The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-12 00:00:00

IBER.

EVENING,

APRIL l2, 1852.

He was then standing in the room. He was per-
fectly still. His mother was in the room at the time,
but she said nothing about it then.
The Magistrate—Did he hold the iron in a threat-
ening manner? The witness—No, Sir; his band

was stretched down by his side. He has been doing.
so for nearly a twelvemonth, as well as I can remem-
ber. About half-past eleven or a quarter to twelve
this morning I heard a scuffling noise, and then as if
something had fallen heavily. I immediately ran up
stairs, calling " Mrs. Wheeler." I tapped hurriedly
at the door, but got no answer, I tapped more loudly
at the door, and said "Mrs. Wheeler;" and then the
prisoner partly opened the door, perhaps about a
foot, but not sufficient to admit of any one going in.
The prisoner had something in his hand. It was in
his right hand, but I could not see what it was. I
think from the position of his hand he wished to hide
it from me. He stood with his right hand down. He
stood sideways at the door. He then hastily closed
the door in my face.
The prisoner—That is true.
The witness—Yes, he did ; and I ran down stairs
to my landlord and his wife, for I was fearful there
was something the matter, and I told them of it at
once. They then listened on the stairs, and while they
were listening they heard him coming down stairs.
The prisoner—l left the house directly.
The witness—When we heard him coming down
stairs, the landlady called us into the parlour for fear
of meeting him. When he went out and shut the door
the landlady instantly went up stairs and saw Mrs.
Wheeler lying on the floor, and when she told us we
immediately sent a young man for the doctor. When
the doctor came my landlady went upstairs with him,
and when she came down she said Mrs. Wheeler was
lying on the floor. I know not what weapon it was
done with. I saw the prisoner about eleven o'clock
this morning, as if he was going for an errand, which
he frequently did. I saw him from the window
then. He had a basket with him. I heard him

again on his return going up stairs, when he was
talking to himself as he went up. He often talked
to himself„ but I did not bear what he said. It was
his usual custom, but on this occasion be talked
louder than usual. Mrs. Wheeler had before then
come into my room. I think that was about half-
past or a quarter past ten. She said she was so much
frightened of him that she would send him away on
Monday, as she could not bear it any longer, and she
had an idea last night to send to the workhouse that
he might be taken there. She asked me if my little
boy would carry a letter to the Post-office for her,
and I said he would. She said the letter was for her
daughter, who;was at Tonbridge-wells. She told me
the prisoner had been standing with a flat iron in his
hand in the morning, and was muttering something
that was most awful.
Mr. Norton (to the prisoner)—Do you wish to ask
the witness any question ? The prisoner—The fact
is that she has threatened to send me to the workhouse
for a great length of time ; and she said she would
have me dragged sway, and I suppose they cannot
drag people away in the most gentle manner.
Mr. Norton—Do you wish to ask the witness any
question ? The prisoner—All she has said is true.
The witness—He has been at the asylum at Wands-
worth for some time.
The prisoner—It is exactly twelve months since
I left.

Elizabeth TOMP, wife of Charles Toms, landlord of
No. 1, Durham-place—My husband is a carpet-bag
manufacturer. I have been in No. 1, Durham-place,
nine or ten months, and found the prisoner and his
mother there when we came. They occupied the top,
or second floor. He did nothing for his living, for be
was not able to do so. His mother supported him,
with assistance she received from her friends. Ever
since I have been in the house I have observed some-
thing irregular in his manner. At times he was
worse than at other times. Lately I observed he was
getting worse. When he had his fits on him he looked
very pale and ill.
The prisoner—All without liberty—she was bagged
—I was worried.
Witness—When • I last saw him before the murder
he was at the door with a basket in his band with
some greens in it. That was at eleven o'clock, or
half-past eleven. I think it was about an hour before
the murder. Shortly after he went up stairs I heard
a noise, but I thought it was Mrs. Phillips beating
her child. Mrs. Phillips then came down stairs, and
in consequence of what she said I went up stairs and
the prisoner passed down. The door was closed, but
I pushed it open, and saw something lying on the
floor. I afterwards found it was Mrs. Wheeler. She
was lying close to the door, within about half a yard
of it. I put my hand on her feet and saw blood, and
then ran down stairs. The blood was on some clothes
near her. I then sent for Mr. Hutchinson, the sur-
geon, and when he came I followed him up stairs,'
and the first thing I saw was Mrs. Wheeler's bead
lying on the table. The table was close to her
shoulder. I went directly to my husband, who went
instantly in pursuit of the prisoner. The prisoner
was not brought back to the house. Mrs. Wheeler
had three rooms, in one of which she slept herself, in
another the prisoner slept, and in a third the lodger
(Edwards).
Mr. Thomas Hutchinson, No. 1, Moore-street,
Kennington-road, assistant to Mr. Barrel!, surgeon,
examined—About one o'clock to-day I was called to
No. 1, Durham-place. On entering the front room I
found the body lying on the floor, with the head of the
deceased on the table, separated from the body. The
head seemed as if it had been placed there, and there
was a knife lying partly underneath the head, and a
hatchet near it. The handle of the hatchet was
covered with blood. The edge of it appeared to have
been wiped, but there was blood on other parts of it.
(The hatchet, a small one, was here produced.)
The prisoner—She deserved it, and I put her head
on the table. However, it is of no consequence.
The witness—The knife is covered with blood.
The body was a foot or a foot and a half from the edge
of the table. The body was lying in a different di-
rection from the head. The feet were nearest to the
door. I put my hand on the body and felt it
warm. The woman who went up with me screamed
and left me alone, and I then went to the window
and called out to the people in the street to fetch a
policeman. I have not made any minute examina-
tion of the body. I do not think she could have
been dead more than ten minutes when I got
there. When the policeman came I examined the
body more particularly. I think she was first struck
with the hatchet, then cut with the knife, and the
vertebra afterwards severed with the hatchet. On
the right side of the head there was a wound from an
inch to an inch and a half long, but I do not think
that was the cause of death. The scalp and the bone
was cut through, as it appears to me, with the hatchet.
I think a further investigation is necessary when the
body is washed, and then I shall be able to speak
more positively as to the cause of death. There was
a table in the room, apparently laid for dinner, and
there were bacon and greens in a saucepan. I think
a Hut& must have taken place, as a bundle of clothes
which was in the room was in a confused state. I
saw a flat-iron lying close to the clothes. Near the
woman's body there was a pillow, on the surface of
which was blood, and impressions as of a man's
knees. Underneath the pillow there was a side
comb, and one similar to it entangled in the woman's
hair and broken. There was also a large comb at
the side of the pillow. There was diluted blood in
the basin in the prisoner's bed-room, and blood on
the washhand stand, and also on the towel.
The Magistrate—Have you anything to ask this
gentleman ? The prisoner—l have nothing to ask.
I should like the window to be left open while the
corpse is in the room. I didn't think of that before.
It is the last request, perhaps, I shall make.
Lockyer, police-constable 135 L—About one
o'clock I was in the Vauxhall-road, when Mr. Toms
came up to me and desired me to take the prisoner
(whom he pointed out) into custody for murdering
his mother. I said to him be must consider himself
in my custody, and go with me to the station. He
said, ' They have not let me go far. I have been
tormented for four or five years by them. ' I said,
do you mean to say that you have killed your mo-
ther ? and he said, " I have •I am sorr for it. I
said, how came you to do it i " Well," be said, " I
have been tormented for four or five years." I asked
him how he did it ? and he said, " She was coming
in at the door and I knocked her down with the flat-
iron, and I found that was not sufficient, and I then
took the carving knife. She was very tough, and
I then struck her head off with the hatchet. At the
station-house I found a knife in his coat pocket, and I
asked him what he was going to do with it, and h e:said
"That was for myself.'
1 understood that he was
going to cut his own throat.
.I afterwards went to
the house, No. 1, in Durham place I saw the de-
ceased lying on the floor dead, and her head on the
table. Ile said at the station, " You will find a letter
on the table, and take particular care of it." That
was before he said anything about the knife. On
going to the house I found several letters on the table,
but I have not bad time to read them yet. I searched
for the flat-iron, and found it in a bundle of Clothes
lying by the side of the body. There is blood on the
iron.
The prisoner—l spoke more respectful than
man has said. I did not make a bravado of aint
.j
the
spoke sorrowfully, did I not ? The policernan_yes,
you did.
The Magistrate—l have already
cautioned you as to what you „ more than once
The prisoner—I am quite sty,
scaffold. I struck her with
but lidi
must have blood; d
not
terepared to go to the
bravadofla t-iron,t. and blood
Inspector Cowlin
murder about a
aeon there, and ttie b
and the head on the received information of the
quagrter past one. I found the sur- 1
ody' as described by the surgeon, .
the bead, and the table, with the knife underneath
told me that the
hatchet by her side. Lockyer then •
her with the
search for the Prisoner had said that he had struck
flat-iron, and I desired Lockyer to
f1e.,0 iron, and after doing so he took up the
" 13' The towel was iti.thei hack 1.90112" BY the