The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-20 00:00:00

AN ACCOUNT OF THE ALLEGED MURDERER
AND HIS WIFE, AND THEIR ANTECEDENTS.
Mrs, Manning's first connexion with Manning is as
yet involved in obscurity. Manning, as already notice(l,
was formerly in the service of the Great Western Rail•
way Company, as guard, and there is no doubt was im-
plicated in the ex.tcnsive robberies which were committed
on that line. It Trill be recollected that, in the short
space of a twelvemonth, bullion in boxes to the amount
of 4,0001. was stolen from the train of which Manning
was guard. He was dischargedfrom the company's ser-
vice, and was not again heard of until the mail robbery-
took place in January last, and, as it will be recollected,
as no clue could be found to the plunder from the up-
mail, suspicion irsnacdiattly alighted on Manning and his
wife.. here it should bo observed that Manning had
some months before become landlord of the White Hart
Inn, at Taunton, where for the first time Mrs. Manning
appeared. They were both taken into custody, and after
undergoing an examination before Mr. Peach, they were
dismissed, in consequence of no property being found; at
the same time it was quite clear that the prisoners were
connected with the robbery, and partimpated in the
plunder. In fact, Nightingale, Poole's confederate
while staying at Exeter, assumed the name of Manning.
The rumours circulated at Taunton with respect to
Manning's connexion with Poole and Nightingale (who
were subsequently convicted before Lord Denman, at
the Spring assizes at Exeter, and sentenced to fifteen
years' transportation); proved so detrimental to the
White Hart, and they were looked upon with such sus-
pinion, that it was found necessary to dispose of the
business, Manning and his wife leaving Taunton, and
coming up to London, where, in a few weeks they
opened a beer-shop in the vicinity of the Hackney•road;
but this place lasted a very short time, and the place
was abruptly closed up by Mrs. Manning absconding,
taking with her the greater part of the property. This
was done at the wish of the deceased, who had pre-
pared a home for Mrs. Manning at another part of the
metropolis. Manning traced her through the cabman
ho had driven her to O'Connor's house. They made
up matters, and remained fur some time in apartments,
end eventually took iros,sersion of the house where tits
murder Was, eurritititted a few days after last quarter-
day. . .

From circumstances that have since transpired, very
little doubt exists that the murder of Mr. O'Connor
was premeditated long before that time, and that the
house was actually taken for that purpose. The
Mannings, through their extravagance and dissipation,
had got rid of nearly all their property, with the excep-
tion of the furniture, and their circumstances became
critical; scarcely had they been a week in the house than
suspicion was excited amongst the inhabitants of the
neighbourhood by their extraordinary conduct. They
appeared, to use the words of the person who resides
next door, " to be up all night, th( re was nearly always
a light burning, and there always appeared to b 2 some-
thing mysterious going on." In order to show that the
act was long premeditated, as far back as the 11th of
July, Manning went to Messrs. Dray, Dean, and Dean,
the ironmongers in King William-street, City, to pur-
chase a crow-bar, about 11113 weight, for, as ho said, to
lift heavy things up, " such as stones," and chalked out
on the counter a design of the instrument ; the shopman
told him he had not one ready, but would make him
one ; he therefore ordered it to be made as speedily as
possible, and to be sent to his house, the address of which
he gave, at the same time paying the money for it (45.).
The firm not being able to procure one like the order,
sent the money back in a day or so ; the person saw
Manning at the time, who said, " Never mind, I shall be
able to do without it." It is pretty clear from the ap-
pearance of the place where the body was concealed,
that it had been some time before prepared, and an instru-
ment of the kind would be necessary to raise up the
stones, which are largo Yorkshire flags.
To show the extraordinary nerve of the Meanings,
particularly the female, she on Sunday prepared her
dinner in the back kitchen, where she roasted a goose
over the spot where her murdered paramour was lying,
and when the police called at the house on the following
Monday, to inquire after the deceased, she coolly asked
them ih, bade them take a seat, and answered all ques-
tions with the greatest composure; but a nephew of the
deceased who was with the police, fancying he saw a
alight tremor, said to Mrs. Manning, Why, you appear
to be ill." She said, " No, no; I had an attack of ill-
ness about Six weeks ago, and I have not quite recovered
yet." Her coolness quite threw the police off their
guard; and although the nephew said he was convinced
some foul play had been practised, and that he should
like the police to take Mrs. Manning, they refused, as
there was no charge against her.
Almost immediately after the police left the place, a
cab drove up to the door, and Mrs. Manning put into it
three boxes, lightly packed up, and drove off, the woman
putting her head out of the window, and saying, " Be
quick; drive fast."
_ _

The police, it appears, called again at the house late
on Monday night, and finding no one there managed to
obtain an entrance. The disordered state of the place,
cheats, and bed linen being laid about excited their cus-
picion ; but although they minutely examined every
quarter of the house, no evidence presented itself to
cause the slightest suspicion that such a fearful tragedy
lied been perpetrated. All the articles they could find
they removed to the police-station, among which were
two pencil portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Manning.
The following bill has been extensively circulated by
the authorities in all parts of the kingdom, and the teltr
graphs upon the several lines of railway were set in aao•
tion to convey the earliest intelligence of the event to
the local authorities :—" Murder and Robbery : Whereas
a warrant has .been granted for the apprehension of
Frederick George Manning and Maria, his wife, a native
of Geneva (whose maiden name was Maria Rue), for the
murder of Patrick O'Connor, Custom-house officer, on the
9th day of August, and the said Manning and his cite are
supposed to have stolen the undermentioned scrip of the
Boulogne and Amiens Railway, dated 11th May, 1849,
Nos. 48,665, 48,666, 48,667, 48,668, 48,669, 48,670,
48,671, 48,672, 48,673, and 48,674. Scrip of the Sambre
and Meuse Railway, dated 3d August, 1849, Nos. 6,460,
6,461, 6,462, 6,463, 6,464, 6,465, 6,466, 6,467, 6,468, and
6,469. All persons arc cautioned against purchasing
any of the said scrip. Description: Frederick George
Manning, thirty-five years old, five feet eight or nine
inches high, stout, very fair and florid complexion,
full bloated face, light hair, small sandy whiskers,
light blue eyes, and a peculiar fall of the eyelids at the
corners, and large mouth. Was dressed in an invisible
green overcoat, brown trowsers, black hat, and wore
a small plaited linen shirt front. He was formerly a
guard on the Great Western Railway, and kept an inn
at Taunton, in Somersetahire, in the latter part of last
year. Since then be kept a public-house in the neigh-
bourhood of the Kingsland-road, and has resided in
Minver-place since Midsummer last, out of business
Maria Manning, a native of Geneva, thirty years &d,
fire feet seven inches high, stout, fresh complexion, with
loag dark hair, good looking, scar on the right side of
chin, extending towards the neck, dresses very smartly,
and speaks broken English. Has been a lady's maid and
dressmaker. A reward of 1001. will be paid by her
Majesty's Government for the apprehension of the said
Frederick George Manning and his wife; or a reward of
501. for the apprehension of either of them. And the
Seeretary of State will advise the grant of her Majesty's
gracious pardon to any accomplice, not being the person
who actually fired the shot, or inflicted the mortal
wound, who shall give such information and evidence as
shall lead to the discovery and conviction of the mur-
derer or murderers of the before-named Patrick O'Connor.
Information to be given to Inspector Field, detective
police, Scotland-yard, Westminster; or at any of the me-
tropo!itan police station.—Metropolitan police-office, 4,
Whitehall-place, August 18, 1849."