The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-09 00:00:00

THE MURDER OP MR. LITTLE.

The public are prepared to learn that no steps have yet
been taken in this matter—indeed, society generally ap
pears to have made up its mind upon the point ; for
although some individuals of sanguine temperament feel
unable to discover why circumstances which were deemed
of sufficient importance many days ago to justify prepara
tions for an immediate arrest should now appear to have
lost all their force, the general feeling is, that the autho
rities will continue to maintain their dignified reserve, in
the hope and expectation that all interest in the matter
will eventually die out. The position of affairs, however,
is now such, that a few days. perhaps a few hours, must
determine the course to be adopted. The police have, so
to speak, concluded the' case for the prosecution—they
have collected all the evidence which they could obtain, or
which there is any reasonable expectation of their being
able to obtain, without the occurrence of some providen-
tial incident ; and the enquiries still made at the scene of
the murder are pursued with a view rather of confirming
what is already known than of eliciting anything new.
The party towards whom their suspicions point is
perfectly aware of the estimation in which he is held,
but rests secure upon the precautions which he took
and the confidence reposed in him by certain influential
friends ; whilst the police, on the other hand, are
thoroughly conversant with his position and career, al
that the slightest occurrence might precipitate the final
step. The government officials have now, however,
assumed the dirt. came of the detective force, and the
responsibility of further direct operations rests solely
upon them. Perhaps, under these circumstances, it may
not be inopportune to allude to a feeling very generally
prevalent, that there has been mismanagement somewhere
—and not merely Irish but English papers have ascribed
this alternately to the police force and to the government
officials. Without entering at length into the question. it
may be safely affirmed that sortie of the " secret measures
insisted upon with such tenacity were simply ridiculous,
if not actively mischievous. For instance—a hammer and
razor were found, which were scarcely perceived till
caught up and hurried away ; they were retained under
lock and key for days, carefully guarded from public
scrutiny, and after the lais,e of much precious time
when the utter futility of the " bottlinteup" plan had
been shown, not merely were the:representatives of the
press afforded facilities in publishing detailed descriptions
of the instrument, but the police authorities actually went
to the trouble and, expense of having woodcuts made
of them, and printed at the head of Startling placards,
to ensure still greater publicity to the ei-deuant mystery.
There can be no question that during the inquiry many
particulars have come to the knowledge of the police,
which if disclosed would materially assist the murderer
to escape the decree of retributive justice, and which it
would be therefore injudicious. in the extreme to make
known; but a wide line is to be drawn between these and
oth, r circumstances as to which thero can bo no contra
versy. No doubt the police have taken every measure
occurring to their experienced perceptions, but for all
practical purposes their exertions have resulted in failure,
and the public mind cannot be disabused of a certain
uneasiness arising from a belief that the crime in question
is capable of being repeated ;at any time with the like
impunity in any public or private establishment. It will
be interesting to learn hereafter what interference has
taken place throughout the inquiry—whether the police
have been left toomuch to themselves; or whether, on the
other hand, the same freedom of action has been afforded
to the members of that force which would be allowed to
officers in England under similar circumstances. Some
of the remarks on this head have been truly laughable.
The Times, which is famed for knowing more of the
internal economy of a tribe of Calmuc Tartars, or the
political constitution of the South Sea Islanders, thau
of the actual condition of the Irish people, wrote a
lengthened article the other day speaking of the parties
conducting this investigation as members of the Con-
stabulary, which it held to be synonymous with a military
force ; altogether ignoring the fact that the Dublin metro-
politan police is a distinct body, regularly lettered, but-
toned, and batoned like the London politic, and in every
respect resembling them except in point of remuneration,
which is little more than half the amount enjoyed by the
members of that favoured force. And it may be asked in
parenthesis, without intending disrespect to the Dublin
police, if they were placed on an equal footing in this
respect, might it not have been the effect of attracting to
their ranks the particular kind of talent for which the
Times so strongly contends. Let it be remembered also in
extenuation of their failure, if such it be, that the English
police are peculiarly susceptible of remark as regards
undetected burglars anti members of the garotting club.
and that two distinguished London officers failed to for-
ward the inquiry in any way, although brought over to
this country and detained for some time with that very
object. A point deserving of mention is, that the great
majority of the searches made at private residences by the
the railway, and by the consent of the parties themselves,
and they altogether repudiate the charges of harshness
so freely brought against them. Whilst saying thus much,
however, In extenuation of the police, and bearing in mind
that a suspected person, if tried on insufficient evidence
and acquitted, cannot afterwards be tried for the
same offence, although his guilt may bo afterwards
clearly established, it is right to remind the authorities
that delay not only increases the difficulty, but actually
endangers the result of a prosecution, if such be ever
attempted. Despite the unheard of efforts at secrecy,
which have been made throughout the enquiry, facts of
the utmost importance and the nature of the evidence to
be brought forward have leaked out piecemeal, and would
long since have become generally known, but for the die
cretion of the newspapers, at which it is so much the
fashion to sneer. If, then, even police prudence cannot
hush these up altogether. can they be prevented from
coming to the murderer's ears; and is not the only
question how long ?