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

iwldn &flt

LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1849.

A more extraordinary proceeding has never been
rought before a criminal
_tribunal thaw 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 acd 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, howerer,
utterly useless ; their guilt was almost miraculously
brought to light. Evidence was accumulated, that
rendered it impossible that a single doubt could re-
main ia 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 had 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. MAN-
NING had purchased the crowbar, or ripping chisel,
with which the flags had been raised up
for 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
r( quired. In like manner the husband purchased the
lime intended to destroy the remains of the murdered
nun, 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
penned 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
fir a brief period that enabled her to add another
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
previously exhibited towards PATRICK O'CONNOR,
Li fact every point in the case seems to indicate tht
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
the 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
'ihe discovery of their atrocious crime appears to
afford , another and most powerful illustration of
GOD 's revenge against murder." Had the criminals
remeined boldly in their house—had they continued
to meet all inquiries with the same fearless front at
first 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 net bate withstood the trying ordeal. Her
o`.ject was to keep him out of the way, to prevent
any interview between him and the interrogators.
Ilia conscience bad been already awakened ; he
could not bear to remain on the scene of
his atrocity ; " for 201. he would not sleep in
the house another night." His vacillating con-
duct, his continued intoxication, led her to sup-
pose that in a momentary fit of weakness
he would betray the fatal secret. She accordingly
determined to desert him, and cooly abandoned him to
his fate, without leaving him a single shilling to pro-
mote his eicape. The wretched nun was astounded