The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-12 00:00:00

SUSPECTED MURDER OF A
WOMAN IN A BROTHEL.
Yesterday, for some hours before the business of
the court commenced, a crowd of some hundred persons
bad assembled in the vicinity of Marlborough-street, at-
tracted by a rumour that a woman had been murdered in
Shepherd-street, and that the murderer was in the ens-
tcdy of the police, and would be brought up for exami-
nation in the course of the day. At ten o'clock, upon
the arrival of our reporter at the court, he instantly
made inquiries as to the foundation of the rumour, and
found that it was too true, and that a man was
in custody on suspicion of having caused the death of
Ann Mathews in a brothel, 11, Shepherd-street. At two
o'clock he was brought up in custody of Inspector Monck-
ton and Sergeant Barnes, C 4, and placed in the dock
before Mr. Bingham.
On the charge being read to him by Mr. Lewdly, the
chief clerk, the prisoner, in reply to the latter gentle-
man's inquiry, said his name was James Phillips, and
that he was 29 years of age, and resided at 11, Shepherd-
street, St. George's.
The following evidence was then gone into:—

Mary Richardson said—l am a widow. lam servant
at 11, Shepherd-street. I have been there eight years.
The house is a brothel. I know the prisoner. He lived
there as porter since the deceased, who was his aunt,
bought him off from the Marines two years ago. The
deceased was housekeeper. Prisoner and deceased co-
habited together. They did not agree well together, and
there was hardly a night but what they quarrelled. On
Saturday night last, the prisoner came in about 12
o'clock, rather in liquor. My mistress (the deceased) had
been having her supper, and when he came in she sent
for a pot of porter. The deceased was then laying down
on the rug before the fire. Deceased gave me some beer,
when prisoner came in and used very bad language, and
called her a dirty —, and told her (deceased) she was
sitting in a dirty position. prisoner told the deceased
to go to bed. She refused, and, at that time the door
bell was rung. I went out to answer er the and in
going out I heard my mistress say, Oh, Mary," mean-
ing witness. The words were spoken very slowly.
When I went back she was lying full length,
her feet to the fireplace, and her head
withto the drawers. I stooped down to raise her head
up, but I tremnled so that I could not do it. The pri-
soner then jumped into bed, and I said to him, " Oh,
you have murdered your auat at last! come and as.ist
me to raise her up."
oreslnstad of dn so the risoner
stamped upon her three our times with his foot as
hard as ever he could, at the same time calling out,
" Here, look!" The deceased never moved or groaned
after that. The prisoner jumped into bed again, and I
told him be never was going to bed leaving his aunt
like that. Prisoner replied, she was all right enough.
I then got a cushion and put it under her bead.
Prisoner then got out of bed and assisted me in
lifting her into the bed. She was then quite deadi
Prisoner then sent some one for a doctor, bat did not go
himself. The deceased had been drinking during the
day, but was not in liquor at night. The gold chain, eye-
glass, and other articles produced were the property of the
deceased. She did not give them to the prisoner.
Sarah Noye--I am a servant at No. 11, Shepherd-
street. I have been there about a week. About a
quarter to eleven on Saturday night she was sent for some
beer. Deceased aas then sitting before the fire on the
hearth-rug. Prisoner shortly atter came in and told me
to go to bed. I said I would not till my mistress went,
er till she told me. My mistress, about twelve
o'clock, sent me to bed, and about a quarter to one
I was woke up by the prisoner, who came in the
room and called out " Get up, we shall all be
hung, we shall all be transported, your mistress is dead."
I took my clothes on my arm end went down stairs, and
saw my mistress dead. I called out, when prisoner
said, " D—n thee, hold thy tongue." A doctor was
fetched, and as soon as he came he noticed a scar on de-
ceased's forehead, and asked how it came there. Priso-
ner said his aunt bad knocked heeselt against the sofa.
Thomas Westlake, 2, Union-street, Bond-street,
grccer—About half-past twelve on Saturday night I
heard a knocking at the door, and a person called out
" For God's sake get up, Mrs. Brown is dying." I got
up and pat on my things, and told them to go for a
medical man. I afterwards went to the house and saw
the deceased. The prisoner was there, and said, "It is
all over. I told you how it would be." I then went
for Mr. Clark, the medical man, who came, but deceased
was then lifeless.
Francis Clark,l4, Henrietta-street, Cavendish-square.
surgeon—l was in the habit of attending deceased.
Yesterday morning, between one and two I was called
np to attend deceased, whom I was informed had met
with en accident. lat once sent my son, who shortly
returned saying that she was dead. I then went myself,
and saw the body, and found on the right temple
a large bruise ; and prisoner, without being
asked, said his aunt heel fallen down against the sofa.
I made a further examination of the body, and felt con-
vinced she had been unfairly dealt with. I then com-
municated my suspicions to the police. My opinion is
that she died from the effect of a severe blow on the head
Whether it is a blow from the foot or the hand I cannot
at present positively say. The blow might have been
given by a double fist. She had been dead apparently
about half an hour.

Sergeant Barnes, 4 C.—About two o'clock on Sunday
morning, in consequence of information I received
from last witness, I went to No. 11, Shepherd-
street, in company with another constable, where
I saw the first witneai. I said to her. " Mary, I hear
Mrs. Brown is dead " She replied, " Yes, poor crea-
ture, she is." Just as I was going in I saw the prisoner
going cut of the room, and called to him. He came
back, and I questioned him about the death of his aunt.
Prisoner said, " Yes, she died very suddenly, just as I
was getting into bed. She fell down by the fireplace,
and I and Mary lifted her up. and put her on the bed ;
that was natural enougb, was'nt it ?" I said yes, but
you must go with me to the statiun, and make the same
statement to the inspector. The prisoner, who was in
liquor, at once went with me ; and on the way
to the station, prisoner said deceased had drank
a great deal of gin, and that she had vowed she would not
come to bed with num that night alive. I searched him
at the station, but found nothing of consequence upon
him. The prisoner then made the same statement that
he had made to me to thu sergeant on duty, which ho
took down in writing.
Martin, 86 C, corroborated the evidence of last wit-
neas, and in addition said he searched the room, and on
the mantelpiece found a pair of spectacles doubled up
and broken. He also found a knife, which prisoner ad-
mitted to have used for the purpose of cutting deceased's
stay lace. Prisoner told him deceased had fallen off the
sofa and hurt herself.

Sergeant Bennett, 20 C—About half-past one on Sun-
day morning the prisoner was brought to the station.
I detained him till he had sent for Mary, the servant, and
when she came I read the charge over to him. He said
he did not see why he should be charged with this. He
then made a statement, which I took down in writing.
The sergeant here reed the statement made by the pri-
soner, which was much the same as the one ho made to
Barnes.
The prisoner, after being duly cautioned, said "I have
nothio,_f, to say.
Ur. J3INGII/131 remanded him till Monday next.