The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-11 00:00:00

THE ALLEGED MURDER IN WHITECHAPEL.

INQUEST AND VERDICT.-(THIS DAY.)
At the Duke of Sussex Tavern, Royal Mint-
street, Mr. John Humphreys, Middlesex coroner, this
morning resumed the inquiry relative to the alleged
murder of Thomas Sullivan, aged 44 years.
The prisoner, Timothy Murphy, a strongly-built young
man with a harmless expression of countenance, was
brought into court by Inspector I)endy, under • warrant
from the Home Secretary. Large crowds assembled in the
streets to have a look at the prisoner as he was brought up
in custody.
The evidence taken on the previous occasion proved that
deceased was • plasterer, living at 84, Royal Mint-street,
and that on the afternoon of Saturday, the Ist September,
• men named Timothy Murphy.was in his room, and while
under the influence of liquor, made imputations upon the
character of his wife. He ordered Murphy to quit his
room, and the latter did so, and went up stasis. Deceased
went down to the street-door, and was standing there
when he was told that Murphy had returned, and was
breaking his furniture. Deceased raniartairs, his wife
lingered for a moment at the door to s to a policeman
about Murphy's violence, and then followed her husband.
She saw him on his back on the landing, Murphy being on
top of him, and apparently biting him. Deceased looked
pale, and asked Murphy not to bite him, bat said nothing
about being stabbed. The wife dragged Murphy
off ; deceased parsly rose up, and then without
saying a word fell back dead. It was found
that • knife bad penetrated his heart. When
Murphy was arrested shortly after, he had no knife on
him, and he said that be knew nothing of what occurred
as he was ]rusk at the time. Next morning Mrs. Sullivan
found half the blade of a small pocket knife on the land-
ing while washing up the floor, but no stains of blood were
apparent on it. Such being the state of the ascertained
facts, the coroner said that the evidence (lid not seem to
be at all conclusive as against the man Murphy so far as
the infliction of the fatal wound was concerned, and the
inquiry was adjourned until to-day for additional wit-
nesses to be if passible procured. Upon the resumption of
the proceedings,
Mr. Thomas Loane, assistant to Dr. Loane, at No. 1,
Dock-street, was called. He deposed that at about half-
past 9 o'clock the prisoner Timothy Murphy came into the
surgery and wanted to have his head dressed. His
head was bleeding. Witness refused to dress it, as he was
drunk, and told him to go to the hospital. Murphy said,
" 1 will have my revenge ; I will go and knife him." He
gave witness to understand that he bad been engaged in a
quarrel. He said that he bad been fighting ;he did not
say with whom. The wound was at the back of his head ;
witness did not examine it.
The Coroner asked the prisoner whether he wished to
ask Mr. Loane any questions.
Prisoner—No sir, only I understand that when I left
Mr. Loans I went straight to my own room.
The Coroner said that the prisoner could make any
statement he chose presently.
Bridget Donoghue, 34, Royal Mint-street, the wife of an
egg dealer, said she was in the shop between 9 and 10
o'clock on the night of the Ist September. She saw Murphy
leave the house to go to the doctor's to get his head dressed.
She did not see him return, but she heard soon afterwards
that Sullivan was dead. It was between 9 and 10 when
Murphy went to get his head dressed. The row had begun
about 8 o'clock. She thought Murphy returned before she
heard Sullivan was dead, but she did not know.
Mary Anu (lame, 34, Royal Mint-street, proved seeing •
disturbance between Sullivan and Murphy. Mrs. Murphy
called out that her husband was killed, Upon going up
she found some persons taking Murphy upstairs from
Sullivan's room. He was using had language about Mrs.
Sullivan. Sullivan said "If you say that again I will
drag you downstairs by the leg." Murphy gave Sullivan
a kick in the forehead when be said that. Witness after-
wards saw Murphy go to the doctor's with his head
bleeding frightfully. He returned shortly afterwards.
Sullivan was then dead—of that witness was positive.
The whole disturbance had ceased when Murphy went sway
to get his head dressed. After Sullivan got the kick in the
forehead an hour elapsed before she heard some one cry
out that Murphy was breaking the furniture.
Mrs. Mary Ann Sullivan, the widow of the deceased, re-
called, said that she remembered Murphy's going away to
the doctor. Her husband was dead then. The row began
at 8 o'clock. An hour elapsed after Murphy's going up to
his own room before he returned to break the furniture.
The prisoner was the man she referred to in her evi-
dence. The blade of a knife produced was exactly similar
to that of a knife which she had seen with the prisoner.
Timothy Murphy was then cautioned in the usual
manner, and asked whether he had any statement to make.
He said, " No, sir, I do not remember anything about it."
He stated that he was a labourer 29 years of age.
There being no further evidence,
Tne Coroner proceeded to sum up the case. Re said
that if the prisoner had utterd his threat " to knife him "
before deceased's death,! Mr. Loane's evidence would
certainly go to prove animus on his part against deceased.
But the threat being uttered admittedly after the de-
ceased's death no such animus could be inferred. If the
prisoner could produce the knife which he was known to
have in hi, possession unbroken, it would be a very strong
point in his favour ; but as he failed to produce it the pre-
sumption of course would be that the half of a blade pro-
duced was part of his knife, and that with it he -had
stabbed the deceased, But the case did not seem to
amount to one of wilful murder.
The prisoner here said—l want to say that Sullivan and
his wife were themselves quarrelling all the week.
The Coroner said that bad nothing to do with the
matter. It was not because a man quarrelled with his
wife that some one else should kill him.
The jury, after a brief deliberation, returned a verdict of
" Manslaughter against Timothy Murphy for feloniously
killing and slaying Thomas Sullivan."
The prisoner was then removed in custody.