The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-27 00:00:00

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r,()NDON, SATURTMY, OCTOBER 27, 1849,

A more extraordinary proceeding has never been
nought before a criminal tribunal than the case
which has just terminated in the well-merited con-
viction of FREDERICK GEORGE MANNING and MARIA
MANNING, for the wilful and deliberate murder of
PATRICK O'CONNOR. A husband and wife were
arraigned together to answer for a crime of the
deepest dye—a crime which had been coolly planned,
and every circumstance maturely considered that
could prevent the discovery of the atrocious act
and give full impunity to the blood-stained
assassins. Their craft and cunning were, however,
utterly useless ; their guilt was almost miraculously
brought to light. Evidence was accumulated, that
rendered it impossible that a single doubt could re-
main in any unprejudiced mind. Even the actors in
the: fatal scene were compelled to turn each against
the other, and to seek an ignominious safety for
themselves, by accusing their partner as the sole de-
linquent. Yet even that defence would not avail.
Although no human eye witnessed the perpetra-
tion of the fearful deed, every point of the
case was as clearly revealed and brought
into the full light of day, as if it bad been
transacted in the presence of the very jury assembled
to try the case. It was clear that both the criminals
in the dock were -willing actors in the homicide ; that
they had previously determined on the mode of
operation, and the Manner in which the breathless
corpse should be concealed from observation. Max-
DUNG had purchased the crowbar, or ripping chisel,
with which the flags had been raised up
fcir the secret grave, and with which the
skull of the victim had been shattered,
lest the bullet might have failed in its fatal operation.
Mrs. MANNING paid the stipulated price, and was
manifestly cognizant of the purposes for which it was
required. In like manner the husband purchased the
lime intended to destroy the remains of the murdered
man, and to blot out the evidence of the crime, while
the wife received it, and paid the bearer for his
trouble in bringing it,. She it was, also, who pur-
chased the shovel with which the grave was dug,
and the earth replaced over the inanimate corpse—who
peneed the note of invitation, couched not merely
in the most friendly but even affectionate terms,
that lured the victim to his doom. She visited his
lodgings for purposes of plunder while the body
was yet warm, and completed the work of spoliation
the, following evening. She received the persons
who were making inquiries for the missing man, and
by the calmness and steadiness of her demeanour,
and her hypocritical expressions of esteem and friend-
ship for the deceased, succeeded in averting suspicion
fo'r a brief period that enabled her to add another
crime to that which she had already
committed, to desert the wretched partner of her
guilt, carrying with her the entire property for which
they had brought the guilt of human blood upon
their souls ; she added deceit and treachery
towards her husband to that which she bad I
previously exhibited towards PATRICK O'CONNOR.
In fact every point in the case seems to indicate that
hers was the mind that planned the murder,
'While MANNING was merely the brutal in-
,strument of execution, who obeyed the
behests of his unrelenting wife. ,Could the
great investigator of human feelings, the delineator
`of human nature—that mighty spirit that could enter
;tie dark abode of the human heart and shape into a
:living embodiment its most foul and unnatural pas-
.sions—have foreshadowed such a female fiend when
-depicting Lady MACBETH as urging on her half-
-relenting and unwilling partner to complete the full
'measure of his guilt, and to steel his soul against the
promptings of his better spirit !
The discovery of their atrocious crime appears to
„Afford another and most powerful illustration of
" GOD'S revenge against murder." Had the criminals
"'remained boldly in their house—had they continued
to meet all inquiries with the same fearless front at
&it exhibited, the murdered remains would most
probably not have been seen until the action of the
quick
lime would have prevented the possibility
of identification. Such was manifestly
their
original intention, which would have been acted
on had not the chief criminal feared that her husband
could not have ,withstood the trying ordeal. Her
. object was to keep him out of the way, to prevent
any interview between him and the interrogators.
'His conscience had been already awakened ; he
could not bear to remain on the scene of
Okays 11.1
1,;l
). his atrocity ; " for 201. he would not sleep in
house another night." His vacillating con-
-4
ee / ' C77"-auct, his continued intoxication, led her to sup-
il.'. --) ' ' ‘, _puha that in a momentary fit of weakness
X -'' ',,, esl-'441 . , Id'. would betray the fatal secret. She accordingly
:1111'; ' -‘ cleite'rmined to desert him, and cooly abandoned him to
iiiS fate, without leaving him a single shilling to pro-
`rnote his escape. The wretched man was astognded

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