Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-01 00:00:00

THE MURDER OF MR. LITTLE,

The public investigation into the charge preferred
against Spollen, by his wife took place on Saturday morn-
ing, before the magistrates of Capel-street Police office,
Dublin. Shortly after eleven o'clock the prisoner was
conducted into the court, which was densely crowded.
Mr. Corballis, Q.O , law adviser to the Castle, and the
Crown Solicitor, attended to conduct the prosecution.
Acting upon instructions from Mr. Kane, Mr. J. A.
Curran attended as counsel for the accused. After the
statement for the prosecution had been made by Mr. Cor.
'mulls, William John Chamberlain was examined : Was
clerk to the cashier at Broadstone terminus. Last saw
Mr. Little alive at about five o'clock on the evening of the
13th of November, 1856. He was at that time seated at his
desk, with notes, go'd, and silver in the window to his
right. On Wednesday, the 24th inst., Sergeant Meyers, of
the detective police, called for witness, and brought him
to view some money, a portion of which was rolled up.
He observed a large parcel tied with twine. Another
parcel had writing upon it. (Meyers, a detective officer,
produced a package of money.) Chamberlain read the
endorsement, "Surplus, £2 6s 10d." On another parcel
witness read "X3o,' in ink, which he identified in the
handwriting of the late Mr. Little. Also identified a
fragment of brown paper, with the letters " M. G. W. R."
as being in witness's own handwriting. Spollen was
employed in the cash-office to varnish some railings which
had been put. up over the counter, and also to do some
oak work, about three weeks before the murder. Thomas
Bennett, clerk to the accountant of the Midland Railway,
deposed to having found the deceased on the floor of his
office, with his throat cut, the body lying en the right
side, and the face rather inclining towards the door.
Large quantities of money were lying about the room in
gold, silver, and notes. James Brophy, carpenter, in the
employment of the railway company, was next examined.
Witness procured admission to Mr. Little's office on the
14th of November by breaking open the back
window, which he effected by standing on the
roof of the terminus. This window was quite
fast, made so by nails. This window turned on a
pivot, and a person might get access to or from the
roof of the terminus through it in from 15 to 20 seconds, if
he were acquainted with the place. Once on the roof
there would be but a very slight chance of a person being
observed. From the roof it was perfectly easy to gain
a means of descent to the platform in the neighbourhood
of the third class water closet. From the time of egress
from the staircase until this descent was accomplished five
or six minutes would probably be consumed. After the
departure of the mail train, at a quarter past 7 o'clock,
the lights on the platform are put out, and, with one or
two exceptions, no person has recourse to the premises.
Witness knew the prisoner Spollen. He came first to take
care of the iron roof. He then helped the loading of
luggage at the departure of trains. No one had a better
opportunity of becoming thoroughly acquainted with the
intricates of the premises and the habits of the officals.
He was the principal person employed in staunching the
roof, cleaning and repairing the windows of the various
offices, and in doing whatever jobs of painting were re-
quired. To go from the third class water closet to Seel
len's cottage would take about three minutes. The
detective officer, Meyers, deposed to having discovered the
£132 wrapped up in a piece of calico, which he produced.
➢onnelly, a police constable, deposed to finding in a privy a
bucket containing red lead, covering £67 ss in silver. This
privy was situated at a distance of ]44 yards from
Spoilen's cottage. Lucy Spollen, a child about ten years
of age, said that she was the daughter of the prisoner.
On the evening of Mr. Little'e being murdered, she recol-
lects her father coming home
,between seven and eight
o'clock. He held in his hand some-pot or other article of
a round. shape, but of what material she could not say,
inasmuch as it was dark at the time. Her father took a
ladder, and put it up to the roof. Her mother was at the
door during this time. The witness went on to say: I
had a sun bonnet which I never ware. It went about the
house as a duster. I last saw it in the house, I think, the
day before Mr. Little's murder. (The piece of calico
found with the money was here produced, and was identi-
fied by the witness as the bonnet which had bean referred
to by her.) I never saw that bonnet after the murder.
Since the murder, my father told me that if any person
showed me a piece of chamois leather, or rag, to say
" No, I never saw it before." On cross-examination, the
witness denied that she had ever been told what to say
when questioned on her oath. She also denied that her
mother had held any conversation with her since she was
privately examined on Thursday last, farther than to ask
" Have you been sworn ? Her mother, she said, had
told her to tell the truth, and that was all. On
being pressed further, the child admitted that she had
informed her mother of the fact of the piece of calico
having been shown her. Hughes, a sereeant of the
Metropolitan Police, deposed to the arrest of the prisoner,
and the finding of a knife and some keys upon his person.
Two of the keys belonged to his private apartments, and
he said, "You have no right to take those keys from me,
as they belong to my private place." With one of those
keys the witness opened a press, in a drawer of which he
discovered a piece of wadding, enclosing eight sovereigns,
o❑ two of which were marks of their having fallen into
some wet stuff, which had afterwards dried upon them.
Daniel Ryan was next examined. He said that he was an
inspector of the detective police, and that he had been
employed in prosecuting an inquiry in reference to the
murder. On the morning of the 24th inst. he accom-
panied Mr. Superintendent Guy to the Broadstone
terminus, where they foam] the4orisoner engaged in
painting. Mr. Guy said that he was an officer of police,
and that he had come for the purpose of arresting Spollen
for the murder of Mr. Little, in November last. The
prisoner said, " Very good, but you are mistaken in me."
The arrest was then made. Between nine and ten o'clock
the same night witness went to Frederick lane station,
where he found Mrs. Spollen, who, on her husband being
brought into the room, said, " Oh, you wicked man, you
have destroyed your family; what I done I did for the
good of your soul." The prisoner replied to this,
" Oh, you foolish woman," and then attempted to
approach her, but she instantly exclaimed, "Keep him
back; keep him back." Spollen having been informed by
Mr. Guy of the charge' against him, the prisoner said,
" I deny it in tote." The charge was then formally made,
and the woman said, " Search him well ; leave nothing
with him. Give him a fair trial for his life, for I know
his words when he was on his sick bed. He is determined
not to confess it." " Confess what, woman ?" was the
prisoner's next observation. " You know you murdered
him ; you told me all about it at a quarter past nine
o'clock on the Friday morning, after you said to me that
"he would tell no tales.' " ro this the prisoner made no
reply, but partly hung his head. Mr. Curran put
some questions to the witness, and ascertained that the
prisoner's wife was " in a great rage against her husband,
so far as roaring and bawling," " She appeared to be
very spiteful," but witness would not swear that she
really was so. " She appeared to feel very much about
the matter, and she pulled and tore her hair, and gave
other manifestations of a similar spirit. She shouted
very much." After the examination of this witness the
proceedings were adjourned to Wednesday, at eleven
o'clock, when it is understood that the magistrates will
commit the prisoner for trial.

CATTLE DYING IN LOWER CANADA.—The Quebec
Mercury says that an alarming disease prevails among the
cattle in the parishes of, La Beance, on the south side of
the St. Lawrence. Upwards of 1,500 animals, chiefly cows,
have died. •

Mrs. Patten, the woman who so heroically navigated a
ship into California, after her husband lost his mind, is
now dangerously ill at her home in Boston, with typhoid
fever, consequent upon the fatigues and exposure incident
to the voyage, and her untiring devotion to her husband.
Captain Patten has lost both his sight and hearing, as well ,
as the power of locomotion.
THE PRINCE OF PRUSSIA AND THE CITY.—At a
special Court of Common Council, held on Saturday, at
Guildhall, the Lord Mayor presiding, it was unanimously
resolved, upon the motion of Mr. De Jersey, seconded by
Mr. Valance, to present to his Royal Highness Prince
Frederick William of Prussia, as the betrothed husband of
the Princess Royal of England, the hononrary freedom of
the City of London, enclosed in a gold box, of the value of
11)0 guinea's.
IMPROVEMENTS AT 110LYROOD.—The works at Holy-
rood and in the Queen's Park, authorised by a vote of par-
liament last week, have just been cemmenced, and are
being carried forward with energy. They consist of a new
garden surrounding the palace, including, of course, the
removal of all the old houses between it and the hill,
forming a loch below St. Anthony's Chapel, building new
entrance lodges, and extensive improvements within the
pal -I ce. —Scotsman. •
THE PEIiSONATION'S AT LEEDS ELECTION.—WiIIiam
Bennett, charged with personating William Bennett, at the
recent borough election, was tried before the Recorder
on Saturday morning, and acquitted. The defendant had
resided in the same street as the voter personated ; was
himself upon the register last year, and the evidence led to
the conclusion that he did not know that be had been
struck off, and had therefore voted as having a right to do
so. He voted for Mr. Mills, and the William Bt-nnett
said to have been personated voted for the same candidate.
—Leeds Mercury.

HOG Cnotnai Oa b a CoNsostertow.—From Johnson
County, Indiana, we learn that the fatal hog disease is
very prevalent, but the symptoms are more those of con-
sumption than cholera. Out of 1,500 hogs put in one
inclusure, fifty a day were dying. The first symptom
noticeable is a slight cough, which is soon followed by a
drooping, stiff appearance; the moss and lips, and some-
times .the jaws and ears, turn blue and swell up, and
finally purging, and sometimes vomiting, follows,, and
death ensues speedily. Hogs, in every stage of the disease,
have been killed and examined for the purpose of ascertain-
ing the nature of the disease, and the result establishes
the fact beyond scruple that the disease here is inflam-
mation of the lungs, those in the first stages showing a
congested condtion in a portion of the lungs, while those
further advanced bad a more extensive engorgement, and
I:1 the last stages of the disease the lungs were dark, dry
and solid, with some ulceration of the lungs and throat.
The stomach and intestines show no signs of discos.