The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-23 00:00:00

SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 2S, lBO4.

and am soon to visit them again, also those at Alexandria.
But I am filling my letter with contrabands,' and indeed
1 might write a volume about them, if I had time, and you
required it to deepen your interest in my long• enslaved
people."

THE MURDER AT LEOMINSTER,

APPREHENSION OF THE HUSBAND.
LEOMINSTER, Friday.

An inquest was held at the workhouse this morning, be-
fore Mr. N. LanwArne, coroner, and a respectable jury, on
the body of Mary Ann Watkins, who was found cruelly
murdered in a field on Monday last.

The husband, who was apprehended yesterday afternoon,
was present during the inquiry. _ .

David Lipscombe, a person living on his own property, at
Stoke Prior, said—On Monday evening I was going home
through an orchard, and heard a moaning noise on the other
side of the hedge. I stood still and then the moaning ceased.
On hearing it again more distinctly I went in the direetion
of the sound, and then found in a field a woman weltering in
her blood. Her face was in a pool of blood, and I put my hand
under her chin and lifted her head round. After I placed her
head on her arm she seemed to breathe more freely. I then
went for assistance. The place where I found her was about
400 yards from Strawberry Cottage, where I went for the
gardener, who lives there. He brought a lantern, and
we both returned to the body, and the gardener put the
lantern to the women's face, and said it was Mary Anne
Watkins. We then went to her lodgings and told the
people there what had occurred. We next went for the
Constable Bale, and returned to the woman, who was after-
wards removed to the union. She had no bonnet on when
I saw her. I met no one previous to seeing the body. It
was a moonlight night.
James Lane, who lived very near, stated that ho was
called by Lipscombe to go to the place where the body was,
and with a lantern recognised I he woman as Mrs. Watkins.
He suspected that it was her because she had expressed fear
of her husband, who had threatened her so much that wit-
ness often accompanied her home to guard her.
George Smith, the man at whose house the woman
lodged, was examined, and he stated that on frequent
occasions her husband had uttered threats against her life,
and the lives of two others, including the life of the
-youngest child. They often had words together but never
came to blows. He charged her with immoralities, but
wanted her to go and live with him again. For some
months past he had been loitering about, and on one
occasion he had behaved in a most eccentric manner,
threatening to destroy himself.
Thomas Jones deposed that on last Monday night the
prisoner came to his house at Stratford, about three-quarters
of a mile from the spot of the murder, at about a quarter to
ten o'clock. He was then in an excited state. He, hew-
ever, had a pipe of tobacco, and then began to talk of his
wife, saying that he was just going up to Smith to ask his
wife to come to live with him. Upon going away he said
perhaps he would never see him again, as he had a good
mind to jump into the brook.
Mr. Alexander deposed that he was superintendent of
the borough force, and went to the spot directly after the
information of the murder was received, and on going to
_ _

the field he saw a pool of blood. The same morning, with
the aid of lights, they distinctly discovered peculiar clog
marks up and down the path, and near one gate were clear
indications of a man with clogs having sat down in a hedge.
There is a path cn each side of the hedge, and clear marks
of the person with clugs having walked up and down seve-
ral times. The impression of the clog was so peculiar it could
not be mistaken, and in the fallow field there were the marks
of two persons, one with clogs the other with female boots,
having walked the whole length of the path up to where
the struggle commenced. Next day these footmarks were
taken up. The bonnet of deceased was found is the hedge,
and there were other indications that she fell head foremost
into the hedge. A hair-net was also found near. The tracks
of the prisoner were traced for three days, and he was ap-
prehended about six miles from Leominster, at the farm-
house known as Haven, in the parish of Dilwyn. He was
standing at the door asking for cider, and he had been talk-
ing with Mrs. Bray about the murder, stating that the man
who had done it had drowned himself. He denied the
murder. He (witness) examined the clothes of prisoner and
found blood on them in several places. The marks of blood
were very distinct. The clogs produced were taken from the
feet of the prisoner, and they corresponded withthe impres-
sions.

Several other witnesses were examined, including Mr. E.
Goddard, the surgeon, the evidence of whom tended to bring
home the crime to the prisoner.
The jury ultimately returned a verdict of Wilful Murder,
upon hearing which the prisoner cried, and said he wanted
to see his wife.

Fatal Accident on the London and South•

Western Railway.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Last evening Mr. Bedford, coroner for Westminster, re•
sumed an inquiry at King's College Hospital relative to the
death of Samuel Ward, a French polisher, lately residing
at Mortlake, who died from injuries received at the Mort-

lake station of the said railway on Monday, the 11th inst.
Mr. Crombie, the secretary, attended on behalf of the
company, and Mr. A. Haines for the friends of deceased.
Upon the reassembling of the jury last evening the
following evidence was adduced :
Wm. Gregory, of 18, Albion-road, Wandsworth, said ho
was a traveller, and was a passenger by the Richmond train
on Monday, the 11th inst. He got into the train at Rich-
mond at 6 30, as did also the deceased. Sat opposite the de-
ceased, who appeared quite sober. The first thing that at-
tracted his attention was a call out on the platform at Mott-
lake, and he saw the carriage door open and the deceased
was gone. Had not seen him rise from the seat. The train
was then in mo ion. At no time had the train stopped before
he saw the deceased was missing to allow of anyone getting
out.

Mr. Haines said he had half a damn witnesses who could
prove deceased did not get into the carriage at Richmond.

The Coroner said they had better be called.

Wm. Best, residing at Twickenham, said the deceased
was with him at Twickenham from half-past 4 till ten mi-
nutes past 6 on the day in question. He was sober. When
he left witness he did not say where he was going. He was
then a mile and a half from the Richmond station.

By Mr. Haines—Deceased could not have reached the
'rain at Richmond at the time stated after he left witness.

Henry Joseph Lawder, a builder at Richmond, said he
saw deceased arrive at Richmond at half-past 6 in the train
from Twickenham. Did not speak to him, as the window of
the carriage was closed.
Charles Wilkes said he attended to the book stall at
Twickenham station, and saw the deceased at the station
when the train arrived, but did not see him get into the car-
riage.

Several other witnesses were then called, but their evi-
dence was most contradictory.
The Coroner said that it had been alleged by the friends
of deceased that the train had stopped at Mortlake station
sufficiently long to allow of the passengers to alight, and
that then it proceeded onwards for 40 yards, and then again
stopped.
After a long legal discussion,

Mr. Walton, a gentleman living at Wandsworth, said he
was a passenger by the train, and did not notice that the
train stopped more than once at the Mortlake station. After
the accident he saw the carriage, the wheels of which were
on the body of the deceased, lifted bodily off the man.

Richard Barrow, also a passenger, gave evidence to a
similar effect.

The Coroner said the question for the jury was whether
the train had been stopped and then started again in such a
manner as to jeopardise the lives of the passengers. If they
thought so then the company should produce evidence as to
that point.
The jury decided upon taking the evidence, and
Mr. White, the station master at Mortlake, said the train

came into the station at a very steady pace, and he heard

some one call out "A man under the wheel." Went down
the platform and found deceased under the wheel of a carriage
The carriage was uncoupled, and deceased was removed.
By the Coroner—Did you see the train stop and then go
on again? He should have seen it if it had.
A large number of the company's servants were then
tendered by Mr. Crombie on behalf of the company, and the
engine-driver, fireman, and two guards of the trnin, all of
whom proved that the train stopped properly at Mortlake.
The Coroner then summed up at great length, and told the
jury they would say whether this was an accidental death,
or that there had been sufficient negligence to cause the death
and make any person responsible, or they could return an
open verdict. If there was any negligence proved they would
say who was responsible; but if they carefully considered
the evidence it must appear to theta whether there was suf-
ficient evidence as to the improper starting of the train.
The jury then returned a verdict—" That the deceased
died from injuries received by falling from a carriage step
at the Mortlake station of the London and South-Western
Railway, but as to how the deceased came to fall there is not
sufficient evidence to show." Tho jury added—That they
did not consider there was neglect on the part oi thecompany.
The inquiry then closed, after a lengthened sitting.