The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-24 00:00:00

THE CASE OF FRANZ MULLER.

This morning the October Session of the Central Cri-
minal Court was opened by the Lord Mayor, the Recorder,
Alderman Sir James Duke, Bart., M.P., Alderman Sir F.
G Moon, Alderman Sir R. W. Carden, Alderman Allen,
Alderman Carter, Alderman J. Lawrence, Alderman and
Sheriff Begley, and Mr J, Davidson and Mr Deputy de
Jersey, the Undersheriffe.

The RECORDER, in his charge to the grand jury, said there
were a considerable number of cases, but not more than
might have been expected from the interval which had
elapsed since the last session. They were, however, gene-
rally not of a very serious description. There were some cases
arising out of the loss of human life, but only one case of
murder. That was the case of Franz Muller, who was
charged with the murder of Mr Briggs. The circumstances
of the case were doubtless familiar to them, hearing excited
a vast amount of public attention. Mr Briggs, as they
were aware, was murdered in a railway carriage on the
Bth of July. It appeared that on the evening of that day
Mr Briggs was going by the North London Railway, and was
seen at the Fenchurch-street station at about a quarter to
ten o'clock. Thd train was a little later that evening, and
did not leave the station until 10 minutes to ten. H©
was seen again by a gentleman who got into the train
at Bow station, and that was as nearly as possible at
ten o'clock. That person knew Mr Briggs, and bade him
good night as he passed the carriage, and received a reply.
He says he could not be mistaken in reference to the person
of Mr Briggs. He says, moreover, that there were two
other persons in the carriage in which Mr Briggs was seated,
but whether the prisoner was one of them he was not able
to say. Then the witness states that he got into a second
class carriage, and that there was ample time for either of
the persona to leave the carriage before the train started.
The train started on its way to Hackney Wick, which it
would occupy about three minutes and a half in travelling.
The body of Mr Briggs was found about 700 or 800 yards
from the Hackney 'Wick station. When the train arrived
at Hackney Wick attention was drawn to the state of one
of the carriages, on which marks of blood were dis-
covered. Marks of blood were found on the seat, and
also on the handles of one of the doors. The carriage was
locked up and left in that state until it was examined,
at which time, in addition to the marks of blood, there
were discovered ono or two articles—a stick and a bag
which Mr Briggs had with him on the Saturday evening.
The body, as ho had stated, was discovered at about one-
third of the distance between Bow and Hackney Wick
Stations, and there were marks of violence upon it. One of
the wounds, it was said, might be accounted for by a fall
from the carriage, but there were other marks which could
not be accounted for in that way, and which must have been
the result of violence with some blunt instrument. Probably
the grand jury could not entertain any doubt that a murder
had been committed. Mr Briggs, he should mention, was
not dead when his body was discovered, but he was insensi-
ble, and could of course give no account of the transaction,
and in thst condition he remained until the next day, when
he died. A watch, chain, two keys, and a seal which Mr
Briggs had with him on the Saturday evening, were miesing
when the body was discovered, but he did not seem to have
been robbed to any further extent. Money Was found in his
pockets, and there was a ring on his finger which had not been
disturbed, so that the whole was evidently a hurried transac-
t on, and the attack was no doubt commenced directly the
tr sin started out of the Bow Station on its way to Hack-
ney. Then, beyond the circumstances of the murder,
the person who committed it became possessed of the watch,
chain, and the seals, and it would seem that a hat was found
in the railway carriage belonging to the person by whom
the murder was committed. Then came the question how
the evidence to be laid before them would bear on those
points, It appeared that Franz Muller was a German, who
had resided in this country for some time, and was by trade
a tailor. Some time previous to July Bth ho announced his
intention of going to America, and with that view he gave
notice of his intention to give up his lodgings. On the
evening of the Bth of July Muller spent some time at home,
but left in the course of the evening, and nothing more was
seen of him until the following day. His landlady sat up
for him until late at night, but he did not come during that
time, and she heard nothing more of him until the following
morning, when he went down stairs. The whole of Sunday
he spent at his lodgings, or in the company of his landlady,
until six o'clock, when they went out for a walk together,
On the Monday morning he went out between seven and
eight o'clock, and went about ten o'clock to the shop of Mr
Death, a jeweller, carrying on business in Cheapside. He
took to Mr Death a chain, key, and seal, and inquired what
was the value of them. He was informed that the articles
were worth £3 10s, and he took in exchange for them a
chain of the value of £3 ss, and a small ring of the value
of ss. The chain he parted with to Mr Death was identi-
fied as having belonged to Mr Briggs, and as having been
in his possession on the evening of the Bth of July. That
was the first piece of evidence affecting the prisoner. An-
other piece of evidence was a hat found in the railway
carriage after the murder was committed was shown
to have belonged to Muller. It appeared that sometime
previous to July Muller had asked a friend (Matthews, the
cabman) to purchase him a hat similar to his own, and
Matthews did purchase a hat for him for 4s 6d from the
shop of Mr. Walker, of Crawford-street. That hat Muller
wore for some time. That portion of the evidence was con-
firmed by the wife Motthews,who:was present when Muller
asked Matthews to purchase the hat for him, Another
point was that a hat box bearing Mr Walker's name was
found at the prisoner's lodgings. Matthews would tell
them that the hat which was found in the railway car-
riage was the one bought at Walker's for Muller. That
there had been a change in Muller's hats at that time
was evident, for some of his friends remarked that
he had got a new hat, to which ho replied he smashed
his old one, and that he purchased the hat he then wore for
14s 6d. One of his friends looked at the hat, and said it
looked more like a guinea hat, remarking upon his extrava-
gance in wanting another hat so soon. Then it appeared that
on the Thursday after the murder Muller left for America,
but he (the Recorder) did not think any oonclusion was to
be drawn from that circumstance in reference to Muller's
guilt, as he had previously announced his intention of
going. Suspicion having been excited he was pursued and
taken into custody at New York. A hat was found in his
possession which the evidence would show had be-
longed to Mr Briggs. That gentleman's son, on look-
ing at the hat, said it wee much like his father's, but
that he thought his father's was deeper in the crown.
On examining the hat it was found it had been cut
down and sewn again round the rim, not as a hatter
would have done it, but still with great neatness. The person
who sold the hat would be called to show that it was M r
Briggs's, with a view to satisfy them that the hat was worn
by Mr Briggs on the night of the murder. In Muller's box
a watch was found which it would be proved belonged to
Mr Briggs, and that he had worn it on the Bth of July.
About the watch Muller told an untruth, as he said he
had had it in his possession six months. Although many
witnesses would be called the facts themselves lay in a very
narrow compass. Muller's statement was that ho had
purchased the chain at the docks, and he gave an untrue
account of the chain which he changed at Mr Death's.
There were some minor circumstances connected with
the case, but it was not necessary fur him to call
attention to them. His object had been to give the Grand
Jury a general view of the case, in order that they might
understand the purport of the evidencethat would be brought
before them, and it would be for them to say whether a
prima facie case was made out against the prisoner. If they
then came to the conclusion that a prima facie case had
been made out, the prisoner would have an opportunity of
explaining his conduct and of controverting the evidence
adduced against him.
Tho Recorder briefly touched upon some other cases in
the Calendar, and the jury retired.
Mr Beard, of Basinghall-street, Muller's solicitor, has
this morning given the usual notice that, on the part of the
prisoner, ho shall claim a mixed jury--half Englishmen and
half foreigners. It ii not yet definitively arranged whether
the trial will commence on Wednesday or Thursday.

A MAIDEN SPEECH.—The late Mr L. Charlton
tried to make a maiden speech, and rising in his
place with a very bald head, known too as he was to every-
body, as one of the oldest stagers in all the ways of the
world, he began with great affectation of inexperience, and
with an exceedingly mild voice—" Mr Speaker, I am but a
young member." On hearing this assertion from so well
known and crafty a man, possessing so venerable a pate, the
entire House roared with laughter. Twice he stopped, and
three times he commenced with these words ; but it was
useless ; the House would not listen, and ha never to my
knowlete essayed to speak again, or if ho did, the eight of
his bald head set his audience in a roar.-2he Hon, Grant •
ley Berkeley's Life and .Recollections.
LORD STANLEY.—" He is a vary able man is
Lord Stanley," said an old Indian who had been thrown
into close contact with him, " only he is ao,damned sen-
sible 1"
OXFORDSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.—At the
annual general meeting of this society, held at Ox-
ford on Saturday last, a letter was read from the president,
the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, M,P., requesting the
members to appoint some more active man to fulfil the
duties of president. Mr Henley has made a similar request
the last two or three years, but, at, the urgent request of
the society, has been induced to hold on up to the present
time. The members, however, felt that the time had now
arrived when they wore bound to consult the feelings and
comply with the wishes of their respected president, who
has so ably and faithfully discharged the duties of that office
for long series of years. Accordingly, they accepted Mr
Henley's resignation, and passed a resolution expressing
their deep regret on losing his valuable services, and ten-
dering to him their cordial thanks for having stood by the
society so many years, and for his unform kindness and
courtesy to all its members. It was then unanimously
agreed to appoint a president and vice-president every year,
the latter to succeed as president in the year following. The
choice of the meeting fell unanimously on his Grace the
Duke of Marlborough as president, and on Sir H, Dash-
wood, Bart., as vice-president, for 1865, and the secretary
(Mr Joseph Plowman) was instructed to write to them and
ask them to accept the t,ffiee,