The Express.
London, England, 1858-04-08 00:00:00

LONDON, THratiDAT, APRIL 8.

not trial of the Bev. Sam= Ilmrnt and his
wigs st Gloucester far a murderous saesult on
Joie Luce, though divested of much of its mys-
tery by the full and, we are inclined to think, sab-
ota•tfelly truthful statement of the male priesaw,
still TlMollilli one of the most singular in the recent
annals of crime. Coupling the otationsmt of the
principal culprit with the evidence adduced at the
trial, it is not difficult to arrive at something like •
connected narrative of the main facts of this re-
markable Noe.

In 1846, JOHN LEECH, the prosecutor, wee a light
porter in the employ of Memrs. Savior and EDOAI,
the well-known linendrapers. In the December of
that year, the female prisoner, whose maiden name
was SARAH ki tu.s, and who ass thee about 17
years of age, became a servant in the 11111111atablielt-
meet. She remained in the Navies for abut two
years. In September, 1848. vitas she weep still with
Mews. Swim and Emus, she Asst met her gesseat
husband. Sumer. BY= was at that time as
undergraduate at Cambridge. His father was Visor
of Sod bury I the family was a nynisrons one, and boa
his 16th year, wording to his own statement, the pri-
soner had supported himself by hie own exertions.
The Cambridge student fell in love with the girl, and
offered to marry her as soon es his cireumetanom
would permit. She left her situation, and established
herself in lodgings in the Tottenksar-ecortuarl.

Sem returned to Cambridge, when be hid pre-
viously pined a scholarship, and went out as a
senior optima in the ensuing examination. Luca,
who, before his acquaintance with WAX
MILLS commenced, was engaged to a yang
women whom he subsequently married, continued
to visit his former fellowarreet in Tottenham.
mart-road. On one of these occasions—the Good
Friday of 1849—Mr. SMITH was pointed oat to
him under somewhat paella eirannstances. Lance
was going oat with SARAH Meta for a walk, and
SinTli was pacing backwards and forwards opposite
her lodgings. When they returned he was still'
engaged, in the same manner, and the girl then in-
formed her companion that he was a gentlemen from
Cambridge, who was anxious to pay his addrams to
her. Lazar knew this before. For some smiths
he continued his visite until in the sonemer
of 1849, he found that Beams Mau bed ene•
denly left her quarters. In the July of test
year she had been privately married to &EMIL
SMITH, at St. Pancras Church, and they had both gobs
together to her friends in Kent. Sierra had jest
before obtained • Mastership at the Bishops' School
at Bristol, but the salary, which was only 1001. s
year, did not enable him to avow his marries IR
support his wife. He Greeters, after the bigot era
fortnight, left her with hes friends in Kent, age-
ing to pay for her board. Lawn found out wham
she wee, wrote to her, and received an incitation to
join her at Canterbury. Aecording to his evidence
at the trial, Brae Mn.ta ea this occasion declared
to his that her husband bad deserted her, that he
Ins adeavouring to prove the marriage invalid, and
that her friends were seeking legal advice on tide
point with • view of keeping him to his exitme4l
It is only fair to SAiUCL Sets to say that
this part of the case is supported by no
evidence except that of Lazar, who merely
professes to repeat the 'tannest' of the wife. It
is inconsistent with most of the proved facts,
which all show substantial kindneme on the part of
the husband, and with the iepoeted confession of
the wife, which attributes the notion of her having
been forsaken by Baum to the interested repre-
sentations of Duce. What follows is only too
clear. LRICH met her at Canterbury 1 at his
solicitation they went to Whitstable toptlise, bbd
there indulged in adulteress intercourse, wide wag
frequently repeated after Mrs. Sartre's reins to
London. Laren, dune, this stay in Look"
promised, if she woad asse and live with hinb
that in seven years be trout marry her.
Whitstable visit was is eaglet, 1849, rely OW
month after her marriage: their last interview IS
London was in December, 1849. About that ties
Mrs. Serra went to reside in Bristol, living irr
patently in lodgings with her husband, bee we
paming far his wife. In 1880, and again in 1861,
she appears to have renewed her correspondence with
Luce, and in one of these letters described hersollsol
apprenticed to a milliner in Bristol. In 1882, Luc%
who had prospered in the world, and become wire
he oil is, a road contractor, married the gir
whoa he lied been previously engaged, end from
that time until the present year all intsmieures
his haw mistress amour to have eiseed.
These &bine were born to the Bums : in 1881.
in 188, and 1884. The dist two were born in Kink
where Mrs. SMITH was then begun tly in the habit
of making keg visite to her friends. Deere the
birth of the last, Serra took a bass sad armor-
lodged his wife. Shortly afterwards be left the
Bishops' College, and set up • school a his
own. The enterprise seconded, and the leer
straggling man was rewarded with what to his
most have appeared the comfortable compress, of
stoat 4001. • year. But there wan • skeleton in the
closet, • canker at him heart's eon. " Re bad ottee."
ma is his statement, "observed that there wee a
▪ melancholy about his wile and she amid Nigh of
• his bosom. sad tall his the! ohs was net worthy of
• him. Re led rites complained of her raying se
0 meek a Kew sal that tam most be elms mein
• he her mohiseboly, timpogh he cord net ton went it
O was, She ones told him of • letter she had re-
• mind from the men, Lean, and mentioned other
• eireesesimess white Wand rather to excite bin