The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-14 00:00:00

GUILDHALL, 11th December, 1863. The
COMMITTEE for LETTING the CITY'S LANDS
will MEET at GUILDHALL, on WEDNESDAY, the
16th December (instead of Thursday, the 17th December inst.),
as previously advertised, at One o'clock precisely, to receive
PROPOSALS for LEASES of a HOUSE, No. 4, Mitre-
street, Aldgate, and Two Houses, Nos. 5 and 6, Little Cole-
man-street, Finsbury. •
Plans of the Property may be seen, and Forms of Tender
obtained, upon application at the Architect's Office, Guild-
hall. . _ .

FERDINAND BRAND, Comptroller.

Fearful Murder in the Waterloo Road.

It would almost seem that some localities in London are
doomed to bear a fatal reputation, either from having been
the scenes of crimes or accidents, or from possessing evil

reputations gained in other ways. Waterloo-road is, un-
fortunately, particularly distinguished on account of the
doubtful reputation attached to it in times not far gone by ;
and al though great efforts have been made by the police and
the parish authorities to remove some causes which have at-
tached an evil stain on this thoroughfare, it would seem that
their efforts are doomed to be ineffectual, and that from time to
time the familiar name must be again brought before the
public in connecti on with some new horror. The tragedy
of which Eliza Grimwood was the victim, from the mystery
attending the circumstances, and from the fact that the
perpetrator has never been brought to justice, was enough
to impress the name of the locality on the public mind for
a long time, even had the road not borne a name which
history will not let die. After the lapse of years a sudden
and fearful accident occurred by which a number of lives
were lost through the imperfect manner in which a large
grating was fixed, and yesterday morning a tragedy occurred
which, from its barbarous and worse thanbrutal nature, can
be matched by few deeds of blood on record.
At a house on the left-hand side as you descend the road
from Waterloo-bridge, and not far from the scenes of the
tragedies alluded to, lived a man and woman who occupied
a back-room on the second floor. The man, whose name is
Samuel Wright, is a bricklayer by trade, and had worked
at the buildings now being erected for the Strand Music
Hall Company. The woman, the victim of the tragedy,
was named Maria Green. Wright, who appears to have been

•
of a somewhat dissolute character, was a widower with two

children,who, however,were not living with him. The woman
had bees ranked among that class generally, and too truly,
termed "unfortunate ;" but it appears that for about 11
months she and Wright have been cohabiting as man and
wife. There would appear to have been some redeem-

ing qualities in the unfortunate woman, for, although
her character was apparently lost part all hope of redemp-
tion, she was of an industrious nature, and strove to make

:he home comfortable, assisting, by taking in washing, to

add to the joint income. It seems that during the time they
occupied the lodging in the Waterloo-road their conduct
gave no great offence to their fellow-lodgers and neighbours
though "Wright was occasionally in the habit of neglecting

his work, and his unfortunate paramour was not of sober
habits. Jealousy on the part of the woman would appear
to have been the cause of a great change in their domestic
habits, and to have led to the crime just committed. The
woman discovered a circumstance which happened on the

night of Saturday, the sth inst., and which caused a quarre
between her and Wright. The effects of the quarrel were that
Wright neglected his work until Friday last, and during the
week altercations occurred between him and his wretched
partner which led to blows and the infli.aion of a black eye
on the woman. They were, however, in company at a public
house on Saturday night last, when the woman drank a
quantity of gin and ale, which rendered her intoxicated,
and in this condition she was removed to her home by a
woman who had been with her and Wright. The man also
betrayed symptoms of intoxication, but went home with
the two women. As nothing was heard of them from this
time by the other lodgers, it was thought thee they had
gone to bed—but about half-past three o'clock yesterday
morning a woman named Ireland, who occupied a room
underneath that in which Wright and G een lived, was
aroused and alarmed by a repeated knocking on the floor
above. :She rose, partially dressed herself, and proceeded
up stairs with a light, to ascertain the cause. On the stairs
she met Wright, who was dressed with the exception of his
coat, and whose shirt-sleeves were smeared with blood.
Mrs. Ireland, though terribly alarmed at the appearance
which Wright presented, asked him what was the matter.
He replied with much calmness, " Go and see," and then
went down stairs. On entering the room the woman was
seen lying near the fire-place, but:her face was so covered
with blood that she could scarcely be recognised. In an-
swer to some exclamations from Mrs. Ireland, who was na-
turally horrified at the sight, she said, 66 He's cut my
throat." Mrs. Ireland returned to her room to finish dress-
ing, and locked herself in. In a few minutes Wright re-
turned up stairs and knocked at her door. Ireland told
him she would not open it, but would fetch a policeman as
soon as she was dressed. He replied " All right," and then
returned to the room where his victim was lying in the
agonies of death. In the meantime Mr. Redbourne, the son
of the landlady of the house, being aroused, came down
stairs, and on meeting with Mrs. Ireland and hastily hear-
ing what had occurred, dressed :himself and remained
in the passage to prevent the escape of Wright, whilst Mrs.
Ireland went out to look for a policeman. This precaution
appeared to be needless, for Wright quietly returned to the
room where the poor creature was lying, and remained
there without making any effort to escape. Newton 76 L,
the policeman on the beat, was found after a short time.
He proceeded to the house with Mrs. Ireland, and on going
up stairs found Wright standing at the window, while his
victim was then lying near the door, showing that she
must have either been removed from the fire• place, or must
have dragged herself across the room in the vain attempt
to obtain assistance in the agonies of death.
Mr. George Harrap, who manages the Waterloo-road
business of Mr. Dodd, the parish doctor, was sent for, and
on his arrival shortly after four it was found that two deep
cute had been inflicted en her throat—one from left to right,
and another in the opposite direction, by which the head
had been nearly separated from the body. At first sight it
would appear, as both the woman and the man were dressed,
that neither had been to bed, but on examination it was
found that the woman had apparently lain down o* the bed
when brought home, and that the first assault upon her
had been committed while so lying. It was evident that
she had been beaten on the face apparently with the poker,
which was found covered with blood, and it would seem as
if a struggle had then ensued, during which she had fallen
or rolled off the bed. On the table was a razor with which
the wounds had evidently been inflicted, and also a table
knife; and in answer to an observation the murderer said,
"It's all right. It can't be helped. She took the knife
and I took the razor." When informed that he was charged
with murder he asked to be removed from the room at
once, as he did not like to remain where the body was. On
further examination a basin of water was discovered in
which he had apparently washed the blood from his hands
on returning up stairs. He was then searched and removed
to the Tower-street station-house, near the lower end of
Waterloo-road. On being told that he was charged with
murder,
he said, coolly enough, "That's right ; it's right
enough."
He was immediately placed in a cell, where he
slept for some time. He passed the greater part of yester-
day in a state of stupor, only once saying "Is she dead ?"
The murder was not gerally known in London yester-
day, but a few people gathered about the house in the latter
pr..rt of the day. In discussing and commenting on the
crime their attention was naturally drawn to the windows
of the second floor, where the horrid deed took place, and
here, beneath these windows, was a board announcing that
a certain music-hall was the "most elegant room," and
offered the " best entertainment in London"--a
ghastly
commentary on the deed of blood which has taken place

within.
The landlord of the house removed the number from the
door during the day to prevent the house becoming
iden-
tified with the murder.