The Express.
London, England, 1867-08-30 00:00:00

THE ALTON MURDER.

Frederick Baker, who stands committed on the
coroner's warrant' for the wilful murder of Fanny Adams,
was yesterday brought up at the Akan Town-hall fcr
examination before Mr. Edward Knight and the local
bench

of magistrates. The public excitement was quite v.;
intense as that which has been exhibited on any previous
oceadon. The room in which the investigation was held
was densely thronged, and long before the hour fixed for
holding it (11 o'clock) an excited crowd had collected in
front of the Town-hall, where they awaited the arrival of
the prisoner. The accused, since his arrest, has been con-
fined In the police station, and • constant and vigilant
watch has been kept upon him. During the whole time be
has been in custody be has been moody and silent, has
evinced not the slightest disposition to hold communica-
tion with any of those shout him and has most studiously
avoided reference to the dreadful crime with which he is
charged.
The mutilated body of his unfortunate little victim
was on Wednesday berried in the cemetery outside the
towpen, and the (uncial was attended by a large concourse
of ople.
Shortly after 11 o'clock the accused was conveyed in •
cab from the police station to the Town-hall. His arrival
was greeted with heads and yells from the arowd out-
side, which seemed to create a marked inspreethea en his
mind, for when he made his appearance in the megithrates'
room he looked pale and agitated. He soon benever se.
covered his self-pomeedon, end remained awl
eel-
lected, with one or two exceptions, to the aim el the is-
quiry.
The chirp having been read overt° the primmer, George
and Annie Adams, the parents of the decreed, repested
the evidence they gave at theseminer's inquiet The poem
husband bemire dreadfully agitated while his wife was
giving her evidence, and looking towards the prisoner,
frantically exclaimed, " You are a villain." The prisoner
was apparently unmoved by the exclamation.
Minnie Warner, the little girl who was playing with the
deceased on the day when she was murdered, repeated
substantially the evidence which she gave on Tuesday
last. It will be recollected that when examined before
the coroner, she failed to identify the prisoner, but on this
occasion she did so • and she further deposed that when
proceeding homew;rds, in obedience to the directions of
the prisoner, she looked back and saw him carrying Fanny
Adams in has arms. The deceased cried, and wanted to
come back with them, saying that her mother would be
wanting her. The prisoner carried her through the gate
into the hop garden.
The [egoism( 'videos.), in addition to that adduced
before the coroner was than taken :
William Allwork, cricket bat maker, deposed that on
Saturday last, when going home through Flood Meadow,
at 2 o'clock, he saw • man leaning on the gate that led
into the " Hollow." He believed the prisoner to be the
man.

William James Walker, whitesmith and bellhanger, re-
siding at Alton, said—On Saturday last, the 24th
walking
through 35 minutes ut 1, as near as- I can guess, I was
through the meadow ajoining the Flood Meadow, and saw
the prisoner corning across the meadow towards the stile
near Mr. Chalcni hop .garden. He passed within two
yards of me. I said to hun, " How-d'ye do," and prisoner
replied, " How d'ye do" and passed on towards the
garden. I thought the prisoner was partly intoxicated,
because he looked so very vacant, and !looked after him.
Elsa White, the vitriol Joseph White, sawyer, at Alton,
said that on Saturday afternoon last, a little before
2 o'clock, as she was pawing along • field adjoining the
hop garden of Mr. Chalendt, she saw amen at the further
corner of the field, a little way under the hedge, and with
him throb children, two of whom wen in trout. One
of the front ones was in the act of reaching up hor hand as
if picking berries. The other two were stooping down,
seemingly picking towers. The man stood with both
hands in his pocket, apparently smoking. He was dressed
in light trousers and waistcoat, • black coat, and high
hat. She kept her eye upon him knowing the children to
be companions of her own little girl. The children seemed
tired of play, and ran towards the " Hollow." The man
turned about and then rushed after them down into the
" Hollow," out of sight. Witness thought no more of it,
thinking the man was • friend of Mrs. Warner. Soon after l
she heard a cry. It appeared to proceed from the hop
garden, It did not appear to her that the cry was one of
pain, but of a child who being stopped in her play was
struggling to get away. She thought no more of the matter,
but when in the evening she heard that the little girl was
missing, she fel, there was something wrong.
The Chairman (to witness)—Can you recognise the man
whom you haw with the children in the field t
Witness—Yes, sir (turning round and looking the pri•
loner full in the feu, and speaking emphatically), " that
is the man, sir." (The premier here dropped his fan, end
turned very pale.)
George Noyes, under-shepherd at Mr. Chalcraft's, de.
posed that at ten minutes past three o'clock he saw a man
close to • hop garden, near that in which the body was
found. He was walking along the footway leading from
the Odiham-road. He got over • stile into the meadow,
when witness lost sight of him.
By the Magistrate—When witness find saw the man he
stopped suddenly and turned back, and getting over the
stile he went down undor the hedge in the meadow. He
believed the prisoner to be the man whom he saw.
Mary Anne Porter, the wife of Will. Porter, gardener,
Alton, said she resided in a cottage near Flood beep. On
Saturday afternoon last, between five and six o'clock, as
near as she could gams, she was sitting at her door and
saw the prisoner pass. He was going in the direction of
the town, and he kept continually turning round and
looking at her. As he appeared to watch her, she watched
1•" m. Just before entering the town he stooped down and
seemed to be doing something to his feet—she thought his
trousers—but she was at such • distance that she could not
exactly tell what he was doing. lie then went into the
town.

Dr. Louis Leslie added to the evidence which be gave
before the deputy-coroner, that the breast bone of the de-
ceased child bad been out out, and was missing. The
incisions which be found in the liver must have been wade
after death, there being no co ding wouni:s in the
body. There were parts of the body not recovered. The,
witness, in cross-examination, also stated positively that
the marks on the wrist-bands were blood marks, but he
could not speak with the name amount of confident* as to
the spots on the trousers.
Polioe-constable Watkins, stationed at Alton, said that
on Saturday last, about a quarter past eight o'clock, he
took charge of the prisoner at Mr. Clement's office. He
was there accused of having murdered a child. He asked
witness whom child it was, and he told him he believed it
was Mr.' Adams's child. Prisoner then said he did not
see bow they could trace it to him, as he had only given
the child a halfpenny, as be had often dune before. A
junior clerk, of the name of Biddle, came in and said
something to the prisoner, who replied, " I don't see bow
I am to get out of it ; it seems all so straightforward, but
I am innocent." At the police-ststion, after being
,examined, he took charge of him again. Prisoner told
'him they had found blood on his sleeve which he could not
account for, and the doctor seemed to think it was his
but as for his boots being dirty, he was in the habit of
walking in the dew, and then washing them before going
to the office even in the morning. He said if the case was
gone on with he should be defended ' • and if he did not
get off he must he hung. That was all he could say, and
all he intended to say, about it.
Maurice Biddle, clerk in Mr. Clement's office, recapitu-
lated the evidence which he gave at the inquest.
Prisoner (to witness)—Do you not recollect saying to
me, at ten minutes past 3, "A pretty time to come back
this r
Witness—l recollect asking such a question, but I don't
know whether it was tut minutes past 3 o'clock or past ii.
Prisoner— Don't you recollect saying to me at half.past
four. " I would like to go to tea first!"
Witness—l ,lo not recollect.
Prisoner—When did I name about the women meeting
me—after I went across to the tap or before!
Witness—Both before and after.
. .

Prisoner—The evidence states that it was after. NM
you swear that I did not go to my desk miter coming from
the chemist's shop!
Witneu—l swear that I was not out of the office long
enough. after you came back from the chemist's shop, for
you to hays gone to your desk and made the entry in the
diary.
Superintendent Everett deposed to accompanying Soper-
intendent Cheyney to Mr. Clement's office, where, in the
Jesk, the diary produced was found end handed to him.
He went to the prisoner at the police-station, and told him li
that Mr. Cheyney bad searched his desk and found a diary,
at the same time glowing him the entry ender the date of
the 24th of August. Prisoner, looking at the entry, said
" Yes ; that is my handwriting. I did it after I saw the
women, but I did not mean to do it like that. I was in-
toxicated when I did it." . . .

This concluded the 'see spinet the prisoner.
The presiding magistrate having read over to the prisoner
the charge, asked him whether he desired to call any wit-
ernes. _ _ .

Prisoner—l should like to all Mr. French as to time.
I do not wish, however, to call any witnesses at the present
time. . . . .

.......
The maratrate, having adminivtered the usual caution,
then asked—Do you wish to make any statement in answer
to the charge ?
Prisoner—l am not careful to answer the charge at
present. I am as innocent as on the day I was born.
The prisoner was then committed for trial.
The removal of the prisoner from the Town-hall to the
polies station, preparatory to his being conveyed to Wis.
cheater Gaol, wee not effected without some considerable
difficulty. The moment the crowd outside caught sight of
the prisoner they uttered frightful yells and execrations,
and an attempt was made to upset the cab in which he
was taken away, which, in all probability, would have
proved successful, bad it not been for the very vigorous
I manner in which the driver of the vehicle plied his whip.

[TWOPENCE

TEE DISPUTE IN THE GAS TRADE.

The annual meeting of the Western Gas Com-
pany (Limited) was held yesterday afternoon at the chief
offices, Argyll-street, Regent-street; Mr. F. W. RuosEm.,
M.P., chairman of the company, presiding.
The report of the past ear's operations stated that the
company's business lad( continued Ito make satisfactory
progress, and that the available profit sufficed to main-
tain the authorised dividend of 10 per cent.
The Cgautnex, in moving the adoption of the report,
congratulated the proprieton upon the Inuits of the past
twelve months' operations. The gas supplied had been of
a first-rate quality, and the works of the company bad
been maintained in a high state of efficiency, and the bad
&Me incurred only amounted to something less than onet
half per cent. He then referred at some length to the
parliamentary proceeding of the past year, giving
lit as his opinion that the companies had not been fairly
dealt with, inasmuch aa they had been treated as though
they were public sensate expending public money, in-
-1 stead of trading companies having private funds to ad:
minister. He complained that the parliamentary coin-
s mines had been opposed to the gas companies from the
I rust

Mr. L. Brurene briefly seconded the motion.
Berne dismission ensued relative to the gas stokers and
their grievances.
A Stuamioumn thought that the gas stokers bad no
real grievances to comp lus of, and that the whole story
of the wrongs which had so alarmed the public was a pure
fabrication. He hadnever before beard any complaint.' from
the pa ',token until Nome self-appointed or self-dubbed
" friends of the working =team* before the public with
the highly-coloured picture of wrongs, lie had for the
greater part el hie life been connected with gas weeks in
one way or asother, and had beard no complaint from the
men. They were not overworked, and were very well
paid. They were not mechanic or artisans, but labourers,
and id 04.111111111i11011 with other labourers had a very geed
time of it, sad were well paid.
Mr. WILMOT KIIIMIT had been a friend and advocate of
the working men all his life, but thought the gee igniters
had a eery bad ease, notwithstanding " A Stoker's" letter
published in that day's papers. He considered that the
secretary of the Chartered Gat Company (Mr. Phillip
had put the question in its proper form when he mid It
was for the pa stokers to choose between the aribitseinen•
of force and the arbitrement of kindness. It eboula not be
forgotten that the occupation of a gas stoker did not require
any large degree of mental or manual skilL AU that wen
required was ',peen amount of strength , s nd certain pewees
of endurance. These lessons the artitans of the east-end dl
London—in Poplar, Limehouae, and Bleckvnill, for in-
stance—bad been learning to their sad cost for some titan,
and should the gas stokers be so foolish as to do auythimg
rashly, should they not know how to be wise in time, Out
would find the unemployed of Whitechapel said ,other
places he had named only too ready to fill the positions
that the gas stokers could more easily abandon than regain.
(Chris )

,
The Outman, in reply, maid the last speaker had
formed every mound opinion of the real question. If all
the fasts were known, the public would conclude
that the labours of the gas stokers were sot it
all heavy, and that the men were very fairly remusr:lateei.
The whole labour the gas stoker, gave did not exceed mix
hours out of the twenty-four. The men were obliged to
be 12 hours on the premises, but they were not at work
for more than six. They did not even work the whole six
hours at a stretch, but in turn, of never more than three-
quarters or an hour at a time. As for men beim; carr:ed
away from their work in a fainting state, as had be
alleged, that was moonshine, for the improvements In
modern science had enabled the gas compeniee very greatly
to counteract the best to which the men would otherwise
be expo:wed. As to the heat affecting their health, sia•
tidies proved that a more brawny or healthy race of
labourers did not exist. Six hours' work could not be atilt-
sidered hard, and the men bad plenty of time on their
hands. As to a high rate of dividend being wrung fur the
shareholders out of the bones of the gas stokers, the whole
dividend paid by this company since its commencement
was not more than 51 per cent.
Mr. K. A. GRAY, not only as a shareholder in this, but as
chairman of another gas company, denied the alteetioue
brought against the glut companies. Having rulwle himself
acquainted with the details 111 reference to the ges stokers,
he found that in hie company they did not work more
than four hours outof the twelve, and teat at intermittent
period' of a half hour or so at a stretch. Those eptakers
at the meeting who stated that the men were at stork
12 loan oat of the 24, said what was not borne out by
facts. Hie experience proved to him that there was ho
body of men who fired by labour who did leas fur their
money then the gas stokers. If they were so foolish as
to throw up theiremployment, their places could and would
be filled up in a few hours.
The report was then adopted wen. ton., sad the dividend
declared.

The retiring directors were re-elected, and the usual
formal business having been transacted, the piu_Ledings
closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman.