The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-20 00:00:00

SURRENDER OF THE MURDERER.

At a few minutes after nine o'clock last night, an
express reached Captain George Bague, R.N., the
Magistrate who has been actively engaged in investi-
gating the circumstances of the murder of Elizabeth
Paynton, and who remained at home during the greater
part of yesterday, to receive intelligence of the exer-
tions of the police, that William John Marchant, the
perpetrator of the foul deed, had surrendered himself to
one of the ho-se patrol, about half-past eight o'clock,
between Hounslow and Ascot. The accused, it is
said, evinced great distress of mind, and avowed him-
self to be the murderer or the unfortunate young woman.
He was immediately conveyed to the station-house at
Brentford, and communication was made to the local
Magistrates, who, Captain Bague informed the reporter,
would no doubt order his removal to the police-station in
Elizabeth-street, Pimlico, in the course of the night, pre-
paratory to the accused being brought before the Coroner
and jury to-morrow. Captain Bague, as soon 4s he ob-
tained the information, proceeded to the house of Mr.
Edgell, No. 21, Cadogan-place, and communicated the
fact of Merchant's surrender to that gentleman's do-
mestics. Thu intelligence soon spread through the
neighbourhood, and caused, as might be expected, a
great sensation. At ten o'.elock last night the house
was surrounded by groups of persons in anxious conver-
sltton, and two police constables were employed to pre-
vent, as far as possible, any annoyance to the highly re-
spectable residents of the neighbourhood. Inspector
Moran was informed in the latter part of yesterday af-
ti•rnoon, that a person answering the description of
Merchant had been seen wandering about Hounslow
Heath by some recruits that were on their way to the
metropolis.

SIR ROBERT PEEL AND THE NORTHERN
DivisioN OF LANCASHIRE.—A letter, of which the follow-
ing is a copy, has been received by our Member, Mr.
Parker, from the Right Honourable Sir Robert Peel. It

will be seen that the Right Honourable Gentleman declines
to came forward as a candidate for North Lancashire
Whitehall, April 22d, 1839.—My dear Sir—l request
that you will express to the Gentlemen who signed the
resolution which you placed in my hand on Saturday last,
my deep sense of the honour which they have conferred
upon me. Nothing could be more gratifying to me than
to represent in Parliament my native county, and t• have
the opportunity of partly repaying the many obligations
which I owe to it, by the faithful and sedulous discharge of
the various duties which the high trust involves. There
is but one obstacle to my compliance with the requisition
thus made to me, but it is an insuperable one, and it arises
froM the influence of feelings kindred to those which would
make a connection with North Lancashire so flattering
and so satisfactory to me. I have for some rears past, re-
presented a constituency to which I am bound by many
ties, besides those which form the ordinary relation be-
tween 'a Member and his constituents, and it would be so
painful to me, by any act of mine, to relinquish the trust
which through their confidence and kindness has been re-
peatedly renewed, that I must gratefully and respectfully
decline to present my.elf as a candidate even for the
Northern Division of Lancashire.—Believe me, my dear
Sir, very faithfully yours. ROBERT PEEL—R. Townley
Parker, Esq., M. P. " Preston Chronicle.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT TILE TERMINUS OF
rIIE SOOTRANITTON RAILWAY.-011 Friday night an in.
quest was held before Mr. Payne, at Guy's Hospital, on
the body of John Butler, aged 43 years. It appeared from
the evidence that the unfortunate man was an engineer
employed on the Southampton Railway, and on the after-
noon of Wednesday week he was assisting several other
men in placing a pair of new wheels under thc Vesta en-
gine, when one of the wheels, upwards of a ton in weight,
fell on him, crushing his legs in a most frightful manlier.
No time was lost in conveying him to the above hospital,
where the left leg was amputated by Mr. Bransby Cooper,
and on the following morning the right foot was taken off.
He wentsm very well for a few days, when delirium super-
vened, and he died at five o'clock on Thursday morning.
Verdict—Accidental Death, He has left a widow and
five children. The gentlemen belonging to the Company
attended the deceased while in the hospital, and will do
something for the family.

EXPLOSION OF GAS.—On Friday evening, at
nine o'clock, an explosion of gas took place on the premi.
sea of Messrs. Barker and Co., drapers, Regent-street.
Engines from the County fire-office station, and those of
the fire-brigade of King-street starian, were very shortly
on the spot, bat their assistaoce was not required. Much
damage, however, was dons to the stock in the shop. The
explosion was occasioned throuph the escape of gas from,
one of the fancy branch pipes in the window. The pro-
perty destroyed is insured in the Phoenix Fire-office.