The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-30 00:00:00

MURDER OF FRANCES PIGBURN.

APPREHENSION of RHODA HEAD alias
WILLIAMS, as aia ACCESSORY.

It will be remembered that previous to the final
committal to Newgate of Bishop, Williams, and
May, for the murder of the Italian boy, the entire
dress of a woman was found in the privy of tire
house adjoining to that which Bishop and Williams
occupied at the time of their apprehension. The
articles so found were on Saturday last fully iden-
tified as having belonged to a poor woman named
Frances Pigburn, who suddenly disappeared about
six weeks ago, and a warrant charging Bishop and
Williams with her murder was lodged in Newgate
on the evening of that day. Mr. Thomas has since
then been unremitting in his exertions to procure ad-
ditional evidence, and on Monday night Michael
Shields, the porter, who was discharged from custody
on the previous Friday, came to Mr. Thomas at the
station-house ; and having declared that he wished
to do all in his power to forward the ends of justice,
made a voluntary statement, which Mr. Thomas tool;
down in writing, and of which the following is the
substance :

He said that he was employed by Bishop and
Williams early on the morning of Sunday, the
of October last, to go along with Bishop's daughter
(Rhoda Head, alias 'Williams), into the Borough,
and carry a trunk. Bishop and Williams called
upon him at his lodgings in Eagle-street, Red Lion-
square, and called him up. He then accompanied
them to Bishop's house in Nova Scotia-gardens,
and when he got there Bishop placed a trunk upon
his knot. It was the same trunk which Mr. Thomas
.produced at Bow-street on the late inquiry. They
all left Nova Scotia-gardens together—namely,
Bishop, Williams, Mrs. Williams, and himself, arid
proceeded to St. Thomas's Hospital, in the Bo-
rough. Bishop and Williams walked at one side of
the way, and Mrs. Williams walked by the side of
informal., carrying a band-box tied up in a hand-
kerchief, for the purpose, as informant very be-
lieves, of giving the journey the appearance of a
servant going to her situation. On arriving at St.
Thomas's Hospital, he was joined by Bishop and
Williams, and they entered the Hospital together,
while Mrs. Williams stopped outside. The trunk
having been deposited in the Hospital, they all
went together to a public-house, to have some re-
freshments. Bishop not being able to sell the body
at Sr. Thomas's Hospital, resolved on going to Mr.
Grainger's dissecting rooms, and he (Shields) walked
with him, leaving the trunk behind. When they
reached Mr. Grainger's Anatomical Theatre, Bishop
held a private conference with Mr. Appleton, the
porter to the dissecting-rooms, which lasted a few
minutes. They then returned to St. Thomas's Hos-
pital and fetched the trunk from thence to Mr. Grain-
ger's rooms. On arriving there Bishop took 4 body
from the trunk for Mr. Appleton's inspection. It was
that of a middle-aged female. At was a particularly
fresh subject, and had not the appearance of a holly
taken from the grave. There was no dirt upon it,
anti informant observed that the hair of the corpse
was dark and short, and that the subject altogether
was thin and remarkably light in weight. Mrs.
Williams was not present then, but remained at the
public-house as a kind of pledge for what waatlartak
until the money should be procured, 111", Apple•
ton and Bishop bargained for some short time, and
a price being agreed to, Ma. Appleton paid Bishop
part of the money, and promised to pay the re-
mainder en the following day. Gin was then sent
for, and -Mr. Appleton and all of them partook of
it. Bishop, Williams, and informant then went
back to the public-house, and four..; Mrs. Williams
crying, on account of her baying been questioned
about the reckonix,ig. Vishop went into a great
rage, and paid it, saying he would never enter the
housa again, nor should any of his friends. They
then went away together, and returned o'er London-
bridge as far as Bishopsgate-street, and had some
gin at a public-house thet.a where 'coaches btc.liped.
Bishop paid for tj..x gin, and informant Shot went
away, Lets. Williams still retied possession of
the band-box„ and it was 'lust in the same state as
when, she took it foal 'home. II:shop paid in-
formant PI:, for the job, and said if that did not sa-
tisfy him he might have more to•morrow.
Shield having made this statementkwa was
so frightened when in custody thsa k. uid not know
what to say, and was fearful i ka let slip any thing
it might implicate 4iraaelf. -He now, however,
wished to zacas,:, as far as lay in his power, for the
par- which he had taken in that and the et.h,?: tams-
actions.
Mr. Thomas, perceiving iha'.; the statement of
Shields corresponded ;c:i.;- only with the time of the
disappearanea of Fanny Pigburn (she having bacm
seen last 6:sive on the night of the Sth of October,
and Shields dating the above t(zaasuotion on the
9th) but also with the deacjption of her age and
personal appesta-te, as described by her sister, and
other situ saes, felt that the information was ims
portant, and that Mrs. Williams was sufficiently im-
plicated in the transaction to warrant her apprehen-
sion. He accordingly proceeded to, Newgate yester-
ier husband, immediately
ctca custody there, while
was waiting
• and charged her, before
sdhaey, ttaoket:ph4erh
after the fact, in the
ci‘oinr.veziedshileuaLLto, ia,shiasnoalfiecceessary
wilful murder of Frances Pigbutn, add,:ng that lie
took the prisoner into custody itt the lodge at New-
gate, about half an hoar before, and that on a future
day he expected to produce further evidence against
her,

The prisoner wept bitterly while the clerk was
writing down the charge against her and when it
was entered,
Mr. Altlistivi,t, asked her if she wished to 9ay any

thing, at the same time erititioning. her that what-
ever she said would be taken down in writing, and
might be made evidence against her.
The prisoner replied—" I thank you, Sir, hut I
want to say what I know ; I wish to speak the
truth." She then went on to say that her father
(meaning Bishop) called her up one Sunday morn-
ing at six o'clock, about six or seven weeks ago.—
They were then living at No. :3, Nova Scotia-gal.-
dens. He asked her if she would carry a band-
box for him. She asked, in reply, where did he
want her to take it. He replied to the Borough.
She then went along with her father, her husband,
and Shields, over London Bridge, and when they
got a little way over the bridge they came to a
public-house, and her father told her to go in there
and wait until they returned. They came again in
about half an hour, and then they went together to
another public-house, and had a pot of half-and-half
and some pipes. There was no money to pay the
reckoning, and her father left her there, and told
her to stop until he should return. He came back
and paid for the beer, and then they all went toge-
ther to Bishopsgate-street, and called for some gin
in a public-house there. Shields then left her father,
husband, and herself, and after that they all went
home together. The prisoner added, " This is alk.
I wish to say, I have nothing more to add."

Mr. MINSiiULL—It will be my duty to commit you
for further examination upon this charge to this day
fortnight.
Mr. Thomas said he thought he should be enabled
to produce further evidence in a week.

Mr. MissituLL—Then let the re-examination of
the prisoner stand for this day week.
As the prisoner was about to be removed,
Mr. Thomas said, he believed she had not had any
food that day, and as she was now about to leave his
custody, he hoped that she would be allowed some
iLiieshment.

Mr..MINSHULL—Most certainly: tho gaoler shall
provide her with what is necessary. No prit.oner shall
want food while I sit here as s !,15igistrate.
The prisoner was then removed in custody.