The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-22 00:00:00

THE BLOOMSBURY MURDER.

ADJOURNED INQUEST.—(THIS DAY.)
This morning at half-past 10 o'clock Dr. Dan-
hinter resumed the inquiry into the eiretuuttsnees
ing to the death of Edwin McDonnell, a bandsman in the
had Life Guards, who died in University College Hospital
from the effects of • wound inflicted with a revolver by •
supposed Fenian in Bloomsbury, on the morning of the
nth ult.

Mr. Poland appeared for the crown, and the ❑anted
Groves was represented by Mr. Warner Sleigh.
Superintendent Searle and Inspector Thumps, n were
present on behalf of the police authorities.

The coroner, in opening the proceedings, eat"e'•wd hii
regret at the manner in which his inquiry clashed with
that of the magistrate at Bow-street, and a hope that some
legislative measure would be introduced to obviate ditticul•
ties of that kind.

William'Taurean examined—l live at No. 4, King-street,
Grosvenor-square. lam • butcher. I recollect the night
of Friday, the 27th of September. 1 wa at the Holborn
Amphitheatre with my wife. I left about half-put 11,
and went nearly to the Middle-row. I went into a couple
of public-houses on the way. I drank a pint of beer at the
find public-house, and a couple of pints at the second, and
my wife had • glass of ale. I remained about
an hour in the public-houses. After leaving them
I had a word or two with my wife. I wantel
to have a drop more to drink, and she refuse&
I left her near the Bull and Anchor. She mine home
about 2 o'clock in the morning, and said she had been
looking for me. She also said she had seen some men
quarrelling at the Bull and Anchor, and that two men
came out of it.

The Coroner—Have you seen in the papers what yenr
wife laid!

Witness—No, sir. I didn't trouble myself about the
paper. My wife said she 'heard a report of firearms after
leaving the Bull and Anchor, and that she beard the taller
of the two men say be would shoot some one before he
would go home that night. She also told him she heard
the short man say " Come on Groves, 'tie time we wag
gone." She heard the tall man say he wished he had fined
again at.d shot the right one.

The Coroner—When you heard this wonderful story
of a murder committed in the streets of London what did
you say to your wife?
Witness—l said I wished he had shot her, as she had not
come home. That remark was not seriously made.
The Coroner—Had you any serious conversation
Witness—She told me all the particulars in the morning,
The Coroner—Did you consult as to what was to be
done

Witness—l said it had nothing to do with us, and urged
her not to say anything about it.
The Coroner—Suppose anyone shot you, would you
not like to see the perpetrator of the outrage discovered ?
Witness—l would, sir ; but I forbade toy wife to say
anything about what she said she had seen.
The Coroner—When did she speak about it again?
Witness—On the 6th of October.

The Coroner—What did she say?
Witness—She said she had seen the short man at the
corner of George-street, Oxford-street, and that while she
was standing there two men came up and said to the
short man, "Good morning Joe, Low is John getting
on"' The short man replied, "True, they have got the
poor fellow," or "the poor b—." She told me she would
go and give information, and I suggested that she should
wait till evening. She went to Scotland-yard in the even.
ing, and I accompanied her. She entered the yard and I
remained outside. When she came out she did not tell
me what she had said, nor that she had only told a part
of the story. She did not tell me she intended to write
letters.

By Mr. Poland—My wife's maiden name is Anna Maria
Haley and not Anna-Maria Williams. I believe her mother
was married twice. I married her in the name of Haley.
I have never seen my wife's mother nor troubled myself
about her. I had enough to do to mind myself. My wife's
mother lived at Diu. She died a fortnight ago. My wife
went to Portfield, near Chichester, to my friends on the
Thursday before the murder, and came back on Friday.
She went to see if my mother had apartments for us diet.
Mg the winter, as I was out of employment. My mother
is badly off, but I thought that if I went to my native
place I would get employment. 31y wife and I went to
Portfield on the Sunday. We paid 7s. for two
excursion tickets. My wife did not oome beak the same
day. It is not true that my wife and I did go home to.
gather or that we were quarrelling at the door. I saw the
account of the murder iu Lloyd's paper on Sunday, Oct. 6.
I made • mistake in saying that it waft on Oct. 6 my
wife Lew the short dark man at the corner of George.
street—it was on Tuesday, Oct. 8. That letter (produced)
is in my wife's handwriting. I did not see her write it.
The statement in it that my wife was leaving town on the
Saturday morning is not correct.
By Mr. Sleigh—During the last five years I have not
been out of employment quite so long as two years. I did
not know anything of the reward until nearly a fortnight
after the murder. I saw in Lloyd's paper, on the 6th of
October, something about 100/. reward havingbeeu offered.
Lloyd's is the first paper in which I saw anything relating
to the murder. On the night of the murder we went
towards Middle-row, because we had some time to spare.
We were celebrating my birthday.
Mr. Sleigh—Did your wife tell you ou the Tueeday that
she heard the dark man say he would shoot anybody he
saw in the witness box ?
Witness—Yes.
Mr. Sleigh—Why did you not say so in the earlier part
of your evidence ?
Witness-1 forgot it.
Mr. Sleigh—Why did you tell your wife not to tell what
she knew ?
Witueas—l didn't want to be annoyed or to be bothered
at home.
Mr Sleigh—Do you think you are right in contultitur
your own convenience rather than aid in discovering a
murder ?

Witness—l think so.
The Coroner—Do you mean to say that an Englishman
a right in consulting his own convenierme rather than put
him vrlf to inconvenience in discovering a murder?

Witneas—No sir.
By the Foreman—/ pawned my clothes to got half a
sovereign, which I gave m wife to go to Portheld. We
paid 4s. fur admission to the Holborn Amphitheatre. I
The Foreman—And you out of work and hard up for
money at the time!
Witness—But it was my birthday. sir.
Anna Maria Janman, the wife of the last witness, was
re-sworn and examined by Mr. Poland.
Mr. Poland—Did you ever charge a corporal of the lith
Regiment named Hayes, with committing a rape upon
you!
Witness—That has nothing to do with the case.Wl
shan't answer that question. I am not going to be dis-
graced in this way. What I did before 1 married ought
not to be brought out here.
Mr. Poland —Was not the charge against Hayes dismissed
by the magistrate!
Witness (excitedlyl—l know nothing about it. I am a
married woman, and I think the best thin; I can do is not
to come here or to any other court again on this ease.
Mr. Poland—Did you charge a police-coustable at Land.
port with indecently assaulting you!
The witness answered iu the negative, and threatened to
refuse to answer any further questions if her antecedents
were inquired into.
[Her examination was proceeding when our report left.]

A Berlin journal publishes the foll.ming telegram
relative to the motion of M, Manckeubourg, abolishing
imprisonment for debt, which was r,loptol by the Reich-
stag :—" Vienna, 13th.—Cordial congritalations on your
approaching liberation. Long live the Reichstag ! Lang
live Blanckenbourg !—The Prisoners f,ir Debt of Vienna."
The subjoined reply was sent : —" 13th.—To the
Prisoners for Debt at Vienna.—Sincere thanks fur your
meg, atulations, brother Germans ! Long live the De-
puty Blanekenhourg ! The Reichstag for ever ! May the
hour of liberty gottt.d for you as speedily as we expect it
for ns. Hurrah for liberty !—ln the Dame of the Pri-
soners for Debt at Berlin."
Tile UNIVERSITY BOAT R Att.—Mr. W. a.
Griffiths, late president of the Cambridge University Boat
Club, replies to Mr. Skey, that the crew :,re perfectly able
to row back after the race, and that he has never known
or heard of an instance of a man fainting or being unable
to speak or to rise from his seat. "The result of perfect
training is that after a few minutes' red you are ah/e to
undergo great exertion again without injury or weariness.
This is particularly exemplified at Htuley, where some
men row three and four races a day. I, myself, rowed
three races on the same afternoon at Henley one year, and
I was just as ready to row each race as if I had not rowed
previously. Mr. Skey lays great stress on into retiring to
their rooms after races at Henley. Naturally when a man
is required to row two or three races on the mine after-
noon he rests between each race and k.vps as quiet as
possible. I know but one instance of a man being injured
by rowing in the university crew, and this was from this
trainer of the crew keeping to the antique and exploded
rules of training, and neglecting common sense principles
and precautions." More harm. Sir. Grblitlis thinks, arum
from men rowing " untrained" in short races than from
men rowing long and severe races while in good condition.
)METROPOLITAN FAZE HOSPITAL, DITONEILLAA•
AWARE, CITT.—The aggregate number of =ate relieved
during the week ending Oct. 19 was—Medical, 907 ;
gical, 650 ; total, 1,557 ; of which 695 were new mass.

THE POLICE COURTS.

(THIS DAY.)

BOW-STREET.
; MBLE4 Fitum THE cftillSTl.l2l KNOWLEDGE
socutTY.
, lei, a porter in the service of the Society for
of Christian Knowledge, was charged with
two Bibles, value 6/. from the office in Great
. • .treat, Lfficoln's-innffields.
• it .%ckrell, of the F division (in private clothes),
yesterday morning he received information
V:. Russell, a pawnbroker in the Old Kent-road,
person had offered in pledge two Bibles, each
„,„ volumes, which he (Mr. Russell), suspecting them
. , bad detained. After seeing the Bibles,
• ore both new, and bore the imprint of the society,
•' I.: to the branch office of the society in Royal Ex-
. 'nildings, where he found the prisoner. He told
.ouer he was a police-sergeant, and asked if he bad
.soy Bibles or sent his wife to pawn them. He
No.• %Vitae*. said " I must take you to the office of
ntetident, at the head office in Queen-street."
i:ri•oner then said, "I did take them. I took
. being in distress, and I am very sorry for
..pe the superintendent will look over it this time."
Iv!, -. then took him into custody.
~...i•tant front Mr. Russell's produced the Bibles.
. clerk to the manager of the society, identified
, ;;Ides as the property of the society. The prisoner
.• • CIO plpytki a. porter.
•:r. Flowers -What is his general conduct?
'ir. Mile., -We have every reason to be satisfied with
~ We have never had any fault to fi-id with him

j .
MTr.e Flowers—He says he did it from disarm. Have
, .1 my reason to know whether that is so?

Mr. ?lily.-1 find that he tia; been ill, and I have ma/
to believe he boa been in distress in consequence

Hr. Flowers (to the prisoner)—Would you rather be tried
...r.• et go to the sessions?
I❑, prisoner—Pray settle it here, sir.
Flowers—Are you guilty, or not guilty ?
Tht prisoner—l must say '6 guilty."
)Ir. Flowers said, in consequence of the prisoner's good
,!,r,,'•cr he should deal with the case very leniently. He
!y sorry to see a man hitherto of good character
to theft by want. It was vet' different from the
. i 4 man who stole things to provide himself with the
of idle indulgence. He was afraid, however, that
0..1. the lightest punishment he could inflict would make
..,ry difficult for the prisoner to obtain employment
However he could not do less than sentence him
weeks' imprisonment.

CLERKKNIVSLL.
♦BSCOVI)IZ(G or ♦ RATE COLLECTOR.

31r. Cooper solicitor to the vestry of St. Pancras, ap-
-1.!, i to Mr. r, solicitor
for a warrant against Charles James
}'::t-r, late a collector of poor and other rates for the
iuna of St. l'ancraa. Fisher, it was stated, had been
0100 years a collector and had before the mica-
on which the warrant had been applied
tor been backward in paying the money that he had
c‘,l:c:ted into the bank to the credit of the
On the day that the vestry met, the money it
itated that Fisher was a defaulter of was paid into
it- hulk at its opening. The only sum that the warrant
t‘gen out for is under it. it is stated that had Fisher
t,t ;ot out of the way he would have been discharged.
31:. 'Laker haying heard all the circumstinees granted a
trrtut, and it woe directed that police-constable Wit-
-1...Ae, 43 Y, one of the warrant officers of the court,
execute it.

Tuc re:try have offered a reward of SOL for the ap-
-..arn.ion of Fisher.

WESTMINSTER.
SINGULAR ♦PPLICATIOY BY A LADY.

A fmiale between 50 and 60 years of age of very lady-
appearance and address, addressing the magistrate
sLcn he took his seat upon the bench, said—" Can you
toy FOll to support me ?^
Mr. Arnold —Under what circumstances, madam?
Applicant—l am unable to support myself, and he is
p•.rtectip ctinpetent to do it, but will not.
Mr. A roohl—Vour application should be made to the
authorities, not to a magistrate.
Appluant—l have been to the parish authorities and
my case, and they told me that I must come to
rot].

• Mr. Amold—Who told you to come to me'
Applicant—The officers of St. Luke, Chelsea.
Mr. Arnold—l cannot understand why they should send
you to me when it is known that that is not the course. In
the event of your being destitute, it is the place of the
latish to interfere, and the law will compel your son to
•upport you. Are you destitute?
Applicant—l have 2Uf. per year coming in.
Mr. Arnold—Well, certainly, that is not • very large
3mount, bat perhaps a person can hardly be termed desti-
tute with that amount corn in.
Applicant—When my children have my fortune?
Mr. Arnold—The law compels a child competent to do
so wholly or in partto supportthe parent only where other-
wise destitute—so destitute that she becomes chargeable
to the parish. The course, then, is for the parish to relieve
her nectssities, and then take proceedings against the son.
Applicant—My non is • solicitor.
Mr. Arnold—lf he is • peer the law would be the same.
I have no power to assist you.

THAMES.
EITRAOROINART CHARGE OT ARSON.
Eirkord Morrie, a licensed victualler, was brought before
Mr. Benson, charged with arson.
Mr. Charles Young opened the case for Mr. Swanton,
of the London Salvage Corps, the prosecutor in the case,
and said he should make out by the strongest and clearest
circumstantial evidence, a complete case of anon against
the prisoner, who set fire to his house and attempted to blow
temp, for the purpose of defrauding the Royal Insurance
pany. The prisoner was the landlord of the Turk's
Head public-house, in Green Bank, Wapping, near to the
parish church of St. John, Wapping. On Sunday, the 13th
instant, the prisoner, whose wife had been previously
dmatched from home, left his house with three children,
and closed all the doors and windows. A few minutes
afterwards a loud explosion was heard to proceed
from the cellar of the house, and smoke lamed
from every hole and crevice of the building in large
quantities. It was discovered the house was on
lire. It was soon extinguished. A man got in
at the window, and he found the flames were raging
in the cellar. There was a packet of gunpowder weighing
one pound and six ounces in a cask in the cellar. It
would be produced. The gunpowder was wetted with the
water poured into the cellar by the firemen, and it was
fortanae that it was so, for the members of the salvage
corps, a useful body of men, went into the cellar to lacer-
tan the cause of the fire, with a lighted candle. If the
powder bad exploded several valuable lives would have
13t,11 sacrificed. On the top of another cask there had
hien an explosion of a smaller quantity of gunpowder, a
tak of rum was running from the tap, and there
vie bung cloths saturated with liquor about
tie cellar and on the make. Thera was no
doubt all these preparations were made in the expectation
fat both packets of powder would be exploded and that
be rum would be fired. If that hail happened all trace of
tse origin of the fire would have been lost. The cellar
door was closed, but some boards were taken out. He had
m doubt all these diabolical preparations had been made
:A' the purpose of dessroying the house and stock in
trade. The prisoner, on his apprehension by Police- ,
sergeant Gamble. 49 It said he was the last person
in the cellar, and that he went down to obtain
ionic bitter ale, and then all was safe. The prisoner also
said that some enemy had exploded the powder and set the
min going out of spite. It would be proved that about a
!south since, the prisoner made a purchase of a pound and
abalf of powder and a pennyworth of saltpetre at a shop
No. 4, Sun Tavern-fields, St. George's-in-the-East. The
ehopman observed, " What, are you going to prepare for
the sth of November!" The prisoner laughed, and said,
" am going to make crackers for the sth of Noveinber."
The solicitor then mentioned other circumstances of sus-
picion, and called his witnesses.
Mr. Benson—l shall remand the prisoner until Tuesday
nest.

Mr. fitoddart, solicitor, offered bail for the prisoner to
asy reasonable amount.

Mr. Charles Youngl oppose the application for bail.
I have, air, to call your attention to the fact that the pri-
soner was seen to leave the house three minutes before the
explosion took place, but no one entered afterwards till
the cellar wag on fire. I have also to state that he has
had Aix tires before on premises occupied by him, and was
always insured. I believe Mr. Swanton, of the salvage
corr, can prove that the prisoner was interested, but not
directly, in three other fires.
Mr. Benson—l shall not take bail. A strong prima
facie ease has been made out. The prisoner is remanded
till Tuesday next, the 29th of October.

THE SUPPOSED FENIAN ATTEMPT TO SET FIRE TO
CHE,TER POLICE-sTATION.—At a special meeting of the
Chester Town Council yesterday, the proceedings of the
watch committee in reference to the supposed Fenian at-
tempt to set fire to the police-station, came up for con.
firmation. The minute stated that an attempt had been
made--enpposed by Fenian—to set fire to the police.
station by throwing a bottle containing explosive material
Upon the roof, and the committee therefore ordered that a
reward of 100/. be paid to any person giving information
which would lead to the conviction of the offender. The
committee also ordered that the Waterworks Company
ab,ml.l have a supply of water night and day in the fire
mains, that the police should be temporarily increased,
azd that at least JO citizens should be requested to act as
special constables. The chairman of the committee
(Ablerrnsn W. 11. Williams), in moving the confirmation
of the minutes, stated that, at the meeting of the watch
committee, all the members volunteered as special con-
st.,hles, and were sworn in for six months, The minutes
cf the committee were unanimously confirmed. A letter
iron' Whitehall was read, advising the Chester authorities
t., take certain precautions in view of a Fenian attack.
Mk. MukPHY AT BLACKBURN.—For the last few
days the town of Blackburn has been thrown into a state
of commotion by the visit of Mr. Murphy, lecturer for
the Protestant Electoral Union, the refusal of the magis-
trates of the borough to grant him the use of the Town
Mall for his lectures, and the persistence of Mr. Murphy
in holding his meetings in • licensed hall adjoining the
town, which had been dosed by order of the magistrates.