The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-24 00:00:00

t" . QTYN, LONDON,

think proper of the last witness; but it seems to me
not to be necessary for you to do so at present,
because the determination which I have come to is
that it is only necessary to take evidence merely cf a
preliminary character. Oa a future occasion an op-
portuAty will be afforded to the professional gentle-
man for whom you have sent of sifting the evidence,
should you or he choose to do so ; therefore I think it
unnecessary for you to ask any questions now unless
you wish to do so.
The prisoner said she had no questions to ask the
witness.

Wright, a police-constable, said he went to 3,
Minver place, in company with Mr. Flynn, a friend
of the deceased, on Monday, the 13th inst. The
prisoner opened the door, and replied to their inter-
rogatory that her name was Manning. She invited
them into the parlour, where they remained a quarter
of an hour or twenty minutes. This was about five
minutes to ten in the morning. Mr. Flynn said, "I
suppose you have heard about Mr. O'Connor being
missing." She replied that she had, and that it was
very strange, as he was a very regular man. She
likewise stated that he had been there on the previous
Wednesday evening, that he was very tipsy, and that
he was seen home by a friend of his, named Welch.
Further, she said she had been to his lodgings on the
previous Thursday evening, about a quarter to six, to
see what had become of him ; also on the Friday
evening. Mr. Flynn asked her if she knew any of
his friends ?

Mr. Edwin—l suppose it will be unneces.sary to go
into that now.

Mr. SECKER—We had better not go any further
to-day.

Mr. Edwin (to the inspector)—From the informa-
tion you have received you believe the prisoner to
have been concerned in the murder ?
Inspector Yates—l do.
Mr. SECKER—And you call for a remand.
Inspector Yates—l do.

Mr. SEcKEß—Prisoner, you are now entitled to
ask the witness any question, should you think
proper.

The Prisoner—l do not wish to ask him any
questions.

Mr. SECHER—Then it is my duty to remand you
until this day week.
The prisoner was then removed. She walked
composedly, and, as far as we could judge from ex-
terior appearances, apparently unconcerned, from
the dock.

Mr. Moxey inquired if
.his attendance would be
further required
Mr. Edwin—Has the prisoner said anything to
you ? Mr. Moxey—She has been several days in
my custody, and, of course, she has said a good deal
to me.

After some conversation, Mr. Moxey's attendance
was dispensed with until notice was sent to him that
it was required.
The prisoner was immediately driven off to
Horsemonger-lane gaol.
The whole of the proceedings did not occupy many
minutes.

THE BERMONDSEY MURDER.
(THIS DAY.)
THE ADJOURNED INQUEST.

The inquest upon the unfortunate Mr. Patrick
O'Connor was resumed to-day before Mr. W. Carter,
in the coffee-room of the Leather Market Tavern,
Bermondsey.
The room was crowded, and the greatest interest
appeared to be manifested in the proceedings.
The deceased was buried on Sunday last at the Ca-
tholic burying-ground opposite the George, in theCona-
mercial-road. The funeral was conducted in as private a
manner as possible, and the cortege consisted simply
of a hearse and one mourning coach, in the latter of
which were a brother-in-law, a cousin, and two per-
sonal friends of the deceased. The rights of burial
were performed by the Rev. Mr. Moore, a Catholic
priest.
The jury assembled at eleven o'clock, and having
all answered to their names,

Mr. William Asher Keating was then called. He
said—l am a clerk in the Examiner's office in the
Custom-house. I ! knew the deceased, Patrick
O'Connor. I have frequently seen him write, and
know his handwriting. I have been acquainted with
him since 1839, something more than ten years. He
was a gauger in her Majesty's Customs. I heard
of his death on the day the body was found. I last
saw Mr. O'Connor on the evening of Thursday—to
the best of my recollection about a quarter to five
o'clock ; that is a fortnight yesterday. He
was at that time on London-bridge, coming
from the City to the Surrey side. I spoke
to him. He appeared very well, and in
good health and spirits. There was another officer
of his with me at the time, and he spoke to him first.
I was in conversation with him about two minutes.
He showed that officer, Mr. Graham, a letter, but I
did not see the contents of it. I saw the name on it,
which caused me to make a remark. The name ap-
peared to be that of the writer ; it was Maria some-
thing. Mr. Graham said, " I suppose your are going
to dine at Maria's ?" The deceased replied " Yes;
at least I was under the impression when I left him
that he was going to dine with Maria. I had
some knowledge as to who Maria was. I understood
the name Maria to be that of Mrs. Manning. I
knew the street where she lived, but I did not know
the number of the house. It was New Weston-
street, Bermondsey. No person was in his company
when I met him on the bridge. I have met this
female, Maria, walking with the deceased, and I have
also seen her at his house. I believe I should know
her again if I saw her. A gentleman in the Regis-
trar's office in the Custom-house, whose name I
don't know, said that he had seen Mr. O'Connor
the same evening further on towards Guy's
Hospital. I have heard two or three reports that he
had been seen afterwards, but I do not know it as a
fact. He was absent from duty the next day
(Friday). I did not see him on duty on Friday ;
but from our duties being different, it was not likely
that I should see him on that day. Mr. Graham is
not here, not having been summoned, but he said he
would come if sent for. I called at the deceased's
lodgings on Saturday morning, and found that he
had not been there on the previous day.
Mr. John Youughusband was next examined—
I am a gauger in her Majesty's Customs, living at
46, Peckham-grove, Camberwell. I knew Mr.
Patrick O'Connor ; he was stationed with me once
a twelvemonth. I saw him last on Thursday
week, in the evening, about a quarter to six, in Grace-
church-street. I was riding outside an omnibus on
my way home. Mr. O'Connor was walking very
slow indeed, in a direetion towards the City, and was
looking round him at the time. He did not recognise
me. That was the last time I ever saw Mr. O'Connor
alive. I would not meet him the next day, for he was
at the London Docks and I was at St. Katharine's
Docks. There is a book left in the inspector's office
in which the officers on duty sign their names, and
the deceased's name does not appear in it on Friday.
I remarked that the deceased was particularly neat
and clean when I saw him.

Mr. Thomas Wheatley, a locker in the Customs, said
he knew the deceased, and saw him a month
ago. He thought he saw him on the 12th,
but could not swear that it was him.

Henry Barnes, police-constable, 25G K division,
said, in consequence of some information which I
received on Friday week last, I went, in company
with police-constable Burton, of the M division, to
No, 3, Minver-place, New Weston• street. Burton
had the key of the house in his possession, and he un-
locked the door, and we went in. We looked into
the front and back parlours, and then in the front
kitchen. We then went into the back kitchen,
which is on a level with the front kitchen,
and is underground. That kitchen is paved over
with large flags. I found the four rooms quite
empty. I observed a damp mark round the edges of
two of the stones, which induced us to take out our
knives and to try the mortar. We found it wet. I
then told Burton that I should not be satisfied until
those two flags were taken up. We then got a
shovel, a crowbar, and a boat-hook, and
rai-ed up one of the stones--the smallest
of the two. I then remarked that the stone
had not been laid by a regular mason, for he would
have placed mortar only round the edge of the stone.
Instead of mortar being placed only round the edge,
the whole surface under it was covered with mortar.
We removed the other flag, and there was the same
appearance underneath it. At the depthtohe s
of twelve
inches inches we found a linen rag; it was about
andlotekthlitnllgplikea dead body, and
smelt it. I re-
Immeymsetbwideor ththoaantd Burton ist,and
smelt
s
that if we proceoded with
our search we should find the dead body.
We continued digging, and I saw some-
thing else, which I thought was another piece of
.
rag. I pulled it and shook it. I found was the
toe of a man, and I said to Burton, "Here is the toe
of O'Connor." Burton was about to leave to get
more assistance, but I told him to wait a moment,
and I thought I should be able to show him the whole
foot. After exposing more of the body, Burton
went to get assistance, and I went on digging, and
soon came to the deceased's loins. The body was
lying on its face, and was embedded in slack lime.
The legs were tied up with a strong cord
to his haunches. Before `the body was
removed Mr. Lockwood, the surgeon, came in, and I
saw him Witt from the month g set of false teeth,

which he washed. The body was taken out and re•
moved into the front kitchen. It was quite naked,
and I thought from the smell had been dead a fort•
night. I then went into the yard, and was called by
a sergeant of the M division and .Mr. Lockwood, who
showed me a bullet which had been taken from the
head of the body. I did not myself examine the
body closely before taking it into the front kitchen.
We locked up the body in the front kitchen
and left the house. The body was examined by
another surgeon before it was taken from the hole.
I did not measure the hole, but I should say that the
depth from the flags to the lime was about eighteen
inches. The body was covered to that depth with
earth, but immediately above and below it it was
covered with lime. Mr. Flynn, a gentleman from the
City, identified the body as that of Patrick O'Connor.
In consequence of the identification, I endeavoured
to find Mr. and Mrs. Manning. On the morning of
the same day I went to Greenwood-street, Mile End-
road, O'Connor's lodging, where I was shown a
box. Mr. Flynn and Mr. Keating, I, and some
others, were there on the Monday previous, and the
box was then forced open by Mr. Flynn.
(The witness was under examination when our
report left.)

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

OLD counil
(Before Mr. Justice ERLE.)
FORGERlES.—Frederick Wm. Pentlow, 36, a clerk, was
indicted for forgery and embezzlement. The indictment
contained three counts, the first was for feloniously
forging and uttering an order for the sum of 90/. 10s. 6d.,
with intent to defraud John Squire and others ; the
second for embezzling and stealing the sum of 301., and
2/. 12s. 4d. the property of Stephen Lancaster Lucena,
his master; and the third for three charges of stealing
orders for the payment of money, the property of Ste-
phen Lancaster Lucena.

The prisoner had pleaded not guilty.
Mr. BALLANTINE, who now appeared for the prisoner,
said his client wished to withdraw his plea of not guilty,
and substitute that of guilty for it. He might
add that up to this offence the prisoner had
borne an excellent character, and as this
was not exactly what might be termed a
forgery to defraud the commercial world, he hoped the
Court would not visit him with the punishment that
attached to such a crime.

Mr. CLA.RKSON, who attended for the prosecution, ob-
served that the prisoner had filled a situation of trust in
the service of Mr. Lucena, a solicitor, and one of the
charges was that he had embezzled 301. which had been
paid to him to settle an action at law, in which Mr. Lucena
was concerned for the defence. The money, however,
was never applied to that purpose, and judgment having
passed against Mr. Lucena's client, it had placed that
gentleman in a very painful position, and he could not,
under all the circumstances of the case, join in any re-
commendation to mercy.
Mr. Justice ERLE sentenced the prisoner to 12 years'
transportation.

-
MURDER.—Elizabeth Wardle, aged 19, was indicted
for the wilful murder of her female infant.

Mr. Ballantine prosecuted and Mr. Clarkson defended
the prisoner.
The child was found in a privy attached to the house
of the prisoner's mother in Church-lane, St. Pancras,
but it was doubtful whether it had been placed there, or
whether it came there in a natural way. A policeman,
however, stated, that in the way to the St.
Pancras Workhouse, the prisoner, who had
acknowledged being the mother, said she threw
the child down the privy. The mother of the
prisoner, who also accompanied her to the workhouse,
denied this.

Mr. Justice ERLE put it to the jury whether the
evidence made out the charge in the indictment, re-
minding them that it not unfrequently happened that a
woman with her first child mistook the pains of labour
for a disordered stomach.
The jury acquitted the prisoner.