The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-20 00:00:00

C~-~-G-~~ ~-

~~~

Y''r`.y'4w

be valuable, so far as such hastily conducted Haiti
can be, relied upon. N. 3 S.
Tho awards in this important clase of machinery
have not yet been officially announced.

THE MURDER ON THE NORTH LONDON
RAILWAY.

Discovery of the Murderer.

London and the world at large will be thankful that such
a clue has at last been found to the track of the murderer of
the late Mr Briggs as to leave no doubt that the miscreant
will be brought to justice. It appears that the police at last
felt themselves authorised in believing that their efforts to
capture the perpetrator of the murder would be successful,
and frcm information which had been received they pro-
ceeded to the house of a cabman at B )w, where for some
months past a German tailor named Francis Muller has
lodged. This man, it now transpires, left London a few
days ago for the purpose of proceeding to New York.
He was discovered in this wise :—A little girl, the
daughter of the cabman at whose house Francis
Muller had lived, said that after his leaving, four days ego,
she found in the room he had occupied a small cardboard box
such as jewellers put their various wares in, and on exhibit-
ing it to her father ho remembered the name of the trades-
man with whom the chain of the late Mr Briggs had been
exchanged. The cabman immediately communicated with
the police authorities, and the box was by them taken to
Mr Death's establishment, that person's name and address
being engraven on the inside, Upon its being shown to
Mr Death he at once identified it as one of his boxes, and
such an one as he should have used wherein to place a
chain similar to that exchanged for the one supposed to
have been taken from the late unfortunate gentleman, Mr
Briggs, and which had been identified as his property.
That slight clue having been obtained, of course the next
step was to connect Muller with the man who sold the
chain to Mr Death, and Mr Death, in company with the
cabman and the police, went down to the cottage at
Bow where Muller had lived, and, upon seeing a photo-
graph Muller had given to the child, he at once recognized
the features of the person who changed the chain on Mon-
day. It is almost needless to add that this discovery assured
the police they were on the right scent at last, and the next
step was to ascertain whether the hat which had been found
in the carriage on the railway on the night of the murder,
and which it was evident had belonged to the person who
had committed the crime, could in any way be connected
with the man Muller. The cabman was therefore taken up
to Scotland-yard, and upon the hat being shown to him, ho
at once knew it as one he had purchased for Muller about
four months ago. This seemed so conclusive that Inspector
Tanner immediately went back to Scotland-yard, stated the
discoveries that had been made, and, accompanied by In-
spector Thompson, proceeded to Bow-street police-office,
and there obtained a warrant for the apprehension of Francis
Muller. The next step was to inquire as to the probable
residence of the now suspected murderer, and as he had on
leaving his lodgings stated his intention of going abroad,
close inquiry was set on foot as to any person bearing a
similar resemblance having left the country. Success
crowned the inquiries of the acute detectives, and a person
fully identified as the suspected murderer. Muller was as-
certained to have left London four days ago in a ship bound
direct for New York, the passage occupying on the average
19 days, and which, having cleared the Downs many hours
before the inquiries were set afoot, must be far away before
this reaches the public eye. Government resources were
at once asked for and granted. Sir George Grey gave every
facility, and an Admiralty steamer from Liverpool has
some hours since borne Inspector Tanner and Sergeant
Clarke to arrest the murderer, or more probably await his
arrival on his landing, as the steamer, barring accidents, will
reach America at least four days before the sailing vessel
that conveys the villain flying from justice,
Mr Death, the jeweller, and the cabman, whose name
our reporter did not ascertain, accompanied the police offi-
cers in the Government steamer, for the purpose of person-
ally identifying Muller, and no doubt whatever exists in
the minds of the police that Muller will soon be in the hands
of justice. The clue so far obtained has been of course some
additional incentive to inquiries likely to prove successful.
The history of Muller, as far as can at present be gleaned,
shows that he came to this country about 18 months ago,
and followed his occupation as a tailor, and it was not un-
frequently noticed that he had in his possession a very fine
gold watch and massive chain, by no means according with
kis position, or the money at his command. Whether he was
in the habit of drinking, or how the circumstances arose,
Muller would never divulge, but some months ago he got
into a broil with some women or woman, and lost his watch
and chain. He refused to give any description of them, to
offer any reward, or make any inquiries, but has continually
complained, and most bitterly, of the loss he had sustained.
Since the murder he has, as has now been ascertained, shown
on several occasions a watch, a very handsome one, and
said he had saved up money enough to liuy it, and was quite
contented at having been able to get one. The chain which
the man Muller obtained from Mr Death he pledged on
Tuesday at a pawnbroker's in the city, and sold the ticket

on the day following to another tailor, a friend of his, a Ger-
man. This man, Ilion being questioned by Inspector Thom-
son at Scotland-yard, admitted that he had read about the
murder, but had not said anything to any ono about the
chain, and it has not been considered that there was suffi-
cient evidence to justify the police in detaining him for any
complicity in the murder. He will, however, remain under
surveillance so as to be forthcoming at the trial upon Mul-
ler's being brought back t o this country. No trace what-

ever has been found of the watch itself, and it may be
fairly expected, and for the ends of justice hoped, that
Muller has it still in his possession, and that it will

be found upon him, so as to constitute an tindoubted
link in the chain of evidence. The servants of the railway
authorities speak confidently as to their ability to identify
the man supposed to have got into the carriage with Mr
Briggs, and it is understood that the photograph of Muller
will be shown to them to add to the circumstantial evidence
already obtained.