The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-29 00:00:00

rHE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, OCrOBER 29, 1864.

THE MURDER OF MR BRIGGS.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT—Tuts DAY.

THE TRIAL OF MULLER.

THIRD DAY.
The trial of Muller was resumed this morning. There
was the same excitement as yesterday, and the Court was
crowded.
At nine o'clock the Lord Chief Baron Pollock and Baron
Martin took their seats on the bench.
The prosecution was conducted by the Solicitor-General,
Sergeant Ballantine, Mr Hannan, Mr Beasley, and Mr
Gifford.
The prisoner was defended by Sergeant Parry, Mr Besley,
and Mr Metcalfe.
The names of the jury having been called over,
The prisoner was placed at the bar by the Governor of
Newgate, and the trial then proceeded.
EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENCE.
The first wiint ss called was
Thouns Lee, of King Edward's-road, examined by Mr
Me calfe—l am a time-keeper. I knew the late Mr Briggs
for the last three or four years. I last saw him alive on the
9th of July, at the Bow station on the North London Rail-
way. He was in a first-class carriage. It was about 10
o'clock, in the train coming from Fenchurch-street. It
stopped at the Bow station. It was a first-class cordage
about three cr four from the engine. I spoke to him. I
said " Good night, Mr Briggs." Ho replied, " Good night,
Thomas." The train stopped rather longer than usual
that night. I got into a second class.
Mr. Metcalfe—Was anybody in the same compartment
as Mr Briggs P
Witness—Yes—two.
Mr Metcalfe—Was there a light in the carriage ?
Witness—Yes.
Mr Metcalfe—Had Mr Briggs his hat on ?
Witness—l believe he had, or I should not have noticed
him.

Mr Metcalfe—How were the men sitting ?
Witness—One was sitting opposite Mr Briggs.
Mr Metcalfe—Where was the other ?
Witness—Sitting on the left hand side of Mr Briggs on
the same side.
Mr Metcalte—Did you notice the men ?
Witness—l saw one of them in particular.
Mr Metcalfe—What was he?
Witnrss—One was a short man with light whiskers.
Mr Metcalfe—The other man
Witness—He appeared to be a tall, thin, dark man.
Mr Metcalfe—To the best of your judgment is the pri-
soner at the bar either of those persons ?
Witness—l can't swear to him.
Mr Metcalfe—To the best of your belief, is he ?
Witness—l should say not.
Mr Metcalfe—Did you see them before the train started ?
Witness—No.
Mr Metcalef—Did they seem as if disposed to leave the
carriage ?
Witness—No.
Mr Metcalfe—When did you first speak about this ?
Witness—On the Monday.
Mr Metcalfe—Were you examined before the coroner ?
Witness—Yes.
Mr Metcalfe—You were called, I believe, on the part of
the Crown ?
Witness—l don't know. The coroner called me.
Mr Metcalfe—Who did you first give your notice to ?
Witness—Sergeant Howie.
Tho Solicitor-General—You were not before the magis-
trates ?

Witness— No.
Solicitor-General —How came you to go to Bow that
night ?
Witness—Fur a change.
Solicitor-General—Was that your only object ?
Witness—Yes.
Solicitor-General—What time did you leave your own
house for this change ?
Witness—About 8 o'clock.
Where did you go before you went to the carriages ?
Witness—Up Hackney, for a stroll.
Solicitor• General—What time did you start from
Hackney ?
Witness—About a quarter to nine.
Solicitor-General—What did you do at Bow ?
Witness—Took a stroll,
Solicitor General—Was that your only object ?
Witness—Yes.
Solicitor-General—Did you go anywhere P
Witness—Yes, to a public house, near Bow Church, and
had a glass of ale.
Solicitor-General—Did you go to any other house ?
Witness—l believe I did not.
Solicitor-General—Will you swoar ?
Witness—l believe I did not.
Solicitor-General—Did you speak to anybody at Bow?

Witness—No.
Solicitor General—What time did you get back to your
own house
Witness—About a quarter to 11.
Solicitor General—And did not speak to anybody ?
Witness—l don't recollect.
Solicitor General—Will you swear you did not ?
Witness—To the best of my belief I did not.
Solicitor General—Will you go beyond that ?
Witness— I cannot.
Solicitor General—Will you swear it was the 9th July ?
Witness—Yes, because I heard of the murder on tho fol-
lowing Monday.
S Inciter General—Where did you first hear of the
murder ?
Witness—At Mr Ireland's, Fetter-lane, and at Lake's,
in Cheapside.
Solicitor General—Did you hear nothing about the mur-
der on Sunday
Witness—No.
Solicitor General—You live at Hackney?
Witness—Yes.
Solicitor General—Will you undertake to swear it was
Monday or Tuesday.
Witness—l cannot. I believe it was Monday.
Solicitor General—Are you certain ?
Witness—l cannot say further than I have already.
Solicitor-General—You saw Mr Briggs in the carriage
with two men before the murder—why did you not tell the
police ?
Witness—Because I did not wish to be brought up. 1
did not want to be brought into it.
Solicitor.General—Don't you think it was material the
police should have a description of those two men ?
Witness—l did not think it was material.
Solicitor-General—Who did you first mention the subject
to ?

Witness—Mr Tompkin.
Solicitor-General—When P
Witness—l think on the Monday.
SJliciter-General—Will you swear it was not on the
Tuosday

Witness—How can I if I believe it was on the Monday ?
Solicitor-General—Did you tell your wife ?
Witness—Yes.
Solicitor General—Who next ?
Witness—Mr Ireland, I believe.
Solicitor-General—Will you swear you did ?
Witness—How can I when I only think I did ?
Solicitor• General—Then you only think you told Mr
Ireland, Is that so ?
Witness—Yes, that's it.

Solicitor-General—Did you go to the inspector of police,
or did he come to you ?
Witness—Ho camp to me.

Solicitor-General—ln consusence of what yen had been
saying ?

IVitness—Yes.

Solicitor-General—Then you saw two men in the carriage
in which Mr Briggs was murdered, and you did not give
information to the police ?
Witness—Yea.
Solicitor • General—Why so ?

Witness—Because 1 thought it would bo a bother to be
mixed up in the prosecution.

Solid or•General—Do you do anything P
Witness—Yes, I collect my own rents.
Was Mr Briggs in the habit of calling you " Toro P"
Witness— Yes.

Re-examined—Mr Briggs was a cheerful man. He
generally slept in the carriage and wore his hat.
Mr George Byers, examined by Mr Besley—l am a hatter
by trade. I have been in the business since boy hood. lam
acquainted with all the branches of the trade, second hand
as well as new. It is usual with me and others in the
second hand trade to stitch the hats we cut down.
[The hat said to be Mr Briggs's handed to witness.]
Mr Besley—ls that hat in the state in which it would
come out in the second hand trade ?
Witness—lt is not done as I should do it ?
Mr Begley—ln what does it differ ?
Witness—l should stick it with shellac as well as stitch it?
Lord Chief Baron—ls it usual for the trade to do the way
you say ?
Witness—Yes.

A Juror—Do you think the way that hat is stitched is
the way in which a hatter would do it ?
Witness—l cannot say.

A Juror—How long would it tako to do the hat as it is at
present ?

Witness—To make a good job of it, it would take half

an hour.

A Juror—Should you have out the leather lining down
as well the hat ?

Witness—No; I should have put a now lining in ft.

Mr Lee, another hatter, examined by Sergeant Parry—
I always, when I cut down a second hand hat, stitch it
together. I use varnish to stick with.
Sergeant Parry—Look at the hat; is that altered in the
usual manner.

Witness—l've dono a great many in the same way.
Sergeant Parry—Supposing the hat had been cut down
by any one who did not require a new lining, would you put
the old lining in again P
Witness—Yes.

Sergeant Pairy—ls it cheaper to stitch second-hand
hat. 3 ?

Witness—Yes, because you would save the expense of