The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-06 00:00:00

The Road Murder.

One of the most interesting pieces of evidence
which was given before the magistrates at Trow-
bridge on Thursday, at the examination of Con-
stance Kent, was the extraordinary statement of
Sergeant Watts, viz.:-.--That on the Saturday which
was the day when the discovery of the murder was
made, he found in the fire-hole of the hot plate of
the scullery a garment, which he described as a
chemise, but which there is no doubt was a night-
dress, and upon it were large smears of blood ; that
this garment was taken charge of by the late Mr.
Superintendent Foley ; and that from then until the
present time nothing had ever been heard of it.
Now, the finding of it at all was a fact which, as
Mr. Whicher told the Bench on Thursday, never
came to his knowledge, though he was specially de-
spatched by the Government to guide the search
after the guilty party. According to the confession
of the prisoner to Miss Graem, Lady-Superior of
St. Mary's, Brighton, which is confirmed by the evi-
dence of the witnesses, the prisoner had abstracted
the night-dress, which was to have gone to the wash
on the following Monday morning. It was the
theory of Mr. Whicher, late chief inspector of me-
tropolitan detective police, from the very first, that
Constance Kent was the guilty party, and that if
the mystery respecting her night-dress could be un-
ravelled, the whole affair would be explained. The
singular ingenuity of Constance Kent, ably sup-
ported as it was by the miserable blundering of the
local police, effectually baffled his skill, and not only
saved her then, but while screening her cast the
odium on her father and that most unfortunate and
cruelly-wronged girl Elizabeth Gough. What
could not be said before may be stated now, and,
accepting the confession of Constance Kent as true,
may be thus explained :—Undoubtedly she had three
night-dresses, and three only. On the Saturday or
Sunday preceding the Friday night when the fear-
ful act was committed she put on a clean night-dress,
and later in the week had the other two put away
in their proper place. When the murder was con-
summated the circulation was too languid for the
arteries to spurt, but the blood still flowed in suffi-
cient quantity to stain her night-dress considerably.
Her first subsequent act must have been to
hide this evidence of guilt, and on the afternoon of
the same day. Sergeant Watts finds a bloody gar-
ment belonging to some one. Then followed the re-
markable stratagem of the prisoner, who, of course,
was unaware that the discovery had been made, but
who suspected that inquiries would be instituted as
to the night-dresses belonging to the family. By
regaining possession of the night-dress which had
just been booked for the wash she would have two,
and the washerwoman would be held responsible for
the loss of the third. In one point her calculation
failed her. It was clearly apparent, said Mr. Joshua
Parsons, that the night-dress which Constance Kent
represented she had worn throughout the week had
all the freshness and starchiness of one which had
only just been taken for use. To quote his own words,
it was " extremely clean." This, however, was by
no means direct evidence of her complicity, though
now, in conjunction with other circumstances, it
seems an important fact. Sergeant Watts swears that
he gave the blood-stained garment to Mr. Superin-
tendent Foley, but what that otficer did with it can
only be conjectured, Those best competent to judge
of his act believe that he laid a plan by which to trap
the owner of this garment, and that it only failed
through either his or his subordinates being outwitted
by a more cunning hand. It was easy to suppose
that this bloody garment had been hastily thrust
into the fire-hole at a period during the particular
Friday night, for there had been a fire there on the
Friday, when, of course, the parcel could not have
remained stuffed in the hole. The murderer was
actively employed in hiding the traces of the crime,
and also in arranging the shutters as to make be-
lieve that the house had been entered and the child
stolen. For the closet in which the body was dis-
covered was not much used, and the person who
deposited the corpse there doubtless thought it would
have passed down, and not remained in the upper
part of the vault. It is true there were marks of
blood in the closet ; but if the child's throat was
cut somewhere else—and there is no evidence to
prove that it was not, but rather to the contrary—
the criminalmight have thought the body would thus
have been cast away, leaving no traces. Mr. Foley
then no doubt considered that as the bloody gar-
ment had been hastily deposited in the fire-hole, it
would be taken away from a spot where it was
certain to be discovered sooner or later. Nothing,
therefore, was simpler than to put the garment in
the fire-hole again, and watch for the person who
fetched it. Did Constance Kent, by one of her in-
genious manoeuvres, so watch her opportunity that
she got it when those there to detect were either not
minding their duty, or, too stupid to execute it, did
not observe her? If such was not the case, what
became of it ? Sergeant Watts, who found it in the
first instance, and ought to know its other history
says, " I never knew what became of it." One
circumstance the local police have now been obliged
to acknowledge—that, for some reason or other,
they kept the finding of this night-dress a profound
secret. Miss Graem did not state in her evidence
whether she knew anything respecting it, though
the probability is that Constance Kent has confided
to her and the Rev. Arthur Adolphus Wagner the
whole of the events which took place on that dread-
ful night. The rev. gentleman declined to make
any revelation of what had been told him under the
secrecy of the confessional, nor did he, though he
was not strictly questioned as to the extent of his
knowledge. Miss Graem, who at first declared that
the conversations between her and the prisoner were
of the confidential and sacred character which at-
taches to an interview between mother and daughter,
generally, disclosed the startling facts which were
published yesterday. Putting aside the question
as to the state of the prisoner's mind at the time
she says she perpetrated the deed, it may be
said that she does not now present any ap-
pearance of insanity. Her deportment' through-
out the long and wearying examination was
as calm as possible, that of a person
thoroughly conscious of the very critical
position in which she was placed. She acted according
to the advice which she had received from Mr. Rod-
way, her solicitor. It is understood that the defence
will rest on the ground of a disordered mind, and
not a denial of her guilt. When Elizabeth Gough,
the nursemaid, was under examination, great sym-
pathy appeared to be felt by those present for her
on account of the suspicion which has always
remained upon her, and which has affected her
interests most materially. She is a very superior
representative of her class, and has always borne a
high character. It was rather singular that the old
washerwoman and her daughter, both of whom were
very intelligent witnesses—had heard, before they
fetched the dirty clothes on the Monday morning,
that a nightdress was missing ; and the old woman
said that if there were one missing, they should know
by its not being sent to the wash. Their examina-
tion of the clothes received from Road-hill House
on that day was of a special character, and they not
only found there was one missing, but sent to Mr.
Kent to tell him of it, though they were not heartily
thanked for their trouble. Most of the inmates of
that fatal house had little doubt as to who really
had the bed-dress. Although the " freshness " of
Constance's night-dress caused Mr. Parsons to
remark it, she was by this very appearance enabled,
if the question were ever put to her, to show that
she had but just changed it, and therefore that the
other must have gone to the `wash as she pretended.
It will perhaps be explained on the trial whether
Mr. Kent missed his razor, with which the prisoner
says she cut the child's throat. Mr. Parson's evi-
dence would tend to_ show that some second instru-
ment must have been used, as the stab was probably
inflicted " with a long sharp knife."
A correspondent, writing from Trowbridge yes-
, terday, says that Constance Kent has, since her
committal, and in the presence of Mr. Rodway, the
solicitor to the family, asserted to her father that
she obtained possession of the nightdress which
was found in the flue and was afterwards missing
and burned it in her bedroom. When her father
went to see her at the gaol she was writing, but on
his entrance she rose and met him kindly, but
afterwards burst into tears. She was sinking, but
her father caught her in his =as. She also stated

that the wound in the side of the deceased child was
inflicted by her with her father's razor, and in
thrusting the deadly weapon into the body she en-
deavoured to implant it in the heart. The interview
was of a most painful character, but the prisoner
was more composed than her father. On parting
she embraced him, and persisted that the course
she had adopted was due to him and her God.

La Revanche De Waterloo,

(From the Sporting Gazette.)

The great spring event at Newmarket has come
off, and Lord Stamford has met with the fate of the
footpad in " Don Juan," and at the hands of the
nation to which " Jack's" dying friend erroneously
supposed that gay Lothario to belong. Archimedes,
Liddington, and the rest of their compeers, includ-
ing the much-vaunted brother to the mighty Blair
Athol, have alike been " floored" by the Gaul, ar-
rayed in purple vest and crimson sleeves which may
recall the somewhat forcible epithet applied upon
the occasion in question. That which Hospodar as
first favourite, and Fille de l'Air in the same proud
position, failed to accomplish, the less heralded
Gladiateur has just managed to secure, and after
as fine a race as ever fell to the lot of race-goers to
behold, the " Haber of Mr. Clark told of victory
in this bloodless arena. Fairer faces than any which
gaze on the scene from Mr. Solomon's canvas in
this year's exhibition looked at these dumb successors
of Roman slaves, who minister to the pleasure of
the present century ; and if none fainted for wo-
manly fear and shuddering horror, as in the striking
production named, we may be well sure that, on the
other hand, more than one lovely countenance pre-
sent failed to show the calm insouciance which the
painter has attributed to Tullia or Calphurnia.
More reasons than one, it was whispered, made the
struggle interesting to several in the spectatorium ;
and lo ! at the last moment, up springs an alien to
wrest the laurels from each English brow !
It is well worthy of note, to those who but a
short year ago saw signs and detected sympathies
which but existed in their own disordered reason-
ing, that the success of the French horse was re-
ceived with cheers. The English people are singu-
larly susceptible of enthusiasm for examples of
merit in any walk, and are not generally to be de-
ceived in the long run by either false speakers or
ill-informed writers. Their instinct is for a good
thing, and just as at the present moment they will
not be persuaded by a certain portion of the press
that Signor Graziani is not singing the part of Rigo-
letto at Covent Garden as it has never before been
sung in England, so they will not in the long run
come to any very false estimate in the racing world
of men and of the horses trained by them. Last
year we had occasion to quote from Juvenal some
lines entirely apposite to the then pending contro-
versy, as to alleged national feeling, a quotation
which was subsequently adopted by the Times; and
they are now so triumphantly appropriate, 'and on
our own view so entirely borne out by the crowd's
conduct on Tuesday, that we make no scruple to
reproduce them here with the context :

" Nempe volucrem
Sic laudamus equum, facili cui plurima pahna
Fervet, et exsultat rauco victoria circo ;
Nobilis hic, quocunque vent de gramine, cujus
Clara fuga ante alios et primus in cequore pulvis.
Nil ibi majorum respectus, gratia nulla."

And the British public, long-suffering and mag-
nanimous, forgot the so-styled national antipathy of
last year, and proved its non-existence by lustily
cheering the success of the only horse with a French
parentage on both sides who has ever won a great
race in England. We hope that the press of Paris
will see now, what we and their confrere the Sport
industriously told them, that no such silly, stupid
notions actuated the stormy multitude on Epsom
downs. No respect of per Sons and no favour, as
Juvenal says, was shown ; they cheered the good
horse who won, just as they testified their disap-
probation of proceedings which, rightly or wrongly,
hastily or calmly, they conceived had prevented the
winning of another on the same ground for the
same prize ; and long may such a zeal, however in-
discriminately, animate our populace, for it is the
best safeguard for legitimate policy and straightfor-
ward dealing.

The fact is, that nothing in the relations of the
two countries is more fraught with promise of
friendliness than the sphere of racing. To some
French stables, the Channel has ceased to exist ;
they go and come between Chantilly and Newmar-
ket, as John Scott used between Whitewall and
Pigburn ; and it is nothing extraordinary for the
same horse to run two consecutive Sundays in
Paris, with a Wednesday or Thursday's race in the
north of England between. We are afraid to
count the number of times File de I'Air has
crossed the water—the throb of a paddle, and even
the detested pitch of the perverse sea, can have no
terrors for her by this time ; although a good deal
of the freedom from mal de mer may be traceable in
such cases more to their island progenitors than to
their adopted country. Be this as it may, the French
race horse is to be seen healthy and well on any
English race course, and in nearly every race, so,
on that side of the transaction, perfect confidence
exists in the minds of those who are the best judges
of whether they are properly received.

The English, who frequent Parisian courses to do
more than look on, must necessarily be fewer in
number ; the prizes which are as yet open to com-
petition are none of them, with the exception of the
Grand Prix (and we regret to learn that there is a
likelihood of that great event being abandoned),
sufficient to tempt the owner of horses, for whom he
can find a better harvest here. The " gleaning of
the grapes of Ephraim is better than the vintage of
Abiez ;" where they run for pounds here, they run for
francs in France ; and although some very heavy bet-
ting now takes place at Paris, it is only on a few events,
and not at all in the style which here enables a man
who has got a good thing, to win as much on a two
year old plate or a selling stakes as the whole
amount of the French Derby subscriptions. Besides,
except at Paris, and as far as we remember, in the
prize instituted by the poor Duke who is gone, they
must be French horses ; and few among us are able,
if willing, to rival Mr. Merry's feat of sending mares
over to foal there. Besides, cessante ratione—we
know the rest—and the absence of allowances for
the future renders the result not worth the trouble.
While we have York, Doncaster, and Stockton in
the north, Chester and Liverpool in the west, Epsom,
Goodwood, Stockbridge, and Ascot in the south, we
are not likely to run after Angers, Moulins, or even
Deauville. Chantilly would hardly hold its own if
it were not for its Parisian neighbourhood and
readiness of access ; and it is only in the possession
of a metropolitan course that our neighbours hold
out a temptation lacking in England. When the
French people take to loving racing as ours do, we
can unhesitatingly predict the destruction of Long-
champs ; now it is a gaiety, a Chiswick day, or a
review, accessible at a small cost ; then—but we
shudder to think of the results which the dissemina-
tion of sound racing knowledge among the voluble
and vivacious messieurs will bring forth. Conceive
50,000 French—and there are at least that number
of English backers at Epsom, about 14 miles off—
all with some knowledge of the favourites, all with
from five francs to five Louis (term beloved of the
speculative world), and all announcing their views
at once, as we see our own folks in Surrey ! And
then conceive London being near enough to send,
after luncheon, 50,000 more, like-minded and like-
tongued ! No ;as long as racing is a mere toy, the
gay world at the Bois will be happy and comfort-
able ; when it becomes more, let them look to them,
selves, and " make tracks" to Chantilly, or it may
be to some still further refuge. When that day
comes, we shall not envy them ; till it does, we will
cheerfully and gracefully acknowledge the now fre-
quent victories of our gay rivals over our best and
choicest, and we will take comfort in the time-
honoured reflection of the man in Joe Miller, that
" after all it is our thunder."

DEATH OF THE DUKE DE COIGNY.—We have to
announce the death of the Duke de Coigny, which
took place on Tuesday at Paris. The duke served in the
French army during the First Empire. He married Hen..
Hotta, eldest daughter of Sir Hew Dalrymple Hamilton,
Bart., by Lady Jane, eldest daughter of Adam, first Viscount
Duncan, and sister of the great Earl of Camperdown, born
16th June, 1822, by whom, who survives him, he had issue
two dau&hters, Louise, married to the Earl of Stair, and
Georgianl„ married to the Earl Manvers.

Tara
br.

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, May 5.
The Queen and royal family went out yesterday
morning and again in the afternoon.
Sir Edwin Landseer arrived yesterday.
The Dean of Windsor left Osborne this morning•
The Prince and Princess of Wales•

The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Prince'
Alfred, and attended by Major Teesdale, rode, on
horseback yesterday morning.
The Prince of Wales went to the House of Lords
in the afternoon.

The Princese of Wales took a carriage drive,
attended by the Hon. Mrs. E. Coke.
Prince Alfred took leave of the Prince and Prin-
cess of Wales, and left Marlborough House (at-
tended by Major Cowell and Dr. Bernhardt) for
the Continent.

Departure,of Prince Alfred tor Bonn.
His Royal Highness Prince Alfred left London
last evening on his return to Bonn, at theuniversiti
of which place he will resume his studies. His royal
highness travelled by the mail train which left
Charing-cross at 8.30, and with Major Cowell and
Dr. Bernhardt, occupied a compartment of a saloon
carriage in the centre of the train.
Prince Alfred arrived at the station from Marl-
borough House a few minutes before the time fl3cauf
for the departure, accompanied by the Prince 01
Wales. The royal brothers took an affectionate
leave of each other, when Prince Alfred entered
the carriage, and the train was speedily on its way
to London-bridge, where additional carriages and
the mail vans were added, and then it proceeded to
Dover, which would be reached direct in two hours.
It was the prince's intention to cross immediately
to Calais or Ostend in the Vivid, Admiralty steso-
vessel, which was lying at the Admiralty pier it
readiness, having been orderd round from Wool-
wich for the service, and on landing his royal high"
ness would probably proceed to Laeken to visit the
King of the Belgians before proceeding to Germany
At the Charing-cross station the Prince of wale
and Prince Alfred were received by Mr. J•iir.
Knight, of the South-Eastern Railway, and by
Cockburn, the station superintendent, the for°
of whom accompanied the train to Dover.-

• -
THE ROYAL DRAMATIC COLLEGE.—HiS BO
Highness the Prince of Wales has graciously signified
intention of inaugurating the Royal Dramatic College

Monday, the sth June. -
THE HON. RICHARD BETHELL.—At the Sher':,e
Court, Red Lion-square, on Thursday, among :n.
proclamations of outlawry was one made against the
Richard Bethell, at the suit of a plaintiff named Edt6
Isaacson. Mr. Hemp, the officer, called the names oIY
first time, and the parties will be proclaimed at five nLo°t`'p,
courts unless a settlement is made between there. s
another case against the same defendant, the proceel
were withdrawn after the first proclamation made W;
officer. The defendant is described as of Upper Hyde-
Gardens, and and Quality-court, barrister-at-law.
Lord de Lisle and Dudley and Mr. and
Wilkinson Atkinson have left the St. George's Hotel* the
Comte Alexandre Stenbock has arrived at

Clarendon Hotel from Paris.
004
The Hon. Henry and Lady Amelia Blackly .Gl,
have returned to town from visiting the Earl of soot('
at
Sir Hinehingbrook. and
Robert Aftleck, Bart. Lad Afilec.”

—eck, ty
add
Mr. Robert Burton have arrived in town from

Hall, Newmarket.
_ _

ad
y

Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bart., MY.,
aa-
Ladyliicks Beach have arrived in Chester-street, Belgr.

square, for the season.

:ortt and

The Marquis and Marchioness of AbercL st
Lady Georgina Russell are daily expected to arri„,lll7,,
Chesterfield House, Mayfair. Viscount Hamilton,
has arrived in town to attend his Parliamentary clutles,,‘o,
The Marquis and Marchioness of Hastings :,o's
the Earl of Glasgow have arrived at the St. Ge°r'
Hotel.

;Tea ill

The Earl and Countess Grey have aryl• tour
Paris on their way home, for the season, after a long
es-
on the Continent. The noble earl and countess Are

petted in London on Monday next.in
Viscount Palmerston is much better,the ges°
his right hand having diminished. The noble Preteier
Lady Palmerston return to town to-day from Brockettil'"
Hertfordshire.
Lord and Lady Egerton of Tatton were 11p0° and
by the company of their Royal Highnesses the Duke I.es
Duchess d'Aumale at dinner last evening, at the". 11i5
deuce in St. James's-square. There were present-;0...
Excellency the Italian Minister, the Marquis end ;Id
chioness of Clanricarde, the Duchess of St. Alba 9e+
Te!
Lady Diana Beauclerk, Frances Countess Wta'ittrev
lin
and the Right Hon. Chichester Fortescue,
Lady Catherine Cole, Lady Molesworth, the .Rigit
Sir David Dundas, Sir Ralph and Lady 1:1017°":n the
Wilbraham Egerton, Mr. J. Lumley, &c. Later
evening Lady Egerton received a numerous circle of friew,'
The Distress in the Cotton Manufac-
Districts,
sot of
The following is the variation in the 01°-
pauperism in the under-mentioned 28 unions, on
•
parison of the fifth with the fourth week of the last inonlrlil,
The total number of paupers in the fourth week of in MO
in the sections of unions marked (a) was 161500 ; r
section (b), 43,200 ; and in the section (c), 27,220' togetnteci:
86,920—after allowing for a decrease of 50 in the Chorl P.
and Clitheroo unions, as shown by last week's rot 000
The aggregate population of the 28 unions was 2,060,
(census 1861).
(a). Four unions have more paupers : 30
Blackburn ..................................... ....................
40

50
Chorlton ...................
Glossop .............................................................
Rochdale ...........................................................
460
Total ............ . ................................
solo
(b). Sixteen unions are in respect of pauperism tl'e vas"
as in the previous week, viz. :—Ashton-un.der-1412e'01,
ton-on-Irwell, Bolton (no return this week), Stu Gar-
Bury, Clitheroe, Fylde (the) (no return this week Upton
stang, Haslingden, Lancaster, Oldham, Preston, P

Stockport, Warrington, Wigan.
(c). Eight unions have less paupers :
Chorley
Leigh
Macclesfield
Manchester
Preston
Saddleworth

, ......... So

. .... ISO
, ....... g7O
.......
....... 60

Salford ..........................................................
Todmorden
11°
Total ............................... . ..... ;1044
The maximum amount: of pauperism in the'aule,ll wale dr'
the distress was attained in the first week a .0
ardiei,'
1862, when the total number relieved by the 1114,86°
was ......................................................elc
°..
The minimum was touched in the fourth we 0
August last, when the number of paupers 105 75,73
returned as ......................................of
Add the net increase during the months Sera th
tember and October, and the first and second 32,fr
weeks of November, 1864 ...........................
11174

Deduct net decrease in the twenty weeks
ended with the, last week of March,
16,23°
1865 4,000

Ditto ditto, first week of April, 1865....••••• -_,, ,0
iliiiiittttttoo:dEEFudie:: : : :
.....
22:0
04
00
17 .. ...... .6: j, ;10
Ditto ditto, fifth week ~ .........
..........„.. .......,
86,6'13
Total in receipt of relief from the poor rates ......... dog oil
Able-bodied Paupers—The total number c'f,s' labich
the relief lists of the 28 unions last week WO 19'..83'
is 203 less than shown by the previous stateraellt• tieioo
Out-door Relief—The total sum expended in awns tlit'l
last week was £5,224. This amount is X 11458 je-64, °'
the sum disbursed in the corresponding Peri° !nfelS the
£4O less than that of the week immediate) Pi.'" ciii)
last. , -,,,,,lrtraellt.
Poor-law FREDERICK PURDY, StatiStiCal i., x
Board, May 5, 1865. il DO
als,ll-
- Credit Foncier and Mobilier of „tior 0
announced that it will receive deposits of inv...t rateo
sums of £lO and upwards for fixed periods! : 5110
of interest varying from 4i up to 6
extraordinary success of the Credit Mobilie.r°_'lBo of
has in a great measure been due to till3,ol'looV,
per Geo", fyari
taking in small deposits, the number of will_titit,ao?,
up for the smallness of their individual anifilui io tlo;
it will no doubt prove equally uccC%ise give°,
country. The same company has lik-e 8 starYili;
notice that it will issue debentures in 6111%0 sect,
from £lO up to £l,OOO, for three, .re 7 per celi '
years, with interest at 6,6 f, and
respectively.