The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-19 00:00:00

.THEII;'SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 19, '','1862.

state of alarm which has prevailed during the last a.m. two practicable breaches were established in -
few months, and which has been so detrimental to the wall, the British naval 32-pounders, and espe-
its commerce. cially a French rifled 64-pounder gun, which was
2. Colonel Ward at present occupies Sung- worked from the only gunboat whose draught of
Keoug, and he undertakes, as soon as Tsing-poo is water enabled its being brought up, doing great '
]
taken, to establish bis head-quarte s there and to execution.
hold it; the Chinese anthorities hive undertaken, 7. The English and French bridge parties, under
and will be required to furnish sufficient garrisons the protection of coverers, now cleared the stakes in
for Kading, Najaor, and Tsaolia ; in each of the the canals leading into the moat, and established
two first of which it will also be expedient to place two bridges across it.
200 troops, half English and half French, in sup- 8. As soon as the bridges were reported ready
port of the Chinese, until Colonel Ward's force is the French ladder and storming parties on the right,
sufficiently augmented to enable him to replace and the English, consisting of detachments of the
them by 300 of his men. 31st, 67th Regiments, and 22d Punjaub Native In-
3. Previous to the capture of Kading and the fantry, on the left, advanced, the whole of the
other towns from the rebels, proper arrangements small guns being dragged forward and opening fire
shall be made to prevent any men leaving their at the parapet during the movementt.
ranks for the purpose of pillage, and subsequently The enemy, however, did not qui
tthe walls, buthe
to collect whatever may be of value, in order to its kept up a smart fire from gingalls up o
fair distribution amongst the troops, to whom the moment our men gained the top
of the breach.
same is to be made known before the commence- 9. The troops having established themselves
ment of the operations. within the walls, the city was given in charge to
4. After the proposed operations have been Colonel Ward, of the Imperial service, and the
brought to a successful conclusion it is intended to allied force withdrawn.
retain at Shanghae 500 French infantry, and of 10. The next day the whole of the troops re-
IlEnglish a halt battery of artillery, 250 Earopean turned to Soonkong to prepare for further opera-
I and 350 native infantry. tions on the opposite side from Shanghae of the
(Signed) J. HOPE, Vice Admiral. Woosung river.
A. PROTET, Contre Amiral. 11. We found that the rebels had built on the
C. STAVELEY, Brigadier General. inside of the parapet a strong stockade, which ex-
tended all round the city ; this, with the parapet,
formed a passage which was covered with a beamed
and tiled roof for protection ; this roof, however,
did not afford much safety to the defenders, four
Armstrong guns having been placed in a position
to partly enfilade the wall; almost every shell
entered through the roof, and burst between the
parapet and the stockade.
12. During the attack the city was surrounded
by the Imperial troops, and Colonel Ward reports
:o me that the whole garrison has been made pri-

Head-quarters, Shanghae, May 3, 1862.
Sir,—l have the honour to report for your in-
formation, and with a view of carrying out the
plan of operations detailed in my letter of the 25th
ult., that the walled city of Kading was taken from
the rebels by escalade, on the Ist inst., by her Ma-
jesty's troops under my immediate command, to-
gether with the seamen and marines of the Royal
navy, and the French troops placed at my disposal
respectively, by Vice Admiral Sir J. Hope, K.C.8.,
and Admiral Protet, of his Imperial Majesty's navy.
2. On the 26th April part of the force left Shang-
hae and arrived at the ruined town of Nezang, some
five miles from Kading, where they found the rebels
in occupation of two small but strongly entrenched
stockades on the Kading side of the town, and
within gunshot of its suburb.
3. On the 27th I moved out with four mountain
guns and 300 men, to reconnoitre these posts, and

soners.
13. In transmitting a list of casualties, I much
regret having to report the death of Captain Brad-
shaw, R.A., from exposure and over exertion on
the march to Tsing-poo ; in him the service has lost
a most zealous and energetic officer.
The health of the troops I have the satisfaction
of reporting as being excellent.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) C. STAVELEY, Brigadier-General,
Commanding H.B.M's. Troops in China.
The Right Hon. the Secretary of
State for War.

in effecting my object, I regret having to report
that the Fort Adjutant of Shanghae (Lieutenant
Brown, sth Regiment Bombay Native Infantry'
and a private of the 67th Regiment, were danger.
ously wounded.

LIST OF CASUALTES WHICH OCCURRED AT THE CAPTURE
OF TSING-FOO, ➢lay 12, 1862.
English.-22d Regiment Punj aub Native Infan-
try—One severely wounded. Royal Marine Light
Infantry—One killed, one severely wounded.
French.—Marines—One killed, two officers and
six men severely wounded. Total, two killed and
ten wounded.

4. I found the stockade resting on the principal
canal, and commanding the direct road and water
communication to Kading—singularly well de
fended by ditches, staked on either side, five or six
feet deep, and too broad for the plank bridges with
which the force was provided.
5. I resolved, therefore, to turn the position, and
on the morning of the 29th passed the mountain
guns and most of the troops over the canals, on the
left of the stockades by means of pontoons, while
the heavier guns shelled the enemy from the front.
6. As soon as it became apparent to the rebels
that they were about to be surrounded, they quitted
the stockade in disorder by the rear entrance, run-

Najow, May 18, 1862.

Sir,—l have the honour to report for your infor-
mation the capture yesterday of the fortified town
of Najow by the allied British and French forces,
and I might have added with trifling loss, had it
not been for the death of Admiral Protet, command-
ing his Imperial Majesty's naval forces in China,
who was unfortunately shot through the heart
during the advance of the storming party.

ning the gauntlet of a fire from the 31st Regiment
and 22d Punjaub Native Infantry at point blank
range.
7. The 31st Regiment, followed by the remainder
of the force, was then moved on in rapid pursuit, so
that the rebels had not time to break down the
bridges over the creeks and canals, between their
recent position and Kading_
8. The whole force arrived in front of Kading in
the course of the day.
9. The next day was spent in reconnoitring the
city, and landing the heavy guns which had been
brought up in boats by the main canal from
Shaughae.
10. We found Kading to be a square walled

In Admiral Protet the French navy has lost a
most able and zealous officer, and one whose hearty
energetic co-operation greatly conduced to the suc-
cess of the recent operations.

The mail being'' on the eve of departure, I must
defer entering into details of the attack until
another opportunity.
A return of casualties, so far as I have been
enabled to ascertain, is enclosed.—l have, &e.,

(Signed) C. STAVELEY, Brigadier-General
Commanding H.B.M.'s Troops in China.
The Right Hon. the Secretary of

town, with projecting gateways, mounting four
guns in the centre of each face, thus furnishing
Banking defences. The wall, including an eight
feet parapet, measured 31 feet in height. The moat,
which was 30 feet from the wall, was 45 feet broad
and seven deep, strongly staked and stockaded on
both sides.

of State for War.

Return of Casualties of a Field Force under Com-
mand of Brigadier General Staveley, C. 8., during
the Attack and Capture of Najow on the 17th of
May, 1862.
English—Her Majesty's 31st Regiment, 4 pri-
vates, severely wounded; Military Staff Depart-
ment, 1 staff clerk, severely wounded ; Royal navy,
1 seaman severely wounded. French—L'Amiral
Protet, commanding his Imperial Majesty's naval
forces in China, killed ; Navire Fran9aise, 2 officers
severely wounded ; Infanterie de Marine, 2 men se-
verely wounded ; matelots, 5 men severely wounded.
Total casualties, English and French, 1 officer killed,
2 officers wounded, 13 rank and file and sailors.

11. One hour before dawn on the Ist instant the
English and French guns were in position and the

troops in their respective places under cover in a
ruined suburb.

At daylight the guns opened on the parapet,
gateway, and the flanking defences in our front,
and in an hour and a half had so far performed their
work as to render an escalade practicable.
12. A bridge of boats was then formed by the
navy, and the storming parties of the troops, Royal
navy, and French, escaladed the walls without re-

General return of Casualties of the Field Force under
Brigadier .General C. W. 1). Staveley, C. 8., dur-
ing the Operations of the 27th and 29th April
and Ist May, 1862.

eistance.
13. About 1,000 rebels were taken prisoners and
some hundreds were killed in the city. The Chinese
General Lee, whom I had placed outside the gates,
so as to cut off the retreat of the insurgents, re-
ported to me that his troops had destroyed 2,300 of
the enemy.
14. I have the satisfaction to state that these
operations were performed with comparatively
1 slight loss to her Majesty's forces.
15. The troops returned this day to Shanghae,
leaving a garrison of 200 British and 200 French
troops to hold Fading until relieved by organised
Imperialists.
16. A considerable amount of silver and a large
quantity of rice were taken in the town, and I have
much satisfaction in reporting that the orders pre-
viously given forbidding individuals plundering
were obeyed by her Majesty's troops, seamen, and
marines, to the letter.
17. The English and French admirals and myself
propose our next operation being directed on the
walled city of Tsing-poo, and I feel confident that
we shall be in possession of it, and the other towns
which complete the circuit of our limit of opera-
tions, in the course of three weeks, and before the
hot weather sets in.
18. I beg to transmit a return of the troops, &c.,
employed in the recent operations, as well as a list
of casualties. Respecting the latter, I am happy to
state that those dangerously wounded are considered
likely to recover.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) D. STAVELEY, Brigadier-General,
Commanding H.B.M.'s Troops in China.
The Right Hon. the Secretary of State for War.

Her Majesty's Troops—Royal Artillery Corps, 2
gunners slightly wounded ; ditto, 1 gun Lascar,
severely ; 31st Regiment, 3 privates, slightly ; 67th
Regiment, 3 privates, 1 dangerously, 2 slightly ;
sth Bombay Native Infantry, Lieut. Brown, very
severely; 22d Panjaub Native Infantry, 3 sepoys,
slightly. Royal Navy—Her Majesty's ship Vulcan,
2 seamen, 1 severely, 1 dangerously ; her Majesty's
ship Pearl, 2 seamen, slightly. Total, 17 wounded.

Head quarters, Soonkong, May 14, 1362.

Sir,—My latter of the 25th ult. has already ap-
prised you of the plan of operations agreed upon by
Vice-Admiral Sir James Hope, Admiral Protet, of
his Imperial Majesty's navy, and myself, for driv-
ing the rebels from Shanghae to a radius of3o miles.
I reported the first step taken in the above opera-
tions in the capture of Kading.
2. I have now to inform you that the walled city
eief Tsin g -po-o was taken by escalade on the 12th
tor Britannic Majesty's land forces and
thet.,:et
pos
al by eu: marines, and troops placed at my dis-
British and French admirals.
3• The force
accompanying
aemployed in the operation is detailed
in
4.th
thee The
expedition
return.
and t left Shanghae, in steamers, on
the 7th inst.,
e
Was
embarked
Tsoirnge-apnoaol•
rendezvoused the same night at
the Imperialists' town of
sbanoStioonkong, situated about
.
half way between
11th
were
eeeepie:.hiu 9th inst.
boats, so as to proceed up the
e
The next day it
ereedekin small country
leading
g-poo, where it arrived on
to VD
nhdanwdorks,
and in making reconnoitring
the citypreparations for
The 10at

the attack.
5. using-poo I
found to be about three
miles in
circumference, entirely surrounded by a Wall 25
wide,
the feet high, and a ditch 10 feet deep and 60 feet
the approaches affording but little cover, n...
a a
... canals
intersecting the neighbourhood almost every 200
Sande, rendering the country
impassable except by
means of bridges. Upon the walls several guns were
mounted, varying
from 6 to 18-pounders, and very
many large gin gal ls.
the
6. Having decidei on the point of attack,
whole of the guns and troops, with the axe, ladder,
1 covering and storming parties were in position by
4 a.m. the 12th inst. Parties of British and French
seamen were placed under cover in small boats in
canals leading into the moat, ready when the mo-
ment arrived to push forward and form bridges.
At daylight the heavy guns opened fire, and by 7

THE MYSTERIOUS MURDER IN

must have died about two hours before, and under very sus-
picious circumstances. The case was accordingly adjourned.
On the present occasion Mrs. Ryan, the mother,
Rosina Tuck, and her nephew George Tuck, were
thoroughly examined and cross-examined at great length)
by the learid coroner, and the evidence elicited, though
singularly strange in some points agreed in the main with
that given above. Mrs. Ryan swore positively that her
deceased daughter was a good, steady girl, had no followers,
and had got a new situation, and had bought a pair of new
boots that very day, and she was sure did not expect death.
Rosina Tuck left her well, and admitted that Mrs. Burt
was her mistress and landlady of the house, and now out of
town. She saw no recognition at a chance meeting in the
house that day between deceased and Mr. Greening.
Mr. John Wise Wilson, M.R.C.S., was here recalled to
give the result of a post mortem, examination. He corro-
borated his fernier evidence, that it was close upon 6 o'clock
when he attended the deceased, and found she had been
dead at least from one hour and a half to two hours. The
face was extensively livid, the eyes very prominent, and the
pupils
much dilated. The stomach was very much dis-
tended on account of the time that elapsed before the post
mortem examination was made, He described other ap
pearances in various parts of the body of poisoning, and
then went on to say that he did not discover any particular
inflammation in the stomach and intestines such as would
be expected from poison. The womb, on being opened, had
a peculiar appearance, which he was not satisfied about,
and he gave it up, with other internal portions, to Pro-
fessor Harley for analytical examination. He could find
no disease or other circumstances to account for death.

GLASGOW.

The thick veil of obscurity which has so long
covered the murderer of Jessie Macpherson seems
DOW to be all but withdrawn. One of the most
important links of evidence was yesterday obtained,
which it is anticipated will go far to establish the
guilt of the unhappy Mrs. 11 'Lachlan. Late last
night Captain Weal' received a telegram from
Superintendent Dewar, of the Hamilton District

of Lanarkshire Police, which stated that after
a very laborious search he and his officers had

found, in a field about a mile and a half from
Hamilton, a brown merino dress and two petticoats,
much torn and saturated with blood. From the

description given of these articles there is no doubt
entertained that they belonged to the female priso-

ncr M‘Lachlan , and that they are the garments
worn by her on the night on which Jessie Macpher-
son was so brutally murdered. The clothes will, in
due course, be brought down to Glasgow by Mr.
Dewar for identification, but as already stated there
is evidence almost amounting to a certainty which
leads us to say that they will be found to belong to
the miserable woman. We understand, also, that
she has been traced to have been at a point very near

the place where the clothing was found, so that
her connection with them will in like manner be

Dr, George Harley deposed that he was professor of
medical jurisprudence for the University College. He re-
ceived from Mr. Wilson, in sealed jars, the stomach and its
contents, a portion of intestine and its contents, the womb,
and the heart. In opening the womb, he detested concep-
tion of between the second and third week, and produced it
in a phial. The stomach was filled with gas and carbonic
acid, along with which was a peculiar odour. The contents
were first tested for a mineral acid, but with a negative re-
sult. Neither was there any alkaloid, but he was enabled
to detect a fragrant essence, resembling fine liqueur. On
testing this fragrant essence, he found it contained prussic
acid, and he here produced some Prussian blue obtained
from it. On testing the contents of the stomach directly,
he found it threw off a vapour containing a small quantity
of prussic acid. As cherries and other food which he found
in a partly digested state contained prussic acid, he tested
such food and found that it gave an entirely different odour
to that of the fragrant essence. It was also different to
that odour emitted from such food with pure alcohol. He
next obtained essence from cherries alone, but by no means
could he obtain such fine essence, so that the conclusion
was that it could not have been the action upon the food,
or the contents of the food itself, that produced that es-
sence. To show that the poison was not produced
after death it was important to know that the essence
he obtained the first day was sufficient for
his purpose, but, being very volatile, it diminished
gradually the next day, and the day following, and finally
disappeared altogether. That was also important to show
to the world the necessity of making analysis as soon as
possible. The present analysis was not made until the sixth
day after the death, and if it had been delayed a few days
longer, it would have considerably diminished, so as not to
be discovered ; and again, if it had been made earlier, he
would have found very much more, From all the circum-
stances, he could come to no other conclusion than that
deceased died from the mortal effects of prussic acid.
Mr, Wilson recalled, swore to the same opinion from all
the appearances.
Mrs. Ryan was next recalled, and swore unhesitatingly
that it was her firm conviction that her daughter had not
died by her own hand, and that she thought it remarkably
strange that upon her arrival at the house she found her
body perfectly dead and cold, presenting the appearance of
death having taken place some hours before, as stated by
the medical man, whom Mr. Greening informed that she
had but just died.
The learned coroner lucidly summed up, and told the
jury that with such facts before them he was disposed to
again adjourn. The cause of death was now ascertained to
be from deadly poison, and the next point to be ascertained
was, who administered that deadly poison.
The jury briefly deliberated, and unanimously agreed
with the coroner upon the necessity of another adjourn-
ment.
The inquiry then adjourned, after lasting several hours.

established.
The various steps in this deplorable case have
come out with remarkable regularity, and since the
discovery of the stolen plate scarce a day has passed
but has reproduced a new discovery all-important
in furthering the ends of justice. But none of the
former stages of this case can be compared with im-
portance to the one just arrived at; and none has
had, in any view of it, a more serious bearing on the
position and prospects of the unfortunate prisoner.
Her connection with the silver plate was, to say the
least of it, most suspicious, notwithstanding her
assertion that she came by it honestly ; the tracing
of the deceased's clothing to the prisoner was like-
wise a fact most condemnatory, taken in conjunc-
tion with her previous denial of all knowledge of
it ; and now her own clothing having been re-
covered saturated with blood, hidden in a place near
which she is known to have been, is the consumma-
tion of the whole matter. If she changed colour,
as we believe she did when the stolen property of
Jessie Macpherson first came under her eyes after
she was apprehended, what must the shock be
which she will receive when her own gory garments
are presented to her ?
Yesterday forenoon we were enabled to give, in a
second edition, the result of the consultation of Mr.
Sheriff Strathern and M 7. Gemmel, procurator-
fiscal, with the Solicitor-General in Edinburgh the
previous night. The intelligence arrived in the morn-
ing, and was in effect that Crown Counsel saw no
necessity for longer detaining old Mr. Fleming
in custody, and directing that Mrs. Wleachlan
should be fully committed for trial on a charge of
murder and theft. This decision, of course, does
not prevent the re-apprehension of Mr. Fleming,
should anything further transpire to criminate him;
but we need scarcely say that this is most impro-
bable. In all likelihood he may be made a witness,
although in that position. we fear, his evidence will
not be of much use to either side. In accordance
with the above decision, a messenger repaired to the
North Prison between 12 and 1 o'clock. When the
cab drove up to the gate in Duke-street a great
crowd quickly collected, so that it was evident that
the old man would receive some kind of reception
from the crowd if he departed in that manner. As
this was to be deprecated, the cab was sent off to
the gate at the back of the prison in Drygate, which
had the effect of drawing off the whole of the mob,
who seemingly thought it was intended to bring
out either of the prisoners by that way. In this
they were signally cheated ; for while they were
waiting with open mouths in Drygate, old Mr.
Fleming w alked out into Duke-street, accompanied
by a friend, and got clear away unobserved. The
scheme answered well, and did not seem to be dis-
covered for some time, as the pecple, after seeing the
cab leaving Drygate empty, returned to Duke-
street, where they remained in small groups for
hours afterwards. Mr. Fleming, after a short stay
in the city, went down to Greenock by the 2 p.m.
train, accompanied by two relatives, He at once
proceeded to Gourock, where he joined the steamer
Vulcan, and crossed over to the residence of his son
at Dunoon. No doubt he took this route with the
view of avoiding public observation. When the
intimation was made to the old man that he was at
liberty be did not seem to be at all taken by sur-
prise, and left the prison in as hale and hearty a
state as when he entered it eight days before. At
no part of that time did he betray the least anxiety
for his personal safety, nor express the least doubt
that Was made he would be shown to
bequite
all complicity in the murder, and
after f
ree inquiry
from
was in every respect a striking contrast to the
wretched woman he has left behind him in prison.
She still declines to take sufficient food, and seems
to be overcome by a sense of the awful position in
which she stands.
The Procurators-Fiscal were again examining
witnesses in the case yesterday, and the crowd of
hangers ,on in Brenswick-street was as large as
ever, although, if their had known it, they might
pairs, because the persons they
to see were not near that
sneighbourhood. haveanxiously
sparedtheir
desired
They
had the pleasure, however,
of seeing several poor thieves taken into the County-
buildings for examination, and whom they sur-
rounded in a way that must have been highly
amusing to these characters. Meanwhile, the
police are still prosecuting their inquiries, in order
to complete the evidence in the case, so that no loop-
hole of escape may be left. The publican who sup-
plied Mrs. McLachlan with the liquor on the night
in question has been found, so that the bottle dis-
covered in the press in the passage between the de-
ceased's bedroom and the kitchen of Mr. Fleming's
house, may yet prove a strong piece of evidence,
especially if it be identified as having been in the
possession of the prisoner on the night of the
murder.

EXTRAORDINARY POISONING OF A
YOUNG WOMAN AT BOLLOWAY.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.-AYLESBURY, July 17.

(Before Lord Chief Justice Cockburn.)
Antony Tomlinson, engine driver, was charged
with the manslaughter of Edward Oliver.
The prisoner was an engine driver on the North-
Western Railway, and on Feb. 22 last was driving
a coal train from Rugby to London. The deceased
was a cattle driver, and was travelling in the break
van of a cattle train proceeding in the same direc-
tion, and on the same line of rails, which left Rugby
10 minutes before the coal train. The cattle train
left Rugby at 9.55 p.m., and on approaching Hans-
lopo points, about 3 miles and a quarter from Wol-
verton, found the danger signal, indicating that the
line was blocked. The driver of the cattle train
thereupon slackened speed and proceeded at the
rate of 7 or 8 miles an hour towards Wolverton.
While proceeding at the above rate, and when about
half a mile from Wolverton, the coal train ran into
him, and a collision occurred by whieh the deceased
was killed on the spot, and other persons more
or less injured. It appeared that the coal train,
which was driven by the prisoner, was proceeding
at about 15 miles an hour at the time of the col-
lision, and the charge against the prisoner was that
he had neglected his duty in not shutting off steam
on seeing the danger signal at Hanslope.
The jury acquitted the prisoner.

Yesterday Mr. J. Humphreys, the coroner, accompanied
by Dr. Lankester, the recently-elected coroner for Central
Middlesex, resumed an adjourned investigation at the Castle
Tavern, Holloway-road, Islington, touching the death of
Sarah Ryan, aged 24 years, residing with her mother at 8,
Victoria-street, Barnsbury-road.
The evidence taken at the opening of the inquiry on Fri-
day of last week went to show that on the previous Sunday,
about one o'clock, deceased left her mother iu excellent
health and spirits to dine with Rosina Tuck, a friend, in
service at 16, Coles's-terrace, Barnsbury-road. She arrived
there directly afterwards, and having partaken very heartily
of a dinner, consisting of boiled calf's head, vegetables,
and currant tart, remained in the kitchen while Rosins
Tuck went out for an hour, leaving the only occu-
pant of the house, besides deceased, a man named James
Perry Greening, a lodger, in the parlour. About five
o'clock, a nephew of the servant Tuck, a boy of four-
teen years, called to see his aunt. He had to ring the
bell four times before he could get an answer, and finally
it was opened by Mr. Greening, who went away to his own
room, and the boy entered the house and passed down stairs
as he had done before when his aunt was home. Upon
reaching the bottom of the stairs, he was alarmed by deep
groans proceeding from the back kitchen, and on entering
it he discovered the deceased lying on the ground, her back
supported against the wall of the copper, no cap on her
head, her hair very untidy, the body of her dress and apron
wet from vomit, and one leg extended and exposed from her
dress being drawn up about two inches above her knee.
The boy spoke to her but could get no answer, and on acci-
dentally looking up the stairs as he stood after looking at
the groaning woman, his eye caught sight of Mr. Greening
looking down. He asked the boy what was the matter, and
came down to endeavour to restore her. The boy said she
was in a fit, and Mr. Greening thought a medical man
should be sent for. At this juncture a second bell was
heard at the front door, and Greening answered it, and ad •
witted Rosina Tuck, Tuck thought she might be subject
to fits, and said she found her sitting upright, and not rest-
ing against the copper ; that her hair was no more untidy
than when she left her, and that she did not notice that her
dress was particularly ruffled. She took the unfortunate
girl into the front kitchen and laid her down before the fire
upon the hearth rug, whilst Mr. Greening left Tuck and
went to his own room, after opening the door to her. Hav-
ing ct,olveyed the insensible and speechless girl into the
front kitchen, Tuck found her hands get cold and her groans
grow fainter, and becoming alarmed, she said she at once
fetched a medical man. Deceased had been there on previ •
ous occasions.
Mr. Wilson, M, R. C. S., of Brunswick-terrace, B arnsbury•
road, deposed on the first occasion that he directly attended,
and strange to say, found, in his firm opinion, that deceased

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—WINCHESTER, JULY 18,
(Before Mr. Justice Williams.)
THE FORDINGBRIDGE ATROCITY.
This court opened yesterday morning under circum-
stances of great excitement. Every cranny and corner
of the place was very soon crammed, and hundreds
of persons could not obtain admission.
George Jacob Gilbert, agep 30, described as a
labourer, was indicted for the wilful murder of
Mary Ann Susan Hall, at Fordingbridge.
Mr. Prideaux, with Mr. Cole, appeared for the
prosecution, and Mr. Bare defended the prisoner.
The prisoner pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Prideaux opened the case on the part of the
prosecution. The young lady whose violent and
melancholy death was the subject of this inquiry
was named Mary Ann Susan Hall, and was the
only child of a farmer, residing upon a farm called
Midgham Farm, in the parish of Fordingbridge.
The distance from Midgham Farm to Fording-
bridge Church was about a mile. There was a
public footpath leading through Midgham Moor.
At the end of that moor was a stile, and then a lane
called Holmes's-lane, which was bounded on one
side by the moor and on the other side by a field
called Harding's or Pinhorn's. In Harding's field
there were two cows. Holme's-lane had a high
bank and hedge on each side ; it was a very wet
lane, having water running through it. The path
went on to Fordingbridge Church. On the morn-
ing of Sunday, June 22, about ten o'clock, this
young lady left her father's house for the purpose
of going to Fordingbridge Church. She had on a
bonnet with green flowers. She had in her hands
parasol. She had a cloak or mantle, with some
tassels; and she had with her two books which she
was in the habit of taking to church, which she
carried in her pocket. Mr. Hall's dairymaid would
prove that it was about ten o'clock when this young
lady left her father's house. He should call a little
boy who sat in the same pew in which Miss Hall
was in the habit of sitting, and he would tell them
that Miss Hall was not at church that morning.
He would call a witness named Hicklin, who would
say that about a quarter past ten that morning he
had occasion to go to Harding's field, where the
cows were, and he observed the cows running about
in a state of great excitement and disturbance, but
he did not look in the lane. Between two stiles
there were several marks of footsteps, as if there
had been trampling about, and on the following day
a piece of the green ornament of Miss Hall's bon-
net was picked up there. There were marks on the
bank of the lane, showing that struggling had been
going on in the lane. About half way up the lane
a tassel was found in the branches—one of the tas-
sels of the young lady's mantle: Up to the end of
the lane, covered with mud,with mud in her throat
and mouth, with her dress much disordered, her
pocket torn out, with several marks of violence on
her throat, this young lady was found dead. There
could not be a doubt that she had been murdered
there, and after a violent struggle, resisting the
attacks which bad been made upon her—and it was
by the sacrifice of her life that she had preserved
her honour. But there was a gleam of light amid
the shades and the darkness of this most melan-
choly and painful transaction. It would be some
comfort to them, and a great comfort to her sorrow•
ing father and her friends, to feel that, although
this young lady was compelled to struggle to the
death, yet she had struggled with success, and had
passed through nature to eternity as unsullied in
her person as she was pure in her mind. That she
was murdered after a great struggle there could be
no doubt. Then the painful duty the jury had to
perform was this—who was the man who committed
the murder? He would briefly point out to them
the material facts upon which the prosecution relied.
On two different Sundays, five weeks and three
weeks before the 22d of June, the prisoner was
walking with a young man named Turner, when
they saw Miss Hall pass on her way to dearca,
0;f
the prisoner, upon seeing Miss Hall, made use
some
have
a
indecent expressions showing a desire to
asked
him
improper intercourse with her. Turner 14
why he should like to go with her more than with
!ie did
any other girl. The prisoner replied
know there was much difference, but there was not
a