The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-27 00:00:00

VERDICT AND SENTENCE.

appeared in our late editions of yesterday's
CENTRAL CRIMLNAL COURT.
[ref following
El press.]
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Mr. Ballantin• said be now came to the day in
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kihwateadsh been
learned friend had thrown out a suggestion that the murder
might have been committed elsewhere.
feetjeant Wilkins denied having used thee:premien.
Mr. Ballantine impeded to the bar, and wee generally
confirmed in his statement. It appeared that O'Connor was
seen on Landon-bridge at 6 o'clock, and was then oscillating
as to whether he should go or not. It would not, however,
be contended that he did not go there. He wee, however,
somewhat late, and that was quit* consistent with Mrs.
Hangdog's statement that she went to seek him. With ru-
pee: to the Misses Armes, they had naturally ne
very friendly feeling towards Mn. Manning, and
theterere anything they said in her favour should hare
its full value. They distinctly deposed that she
wives' at their house at a quarter to six, and it appeared
from measurement that the distance was three miles from
spot to spot. She could not be expected to travel as quickly
ea a policeman, for whom people would most likely make
way. The probability was that she would have got there
quicker by walking than by any conveyance. She
must have left her own hence at 5 o'clock, or at most
the eqmn suntesreripoaul'ateatendtiont° ofth ltth e Vat
ry! bier thew
jk
murder riteor bad
been committed between half pat 6 and 8 o'clock, she could
not have been • party in its commission. it was true that
she stated on her arrest that she left at eta o'clock, but that
only showed how lightly the matter weighed upon bar mind.
The next question was—was the murder committed during
that interval I He =Mended that it was, and that the matter
admitted of not • shadow of doubt. All the probabilities were
that O'Connor got there about half past 6, and that his 11111111,
di: took place soon after. Wee it not b.. testa halt-past 5
sad the thou when Meaning was seen sitting on the wall at
7 o'clock ? If O'Connor was alive in his house daring
that time did it not seem strange that Minting
should sit upon the wall smoking? That was •
circumstance to which the jury would direct their
meet serious attention. Was O'Connor murdered then or
at a subsequent time ? All the probabilities led to the sup-
pcsition that he went to his appointment and wee shortly after
murdered. The next point to consider was, was Mrs. Manning
an ac..eseery before the feet ? She was so charged in the in-
dictment, Manning being supposed to hays committed the
act. It wee for the jury to consider whether the crown Was
right in Laving so put it. It was of course eu
put on the probability that the chattering the body
had exhibited was more likely to have been cent-
mitt= by a man than a woman. When Manning
was asked respecting those fractures, he was quit* silent as to
how they had come there. His story had been taken
as a ground for inculpating Mrs. Manning, and
the jury would judge of ha probability. The out-
gun bad proved that O'Connor was not killed by a
paitol shot, and the other violence was most unlikely to have
been committed by a woman. His learned friend had die-
needy proved that the murder had been committed by oce
person, and certainly the man who was et home when O'Con-
nor arrived at the house, was more likely to have
been the criminal than the woman, who wee
proved to have been absent. He now came to
the consideration of the acceimorial acts, and ia this
part of the case he implored the jury to attend to nothing
but the strict evidence before them. Having Utilised
to the difficulties which a poor woman had in getting
up • case when opposed to the egsouren of the
cream, the learned counsel proceeded to say that
the crown relied upon three points u proving Mrs. Manning
to have been an gunnery before the fact. The first was
the shovel, the s. nand was the crowbar, and the third
was the lime. He considered that tho shovel was
a strong point in hie client's favour. It was a
mere cut-shovel, and could not have been used for any pur-
pose- of violence. Therefore he oinnissed it with this
Obcrestion that if this woman was buying an
ordinary coal-shovel, she could hardly have been contem
plating a deed of darkness. As far the lime, it wee
clear what it was bought for • but it wee el. at
who bought it, and what it was used for. It was alleged to
bees been bought to kill slugs, but there was not a
tittle of evidi nee that slugs were ever alluded to by the
woman. She was not at home when it was brought to
the house, but her husband ens, and received it. The
boy who brought it received some half-pence next
day, bat could not tell from whom he received it. Ur.
Mane, had proved that there was a charwoman sometimes
thae, and it was not at all improbable bat that she
might have given the money. Then, as to the crowbar, it
was bought by the towhead, and brought home by elm
wrapped up in paper. If it was an oriinary ripping
chisel, why endeavour to conceal the shape from his
wife ? She saw the bill, and complained that it was
too dear; but that might have arisen from its
coming to more than oho had been ttld to expect.
Perhaps she had been placed in the situation by her
husband is order that captain might fall on her. He
(Mr. Ballantine) did not say es. It wee most lil:ely an after-
' thought which might occur to any poltroon who was anxious
to save his life at the expense aids wife's. He thought he
had now accounted for the important prints in the case.
The next was the blood found on Mrs. Manning's dress.
It was very remarkable that the only marks deposed to
are on the back of a c-.ps; and, therefore, if bled at all,
could not have been communicated during the eon.
mission of the murder. Might they not as well have
been iron-mould ? Toilet coven had also been introduced,
sad which she most probably had received in service. They
bol been in the bedroom, and, as the murder was un-
doubtedly committed in the house, It was quite pro-
bable that the person who committed it had gone.
Then, as to the blood on the dress, it would be nmemeered
that it was found on the inside, and on a part to which
it might bees found its way from natural causes. He
did not wish to be more explicit than was stssuary
on a point like tiff.; but in a case where the lie of a
fellow-creature was at mike, he could not be expected to
have much consideration far the feelings of permits
who were there from motives of mere idle curiosity.
The fact was that those stains had arisen from circum-
stances that were natural to woman end had nothing what-
ever to do with external violence. He next came to the evi-
dence of Mr. Massey, who it seemed had had some '
mange conversation with Manning as to the powers
of chloroform and laudanum, and the vital parts of
the human head. II Mr. Massey had possessed com-
neon discretion he might hays taken such steps in consequent*
of those conversations as would have prevented the dreadful ,
catastrophe. It apj eared that the murder was planned on ,
the Bth, and let them consider what was the conduct of
Mrs. Manning on that day. She wrote an invitation to
O'Connor; but it was hardly likely that Keening
would commit himself so far as to write him-
self. Might not Mrs. Manning have been made
to write the letter as she bad been made to pay for the crow-
bar? It appeared that O'Connor came accompanied by a
emsoa named Walsh, and his evidence was important.
If Mrs. Manning contemplated the minder, it must have
been in her mind then. But she exhibited the greatest
openness, and everything that could indicate absence of
nefarious intention. Then when O'Connor was faint from
sending had she not bathed his temples? Woe it likely that
the most depraved female could have behaved thus to the man
whose murder she was contemplating ? She had, it wee true,
written to him to come ; but she was benefiting by his
acquaintence, and was of course anxious that he should core
as often as possible. He had now goes as closely as possible
through the case, and he would leave it confidently in the
hands of the jury. There was one other point, and
that was Mrs. Manning's conduct at the Artees'e.
O'Connor, it appears, was late in coming to her house,
and she naturally went to seek him. No property was taken
that evening, nor did anything occur to lead te the supposi-
tion that she went for other then the most ordinary purpose.
If on that °union Mrs. Meanie, had contemplated murder,
would not her conduct have given some indication of h. r
dreadful intentions ? All Miss Armes had been able to ay
wee, that she was a little pale, and she was not able to
aoticie even this until after she bad heard that
a murder had been committed. On the following evening
Mrs. Manning was alleged to have trembled ; but was it not
probable that she had then some suspicion that
a dreadful crime had been committed ? Having
now censidered the points of principal and of acces-
sory before the fact, he came to the consideration of whether
his clout could be guilty, charged as an accessory after
the fact. That charge was not laid in the indictment
in consequence in her connexion with the male prisoner, and
he trusted it would not find its way into the rends of the
jury. Ho did not mean to deny that at some period this
women had become acquainted with the deed, and that
supposition would account for the whole of her subsequent
conduct. It was quite clear that the whole act might have
been committed during hey absence. She had no doubt learnt
the fact from her husband. It was clear that she had carried
on a criminal intereoune with the detested, and, her crime
weighing her down, left her completely in the power of her
husband, who might have committed the crime es a revenge
for his wrongs. He could give no other reasonable solution
I for her conduct, and he trusted the jury would look at it in
that light ; and with regard to the possession of the railway
shares, the jury would not forget that she had been in con
saltation with the deceased about the purchase of railway
shares, and that she stated he bad two or three hundred
pounds to invest in that manner. He would also ask them
whether it was not possible that the deceased might not have
given her some of the railway shares which were found
in her possessioe when she was taken into custody.
It was contended for the prosecution that the
possession of this property was quite conclusive of her annex-
son with the murder ; but he intruded the jury not to view
it in that light, and that they would think that, under the
circumstances, the might have taken the property, and yet
be perfectly innocent of the murder, or of having had any-
thing to do with planning it. The' learned counsel, after
some further remarks, and thanking the jury for the &teen-
tion they had paid to the case, mid he trusted he had satisfied
them that, at all events, there was doubt and difficulty in the
case; and he concluded by expressing a hope that they I
would give effect to that doubt, by returning a vadictfavour-
able to the primmer.
The Attorney-General was about to reply, when
Mr. Parry interposed and said that although, perhspe, In
strictness the Attorney-General would have the right of
reply, yet it weenot customary to exercise the power in • !
case were not a tittle of evidi.nos had been adduced by the
prise/nen.
The Chief Baron said the Attorney• General clearly had
the right.
Mr. Parry then put it to the Attorney-General whether he
would exercise the right in a case where the lives of two of
his felloercreatures were at stake. .

The Attoeney-Oaeseal mid that the law gays him the
right to hue tilde last word. He should not have exercised
the right cm this maiden bat that he considered it due to
the administratien of justice, leader the patellas circum-
stances of this ease, that the scales of justifies should be
held evenly between the parties. He did not think
that Mr. Ballentine was justified in complaining of the course
that bad been adopted by the learned eerjeent. He consi-
dered he had only done his duty as an educate to his client,
and he must say that it appeared to him to be the more
manly course boldly to state a chugs against a party, and
the. grounds upon which the charge was supported, than to
m iamate it and not have the boldaess to opealy make these-
caution. Remould now proceed to the facts. The murder, it
was admitted, took place in Minver-place, and he would ask
them if it was likely to have been committed by one
person. and whether one person could have caused the death,
dug the hole, and tented the body in the position in which
it was found. With regard to the time when the murder
was alleged to have been committed, there did not appear to
be any evidence when it was actually committed, and it wes
very possible that the set might have been committed after 1
he return of the female prisoner front the hetes, of the 1
deceased. They had been in negotiation with Bain-
bridge for the sale of the whole of their furniture,
evidently planning a sudden retreat ; and why I
should the female prisoner purchase a new shovel 1
on the very day before the murder was committed ?
He did not believe that on the Thursday evening the 1
female prisoner took away any property. He believed 1
her object was to fled the deceased and get him to seine to
the house in Maur-place. The female poisoner admitted
that she had cleaned the back kitchen on the j
day of the murder, and she must have been aware of j
the state it was in, and she then ran away
and assumed • false name, and in her possession was
found the greater portion of the proceeds of the sale of the j
stolen Rasters Counties Railway shares. As to the male
prisoner, let them look at his own statement. He admitted
he was present at the murder, and, although he unworthily
attempted to throw the blame upon his wife, he asked them
as reasonable men whether he could have been innocently
precut when'such • dreadful act was committed.
The Chief Boron, at a quarter past tire o'clock, corn- j
menced summing up. He said the prisoners Frederick
George Manning and Maria, his wile, were indicted for the
awful crime of murder, and they had pleaded not guilty, and
the jury were to say whether they were guilty or not. The
law, as it had been laid down by the Attorney. General, had
been concurred in by the learned counsel for the prisoners,
and he would only say that, if the jury 'Leonid be (satisfied
that both poisoners were present when the crime was COM-
' mitred. or that it was arranged to take place by one of them
' beforehand, sad committed by the other, in that case they
would both be liable te be convicted of the crime imputed to
them. The crime into which they were now iequiring was,
he believed, almost unexampled. There could be no doubt
that • wader of the most dreadful kind had
b.en committed, and the question then was had
the prisoners been proved to have cananiUod tbat
murder. The learned judge having alluded to the
circumstances under which the body was found,
said, that it appeared to be admitted that the
murder must have been committed by some persons who
were in the house. The prisoners appeared by different
counsel, and each charged the other with heviog committed
the offence; but the jury would give no more effect to the
statements of the learned counsel than their own experience
would justify them in giving upon the facts of the case. They
would consider whether it was probable that the murder could
have been committed by the ens or the ether of the prisoners,
aid whether it was possible, under the circumstances of the
ease, that the:act could have been perpetrated by one of the
prisoners without .the presence or connivance of the other.
His lordship then proceeded briefly to refer to the principal
points in the evidence, commenting upon them as he
proceeded. In the course of his observations he said that
the male prisoner admitted he was present when the
murder was committed, and although his declarations with
regard to the other prisoner were not evidence against her,
yet when they found that immediately alter the transaction
she was in possession of the keys of the deceased, that she
went to his lodgings and took away all the property she
could get hell of, and when they couaidered the
other circumstances in the case, it was Inc them
to say, as sensible men, whether such conduct on
her part was consistent with innocence. The case was
now before them ; if they eatertained serious doubt as to
which was the guilty party, they would then probably feel
it their duty to acquit both the prisoners, but if they felt
that the charge was established against one or bath prisoners,
it would then be their duty to say so by their veritt. They
would look at all the circumstances as men of sense, men of
experience, and men of the world, nod he was :ore they
would acefearlessly upon the result which such a consEera-
tion conveyed to their minds.
The jury retired at G o'clock. They were absent for
three-quartets of an hour. Upon their return their nau.es
were aired over, and the prisoners, who bad been removed,
were again placed at the bar.
Me. Streight, the deputy clerk of arraigns, then inquired
of the jury it they had all agreed upon their verdict 1
The foreman replied that they had.
Mr. Streight then asked it they found the prisoners guilty
or not guilt f.
The foreman replied, GUILTY.
Mr. Streight then asked the prisoners, in the usual form,
whether they had anything to say why judgment of death
should not be passed upon them.
Mr. Meeker, the usher of the court, was about to make
the usual proclamation for silence, when the female prisoucr,
who had become very much excited from the moment the
verdict was pronounced, exclaimed, in a violent mmiter,
that she had not bad justice done to her, and she had not had
a fair trial.

—Mr. Cope, the governor of Newest', said something to the
prieoner; evidently with the purpose of ,inducing her to re-
main (poet, but it appeared to have no effect.
She then proceeded in a most excited manner to state that
she had been treated meet cruelly in this country. She wu
a uireigner,ar.d she had not received justice. She continued :
" I have had no protection either from the jury, the judge,
the counsel, or my huebaed. I could have proved, if I had
had an opportunity fur my coursel to call the witnesses that
I bought all the shares thot were found in my hnx with my
own money. lam quite iIIIVACIIt of killing Mr. O'Connor.
He was very good to me. He was more to me than my
husband. tie has been my friend and my brother ever
since I have been in this country. I have known him
for a v. n years, and he wanted to marry me. Then
why should I kill him ? I am a woman, all alone, end I
have to fight against the prosecutor, against the counsel, and
against the emtements of my own husband. 1 consider 1
have not been treated like a Christian, but more like a wild
beast of the forest. I wish I could vest in my native lan-
guage. I would say more. I had plenty of money in the
bank to buy theses hares. aid I could have proved it. lam
quite innocent of the crime, and you (turning to the jury))
will have it on your consciences for fielding me guilty. If I
wished to take any body's life why would I not take that of
my husband,who was the greateuenerey to me in tho world ?
Why sheuld I kill Mr. O'Connor ? I could have been
married to him in a fortnight if I pl. seed. Ile was my haat
friend. Because it pleated my hu,bsnd, from his jealousy,
to kill Mr. O'Connor, I am dragged to this bar.
Mr. Hacker then made the ordinary proclamation before
the passing of the sentence of death.
Mr. Justice Creswell (who, in the absence of the Chief
Baron, delivered judgment) then put on tLe black cap and
addreesed the prisoners in the following terms : " Frederick
George Manning and Maria Manning, you have been con-
victed of the crime of wilful murder—
The female prisoner here exclaimed, " I have not
Mr. Cope again requested has to be silent, but she said she
would not. She had been treated shamefully. They ought
all to be ashamed of themselves.
The learned Judge proceeded—Too have been severally
convicted of that crime by a most intelligent and careful
jury, after the most anxious deliberation. You were de-
.ended most ably by your counsel, who advanced every
topic which their experience and ingenuity could dictate in
your favour; and the jury have felt themselves com-
pelled, upon the evidence that was adduced, to find
you guilty, and I do nat think there can be a doubt
m the mind of any rational being that this was the
only verdict which they cull contelentiousle return.
Far my own part I must say, that U they had returned
any other verdict, it would have been difficult to
satisfy me that they had not shun k from tho performance
of their duty, so satisfied am I with the evidence in support
of the charge. Under all circumstances murder is the most
dreadful of all crimes ; but the murder of which you have
been convicted is the most cold-blooded and deliberate that
I ever remember to have heard of. Under the pretence of
affection conveyed to him in the letter written by one of you,
the unhappy man was lured to the place where his grave
was already, in all prebabiliy, dug ready to receive him,
and then the deed which you had for days and weeks con-
templated was consummated. It is one of the most appalling
deeds that has ever been heard of. Without giving him a mo-
ment for repentance—and it has been suggested that his course
of life rendered that repentance necessary—without a mo-
ment's preparation, without giving him a moment to think
of futurity, or any opportunity to ask fcr pardon—you
hurried this unhappy man to his long account. The law is
more merciful than you were, and it will allow yon time
for repentance, and to prepare for the fate that awaits you.
One of you is represented to have inquired of ens of the
witnesses whether it was possible for a murderer to go to
heaven. The time has come when this is indeed an Im-
portant (elution for you, and it behoves you to inquire of
those who are competent to answer the question, what you
have to hope and what you have to fear upon that subject.
As I cannot see any prospect of a mitigation of the
sentence, I feel it my duty to call upon you to consider that
your doom is irrevocably fixed, and I entreat you to resort
to the assistance of a minister of religion, who I am sure will
rejoice at being enabled to hold out to you an hopes of
pardon in the other world, if he considers himself justified
from your conduct in so doing. Whatever you may say, or
whatever affected iodignation may be shown by either of you,
will be of no avail. It is impossible to doubt the justice of
the verdict that has been pronounced, and I am sure that
topeTego one
wholt nohwas ardre remains evidence will
to
be of that
u
the sentence of the law,ywhich is, that you,Fredgricur Georgeyo
Manning, and you, Maria Manning, be severally taken to
the minty gaol of Surrey, and be delivered to the custody of
the sheriff of that county, and that you bo there severally
hanged by the neck until you are dead, and your holies be
afterwards buried within the gaol.
The male_ prisoner heard the sentence without 'gime a
word; but Mrs. Manning again became very violent. She
snatched a handful of rue from the front of the deck, and
threw it among the barristers, exclaiming, "Base, shameful
Baaland !"
They were then removed from the be?, and the court ad-
journed at a quarter past seven o'clock.

Rorr =DAN, OCT. 25.—Prioce Lucien Bonaparte
arrived here this morning by the General Steam Naviga
tioa Company's mail steam-ship Ocean, from London.