The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-29 00:00:00

MONDAY

EVENING, OCTOBgB, 29 1849.

THE BERMONDSEY MURDER

Immediately after the sentence of death had been
pronounced on Friday the Mannings were taken back
to Newgate, previous to their removal to Horsemon -
ger lane. The violence of the female prisoner became
still greater when she left the dock, and rose to such
a height that she poured dreadful imprecations upon
all around her. She was offered refreshment, but
furiously refused to take any, and bitterly inveighed
against her legal adviser, against the jury that had
condemned her, and against England generally. The
terrible excitement under which she laboured may be
conceived from the oath which she frequently uttered
—" Damnation seize you all !" When a handcuff
was first placed on her wrist, her rage and despair
knew no bounds ; and she shook her clenched fists in
the faces of the officers. Manning, on the other
hand, exhibited the same submissive and dejected
manner as during his trial. At half-past seven o'clock
they were both removed in separate cabs from New-
gate to Horsemonger-lane Gaol. White in the cab
Mrs. Manning's mood underwent a singular change ;
she joked about the manacle which bound her to one
of her keepers, and bade farewell to Newgate quite in
the Jack Sheppard style. Reverting to the scene in
the dock immediately before her removal, she said,
" I showed them resolution, did I not ?" She also
spoke of her husband, saying, "I had plenty of op-
portunity to speak to him in the gaol and during the
trial, but I would not. He did not speak to me,
thank God, the unmanly wretch," and suiting the
action to the last words, she kicked the opposite seat
of the cab contemptuously with her foot. An adver
tising van passed, upon which enormous placards were
displayed, announcing a full report of the trial in
some weekly journal. This attracted the wretched
woman's eye, and again for a short time roused her
furious passions. On arriving at Horsemonger-lane
gaol, she was conducted to the condemned cell, and
on entering it burst into a flood of tears, sobbing
and stamping the floor in the wild agony of mind
which she endured. During the early part of
Friday night her rest was broken and uneasy,
but towards morning she slept soundly, and on
rising ate a hearty breakfast. The chaplain of
the prison waited on her soon after eight o'clock, but
she refused to see him, and asserted that she had
been unjustly convicted. Manning, while he has
not given way to violence of conduct like his wife,
appears to delude himself with the idea that his life
may yet be spared. On Saturday he had an inter-
view with the Rev. Mr. Roe, the gaol chaplain, and
it is rumoured that he has made a full confession of his
crime. Yesterday afternoon Captain Williams, one
of the Inspectors of Prisons, accompanied by Mr.
Keene, the Governor, and Mr. Moore, his deputy,
visited both the prisoners, and they appeared to be.
tray some symptoms of contrition, and to be awaken-
ing to a sense of their awful situation. Manning en-
tered freely into conversation, and seemed to be in
good spirits at the time.
The execution will probably take place on the 12th
of November (this day fortnight), for it is not at all
likely that, after the unanimous adverse decision of
the three judges, any delay will arise on the applica-
tion of Mrs. Manning's counsel for a jury "de
medietate lingua."
It was rumoured yesterday
.that Manning had in-
structed his counsel to assert, in addition to what he
he had before stated as to the manner in which the
murder was committed, that after his wife had shot
O'Connor upon the staircase, she came up to him
with a loaded pistol in her hand, and exclaimed,
" Now I have shot him, come down stairs and help
me to bury him, or I will shoot you." The Leaned
Counsel, it would appear, did not place any reliance
upon the statement, and he made no allusion respect.
ing it to the jury.
The following letter, which led to the renewal of
the intimacy between the prisoner Maria Manning and
the murdered man, may prove interesting
Customs, St. Katharine's Docks, June 11, 1847.
" My dear Mrs. --, Not knowing your real name.
I have addressed this note as usual. I hope it will find
you. I cannot describe to you my feelings, and what I
suffered since I saw you last evening. If you were to
know half you would have compassion for me, if I was
the greatest enemy you ever had. I have spent a soli-
tary and dreary winter, and a dull and melancholy
spring, in anticipation of having a jovial and pleasant
autumn. I had given up going into all society, and cut
the acquaintance of every friend I had, on your account,
being anxious to economise and secure for ourselves the
means of making us happy and comfortable the
rest of our lives. I bad my month's leave of absence
settled to commence on the 6th of August, when I
thought you might- be returning from the Continent, and
intended to get married on the 7th, leave London for
Boulogne on the Bth, and there spend the honey-month;
but, alas, all these arrangements are now blighted. You
have these comforts now that your heart can wish for,
and lam glad of it. For poor me there are none of
these consolations left, but the sad reflection of
being disappointed. Ah, Maria, you have now acted
cruel to me; why not, like a true professor of what you
avowed, write and say what you intended before you acted
so?—then, at the risk of losing my situation.
I would go every step to Erskine House. and
married to the only being on the face of God's earth
who could make me happy; and Maria, dear, if you
could only read the feelings of my heart, you would not
do as you did. However, it is too late to be speaking of
these things now. We must be reconciled, with the
will of Gud, and hope all things are regulatul by Him
for a wise and benevolent purpose. Enough now of this
sad and melancholy affair—for so it is to me. However,
I hope we will always entertain the same kindly feelings
towards each other that is due to old friends. I can
speak for myself, and am sure I will. When shall I
have the pleasure of seeing you here? Bring your
husband and any others you Ilk°. I will be able to show
them the docks and the vaults, but mind, ladies aro nut
admitted into the vaults after one o'clock. I wish you
would come soon. There is a ship from China along-
side my station in the docks—the Viscount Sandon.
She leaves on Sunday. There are three Chinese on
board, and it would be a novelty for you to see them
with their long tails. You said you would call on me on
Sunday. I wish you would. If you do, write and say
what time, that I may be sure to meet you. You may
be able to give some explanation in the matter, which
may smooth it down a little. I wish I could acquit you
of infidelity on the occasion. I hope that, the blessing
of God may rest on all your proeeedings, and believe
me, under any circumstances, till death, yours very
affectionately,

"PATRICK O'CONNOR."

This letter was addressed, " Miss Maria Roux
•are of Lady Blantyre, Sutherland House, St. James's:

LATEST PARTICULARS.

Yesterday morning, from as early as eight o'clock,
the Reverend Chaplain was engaged in giving reli-
gious consolation to each of the wretched convicts,
and continued till the hour appointed for Divine
service.
The Mannings then repaired to the chapel, and
were, together with Jordan, who is also sentenced to
death for the attempted murder in Dulwich-wood,
placed in the section appropriated for condemned
prisoners. In addition to the debtors, criminal pri-
soners, and officers of the gaol, who formed the con-
gregation, there were also present Captain Williams,
the Government inspector of gaols, Mr. Pavnter, the
magistrate of the Wandsworth Police-court, and other
gentlemen. The Rev. Mr. Roe delivered a most
eloquent and impressive sermon, taking his text from
the Gist Psalm, " If Ethiopia stretcheth forth her
hands," &c. Before the Litany, the chaplain said,
" The prayers of this congregation are desired for
those who are condemned to die."
On the conclusion of the service the wretched con-
victs again received the spiritual consolations of the
reverend chaplain until nearly four o'clock, during
which it is understood that he received some impor-
tant communications from both the Mannings, but
the nature of which is not at present allowed to trans-
pire—the reverend gentleman, from conscientious
feelings, believing that the communications were
strictly confidential, and should not be disclosed while
the parties are living. It is, however, generally
believed that they are of a nature calculated to satisfy
the Learned Judge and jury by whom the Man-
nings were tried, as well as the public at large.

TH. TESSELLATED PAVEMENTS AT CIRENSTER.—
Another very beautiful head has just been exposed to
view, in the room last discovered, corresponding with
those of Ceres and Flora, previously found. This is the
filth circle as yet wholly uncovered; two others are
partially so, and thus only two will be lost out of the
nine which originally formed this splendid room. The
form and design of the floor are now made clear. It
consisted of nine medallions of nearly five feet diameter
each; the four at the corners containing bold well-
executed heads, typical of the four seasons, of which three
are now visible. rho circles
.between them contain his-
torical tableaux, whilst the centre is occupied by a piece
of art of a very superior character. Outside the circles
is a remarkably handsome border of rather more than
fire feet in width. The pavement is` eing removed (it
being now in the middle of a street), d many interest.
ing facts connected with these remains of Romano-
British art are daily brought to light.
ADVERTISEMENT....-The Observer of Sunday, Oct
28. with its gratuitous supplement, together 60 of the
Observer folio columns, the price only sixpence. A very
full report and original introductory remarks, over 20
columns of the Mannings' trial and conviction, with a
repetition of their profile wood cut likenesses. The
Observer, of Oct. 28, will be kept on sale all next week.
The extensive publication of the Observer commences
at four o'clock on Sunday mornings. Newspaper agents
can have any number of copies before five o'clock on
Sunday morning, in time to supply passengers going by
all the railways. Published by Mr. Clement, jun., 170,
Strand. Monday's edition of the Observer is regularly
published at four o'clock on Monday afternoons.
MASTER OF THE CEREMONIES AT BATII —Captain
William Castle, paymaster of the cavalry depot at Maid-
stone, is a candidate for the post of master of the ce-
remonies at Bath, vice General Jervis.—United Service
Gazette.
TRICHINOPOLT.—A terrible loss of life has just
occurred at Tricbinopoly. At an idolatrous festival,
held at the top of the high rock, which was attended by
an immense concourse of people, a sudden panic ocn
currod, and the multitude from above pressing upon
those below, upwards of 400 were suffocated or trod( es
to death ,