The Express.
London, England, 1849-08-24 00:00:00

MARSHALL. Chef

THE BERMONDSEY MURDER

ADJOURNED INQUEST ON THE BODY.
(Continued from the Cut nage.)
Police-officer Burton (examination continure).—l did not
knew the %Innings personally. I am certain the crow-bar
could not have hurt the body ; it was a short one.
Mr. Samuel Leawood, 6, Winter.terrace, Trinity.square,
surgeon, was then called.—On Friday lest about half-past
one o'clock I rec. iced some information which induced me
to vial No. 3. Idinver place. I was then in the neighbour-
hood of St. Thomas-street. I annoueced myself as a
surgeon. I saw two policemen at the door. I was instantly
let so. I inquired where the body of tbe deceased wee. I
went down some stet a to the back kitchen, I
saw the feet of a person erotsuding from the earth.
I saw two persons digling. From the position it was in, I
could scarcely tell which way it was buried. I saw the earth
excavated, and then found the legs of the body had been
tied firmly back to the haunches. That occasioned the ex-
posure on the toe. The decease d was lying on hltk face, the
head being considerably lower then the body. When they
got near the Lead, I wee afraid of their injuring it
with the shovel, and I therefore r. moved the earth my-
self. When I got elm to the head, I felt an extensive
fracture on the crown ; it wee fattesr backwards
and long. The scalp of course was iitjured, or
I would not hare been able to have felt the
fracture. Hearing a bill read respecting the deceased, which
stated that he wore film teeth, I removed the earth from the
lower part of the head. I raised it slightly, and putting my
finest rin the mouth, drew out a whole set of false teeth. I
Landed them over to Mr. Slow, the summoning officer.
The body was afterwards raised from the hole, and re-
moved in my premises to the front kitchen. Tire was •
great quantity of lime about the body. It was blueish and
decomposing. It is almost impossible to say how long it
had been buried. N Maine was found that I saw which
culla have ioffitted the wound in the head. Tilers were
men in the yard digging at the time. At another
examination of the body, I found another fracture at the
right side of the head. Mr. Oilir g, the surgeon, was theta,
and spoke of a bump over the left ace. There wee no es-
tercel wound, and I cut down upon the pertuberance sad
'reacted a large slug or bullet. (Tae slug was produced,
and it bad the appearance of a bullet cu' in half.) There
I was a hole in the frontal bone where the bullet was lodged'
it appeared to have penetrated at the back, and passed
through the frontal Wee, but act throneh the skin. I out
it clun and extracted the bullet. I found nothing else In
the head but that piece of metal. I was satisfied the
iejarie e on the head could not have been produced by the
excavation.
Charles Slow, summoning officer of the court, was next
called.—On Friday last, in censequerce of intormetion I re-
ceived, I proceeded to No. 3, Minster place, New Weston-
s' reet, Bermondsey.On going there I found a man lying
on has tact in a hole in the back kitchen. I sent for some
ropes, placed them under him, had a shutter, and got him
up. I saw a set of teeth washed by Mr. Lockwood, he gave
-hem to me. (The set were produced, they are the entire
jaw.)
Mr. David Grabens, Ne. 6, Lincoln place, New North
road, Horton, walemext examined.—l am an officer in the
customs. I knew the deceased. I tad known him 10 or
12 years. Knew he wee a Rugger in her Majesty's customs.
Saw him last alive on the 9th inst, about a quarter to five in
the afternoon. He we. on Lendon•bridge. I wee with Mr.
Keating when I met Dien. The deceased then appeared well
and in pia usual spirit.. I can't tell the dress be was in, but
he had an umbrella. Can't say whether be had a watch alma
him or not. He used to wear a watch. but I don'tknow whe-
ther he had it with him on this occasion. He wore a black
stock. He never wore a white cravat. If he had had
a white cravat on I must have noticed it. When I met him
on the bridge it struck me that he was going to Manuing'o,
and I what him, " Are you going to Manning's 1" I did
not know then where they lived. He made no reply to the
question, but took nut a letter and said he was going to din-
ner at 5 o'clock. He handed me the letter to read. I did not
read the whole of it. I had seen the handwriting bet' re ; ft
was signed "Maria" I (I'd not read the beginning—colt
the end. The letter was to the effect that we would be
glad to see yon to dinner." I did no' know when I "eked
who was the "we." I understood them to be the lien-
ninge. I saw Mre. Maiming at Mr. O'Connor's about two
years since, and I have set n them walking together. They
appeared to be very well acquainted. I roil not know the
petition of Mr. O'Cornor and Mrs. Manning. I consi !end
they were particular sequaintatices. I have heard the de-
ceased call Mrs. Manning Maria."
At this stage of the proceedings the court was adjourned
for a quarter of an hour, for the purpose of alineding the jury
time to procure tome refreshmer.'s.
After a brief sdj ,urnment, the coroner and jury re-as-
sembled and proce ideal with the inquiry.
Mr. George Oiling, surgeon, of 169, Hieh.etreet, Borough,
said —I am divisineatenrgeon to the II division of po ioe.
Abeut three o'clock on Friday, I. was called upon to attend I
at No. 3, Minver-place, New Weston street, Berennede. e.l
Oa reaching the house, I found in the hack kites, n of the
house the body of a man lying in a hole. His legs were Wined
back and tied to his thighs. Lime was adhering to the body.
I examined the body 014 saw a wound on the head. I had
the body removed to the front kitchen. I there made an
examination and saw there something in the integument
over the right eye. The substance was loose, ash could move
it. I pointed it out to Mr. Lockwood, hearing heaves a
pupl at the hospital, when he made an incision, and pro-
duced a substance. He put it in my hand, it was a leaden
bullet. I did not then further examine the head. I have
opened the body of the deceased. I was assisted by Mr.
Lockwood. Before doing so I examined the body externally,
and found no other injuries than those I have stated.
I opened the bead first and removed a portion
of the hair. I examined it then externally carefully.
There were several severe wounds about the heat!, so
many as eighteen on the scalp. They we re en the right side
of the had, on the back lard top parr. They appeared to
have been done by some blunt instrument. If a sheep in-
strument had been used, the bone would have been cut.
The injuries seem al to have been inflicted with the sharp
end of a hammer with a surface of an inch at d
a half. I reflected the scalp, and exposed the bones of the
heed. I found a great num. Secures in the head; it woe
set-minted into many pi, cc.. (The witness here produced
16 pieces of the scrip which he had removed from the
shattered head of the deceased.) There were many other
piicen which I might Lave collected. In consequence of the
extensive fiaeturee in the head, it is difficult to say whero
the bullet entered, —hut I should say at the hack pore.
There was • black parch at the back part whieh
appeared to have been eaused by powder. a am Wit-
Red it was not caused by decomposition. I could not trace
the bullet. The brio was quite soft and decomposed.
I opened the abdomen. I saw nothing unnatural. I sent
the contents to Mr. Taylor, the ehemi-t, at Guy's Hesnital,
for anelisaticn, but he declined to do so urlesa his services
were likely to be &lento. I have the contents of the ate-
mncb in my powestior. I was induced to recommeed the
analisation in eonsequence of a bottle containing a small
amount of laudanum being found in the house.
Coroner.—After the examination you have made, what is
your opinion as to the cause of the death ? Witness.—The
fractures on the head ; they are the immediate cause of

death.
Coroner.—Notwlthsteinrfirg, he might have bran droved
or shot, you have no doubt that the fractures produced
death Witness.—l have not. I traced the marks of a
hemmer en the surface of the head. Under the fricture
in the stele were erhymosis; so that those injuries were in-
flirted &wag vitality. Opium could n the detected in the

stomach.
By a juror—Ater a few days the infusion of opium into
tobacco smoked would not be detected.
Mr. S. Lockwood, the medical pupil, was recalled, and
confirmed the testimony of Mr. Codling. The fractures and
Incised wounds appeared to have been inflicted by a hammer
let on one end and sharp at the other, something like a plus.
hut's hammer. The wounds were all on the rieht side of
the head. The right side of the cranium was ereneivelv frac.
towed. It could not have been done by one blow, but by several.
I bare endeavoured to trace the progress of the bulls., but
have failed. I found a hole in the frontal bone, where the
bullet was lodged, but no aperture in the front.
Coroner.—Then what is your opinion as to the cause of the
deceased's death ?—Witness : I am of opinion that the frac-
teres themselves were quite sufficient to produce death. A
r idol might have been fired at him, and he might have died
from the wound inflicted, but the fractures were the imme-
diate eause of death. The deceased could not have inflicted
the injuries himself.
The coroner said thet as they had now ascertained the
cause of death he would go into a new chain of facts and
ascertain, if possible, who produced it.
Mr. James Coleman, harder, No. 1, Minver-terrace, New
Weston-street, was then called and examined.—l know the
house No. 3, in the terrace, which is my property. On the
evening of Tuesday week a person called upon me and
stated that Mr. and Mrs. Manning had left. I could not get
into the house, No. 3, where they lived. In the
course of two hours I ascertained that it was
unecenpied. As I was standing, inquiring, I saw
a man, the broker, come one. He would not give me
h's name or aideess. He asked me who I was. I told him.
He asked me if they owed me any rent. I said " No." He
said, " Then you have 119 reason to complain." George Fre-
derick Manning was my tenant. I do not know his wife's
name. They had occupied the house since Lady-day. Man.
ning signed an %preen:tent ; the name was Frederick George
Manning. (The egreement was here produced.) I should
know Manning again, if I saw him. I cannot say whether
be kept the house to himself, or whether he took is lodgers.
I don't know whether they kept a servant.
William Dismay was the nest witness called. He aid: I
am a medical student. I live at Bwortone, Derbyshire. About
a month ago last Saturday I left my lodging at liffinver plate,
New Wear n-street. I had lodged there nine or ten week..
Frederick George Manning and Mrs. Manning were my
landlord and landlady. They were the whole of the
I ascertained that her name was De Roux before she was
married. I never heard her called by any other name than
Maria. I sometimes t•ok my meals with them. They did
not keep a servant. I never saw any other visitor except
Mr. O'Connor. I wt. introduced to him by Manning.
During the time I lived in the hoes. he dined there about
thmt times. He appeared to be oe very friendly terms
with the Meanings'. I hare also been with Moaning and
his wife to O'Connor's house.
Tee Coroner—What degree of intimacy existed between
them ?
Witness—l did not notice anything improper. I did not
understand what the exact connexion was. I have fre-
quently heard both of them say that O'Connor was a man of
property—that be was weeth "OWL