The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-12 00:00:00

FRANZ MULLER.

DECISION OF THE HOME SECRETARY.

(THIS DAY.)

Sir G. Gray has decided, after careful considera-
tion and comparison with the evidence given at the
trial, of the statements made to him in behalf
of Franz Muller, and after full communication
with the learned Judges before whom the proceed-
ings took place that there is no ground which
would justify him in
advising her Majesty to in-
terfere with the due course of law,

It is satisfactory to be enabled to state that, as the time
approaches for carrying out the sentence of the law, the
prisoner appears to be in a much more becoming state of
mind, and it is evident to those about him that he beg ins
to feel there is very little hop© that the exertions that
are being made to procure a respite will be of any avail ;
and, although he still retains the stolid demeanour that
has characterised hiss ever since his conviction, those who
are about him say that there is no doubt that a great deal of
his confidence has forsaken him, and that he is evidently
impressed with the awful position in which he is placed,
and there is a very general impression that at the last mo-
ment, iZ not before, he ,will make a full confession of his
guilt. _ _

He was visited on Thursday by Alderman Copeland, who
is one of the visiting magistrates of the prison, and several
other aldermen. The interview was merely of a formal
character, it being the duty of the visiting justices to see
every prisoner confined in the gaol. He has also been
visited by Haifa and Mr and Mrs Myth, who were examined
on behalf of the prosecution at the trial. These parties are
all evidently on very friendly terms with the prisoner, and
they seem to entertain an opinion that he is innocent of the
crime, and Muller appears to be very grateful for the
opinion they have formed of him. The prisoner appears to
be desirous to impress upon every one about him the idea
that he persists in asserting his innocence ; but it is worthy
of remark that he has never upon any occasion distinctly
asserted that he was innocent, and the tenor of his remarks
is to the effect that the evidence did not establish his guilt.
Yesterday morning Mr Under-Sheriff De Jersey paid him a
formal visit, and he reminded him that the time was fast
approaching when he would be removed from this world by

the sentence of the law, and ho exhorted him to endeavour
to make his peace with God, and, as a preliminary, to make
all the atonement he could in this world to his fellow-men
by speaking the truth, and divulging all he knew in con-
nection with the dreadful crime of which he had been con-
victed Muller exhibited some emotion at the observations
of Mr Da Jersey, but made no reply ; and, as has been
before stated, the impression entertained by every one of
the officials with whom he has come in contact, and who
have watched him closely, is that his knowledge of what is
going on out of doors, and the great exertions that are being
made to procure a respite, alone prevents him from making
a confession, and that the same feeling will probably pre-
vent him from doing so until he is, as it were, on the very
brink of eternity.
In consequence of the extraordinary number of applica-
tions that have been made on behalf of the members not
only of the metropolitan but the provincial press for per-
mission to be present at the execution, and which were to
an extent that it was absolutely impossible to comply with,
Mr Alderman and Sheriff Dakin, and Mr Alderman and
Sheriff Besley, and their deputies, Messrs Davidson and
De Jersey, held a conference upon the subject, and the

result arrived at was, that the whole of the applications
were refused, but arrangements have been made where-
by the public may be assured of knowing what really
occurs, and that what takes place at the last moment will
be made known, It may perhaps be as well to state that,
in consequence of the scene of confusion that took place
within the prison upon the occasion of the execution of
Rocker in 1845, the Home Secretary issued an order di-
recting that henceforward no stranger should be admitted
within any prison on the morning of an execution ; and
although this order is, in general, strictly enforced, the
sheriffs felt that on the present occasion, having regard to
the character of the crime and the extraordinary interest
that has been created by it in the public mind, they ought
not to undertake the responsibility of communicating the
details of any statement made by the culprit with reference
to the crime, if any such statement should be made by him,
but that the proper course, and the one most likely to be
satisfactory to the public, was that this should be done by
some properly accredited representative of the press.