The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-23 00:00:00

LATEST PARTICULARS.

Notwithstanding the apparently conclusive evidence that
the supposed murderer, Francis Muller, is on board the
American ship Victoria, bound for New York, it has been
deemed possible that it might have been a confederate that
actually sailed, and gave the letter so unaccountably posted
at Worthing to the pilot, in order to thro A the authorities
off the scent. Yesterday the ship Cornelius Grinnell, also
bound for New York, was, upon her leaving the London
Docks, overhauled by the police, and her passengers, many
of whom were Germans, ware closely reviewed by the de-
tectives, in order to obviate the chance of the escape of the
suspected man. The detectives were accompanied by Mrs
Matthews, the wife of the cabman who gave the first infor-
mation. Two or three Germans were pointed out to her in
particular, but she at once stated that neither of them was
Francis Muller. As a matter of precaution all who go on
board the Cornelius Grinnell will be watched until the ship
leaves the river.
Some interesting particulars have been ascertained as to
the proceedings of Muller when he engaged his passage on
board the Victoria. It appears that on Wednesday he went
to the counting-house of Messrs. Grinnell and Tinker, on
the North Quay of the London Docks, and he there paid for
an ordinary steerage berth on board the vessel which was
announced to sail the following morning. The next day ho
brought down his luggage to go on board. It is stated at
the dock that when he presented himself at the North Quay
where the ship was lying, he asked permission to leave a
bag and a bundle in the small shed or office of the foreman
of the quay, and he was allowed to do so. Later in the day
he entered the shed to get his clearance ticket for the lug-
gage, and wnile he was waiting he sat on the bench in the
place. It was noticed by both the foreman and the clerk
that his manner was strange, and that when he was ad-
dressed he answered looking another way. The bag was an
ordinary one, and the bundle seemed to have been hastily
made up, and was covered with dirty canvas.
The sailing of the ship was deferred until the Friday,but
as was usual, the passengers went on board the night before
sailing. Muller went on board, and his manner was still
strange. He walked about without speaking to anyone,
and he seemed to wish to avoid his fellow-passengers. His
behaviour was SO markedly different from that of the other
emigrants that a labourer, named Callaghan, remarked to
another dock-man, "That man is so queer that one would
think he had done some murder or other. He must have
done something." On the fireman going on board the Vic-
toria, at about one o'clock in the morning, to see that the
lights and fires were out, he found that Muller had not
turned in, but was still walking about in the same silent
mood. He*was not walking on the upper deck, in the open
air, where he could have been seen from the shore; he was
moving to and fro between docks.

STAFFOED, July 22.

Colonel Hogg, the chief constable of Staffordshire, has
now in custody in the town a foreigner who corresponds in
almost every particular with the description given of the
murderer Muller, and he has telgraphed to that effect to
Sir Richard Mayne, desiring that a person who can identify
Muller may be down from London. He is about 24 ;
he is about sft, 6in. in height, he has light complexion,
and light brown hair, and his face is clean shaven. At first
sight he has the appea:ance of an Englishman, but speaks
English as might be expected from a Frenchman who had
spent some time in Ireland. He is supposed to be a French-
man, and alleges that he was born in Ireland, but has spent
most of his time in France. Ho is dressed in a suit of dark
brown tweed, of continental manufacture and make. Over
his jacket he wears an ovorcoat,light in colour and texture,
of English make and substance. He also wears an English
made white hat, which, with the overcoat, are quite new.
Upon his feet he has a pair of elastic-side boots, with
patent leather fronts. He is travelling without any lug-
gage, and gives the name of George Smith.
His arrest was brought about as follows—Mr Robert
Barnard, shoemaker, of Gnoxall-heath, near Stafford, left
two carpet bags tied together on Thursday afternoon in the
ticket office of the railway station at Stafford, at four o'clock,
and he saw them safe at 5 o'clock. At 6 o'clock they were
gene, and he learnt that a gentleman had just ordered a boy
messenger to take them to the Junction Hotel, near to the
station. Whilst Mr Barnard was making inquiries at the
hotel, Smith came out of au adjoining room, and, addressing
Barnard, said, as he produced the bags, "Is this you: bag ?"
Barnard replied, " Yes, it is my bag ; how came you by it ?"
" I took it by mistake." Barnard said that he could not
have taken the bags by mistake, inasmuch as they were tied
together, the address had just been obliterated, and one of
them had within a few minutes past been broken open. He
must, he said, come and explain the matter to a policeman.
Arrived at a sub-police station, Mr Barnard gave him into
custody on the charge of stealing the bags.
On the prisoner being searched, a dessert and tablespoon
were found broken up in his pocket, with the private mark
of the landlord of the Vine Hotel upon one of them still
apparent. It then transpired that he had come to Stafford
on the previous afternoon. He went to the Vine and desired
apartments. As is usual at the assizes in Stafford. all the
sleeping apartments of that hotel were occupied ; and after
he bad obtained refreshment, a servant meta was sent with
him to obtain sleeping accommodation in a private house.
This was secured, and the stranger returned to the hotel yes-
terday, and took his meals as one of the guests. During
that day he offered the silver for sale to Mr Mummery, a
silversmith, who refused to purchase it. On his fingers
were found some stains, which the prisoner said had been
occasioned by aquafortis that had been used, it was supposed,
in testing the quality of the spoons at the hotel. In his
pockets were found a folding pocket-book and cigar-case,
all of a piece, of foreign manufacture, and the portion
which formed the cigar-case was embroidered with a group
of flowers. The article contained an amber and meer-
schaum cigar-holder in a green case, a false moustache to
match his hair, a pawnbroker's ticket for a gold watch, the
carte de vistte of a lady, and, among other entries in French
in the leaves of the pocket, was "M. Muller." Also in
the folding article described there were two trade cards of a
Parisian tradesman and his wife, in the second-hand clothes
line. The cards run as follows

"Rue Saint Martin, No. 128,—M. et Mdmo. Jarrijon,
Aehetent Garde-Robes d'hommes et de femmes, et diffe-
rentes d'hommes et do femmes et differentes merchandises.
Merchandises neuves et d'occasion, le tout an plus juste
prix.—Paris." The carte is that of a short, full-bodied,
and full-faced young lady, apparently about 20 years of
age. Her hair seems to be black, it is rolled, and is worn
high on the forehead and back from the sides of the face,
showing earrings. She has no ring on her hands, and is
dressed in what appears to be a dark Coburg or Orleans
dress, having a jacket .sleeve trimmed with crimped silk and
Velvet, and with an imitation lapet on the shoulder to
match. The photograph has been taken by the London
School of Photography, who carry on business is the me-
tropolis, but have a branch at Liverpool.
Questioned respecting the carte, the prisoner said that it
was the portrait of his intended, which he had given to him
when he was in England in June. The pawnticket runs as
follows :—" Wood, No. 110, Shoreditch, 29th of June,
1864. Gold watch, 42 ss. P. Albut, 492." Persons who
cling to the notion that the prisoner is Muller advert to the
circumstance mentioned relative to Muller, that some time
before the murder he said that if he could find a gold watch
he would have it, as an explanation of the date of the
pawning of this watch prior to the murder of Mr. Briggs.
The name Muller in the pocket-book occurs at what seems
to be the head of an account. There are other somewhat
similar account-keeping entries in the book, and other
names occur. There are also pencil outlines of figures that
might form chasing upon ornamental gunlocks, and a sketch
of the figure of a lady. Added to the name Muller is that
of a locality, which looks like "Rue des Emus."
The account he gives of himself is that he was born in
Cork,'.was removed in infancy to Avignon, and when 15 or
16 years of age went to Marseilles, where he acted as clerk
in a mercantile office, and became acquainted with American
merchants. Ho came to London, he at first said, a few
days ago, for the first time, but ho afterwards confessed that
he was in London six weeks ago, and then went back to
Paris. He said ho came to London to go to America;, that
he had only 13s or 14s when he got to the railway station
in London to book for Liverpool, and that he took a ticket
for Stafford, which was as far as his money would bring
him.
When charged on suspicion with the murder of Mr Briggs
he at first smiled. This morning be was again charged ; he
again smiled, but said nothing. At noon, however,when ho
was asked if he know anything or had heard of the murder
of Mr Briggs, he looked up very plaintively, and began to
rY
crying
some time. He positively refuses
to giv aned any tin
about his friends, refuses to take
econ
information
a tion
any refreshment, and is evidently
in a very nervous condi-
tion. His conduct is said by the officers to have consider-
ably altered since he has been charged with the murder.
Up to that time ho displayed anair of unconcern that might
be expected from a man who, accustomed to hard life, was
charged with only a light afenov, 'when arregited he won