The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-20 00:00:00

THE BURNOPFIELD MU ',DER.

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, Dec. 19.—Yesterday Richard
Rayne was again brought before the magistrates at
Gateshead County Police-office, on the charge of being
engaged in the murder of Mr. Sterling, the surgeon at
Burnopfield. A man named John Cain, alias Whisky
Jack, was also placed in the dock, charged with being an
accomplice in the murder. The magistrates were Messrs.
G. Hawks, C. Bulmer, and T. Bramwell.

Mr. Stoker, of Newcastle, appeared for the prisoners.
Mr. Stobart, the cattle drover, repeated the evidence
he had formerly given, and added—l believe the pri-
soners are the men I met in Swailes-lane. I met a per-
son and spoke to him. He spoke to me in Scotch.
Ann Watson said—l am a servant with Mr. Rayne. a
pawnbroker i❑ Durham. On Friday I saw the pri,oner
Rayne, between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon, at my
master's shop. He was ♦ery urgent. My mistress came,
and he offered her a watch for 30s. He had his back to
me. I heard nothing of the murder till a week after-
wards. The man seemed like a pitman. I know him to
be the prisoner Rayne by his features.
Samuel Bennett deposed—l am chainmaker at Winla-
ton-mill. On the Saturday after the murder I was at
Rowland's Gill. I found there a blue button or stud.
(The button or stud was produced.) I gave it to Ser-
geant Turnbull the same day. I did not know the pri-
soners. I might have seen them.
Sergeant Turnbull deposed—The button or stud was
found three yards from where the body of Mr. Sterling
was found.

Superintendent Squire deposed—l searched the pri-
soner Cain's house, and found a waistcoat, which thepri-
■oner Cain admitted to be his, and which I produce
(The waistcoat had on three buttons of precisely similar
description to the one found by the witness Bennett,
near the spot where the body was found, and was ininu,
one button.) I apprehended Cain, and he ,aid he did
not know where the murder was committed, and had
never been there.

Alice Rains deposed—l am wife of William Raine,
pawnbroker, of Gilesgate, Durham. On Friday, Nov. 2,
a man came to my shop with a watch to pawn. Ile
asked 30s. upon it, and came down to 4s. The watch
had a silver face with gold letters. The man was dressed
as a pitman. There was no chain to the watch. It had a
guard of worsted, about 6or 8 inches long. The man
was very urgent. I think he would have taken ls.
had not large whiskers. He had a fresh appearance. I
thought he wanted to pawn the watch for drink, because
his face looked dissipated. lam certain that Richard
Rayne, the prisoner at the bar, is the person who ten-
dered the watch to me.

The prisoners were then remanded till the 26th inst.,
but they will be taken to-day before the adjourned in-
quest at Burnopfield.
In addition to the above facts, it is known that Rayne's
house was the depot for the sugar used by Cain in dis
tilling whisky.

THE SUSPECTEDPOISoNIAG CASE AT

hUGBLEY.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.
We understand that circumstances have transpired
tending to establish other charges against William Pal-
mer, the surgeon, who has bee,. committed to Stafford
gaol on a charge of poisoning Mr. F. P. Cooke (as for-
merly reported), It is said that Pa'mer insured his
wife's life for 13,0001. She died shortly afterwards, and
upon the usual probate being produced the money was
duly paid by the office. He then induced his brother
Walter Palmer to insure his life for a similar sum, and
afterwards obtained the transfer of it on an alleged debt
of 4001., which he (William Palmer) stated was due
to him by bis brother. Palmer made every endeavour
to further insure this life ; but in consequence of an
anonymous letter from Stafford it was declined. The
brother has since died, and the usual demand was made
for the money. The large amount, and the previous
death of Palmer's wife, having excited the suspicion of
the numerous insurance offices concerned, they deemed
it prudent to place the matter in the hands of Inspector
Field's (late of the Detective Police) Private Inquiry-
office. Mr. Field, with his assistant, Mr. Simpson, pro-
ceeded at once to Stafford and the Isle of Man, and after
the most searching investigation, extending over a perihd
of upwards of six weeks, reported to the various insurance
offices certain startling revelations, which induced the
offices to form a "Defence Fund" for the Purpose of
mutual resistance to these attempts. Mr. Feld having
gathered certain information that Palmer had endea-
voured to effect a.. insurance for 25,0001. upon the life
of "a gentleman," whom Palmer reported to live " oh,
his estate" in the locality of a village in Staffordshire,
proceeded there and found that other persons in high
position had conspired with Palmer to falsely represent
the standing in life of the individual, who was in fact no
other person than Palmer's occasional groom, renting a
bed-room at 2s. per week !