The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-15 00:00:00

rHE SUN, kONDOiI, TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 15, 1864.

COURT OF ALDERMEN—This Day.

ALLEGED CONFESSION OF MULLER.
It having been announced that some matters relative to
documents written by the convict Muller prior to hi 4 exe-
cution would be brought beforo the Court of Aldermen held
this day, the Court was crowded to excess.

At 1 o'clock the Lord Mayor took the chair, and some
routine business having been transacted,
Mr Alderman DARIN rose and said—My Lord Mayor,
in handing in the report of the gaols of the City the Sheriffs
are desirous of informing your lordship and the Court, that
on Sunday evening the governor of Newgate handed to
them a paper, written by the late unhappy convict Frans
Muller, containing a long statement connected with the
crime for which he suffered. It was carefully read over
and considered by the Sheriffs, and contained much which
has been already published in the newspapers, and
having for its oljcct the accounting for his time
on the Saturday night—the ciruinstances under which ho
became possessed of the watch and chain and hat so as to
appear consistent with his innocence, but does not contain
any statement suggesting the guilt of any party. As a
confession was afterwards made by Franz Muller, the
Sheriffs sealed up the paper on Monday after-
noon, considering its publication would possibly
answer no useful purpose, but in a matter of BO
much importance they wish to avail themselves of the ad-
viee of their brother magistrates.
The LORD MAYOR said he had received a communication
from Dr Cappell, who had attended Muller in his last mo-
ments, in which the rev, gentleman said there were some
documents which Muller had left behind, and which he (Dr
Cappel) requested might be given up to him as his spiritual
adviser.
Alderman and Sheriff BESLEY said we have great respect
for Dr Cappell, and we desire to thank him for his attention
to this case, and we also desire that our thanks should be
tendered to him publicly ; but so far from giving up any
documents which had been intrusted to them, the sheriffs
would pause before they gave up any documents which had
came into their hands officially.
Alderman WILSON said—Before we proceed with this,
there is another thing which I wish to bring before the
Court as this question of the confession is now before them.
A gentleman who understand German, and who came from
Cheltenham, and personally well known to me, made an
application for admission to the gaol, on the ground that
he could, from his knowledge of the language and the pro-
bably impel feet knowledge of English possessed by Muller,
do some good to bringing him to a sense of his con-
dition, but the Sheriffs had, and so had he, as
one of the visiting magistrates, declined to admit him, on
• the ground that Muller was already attended by a German
clergyman. That gentleman had come more than 120
miles for the express purpose, nod had been refused admit-
tance. But much to my astonishment I saw that another
clergyman had been admitted, and his statements published
in one of the public journals. That statement contained
extravagant explanations of the interview with Muller, and
it is my intention to move that this matter be referred to the
Gaol Committee, to know by whose authority the gentle-
man to whom I have referred was admitted to the gaol. It
is not nay intention to read the lengthy document to the
court, which occupies nearly a column in the newspaper,
but I shall refer it to the committee, who will see it in detail.
[Alderman Wilson then quoted at great length from the
letter in question 1 lie continued—This extract was sent
to me by a party who firmly believed in Muller's guilt, but
who, after reading the letter, said to me, "After such a
statement, surely you will not think of executing Muller."
9ao persons out of every thousand were satisfied with the
trial—the judges—one of whom was the senior
pon the Bench expressed themselves fully satisfied, an d
almost the whole world were convinced that justice was
done and truth arrived at by the verdict. This statement
has gone through the length and breadth of the land, and
when the sheriffs refused to admit a clergyman—
Mr Sheriff BESLEY-0n the ground that one was already
attending him.
Alderman WILSON—And was told that no one would be
allowed to see him bmeep t the ordinary minister of the
gaol and the German minister who seas attending at Muller's
own desire, I think it was one of the greatest breaches of
privileges that could have occurred; and I hope that, it
this matter be referred to the Gaol Committee, we shall
find out who admitted him. I therefore move that this
document, and the whole of the papers connected with the
matter, be referred, with the gaol returns presented by the
Sheriffs, to the*Gaol Committee.
Mr Alderman COPELAND satd that no one could hee;rate
to second such a proposition, but he thought it right that
the Court should know that, as visiting magistrate, he had
consented to the admission of Dr Cappell, but only under
the condition that Muller wished to see him. Vpon Muller
being told what the Doctor desired, he expressed a most
anxious wish to see him, and he (Alderman Copeland) felt
it his duty to carry out the law, which he thought pointed
out the duties of visiting magistrates that nu spiritual ad-
viser should be forced upon a culprit unless he wished to
see him. Ile strictly followed the provisions of the act of
Parliament, and cared nothing fur any statements that
might be made as to his conduct as a magistrate, so long as
he felt and knew that ho had the approval of his own con-
science, the way in which he did his duty. He therefore
seconded the motion.
Sheriff BESLEY said that in admitting persons to the
gaol they did that which they believed to be right. As far as
the Rev. Mr Battiscombe was concerned, who had written
the letter in question, neither himself nor his brother she-
- riff had admitted him, and by the publication of that letter
he had committed a breach of confidence, which, it was
to be hoped, would be ascertained by the committee asked
for. Numerous applications had been made by various
clergymen, each of whom seemed to have some patent
method of their own for evangelising criminals and finding

out the secrets of crime.
Alderman and Sheriff DAKIN passed a high compliment
to the kind, decorous, and considerate manner in which
Dr Cappell had discharged his duties, and begged to say
that the rev. gentleman accompanied Muller to the seaffuld
by the culprit's own request.
After some observations from Alderman SYDNEY, with
regard to the execution having been fixed a week earlier
than in pnvious cases,
Sheriff DAIIN said the appointment of the day was after
consultation with the Lord Chief Baron.
The motion was carried.
The name of the writer of the letter was stated as the
Rev, H. Battiscombe, Blackheath, Kent,