The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-09 00:00:00

DANUBE AND BLACK SEA.

The report of the directors states that the anticipations
expressed in the last report are in the course of being real-
ized. The period now under review embraces the winter
months, during which the traffic is carried on under disad-
vantages peculiar to that season, and the trade of last win-
ter was found to be cramped by insufficiency of warehouse
accommodation. In addition to this the corn trade has
been checked by the very low prices of grain in Western
Europe, and, concurrently with these, by the famine in
Hungary, which has diverted much of the Wallachian
grain from the markets for consumption in that country.
Notwithstanding these drawbacks the accounts, which
have been made up to the 31st of May, exhibit a clear
profit on working of £4,440, subject to payment of interest
on borrowed capital of £944, The working of each former
winter half year has been attended with loss, and it is but
reasonable to expect a much higher rate of profit during
the current half year. Before the approach of next winter
the want of warehouse room will be to some extent supplied
by the completion of the smaller block of warehouses at
Kustendjie. Five-sixths of the warehouse room which
will be thus provided have already been engaged at re-
munerative rates by some of the largest houses connected
with the Danube trade. The prospects of the present liar.
vest in the Principalities are reported to be excellent.
About 45,000 of the unfortunate Circassians have during the
last three months been carried over the line at low but
remunerative rates, under convention with the Turkish
Government, which has provided them with settlements on
the Danube.

OTTOMAN (SMYRNA TO AIDIN).
It appears that this company have just received the gua-
rantee from the Imperial Ottoman Government, as settled
in the accounts for the last financial year, in accordance
with the terms of the late concession. This concession fixes
the amount at £32,300, which is to be paid to the company
annually until the line is completed for traffic to Aidin, at
which period the guarantee upon the entire capital of
£1,734,000 (shares and debentures) will take effect.

THE MURDER OF MR BRIGGS.

ADJOURNED INQUEST.

The adjourned inquest on the body of Mr Thomas Briggs
was resumed yesterday morning before Mr Humphreys, the
coroner for East Middlesex, at the Vestry-hall, Hackney.
The coroner reopened the proceedings by observing that
the jury had already received every possible testimony that
' could prove the cause of the death of Mr Briggs, and that
their next business wouid be to investigate every circum-
stance connected with the case that could possibly fix the
guilt of the murder on any particular person or persons.
The first witness called was Mrs Ellen Blyth, landlady
of the house in Park-terrace, Old Ford-road, where the man
Franz Muller resided before his departure from England
for America in the Victoria. She said that at the beginning
of July she had two lodgers living in her house, one of
whom was a German named Franz Muller. He left on
Thursday, July 14, having given notice to do so a fortnight
previously. On the Saturday morning before he left the
house between 11 and 12 o'clock, but she did not know at
what time he returned. She and her family went to bed at
12 o'clock, but Muller had not then come in. The other
lodger, whose name was Goodwin, went out on the Satur-
day and did not return till Monday, according to his usual
habit. At the head of his bed hung a life-preserver, made
of whalebone and indiarubber, and loaded at the end with
lead. The instrument now in possession. of Mr Tidey, police
superintendent, was the one belonging to Mr Goodwin. The
next time she saw Muller was at breakfast on the Sunday
follosging, between 9 and 10 o'clock. On the Thursday pre-
) viously he stayed out all night, and when he returned on
the next day he was lame, having, as he said, hurt his foot
the day before. On the Sunday he went out for a walk
with her and her husband between G and 7 in the evening,
having been at home all day until then. On the Monday
morning he went out early and did not come back till S in
the evening, but she did not notice any peculiarity either in
his dress or manner. She did not notice what kind of hat
ho wore either then or at any other time. On the Tuesday
and Wednesday ho also went out early and did not return
till late. The last week he remained at her house he did
not do any work. On the Thursday he took leave of them
all, saying he had taken a berth on board the Victoria
bound for New York. He lodged in her house for seven
weeks, and paid her most punctually before he left. On the
Monday evening ho had a gold Albert chain which she took
notice of. He took it off and showed it to Mr Goodwin,
but she did not see whether it had any watch attached to it
or not. She also noticed to him that he had get a new ring,
but, beyond an expression of assent to her two remarks, he
made no observation about either the chain or ring. The
photograph produced was that of Franz Mulier.
The photograph was hero shown to the jury. It is an
ordinary full length carte de vial te portrait of a well-dressed,
short, thick-set young man, with a firm, compressed mouth,
and small, narrow, half-shut eyes.
The witness went on to say that Muller accounted for his
going to New York so suddenly by saying that he had been
sent there by his employers, the Messrs Hodgkinson. She
first heard of the murder on the Monday, but she could not
recollect whether the matter was talked of in Muller's pre-
sence or not. She could not identify the hat produced as
the one worn by Muller, neither could she say whether he
changed his linen on the Sunday or not, as ho always had
his washing done away from home. The week before he
left, however, she had washed six new shirts for him.
Eliza Matthews, the wife of a cabman living in Earl-
street, Lisson-grove, said she was well acquainted with
Muller, having known him for more than two years. He
was engaged to her husband's sister, and used to visit them
frequently. Ho came on the Sunday before the murder, and
again on the following Monday about 2 in the afternoon.
He did not look very well, and was dressed differently towhat
he was on the Sunday before. When he was leaving she
made some remark about his hat wearing well, to which he
replied that it was not the one he usually wore. She also
noticed that he wore a gold chain. Formerly he used to
wear a watch and chain, but on the Tuesday before the
murder she reraarked that he had not ono on, and he ac-
counted for the circumstance by saying ho had lost it
through betting. On the Monday he took off the chain in
reply to her remark, and asked her what she thought of it.
She did not see any watch attached to it, but there was a
locket on it which Muller said belonged to Mr Itepseh, a
friend of his. Thinking he could not afford to buy so ex-
pensive a chain, she hinted that it was not gold, but he
assured her that it was, and took a box out of his pocket
upon which was printed the name of "Death, jeweller,
Cheapside." He told her it was a first. rate jeweller's, and
that ho had given £3 lOs for the chain. The box he after-
wards gave to her little girl, On leaving he said he was
going to New York and wished them goodbye. She
walked with him to the omnibus and never saw him again.
She made the observation about the hat because she had
gone with her husband to buy the one he usually wore
in November or December las'', at Walker's, in Crawford-
street. He always wore it until the Monday. She first
heard of the murder on the Monday evening from a neigh-
, hour, but did not say much about it, being busy with her
baby. She only read the newspapers on Sundays, and
said nothing to her husband about the matter, being busy
with her household concerns. She did not recollect saying
anything about it to her husband or to any ono else either
during that day or the next. Her husband waa in tho
habit of going out early and returning late, so she had
not much time to speak with him ore such matters. On
the Thursday he spoke to her on the subject, and it was
not till then that the matter was mentioned between them.
She was much employed all day with her children, having
a young family. Her husband seldom stopped for his
breakfast, generally only taking a cup of tea standing. He
mentionel twice that the murderer was taken, but she could
not recollect the days. She repeated that she had no com-
munication with any one about the murder till her husband
spoke of it on the Thursday. Her husband can read, and
frequently brought home newspapers left in his cab. When
Muller came to say goodbye, he told her he particularly
desired to see her husband. She told him he would net be
at home all day, and he said he would call back on the
Tuesday or Wednesday, but did not keep his promise. On
the Monday week after the murder her husband came home
in the morning and asked her for the box that Muller had
given to the child, saying he wanted to know the name upon
it. She told him it was in the corner of one of the drawers,
and he took it out, read the name, and said it was the same
that he had seen on the bills that were out about the mur-
der, On the Sunday before this Lloyd's newspaper was
bought as usual, but it was not touched, as his brother and
sister dined with them. As coon as her husband read the
name on the box he took it away, saying he was going to I
the etation with. it, and that he was afraid Franz Muller I