The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-08 00:00:00

MURDER NEAR BRIGHTON.

Yesterday morning a little before four o'clock infor.
mation was given at the Brighton Town Hall by Mr.
Hodson and Mr. Kirton, that Mr. Griffith, the brewer,
had been murdered. These townsmen had been out on
a shooting excursion, and on their way homewards at a
very late hour they discovered a body lying on the road
between Dale gate and the Plough at Piecombe, which,
on investigation, turned out to be that of Mr. Griffith.
It was resting on the back, and life was extinct. The
hat of the deceased was picked up a few yards off, his
pockets were turned inside out and rifled, and a wound
was discovered in the chest, showing that ho had been
shot through the body by his assailant. A gig whip
aed part of a rein, cut, were also picked up on the spot,
leaving no doubt that the deceased had been waylaid
by highwaymen. He was a high-couraged and power-
ful man, and the probability is that he resisted the at•
tempt at robbery, and paid the penalty with his life.—
Mr. Griffith had been out on a short country journey to
collect cash and take orders from publicans whom he
supplied.
The spot where the murder was committed is imme-
diately under the South Down-hill, and there is only one
dwelling near the place, namely, a farm-house in the
occupation of Mr. Mannington, and one of Mr. Man-
nington's servants heard the report of a pistol between
nine and ten o'clock in the evening, supposed to have
been the time the murder was committed. Mr. Griffith
had been in the country collecting cash, and he arrived
at Ilenfield soon after eight o'clock, and having baited
his horse, he left Henfield at ten minutes before nine
o'clock, and the spot where he was murdered was about
four miles from Henfield, so that he must have reached
the place where he lost his life at about half-past nine.
The horse and gig were found at Poyning, the reins
wore cut nearly close up to the hand, and it is evident
that they had both been cut asunder by a sharp knife.
Footsteps were traced on some rising ground leading to
the Downs, but whether they were the footsteps of the
assassins cannot yet be known.
Iu January last deceased received an anonymous let-
ter, warning him of an attack from robbers. The letter
was as follows:—" Sir—Some parties intends to rob you
the next time you goes to Horsham, so bee on your
vuard." The letter bears the superscription of " Mr.
Martin, Grid's brewery, Brighton;" and it was posted
in Trafalgar-street, Brighton. There is no doubt that
the writer of the letter knows the guilty parties, and
every exertion is being used on the part of the police to
discover the murderers. It is the general impression
that the crime was perpetrated by persons well ac-
quainted with the business habits of the firm, and that
the assassins expected to obtain a very large booty. But
we understand that the cash deceased had with him did
not probably amount to more than about 201.
Mr. Griffith took two pistols with him, and when hie
body was discovered one of the pistols was found lying
by his side discharged, whilst the other pistol was found
in his pocket loaded. Mr. Griffith settled in Brighton
in November, 1845, and entered into partnership with
Mr. Sewell, the manager of the Branch County Bank,
at Brighton. He was an active member of the commis•
sioners, and an intelligent man. His loss will be la-
mented by a large circle of friends. Ho has left two
boys, one eight and the other ten years of age.
THE INQUEST.
Yesterday afternoon the coroner proceeded with the
inquest. The jury having viewed the body and the
spot where it was found,
Mr. H. M. Blokes, surgeon, Brighton, who had made
apost-mortem examination of deceased, stated that be
found a bullet wound in the centre of the breast ; it had
passed through the heart and lodged in the back part.
It would cause instant death. Deceased might utter
one shriek, not more. The pistol or gun must have been
discharged close to him, as the clothes were singed.
Mr. Jame Hodson, hatter, Brighton, deposed to find-
ing the body as above stated, and also that near it were
a discharged pistol, an iron spectacle frame covered with
crape so as to disguise the face, a glove, a whip, an
empty purse, and a rein. Ho and his companion at once
recognised Mr. Griffith.
W. S. Martin stated that he is a manager of the Rock
Brewery, at Brighton, of which deceased was the pro-
prietor. Witness had been in the habit of going the
Horsham round himself during the last twelve months
to collect money. This time Mr. Griffith took the jour-
ney himself in consequence of having some business at
Horsham which witness could not do. Witness then
produced the anonymous letter above referred to. The
deceased, he stated was lying on his back when they
found him. The legs were rather in a cramped position
and one of them was rather raised. They placed the
body in the cart and brought it to the Plough. They did
net discover the wouud until they brought him to the
house; they then saw the wound in the breast. The de-
ceased generally wore a gold watch and chain. The
knife produced was not deceased's property.—The in-
quest was proceeding when our report left.

Letters have been received from Maynard and
Garrett, containing some valuable information relaxtinerg.
to their operations. Mr. Nash, whose unceasing e
and
tions in the investigations and defeat of tcliwtogate
ftpt of
their attempts at intimidation, has deFlinwehich was pub-
the testimonial from private individuate,
„pease, Le the
licly announced, for his exertions
.nans d
only ought to
affair, considering considering that the companies
5 (with interest) made
of money to liquidate the advances
knowledge them. He has recently
ce
altO those actions brought
appropriated a sum
by his friends in his defencecoro
panies, though be had
against him and the railway
from those claims.
ben presented wit h_itirit G
Lan. --• lii allusion to the
Citiai. Corr. irr li
:hoe above
thel
ar
getitle,defendant
demands wh i cih, i r
anh
as ad t
heie latelyuspo2 da
The Noble
titie sa'
manner has
of
late
es
figclireraetcledill
been in circulation,
as
s
a regard
pa ill
ftao
Duke who figures
and
year of
paragraph bearing the
the Britannia says— 4L
and whichroyalasso
hits
connected with
his behalf in the public mind, from
ago,
.
the princelylifilheiiigemsl:nigiaainbnildihni important oil:ear::
the defendant becoming the property of the highest
bidder. The aggrieved
the office being one of great gentleman
ritestepaolinsio
known to the public by lame, from his filling a
peerageci
ne Is.
oe rs m of
aft
hei
o n h.
asThe precedency
tohebnbiaresponsibility,
tyo,of
andi,
owner:
e
alleged e lotffo mattersetnocefurnishon tthh that
the
part
arnees affecteoif 8 a
rt lit
the
Noble Duke is of some standing, but has only within
the last month or two come to the knowledge of the
injured husband. It is but justice to state, on the
part of the Noble Duke, that he has indignantly denied
the charge, declaring that the alleged offence never took
place; and to enable a plea to that effect being put on the
record, application was made to Mr. Justice Erie; but the
Learned Judge being fortified by the decision of the full
Court in the case of " Cook v. Wetherell," considered
that he had not the power to comply, by making
an order for the plaintiff to give dates and occasions
when the alleged criminal intercourse took plaefi
and, as the application was not entertained, the case is
its present form, stands for trial. In the legal cireles:
was rumoured there existed a doubt as to whethere
en-
tered for the
matter
trialou at thelcin
proceed
txt further;sittig of Ni
inti t didisti Prinswould b
in the
Queen's Bench, the damages being laid, it is said, at the
enormous sum of 50000 l:
;
WXECKED PROPERTY.—An immense quantity of
white boiling peas have, during the past week, been
picked up on the coast at 13Iackpool, which has proveil a
people in that locality. prunes,
gmat boon to the poor t,
gales.—Ltverpool Mai/
ed up, and form past, no
fig,, &c.. have also be,ll ,4as.
dboenunbtioosti
MOTTO FOR NIS MAr!ESTIS gales.
-""
Vivant Wreck§ et if t,giWto•ll47iClit
dtuhreincgartghoe
loattesome ill-fated vessel wttioti has

110

yPsterday.

I. 11111,-T ti

!;:., rne:•tng; thou

-11 ti i . ot.t hoon Fr_iilion of

-A Special General Conn of the Proprietors of this
Company was held yesterday at twelve o'clock, at the
East India House, at the desire of nine Proprietors of
East India Stock, as expressed in the following, letter :
" London, January 17, 1849.
•

" To the Chairman and Directors of the East India Company

"Honourable Airs,
" We, the undersigned Proprietors of East India Stock, duly gua-
r ,J.1110(1 by law, request that you will convene, at your earliest conve-
•. Mience, a Special General Court of Proprietors, for the purpose of
1-" fr -I,4iftr into*. consideration. the c.ccompanying Resolutions, and that
be pleased to publish- e_sarne with this, our requisition.
' We have the honour to be,
"honourable Sirs,
"Your obedient Servants,
"JOSEPH HUSIE.
"ARTHUR J. LEWIS.
"J. SULLIVAN.
" CHARLES FORBES.
"JOHN POYNDEII.
"GEORGE FORBES.
"JOIN BRIGGS.
"CHARLES GRANT.
"J. W. GRAHAM."

.4.

N.- •