The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-06 00:00:00

ROYAL ST. TAMEg'S THEATRE.
Manager. Mr. Benjamin Webster.
EMINENT TALENT AND COMEDY.
This popular Theatre will OPEN for the Winter Season on
MONDAY, Sept. 12, with (sec)nd time) Mr. Arthur Sketchly's
highly-successful and original Comedy of HOW WILL
THEY GET OUT OF IT, and F. C. Bernard's Laughable
Travestie of FAUST AND MARGUERITE. Those cele-
brated artists Mr. and Mrs. Char' es Mathews are re-engaged.
Mrs. Stirling, Dir• and bars. Frank Matthews, Mr. F. Rollin-
son, Mr. Asnley, J. J. Clark,, Mr. Chamber;ain, Mr. John-
stone, Mr. Montague, Miss Cottoreli, Miss Fanny Joseph 4,
Miss Patti Josephs, &c. &o. 'Scenic Artists, Mr. Gates and
his pupil. Acting Manager, Mr. J. Kinioch. Musical Con
doctor. Alr. Wallenstiene. Stage Director, Mr. F. Webster.-

COUNTRY and SEASIDE DRESSES.
Messrs. JAY, of Regent-street, have now in stock a
variety of WASHING SILK DRESSES, suitatle tor the
country and seaside, and at the clearing-out price of only
£1 lls. ad. the dress.

JAY'S,
247, 20, and 231, itegent-street.

BLA& SILKS.—The price of Silks in tae raw
_ material has already r:sen 15 per cent., and it will soon
mach a far greater per-centage. Messrs. JAY, therefore,
luvite their numerous patrons to take advantage of the stock
they have on hand, which they can now dispose of on favour-
a'ole terms ; but the same qualities will naturally b._; more
costly as the price of silkiluctuates to a higher average
JAY'S,
217, 219, and 251, Regent-street.

COALS.—The LILLESHALL COMPANY'S
COALS.
Direct from their own Collieries.
Marquis' ...... .235. per ton. I Double . 20s. per ton.
Top 225. „ 1 Deep ...215. „
Well screened alid delivered within five miles of their De-
pots. Westnourne Park-road, W., and 17, South Wharf,
Paddington, W., and Maiden-lane, N.
Best Coke

Terms cash.
JOHN COS TT, Sole 2.gent.

• -
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E LATEST EDITION of " THE SUN'
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HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
D.kir.-31orning, sh. 20m.—Aftemoon, i sh. 40m.
rc.-xoult.ow.-Morning, sh. 58m.—Afternoon, 6h. ISm.

4
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4144,

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 7, 1864.

" Truth is stranger than fiction" has long been a
recognised saying, and certainly those who analyse
the striking events of life will see much reason to
ratify the force of the observation. The news that
yesterday circulated through the metropolis of the
cepture of MULLER was a remarkable piece of intel-
ligence. Had such an incident been introduced into
the pages of fiction it would have been doubtless re-
garded with derision, and we can fancy the cap-
tions critic or matter-of-fact reader declaring that
authors were getting quite beyond the bounds of
probability in their extravagant assertions. It
has been reserved for us, however, to witness in
real life as strange a tale as any that fancy could
devise, or the sharpest wit develop in a sensational
work. There have been many curious incidents
connected with the murders that have startled our
generation from its propriety, but not one has sur►
passed, while few have equalled, the peculiar cha-
racteristics of this case. A dense and seemingly
impenetrable mystery Lung over the affair at first
but the clouds seemed to clear away as if by magic,
and the successive proofs accumulated, until at last
from the Atlantic came the tidings that the mur-
derer has been captured. There is nothing astonish-
ing in the report that MULLER denies his guilt, for,
judging from the circumstances of the case, he is
just the man to do it. The intelligence conveyed
in the telegram that "the hat and watch of Mr
BRIGGS were found in the possession of the
prisoner'' seem to ho conclusive evidence,
and to furnish testimony that nothing can
dispute or gainsay. What could have been the
motive for MULLER'S retaining the watch it ie indeed
difficult to conceive. He had far better have de-
stroyed it or got rid of it in some fashion. The
hat is a strange coincidence and a startling con-
firmation of the adage that Murder will out."
It is not likely that during this lapse of time
Munnett should not have ascertained that the hat
was not his own, and thence the natural inference
would have been to get rid of such a possession
that could furnish such a damnatory proof against
him. It would seem as if the unhappy man had
been under a
.delusion that he was perfectly safe,
and that there was no probability of his being in
any way suspected. No other explanation can be
given of the fast that he has gone about his work
in about as senseless a fashion as can well be
imagined. Perhaps part of the surprise that nas
turaily is experienced at these affairs, arises from
it being generally presupposed that murderers and
the worst class of robbers are men of great ability
in their vocation. such is not ordinarily the case,
although there have been signal proofs to the con-
trary, which have formed the groundwork of the
notion. We may notice in perusing the annals of
crime that the most eltraordinary mistakes have
been made, and that the murderer of Mr. BRIGGS
has been kept in countenance in his most extrava-

gent blunders by others of the dark race of crime

who have gone before him. It would be almost
impossible for the greatest adept in crime to encom•
pass all the dangers and difficulties that are hedgtd
round his path, and it is a satisfactory conclusion to
arrive at, that there is little chance of a murderer

escaping conviction now•a-days. It must appear
probab'e to all who have thought upon the subject,
that MULLER must have had some secret motive in
his mind that we cannot fathom. It is not in ac.
cordance with the evidence of common sense that
a man should incur such frightful risks to put him-
self in possession of the trifles that he secured. A
watch, however valuable, is a dangerous property
to an unrightful possessor. It must have hee.o most
likely one of two motives that led to the perpetra-
tion of the fearful crime. Either the prisoner bey
lieved that Mr. BRIGGS had a considerable sum
about him, or else he was fulfilling a project of
vengeance. The mystery which enshrouds the
whole affair may be greatly cleami np at the

approaching trial, but the most important
event has already taken place in the
capture of the criminal. The American authorities
will, no doubt, affordevery facility for the delivery
of the culprit, and there is no reason to doubt that
justice will be satisfied, and that a foul crime will
be expiated in the most effective form which
human laws can devise; It is not likely that in
this ease there wi;i tithe toe hosts of well meaning