The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-09 00:00:00

TEE MURDER OF KR BRIGGS.

ADJOURNED INQUEST.
The adjourned inquest on the body of Mr Thomas Briggs
was resumed yesterday morning before Mr Humphreys, the
coroner for East Middlesex, at the Vestry-hall, Hackney.
The coroner reopened the proceedings by observing that
the jury had already received every possible testimony that
could prove the cause of the death of Mr Briggs, and that
their next business wouid be to investigate every circum-
stance connected with the case that could possibly fix the
guilt of the murder on any particular person or persons.
The first witness called was Mrs Ellen Blyth, landlady
of the house in Park-terrace, Old Ford-road, where the man
Franz Muller resided before his departure from England
for America in the Victoria. She said that at the beginning
of July she had two lodgers living in her house, one of
whom was a German named Franz Muller. He left on
Thursday, July 14, having given notice to do so a fortnight
previously. On the Saturday morning before he left the
house between 11 and 12 o'clock, but she did not know at
what time he returned. She and her family went to bed at
12 o'elock, but Muller had not then come in. The other
lodger, whose name was Goodwin, went out on the Satur-
day and did not return till Monday, according to his usual
habit. At the head of his bed hung a life-preserver, made
of whalebone and indiarubber, and loaded at the end with
lead. The instrument now in possession of Mr Tidey, police
superintendent, was the ono belonging to Mr Goodwin. The
next time she saw Muller was at breakfast on the Sunday
following, between 9 and 10 o'clock. On the Thursday pre-
viously he stayed out all night, and when he returned on
the next day ho was lame, having, as he said, hurt his foot
the day before. On the Sunday he went eut for a walk
with her and her husband between 6 and 7 in the evening,
having been at home all day until then, On the Monday
morning he went out early and did not come back till S in
the evening, but she did not notice any peculiarity either in
his dress or manner. She did not notico what kind of hat
he wore either then or at any other time. On the Tuesday
and Wednesday he also went out early and did not return
till late. The last week he remained at her house he did
not do any work. On the Thursday he took leave of them
all, saying ho had taken a berth on board the Victoria
bound fur New York. Lie lodged in her house for seven
weeks, and paid her most punctually before he left. On the
Monday evening he had a gold Albert chain which she Look
notice of. He took it off and showed it to Mr Goodwin,
but she did not see whether it had any watch attached to it
or not. She also noticed to him that he had get a new ring,
but, beyond an expression of assent to her two remarks, he
made no observation about either the chain or ring. The
photograph produced was that of Franz Muller.

The photograph was here shown to the jury. It is an
ordinary full length carte de visite portrait of a well-dressed,
short, thick-set young man, with a firm, compressed mouth,
and small, narrow, half-shut eyes.
The witness went on to say that 11Iuller accounted for his
going to New York so suddenly by saying that ho had been
sent there by his employers, the Messrs Hodgkinson. She
first heard of the murder on the Monday, but she could not
recollect whether the matter was talked of in Muller's pre-
sence or not. She could not identify the hat produced as
the one worn by Muller, neither could she say whether he
changed his linen on the Sunday or not, as he always had
his washing done away from home. The week before he
left, however, she had washed six new shirts for him.
Eliza Matthews, the wife of a cabman living in Earl.
street, Lisson-grove, said she was well acquainted with
Muller, having known him for more than two years. He
was engaged to her husband's sister, and used to visit .hem
frequently. He came on the Sunday before the murder, and
again on the following Monday about 2 in the afternoon.
He did not look very well, and was dressed differently towhat
he was on the Sunday before. When he was leaving she
made some remark about his hat wearing well, to which he
replied that it was not the one he usually wore. She also
noticed that he wore a gold chain. Formerly he used to
wear a watch and chain, but on the Tuesday before the
murder she reraarkod that he had not One on, and he ac-
counted for the circumstance by saying he had lost it
through betting. On the Monday he took off the chain in
reply to her remark, and asked her what she thought of it.
She did not see any watch attached to it, but there was a
locket on it which Muller said belonged to Mr Itepsch, a
friend of his. Thinking he could not afford to buy so ex-
pensive a chain, she hinted that it was not gold, but he
assured her that it was, and took a box out of his pocket
upon which was printed the name of "Death, jeweller,
Cheapside." He told her it was a first. rate jeweller's, and
that he had given Si lOs for the chain. The box he after-
wards gave to her little girl, On leaving he said he was
going to New York and wished them goodbye. She
walked with him to the omnibus and never saw him again.
She made the observation about the hat because she had
gone with her husband to buy the one he usually wore
in November or December last, at Walker's, in Crawford-
street. He alweys wore it until the Monday. She first
heard of the murder on the Monday evening from a neigh-
bour, but did not say much about it, being busy with her
baby: She only read the newspapers on Sundays, and
said nothing to her husband about the matter, being busy
with her household concerns. She did not recollect saying
anything about it to her husband or to any one else either
during that day or the next. Her husband waa in the
habit of going out early and returning late, so she had
not much time to speak with him on such matters. On
the Thursday he spoke to her on the subject, and it was
not till then that the matter was mentioned between them.
She was much employed all day with her children, Navin
jg
a young family. Her husband seldom stopped fcr his
breakfast, generally only taking a cup of tea standing. He
mentioned twice that the murderer was taken, but she could
not recollect the days. She repeated that sho had no com-
munication with any one about the murder till hor husband
spoke of it on the Thursday. Her husband can read, and
frequently brought home newspapers left in his cab. When
Muller came to say goodbye, he told her he particularly
desired to see her husband. She told him he would net bo
at home all day, and he said he would call back on the
Tuesday or Wednesday, but did not keep his promise. On
the Monday week after the murder her husband came home
in the morning and asked her for the box that Muller had
given to the child, saying he wanted to know the name upon
it, She told him it was in the corner of one of the drawers,
and he took it out, read the name, and said it was the same
that he had seen on the bilis that were out about the mur-
der, On the Sunday before this Lloyd's newspaper was
bought as usual,
but it was not touched, as his brother and
sister dined with them. As soon as her husband read the
name on the box he took it away, saying he was going to
the station with it, and that he was afraid Franz Muller