The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-16 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OT THE SUN.

SIR,—By the gasping,. sobbing gratification that Irs so
generally followed Muller's supposed confession, I may
fairly conclude that very many others besides myself either
felt that he was innocent, or that (as the Scotch term it) his
crime was "not proven," and that there really was a doubt
about it, which ought, and perhaps would, have been given
in Muller's favour, but for a sort of panic all society had
imbibed from the nature of the deed—a murder—and an
escape against time—in a railway first-class carriage, with
only two minutes or so to do it all in. Your paper and the
Mites appear to have given the most probable version of
this confession.

For myself, Sir, I do not believe in the confession of
Muller. Ido not mean that Dr Cappel mis-stated, but
only misunderstood what Muller actually said just as the
drop fell.
Muller had said, in reply to Dr Cappel, "God Almighty
knows what I have done."
The doctor's next question was— " Ile knows if you have
done this particular deed ?" and he makes Muller say—
" Yes, I have done it."
Now, I consider Muller's answer more likely to have been
—"Yes, if I have done it ;" meaning, evidently, that " of
course. God knows whether I did the murder or not." And
this is consistent with all that had gone before, especially
the declaring his innocence after he had taken the Sacra-
ment.

The point, however, that I wish further to call your at-
tention to, on behalf of all eondemned felons in future, is,
that Muller, being c)nvicted on a Saturday night, was
hanged in just a fortnight and a day, because the three
Sundays elapsed in that period. Had his trial been carried
over to the Monday, he would have had three week for re-
pentance. I trust you will animadvert on the above incon-
sistency, or haste; and that by no possibility in future such
a boon should be shortened by a mere chance, as occurred
with this most unfortunate foreigner.

I remain, Sir, one of your constant readers,

15th November, 1861.

We beg to direct the attention of our correspon-
dent " W." to the following conversation that took
place between Dr Capel and the convict on the
morning of the execution:--
The final asseverations and confession of the unhappy
man who was executed on Monday have been reported with
some slight variation of phrase, although the import was in
most instances the same. The actual words made use of aro
subjoined in the original German. One hour before the time
appointed for the execution the Rev. Dr Cappel in the con-
demned cell exhorted Muller to confess to him if ho had
been guilty of the crime for which he was so soon to suffer.
The prisoner was si'ent, but in aluoment, overwrought, he
laid his head upon Dr Cappel's shoulder, weeping bitterly.
He only said, " Oh, don't forsake me I Stay with me to the
last 1" Hitherto the declarations of the prisoner had been
to maintain the plea that he was innocent, and inferentially,
though never directly, to deny his commission of the crime.
The appeal he now made, and his abstention from any pre-
varication or assertion, gave Dr Cappel a hope that he
would at last confess, and he determined that his final ap-
peal should be on the scaffold. When he stood under the
gallows with Muller, the Rev. Mr Davis being with him,
he spoke as follows :---
Dr Cappel—Muller, in wenigen Augenblicken stehen
Sie vor Gott ; ioh frage Sie nochmals, and zum letzen male,
Sind Sie schuldig oder unschuldig? Muller —lch bin
unschuldig.
Dr Cappel—Sie rind unschuldig ? Muller—Gott weiss
was ich gethan hnbe.
Dr Cappel—Gott weiss was Sie gethan haben. Weiss er
auch dass Sie dies Verbrechen gethan haben? Muller—
Ja ; ich habe es gethan.
The words translated are as follows :

Dr Cappel said— Muller, in a few moments you will
stand before God. I ask you again, and for the last time,
are you guilty or not guilty Muller answered—Not
guilty.
Dr Cappel—You are NOT guilty ? Muller—God knows
what I have done.

Dr Cappel—God knows what you have done. Does He
also know that you have committed this crime ? Muller—
Yes ; I have done it.
There is a strong probability that if the executioner had
not been so terribly prompt in withdrawing the fatal bolt,
Muller would have made a much fuller confession, and that
his tenacious hope of reprieve having at last given way, ho
would perhal s have made some statement as to how the
struggle took place which resulted in the murder. It was
only by the very narrowest chance the culprit had time to
say what he did; for the important words were ahnost
choked in the uttering. It is usual at executions for all
those whose painful duty takes them actually upon the
scaffold to retire before the executioner draws the bolt of
the drop; but on Monday morning Calcraft actually per-
formed this task while the two ministering clergymen—the
Rev. Mr Davis, the ordinary of Newgate, and the Rev. Dr
Cappel—were standing close beside the unhappy convict,
listening with intense anxiety to the hurried words which
bore the scant but conclusive confession. P fter Calcraft
had drawn down the cap, tied the rope round Muller's
neck, and secured his legs with the usual strap, all which
he did with remarkable quickness, he suddenly left the
platform. The two clergymen, who were standiLgim-
mediately ix front and as near to the prisoner as po,e,ible,

were not able to converse with him during the time the
hangman was engaged in h'is office ; but when these terrible
details were finished the Rev. Dr Cappel spoke to Muller
with the greatest solemnity, and with peculiar earnestness
of tone. The spectators who were near the gallows appeared
to be greatly impressed. Only the little group under the
beam could hear what words were uttered. It appeared as
though the last counsel of the German minister was received
by Muller with an intensify of feeling. Dr Cappel bent for-
ward with outstretched hands, and with his face close to
that of the unhappy criminal. Through the white cap, which
hardly came even with tin, jaw, the lips could be seen mov-
ing, and while Dr Cappel wag thus listening the drop fell,
with a suddenness that must have greatly startled that gen•
tleman. Dr Cappel was actually 'caning forward and listen-
ing when the body went down. The tc► D clergymen were left
or the moment in dreadful contigui,y to the dying man.

Extraordinary Inquiry.

A protracted inquiry was held last evening by Mr W.
Payne, coroner for the City of London, at the Vestry. room,
Fountain-court. The inquest was held on the body of a
newly-born male child, and, owing to rumours of an extra-
ordinary character, excited great inter( st. Mr Clines, vestry
clerk,attended to watch the case on behalf of the parish autho-
rities, and the Rev. Mr Roberton, incumbent of St, Botolph,
Aldgate, the Rev. Mr Hunt, curate, and Mr Churchwar
den King, C.C., were also present. The first witness called
was Walter Parkhale, who said that he was steeple-keeper
and gas-lighter of the parish of St Botolph. On Friday
last, at twelve o'clock, he saw the body of the deceased
child in the vault of the church of St Botolph, Aldgate. It
was wrapped up in a newspaper. Miss Hammond, the
sextoness, brought him a message from the curate, the
Rev. Mr Hunt, to come to him in the vestry-room. Wit-
ness accordingly went thither, and Mr Hunt told him that
there was a parcel down in the vaults, and that he
wanted the skeleton of a child. He said, "There is no
other way of doing it but to boil it," Mr Hunt gave
witness a shilling to buy a saucepan to boil it in. He was
to bring the pot to Mr Hunt on Saturday evening.
Witness went out and told Mr William Biggs and the
sextonese. It was after that conversat.on ;hat-witness
went into the vault and saw the body in the parcel.
Witness took it up and put it in a shell. Witness did not
buy the pot, as he did not think it right. He did not see
the curate after the Friday. In consequence of informa-
tion given to them, the churchwardens ordered the vaults
to be locked up. Mary Hammond, sextoness to the
church, said that on Wednesday last the curate came to
the church, and said to witness, " Open the vault door,
and let me down there." He said no more. and witness
opened the vault and turned on the gas. The curate had
a parcel, and he took it down into the vault and left it
there. Witness thought it was a bundle of clothes. Wit-
ness then locked the vault. Mr Hunt told witness net to
let the steeple-keeper go away before he saw him, The
steeple-keeper came out, and told witness that Mr Hunt had
given him a shilling to buy a pot to boil the child in.—Mr
William Biggs said that on Friday last he officiated at St.
Botolph's Church as parish clerk. Witness was speaking to
Miss Hammond, when she told him Mr Hunt had deposited
a bundle of clothes in the vault. Witness thought that was a
strange place for clothes, and when Parkhale came out, after
speaking to the curate, witness said, in a jocular manner,
" Bring out the baby from the vault." Parkhale, to his sur-
prise, answered, "Yes, he has given me a shilling to buy a pot
to boil it in." Witness went to Mr Churchwarden King,
and told him what had occurred, and the vaults were con-
sequently locked up, On Saturday Mr Hunt called and
asked for the key, but on being told that by Mr King's
orders the vaults were locked, he said, " Mr King is a fool,
and a big fool." Mr David King said that he was church-
warden of the parish of St. Botolph, On Saturday he
requested the Rev. Mr Roberton, the Rev. Mr Hunt,
and Mr Clines, the vestry clerk, to meet him in the
vestry room, and at three o'clock he met them there,
He cautioned the Rev. Mr Hunt as to any statement
he might make, and asked him for an explanation of the
charge. The rev. gentleman treated the matter with
great levity. He said that the body was that of a foetus
and not of a child, and that he only wanted to boil it to get
the skeleton. When asked, "How and from whom did you
get it ?" he declined to answer. A surgeon was then sent
for, and from what transpired they sent to the coroner.
Afterwards Mr Hunt stated that he wanted the child for
scientific and anatomical purposes. Mr Holman, M.R,C.S.,
said he had examined the body, which was tha: of a well-
formed seven months' child, only very recently born. He
believed the infant was alive up to the time of birth, but
might have died during birth. Judging from ap-
pearances he did not believe that a medical man
had been present at the birth. The Rev. Mr. Hunt
was examined at great length. Ile had been pur-
suing for some time anatomical studies, and in doing
this he contended there was nothing inconsistent with his
duties as a clergyman. He had attended a complete course
of lectures by Mr Savory, the eminent lecturer on anatomy
and physiology, at Bartholomew's Hospital, and that gen-
tleman entirely agreed with him as to the benefit a theolo-
gian would derive from those studies. Dr Thynne last Wed-
nesday gave him the fceous as a present, Having no
convenience at his lodgings he took it to the vaults,
and told Parkhale to buy a pot to warm water on
Saturday for the purpose of dissection. He then
remarked upon what he considered the extraor-
dinary conduct of Mr Churchwarden King, and when in-
formed by the sextoness that Mr King had ordered her to
keep the vault locked he was naturally amazed, and told
the sextoness in a good-natured way to tell Mr King that
he was a fool. He solemnly deelared that the words " boil"
and "saucepan" were never used by him. Dr. Thomas
Thyme proved giving the body of the child, which was
stillborn,- to Mr Hunt. Dr. Hadlow and Dr. Barnes
gave evidence as to Mr Hunt being devoted to medical
studies. The coroner in summing up expressed an opinion
that the churchwardens had done their duty in investi-
gating this case, as the public mind would not have been
satisfied without an inquiry. The jury delivered a verdict
to the following effect—" That the deceased child was
still-born, and the jury, while admitting the right of the
Rev. Mr. Hunt to study medicine, are of opinion that it
would be better if he confined his studies to matters of a
clerical character, to the exclusion of the study of ana-
tomy."