Theodora Sodswick, Baq., of Stockbridge.
- •

CHURCH DISCIPLINE. —The proceeding. under the
Church D.scipline A^t egainstthe Rev. C. Rookie, &beneficed
clergyman of the diocese of Ex. ter, for adultery, fornication,
sad incontinence, were rentiottel at an adjourned meeting
of the corambektiers held in the Chapter-houe, Exeter, on
Thursday lest, when the evidence for the defendant woe
continued, and the case for the defence closed at 8 o'clock in
the evening. The court rise, and adjourned twit Friday at
lhaltpast one, when, the promoter's advsate having replied,
the snort, after deliberation, declared them was sufficient
mime facia ground for instituting further proceedings.
FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY.—At a meeting of the
Newcastle and Oseelstad Committee, held on Turley We
Mayor in the emit) it was ordered that one of ?dilute*
patent safety boxes be provided for keeping the books end
pipes. A sulbsentaittee was appointed to make inquiries
es
to the sale of land ; and It was resolved that no purchase
of land be made except at a meeting of the committee con-
vened by circular, express' y stating the object of sub meet-
ing. A general misting of the society, it was reeglvt4e
should be held as soon as convenient after the lette y
next. Crewshay, atter stating that he had been at Big-
'nineteen, and hummed all the estates which the code
theft lad yorchesed, rend a paper containing much valuable
information as to the working of the system. On Tusedat , a
meeting of the Snederiand &clue ask place it the A ho.
ream (Mr. J. W,1930 in the their). Terse auditors wets
those, and it win ordered that the ulei be printed. 140
shaves were taken, end sixty members paid their tit instal-
meet The prospects of the society are eneoureging.—teates-
deed Observer.
THE LEAD TRAWL—WI are happy to have it in our
power to report eassidenble fasprovemenUp in this important
breach of the trade of the country. Tee year op nod eith a
lame demand for pig lead for shipment to the United flutes
of Amities; and this denied had steadily Increased Owing
the year. Tale is &begetter • novel future, as the Unit. d
States, instead of imporsistr, had for many yaws mported
°amide:Age goanthit sot this mud. These large shipments,
combined with a more active dossed lest the continent I
perm mast have bed a considerable inflames- en the stocks
se thn censry ; axe for the iefersetioa of these of out
reader, who are int,rts ed in this article, we anhioln a com-
parative account of the imports to:. 1648 at.el 1819. Th.
actual shipments made in the iv oath of Epptevaber, 1848.
amounted to 686 tore, of the vela, of 12,1271 ; in the ion t
Tin-ba, 1849, to 2,687 tons, of the vales f 44 4691.
shipmate for the eta ht. months. end*, Sureath.r,
1848, were 4,222 tow, of the velum I 78,9081. ; for the eight
soothe, ending Beotenther. 1849. they were 10,824 tons, of
the value of 182,1091.—Mielley Journal.

•
SMIPWILCIL AND Lou or Lan.--0a Sato'dey
fattolligoost readied Vatic', of the total 1 as of the vss.el
idadeavolw, of ea, Kiwi, waster, together with
bwrsi, no the ilherrioshaw mkt, WWst of Norfolk. Ti.
Teri was observed about 9 o'clock,* es. • erewd ir
t
raw imattiately eolt CPI as the bind, but were oath). th
vendor mirages. The trier *liners were sree to get out uf
t • vessel Wm their bet' "'bleb was instantly c rack by
1444.44440 144, sad 4.6. sea Wished, in the alcht
several hundreds et rives.
TOUTURE IN SWITZLRIAND.—A few dayd agio
M. I—, ozomisjor tato v ,ave et Zoe, In
ihritseelentio
bad o inv sicyte a cbanir at rtoibery epusW a oorv.r.t
sawed Widooberi, sad. a tho two w, ma. , t
airiest Pr, be ailed a her to *vow her as clean
to r•ts•
pet...di; Wend, nuns he ordered that oho should tro
imbiootod to vows. • tot tinily her two thumbs w• re
Wafted is a tree, and dna _being attached to a .std, se hi...hi
mused tossousb a riog to the ember, she was Mad
the rrved. The veamia•oe • midis. rate thvn esq 4
ea ter tomato's her pal., hat, aa ob.. swag refuge.
O. •
rowed •Of so receive tvi, • a•ATf gl/9•11 frosa p each T,
1 mowtt, hats ea effect, but, alter twelve seinewa• wren
abs ads d f twerp awl avowed herevlf guilty. • A Pp..
tale aff.if. w.ll 0114 s to ass @mood *woad of the paten. -tt
etl oat was d Ile up to pet a rvep ftpriosaod tot for at.
g *lra e, is weal lase • t nig tie Worm d Os law, to cin—b
v.. Int. orierani sod orirr to be
.211410.11MOtti ,4
sat her magistroto.—Parto pont%