The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-24 00:00:00

SUSPECTED MURDER OF A FEMALE

IN THE CITY.

The most painful excitement prevails in the vicinity of
Farringdon-street in consequence of the body ofMrs. Ellen
Bresley, a widow, aged 29, having been discovered in a
room she occupied at No. 3, Braziers'-buildings, under
the following suspicious circumstances. It appears that
the deceased sold fruit and vegetables in Farringdon
market, at which place she was a regular attendant.
The inmates of the house in which she resided saw her
alive on last Sunday morning, at which time she was
rather worse for liquor_ Her non-appearance. in the
market on Monday and Tuesday created alarm amongst
her acquaintances, who, on Wednesday forenoon, went
to her lodgings to ascertain if she was ill, when they ware
horror-struck on observing a large qu.intity of blood on
the landing close to the room door. Information was
given to the police, and the door was forced open, when
a shocking sight was disclosed. The unfortunate crea-
ture was sitting on the floor in a pool of blood, her
clothes in great disorder and saturated with gore, her
person discoloured, and the upper part of her body ex-
hibits(' evidence of most brutal treatment. Mr. Birt,
surgeon, of Farringdon-street, was immediately sent for;
but the woman being at the point of death, her limbs
being quite rigid, he had her at once removed tot the
infirmary of the West London Union, which was close
at hand, and where every effort to restore animation
proved ineffectual. She expired without exhibiting the
slightest consciousness. Mr. Payne, the coroner of the
City, has been apprised of the melancholy occurrence.

DEATH OF SIR JOHN GERARD, BART.—This hon.
baronet expired, at Lower Grove House, Roehampton,
on Tuesday, in his .50th year. He was the twelfth
baronet. English creation, 1611.
COMMITTEE ON CO2IPLAINT OF BREACH OF PRIVILEGES.
—This committee re-assembled yesterday at noon. when
all the members were present except Mr. George Moore.
Mr. Henley occupied the chair. Mr. Harrison, the
printer of this journal, was called, and produced to the
committee copies of the Times and of the Freeman's Jour.
nal containing the articles and charges complained of. Mr.
Kelly, solicitor, was afterwards examined for about half-
i an-hour by various members of the committee, and we
are enabled to state that the tenour of his evidence was
very decidedly in support of the truth of the charges
made by himself and Dr. Gray, and not at all the con-
trary, as many had anticipated. Dr. Gray being at
present at Louth, the committee, after complimenting
Mr. Kelly on the straightforward and manly way in
which he 1
ho'cl ocad give
k. —n his eidence, adjourned to Tuesday
next, at Ti mev
s.
THE GENERAL STEAM COMPANY'S PACKET MENAI.
—The Menai, which was struck by a heavy sea on the
night of the 9th inst., at the moment she was steering
into Calais Harbour from London, and drove on the
sands at the back of the west pier, close to Fort Rouge,
is likely to become a total wreck. She lies partly
buried in the sand. Most of her cabin furniture, spars,
stores, &c., have been saved ; and it is expected that the
efforts now being made to extricate her engines and
boilers will be successful. The Menai was one of the
oldest vessels iv the sersice of the company,