The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-05 00:00:00

ALLEGED MURDER AND

INCENDIARISM.

Yesterday morning, a few minutes before one o'clock,
the inhabitants of Prince's-street, St. Ann's, Soho,
were thrown into the utmost alarm, by the discovery of
the premises of Mr. Westwood, watch and clock maker,
No. 35, Prince's-street, being on fire. Immediately the
fire, which was in the back parlour, was discovered, several
persons entered the room, which is for the present used as
a temporary bedroom for Mr. W., who sleeps up stairs,
when a horrid spectacle presented itself. The unfortunate
gentleman was lying on the floor, dressed, with his throat
cut from car to ear, and quite dead, the bed and bedding
burnt, and the fire communicating to the flooring and
wainscoting. The fire engines promptly arrived, and sue-
ceeded in extinguishing the fire before any considerable
damage was sustained. The room was most minutely
examined, but not any instrument could be found with
which the fatal deed was perpetrated. Mr. West-
wood was watch-maker to the Duke of Sussex.
The last time the unfortunate individual was seen alive
was about twelve o'clock on Monday night, standing at his
door ; shortly after which he retired to rest. His wife
lives in the house, but does not sleep in the same room
as her husband ; and about half-past twelve she was aroused
by a smell of fire. She hastened down stairs to awake
her husband, when she discovered his bed clothes on fire.
Alarm was instantly given, and the police discovered the
unhappy man with his throat cut, his face much bruised,
and his eyes completely blackened. There is not at pre-
sent the slightest clue to the murderer, or even a conjec-
ture of the motive to the diabolical act.
It appears that Mrs. Westwood retired to bed about I l
o'clock cn Monday night, leaving her husband sitting up,
as was his usual practice, reading the newspaper, in a room
adjoining, and between the shop and the back parlour,
where the body was found. The street-door was perfectly
secured by the servant girl, who went to bed soon after
her mistress. She sleeps on one of the top rooms of the
house. No alarm was heard or given, until Mrs. West-
wood imagined that she heard a scuffling below, end shortly
after the street-door slammed to. She afterwards was
alarmed by bearing several groans, and she then called to
the servant girl, who descended with her mistress down
stairs, and discovered that the house was on fire, and that the
street door was on the latch. Gilbert, the constable, then
came up, end the females were placed in safety, and kept
unconscious of the fate of Mr. Westwood.

The body of the deceased was not found in the room
where he was in the habit of reading, but by the side of a
press-bedstead in the back parlour facing the door which
leads into the ante-room that separates the parlour from
the shop. The furniture in the room was not displaced,
nor was there any trace of a scuffle having taken place.
The deceased's spectacles were found on a table in the
ante-room covered with blood—they were shut up, and a
number of the Morning Herald newspaper was lying on
the floor. The officers next proceeded to search for
the instrument with which the act must have
been perpetrated, and a common table knife with
a white handle was discovered in a drawer in
the ante-room. The blade was much stained with
blood, and a portion of human hair was adhering to
the point—these drawers are from ten to twelve feet
from where the body was found. Another very important
point connected with this melancholy case is the discovery
of a heavy iron sash weight, which the Inspector picked
up in the passage behind the street door.
The deceased was in good circumstances, and of a cheer-
ful disposition. Throughout the day, a body of police
guarded the house, which was surrounded by a vast con-
course of persons, and the knife, spectacles, sash weight,
and the body of the deceased will not be further disturbed
until the Coroner's jury shall have had the opportunity of
witnessing the position in which they were respectively
found.

An inquest was held last evening on the body, and after
some witnesses bad been examined, it :was adjourned till
this day.

CONCLUSION OF THE DIARY OF THE TIMES
OF GEORGE IV.-The unprecedented sensation created by
the first volumes of this extraordinary work seems likely
to be renewed by the appearance of the second and con-
cluding portion, which has just been published. The new
portions of the " Diary" present us with at least an equal
profusion of the Court gossip and scandal of the day to
which it alludes, while the epistolary part includes features
of singular interest and curiosity. Besides original letters
from many of the most distinguished literary and political
characters of the day, we have several from the Princess
Charlotte herself (addressed to the writer of the " Diary")
which convey a delightful impression of the character of
the lamented Princess, while they disclose some extraor-
dinary facts connected with the persecution of her unhappy
mother. The work also contains a whole series of original
letters from the last named unfortunate lady.
CRANMER.--The new novel which is on the
point of making its appearance, under the title of " Cran-
rner," will, if we are not misinformed, excite considerable
attention, no less from the singularity of its story than
from the original style in which it is written. It is the
production of a member of the celebrated IZoxburghe Club,
and a large proportion of the incidents and characters are
said to be not merely "founded on," but strictly true to
the life. It is understood, notwithstanding its title, to be a
tale of the present day, and there is said to be a pleaeant
oddity about the style, and a display of knowledge, both of
life and books, which will give the work currency in quar-
ters where this class of composition seldom penetrates.
CHILDRENS' FRIEND SOCIETY.---COMMIT-
TAI, OF COMPLAINANT.-At the Marylebone police-office
yesterday, the boy, Edward Trubshaw, whose name has,
within the last two months, been so frequently before the
public, in connection with various disclosures made at this
office relative to the proceedings of the Children's Friend
Society, was brought up in custody and placed at the bar,
before Mr. Rawlinson and Lord Montford, on two charges
of felony. The charges having been supported by suffi-
cient evidence, the prisoner, who had nothing-, to say in his
defence, was fully committed for trial on both charges.

The Py)ades sloop of war arrived from Africa this
afternoon. She brings important intelligence from the
coast respecting the slave trade, a new system having
sprung up for the purpose of eluding the vigilance 6f out
cruisers under the protection of the American flag. It
appears that American vessels are taken to the Havaanah,
and sold, together with their papers, for employment in
the nefarious slave traffic; they are there manned by regu•
hr slave crews, and sailed under American colours. 'Nwo
of these vessels have lately been captured by the 2nglish
cruisers, and so complete were their American credesp,
tials, that, in the absence of any representative liam the
United States to Sierra Leone, the Commodore as seat
them under charge of a man.of.way to New York, in order
that the circumstance may be investigated by the American
Government, and their assistance obtained to put a stop to
such practices.

The Plyades has lost but one man oh the coast ; she'
kings, however, distressing accounts from so:ne 4f the
other ships, among whom the loss of life has been most
serious, both of officers and men.