The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-15 00:00:00

The Murders near Holborn.

The visit of the London detective police to Rams-
gate has set at rest all doubts as to the identity of
the Stephen Forwood of that place with the Ernest
Southey of Brighton, Ryde, Surbiton, Worcester,
and Putney. Inspector Tanner, to whom the pri-
soner was well known as Southey previous to the
dreadful crimes of last week, reports that while at
the examination at Ramsgate on Saturday the pri-
soner referred to his applications in past times for
pecuniary assistance, and remarked that the Go-
vernment, which would take no notice of him be-
fore, could now offer a large reward for him.
When in London the murderer wore a beard and
moustache, but he shaved them off about a fortnight
before the commission of the crimes—a change in
his personal appearance which he took care should
be noticed in every place where he was known ;
fact which leads to the opinion that, whatever crimes
he meditated, he desired in some way to baffle jus-
tice.

The inquiries of the London detective police, act-
ing under Inspector Tanner, have shown that Mrs.
White, the mother of the three children murdered
in London, was in communication with the prisoner
up to the latter end of June, when she was living
in the neighbourhood of Putney. She had with her
a little girl which she had borne since cohabit-
ing with Southey, and she has been known to de-
clare that her life with the man had been so wretched
that she was desirous of being beyond his power.
An opportunity occurred for her to go to Australia
with a family in the capacity of nurse. She gladly
took the offered situation, and, leaving her little
girl in the care of a benevolent lady, who was wil-
ling to take charge of her, the woman sailed from
England a few weeks ago. Forwood, it is under-
stood, was not aware for some time where his late
paramour was, and he used every exertion to disco-
ver her, making repeated inquiries for her in all parts
of Putney, telling the many persons in that place
who knew the pair of his loss, and always styling
himself her husband.
It is believed that his connection with this woman
did not have that romantic commencement which he
has described. There are reasons for supposing
that he knew her before he left Ramsgate, and that
he maintained a connection with her after her
marriage, about 10 years since, to Mr. White,
who, it will have been noticed, regarded the mur-
dered boys as his " reputed children" only, and not
without cause. For several nights previous to
committing the murders the prisoner slept in tha
stable of a publichouse in Putney, and he left
there at three o'clock yesterday week, as he took
the three boys from Mr. White's house to the coffee-
house where they were murdered. He had no
money when he left Putney, but he must have ob-
tained some, as he defrayed the expenses of lodging
and living at the coffeehouse, bought a new revolver,
paid his expenses to Broadstairs, and had 15s. when
taken into custody. lie had, however, means of
obtaining money which must now and then have
put him in possession of a few pounds ; for, besides
his billiard-playing skill and betting, he was always
writing begging letters to benevolent noblemen and
gentlemen.
Whatever doubts Mr. White had of the parentage
of the murdered boys, it may be stated to his credit
that he did allow those doubts to weigh with him
as to his duty towards the children. He made every
arrangement for the burial of the unhappy boys,
and, after the opening of the coroner's inquiry on
Friday they were placed in separate coffins, and in-
terred on Saturday morning in the cemetery near the
Victoria-park.
It is considered most probable that the prisoner
will be removed by writ of habeas corpus to take his
trial in London for murder of the three children, as
it is looked upon as most undesirable that a cause
of so much importance should stand over for months,
as it would if it should have to wait for the Maid-
stone assizes.

THE MURDERER'S LETTER.—The following is the
letter of Southey, as it appeared in the Daily tele-
graph of Monday, April 11, 1864 :

In almost boyish years I met with one who was poor
and delicate, educated, and unprovided for. For those
reasons I resolved to shield her from the world. I was at
this time directed in my conduct by a strict conscience, re-
ligiously formed and scrupulously exacting, with very im-
perfect perception of that compromise between good and
evil which human conduct, after all, can only amount to.
Upon an occasion I forgot my duty, and from that one
circumstance dates all my misfortune and fearful blight of
life. The standard for my conduct had boon fixed too
high, and my declension corresponded. My religious be-
lief now only created doubt and despair. With self-respect
gone and renewed temptations, I diverged wider and wider
from that practice of right which under all I loved. I
found no stand point upon which to recover my lost bal-
ance, and at last sought in frivolous diversion to escape
o
mw yit h ruin.
out means consciousness
Ta
nsh of
r resulteverything,profe ss ioprofession
finally aonrldv:b
ssi lni
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Okenut dkcomplete
myself
Glasgow. I had now
fallen to the bottom, and all this the
result of an ill-balanced judgment of the obligations of
human life. I felt that my life was irremediablyruined
and worthless, but for the sake of that one who still loved,
trusted, and (knowing me well) respected me, I resolved to
make some reparation to her, who was now the mother of
my children. A first wrong is like the letting out of water
Sternly resolved, I now sought suitable employment, day
after day, but in vain. At last,without a penny in the world,
I resolved to use for my redemption what had helped to
my ruin—billiards. I reasoned that I could therein show
tomen of position and power that I was governed by
principles and aims which were worthy
billiard
better employ-
ment,ll
and I then engaged to conduct a rd
•
establish-
ment. In course of time I received much kindness and
respect from gentlemen who discovered my character an
d
false position, and I pressed forward for my object—hon-
ourable employment. My claims and credentials were ac-
knowledged, and some few, kinder than most, used some
efforts in my behalf. But in the end I found that men in busi-
ness are too much occupied in their own concerns to take up
another's interests; that my previous connection with bil-
liards had been a mistake (although I had separated from it at
this time); and that many who would risk their own lives to
save a drowninewretoh would leave unaided those who suffer