The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-11 00:00:00

ALLEGED MURDER IN LAMBETH.

Yesterday forenoon Mr. W. Carter, one of the coroners
for Surrey, resumed at the Henry the Eighth's Head Ta-
vern, High-street, Lambeth, the inquiry relative to the
death of Ann Griffin, aged 30 years, who was alleged to
have been murdered by a man named George Bagent, with
whom she lived at N 0.2, Windmill-court, Black-boy-alley,
Lambeth.

On Wednesday last the deceased woman was found lying
on the floor of her room, dying, apparently from dreadful
injuries. Her face and other parts of her body were shock-
ingly bruised and disfigured. There was a cup on the table
containing some white sediment. It was stated that, on the
previous Monday, the man Bagent had several times knocked
her down, and kicked her in the stomach with savage vio-
lence, and he had been heard lo say that he would " do for
her." He was consequently arrested by the police on suspi-
cion of having murdered her.
Mr. Ramley, surgeon, now deposed that he had made a
post mortem examination of deceased. The vessels of the
brain were very vascular, and there was extravasation of
blood on the left side. A table-spoonful of blood formed a
coagulum at the base of the brain. On the same side of the
face, externally, there was a severe bruise. The viscera
were healthy, excepting the liver, which was enlarged,hut
not from drink. He found a recent transverse fracture of
the fifth-rib on the right side. The rib was so completely
divided as to penetrate the pleura. The stomach was in-
flamed, but there was no sign of poison. The rib was frac-
tured by a blow. A kick would have caused the injury,
which was occasioned by great violence. The immediate
cause of death was the shock to the system from that injury.
The extravasation of blood on the brain might have been
from a blow, or from the fall on receiving the black eye.
The Coroner—The deceased was sick. Which do you
suppose that arose from, the injury to the brain or from
poison ?
Witness said that the sickness might have arisen from
irritation of the stomach from spirits. There were bruises
on the thighs and legs from blows or kicks.
o'clock last
public-house,
übolnicd-ahyous nighte, near h e
Mr. Jessom, 45, High-street, Lambeth, said that about 12
a
ite the
Windmill thweacsoustrantwdhinegre opposite
deceaseds
lived. He saw the deceased running out of the public-house,
and she was followed by a man. She ran against Mrs.
Cook's shutters, and he caught her there. He then hit her
in the face, and knocked her down with great violence. When
she lay on the ground he kicked her in the stomach two or
three times. When she got up she sat on the door step of
the public-house. He then ran at her and bit her again
several times, and said, " I will kill you." She said, " A
pretty face I shall have to go to work to-morrow morning."
He replied, " I don't want you to work—l want my tickets."
It seemed to witness that he was accusing her of pledging
his clothes and drinking the proceeds along with another
woman.

Police-constable 14 L said that from information he re-
ceived he went to the house in Windmill-court, and he found
the woman Griffin lying dead. She was shockingly dis-
figured from blows. Witness took the man Bagent into
custody on the charge of causing her death. Bagent said
that deceased got the black eye by falling down stairs on
Monday. He said nothing more.
Other evidence showed that at 3 o'clock on Monday de-
ceased had no black eye or swollen face, but she had on the
Tuesday morning. When Bagent came in on the Wednes-
day he was much affected, and placed his arms around a
man who was present. He said he did not know what to do,
and was near fainting outright. Another witness said that
deceased did not fall down stairs on the Monday, as Bagent
stated to the police.
The Coroner then summed up, and said that the scope of
the evidence had done away with the suspicion that deceased
had taken poison. If the jury were of opinion that the de-
ceased died from the violence of Bagent it would be their
duty to return a verdict against him. If the threats he
uttered against her were held by the jury to be a proof of a
design on his part to kill, the case of course was one of mur-
der. But if the fact that he did not strike her with any
weapon, and that there appeared to have been a quarrel
about some tickets, appeared to show that he had no deadly
intention, the case would be one of manslaughter.
The court was then cleared, and after half-an-hour's de-
liberation the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against
George James Bagent for killing and slaying Anne Griffin.
_ _ _

The Coroner then issued his warrant for the detention of
Bagent in Newgate until his trial at the ensuing sessions of
the Central Criminal Court.

The proceedings then terminated.

ANOTHER MURDER IN BIRMINGHAM.

A murder was committed yesterday morning, in a court
called Trafalgar-place, in Bissell-street, Birmingham,
within a stone's throw of the spot where Alice Hinckley
was murdered by her lover, in December last. Amongst
the occupants of the court were a man named George Hig-
nett, a workman in a tobacco manufactory, and Thomas
Jefferson, a man 32 years of age, who was employed as a
brassfounder. Both men were considered respectable, and
been on friendly terms until a few weeks back, when they
quarrelled in their cups, and Hignett, as a means of re-
venging himself to some extent, and humbling Jefferson in
the sight of his neighbours, told them that he had been pay.,
ing for Jefferson's beer for some time. This annoyed him,
and a quarrel ensued, which quarrel Hignett, who knew his
immense physical power, offered to settle by an appeal to
blows, which Jefferson declined. Matters went on thus
until Saturday evening, when, at about half-past 12 o'clock,
Hignett and his wife, who had only returned to him a week
after a long absence, commenced another quarrel, blows
being freely struck. The people in the court, aroused by
the disturbance, rose from their beds and came down to the
yard, where, attracted by the noise, a large number of per-
sons had assembled, Jefferson being amongst the number.
Several remonstrated with Hignett upon the cruelty of his
conduct, and Jefferson, with the old quarrel no doubt still
rankling in his mind, told him not to hit his wife and chil-
dren, but to come into the yard like a man and fight him
(Jefferson). To this Hignett seems to have vouchsafed no
reply beyond a warning that if Jefferson came into his yard
he would " make it warm for him," or words to that effect.
Jefferson disregarded this threat, and, wishing to defend
Mrs. Hignett and wipe off the fancied insult to himself,
at the same time insisted, in spite of remonstrances, on
going within the paling. He had no sooner done this
than Hignett, who had retired to his house, came out,
and was seen by several persons to strike savagely at him
with some weapon, which he had brought from the house,
The first blow was across the shoulders, and the second,
which caught him on the back of the head, caused
him to fall heavily to the ground. When Hignett saw the
extent of the injury which ho had committed, he retired
into this house, and locked the door. Several people went
into the yard and raised the wounded man, who was bleeding
fearfully, from the ground, whilst others went in search of
the police. The man was taken to the hospital, but in spite
of all exertions he sank and died from his injuries shortly
after mid-clay. Hignett was apprehended, and bail for his
appearance was tendered at Bradford-street, but was re-
fased,—Birtningham Post.