The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-26 00:00:00

THE CASE OF ALLEGED ABDUC-

TION BEFORE THE LORD MAYOR.

The Lord Mayor having been informed that Mr.
W. H. Kavanagh, of Brentwood-hall, positively as-
serted that the " whole of the report of the case in
which he Was represented as having taken away a
young lady from her father's house was a vile fabri-
cation from beginning to end," sent Davis the intelli-
gent officer, who brought the prisoner in custody to
the Mansion-house, to the place in which the Brent-
wood-hall property is situated, to ascertain whether
there was a syllable of truth in the denial.
The following is a letter received by Mr. Goodman,
chief-clerk at the Mansion-house, upon the subject:—
" Sir,—Since my arrival at Brentwood I have made
every inquiry respecting the circumstances connected
with Mr. Kavanagh, and I can most solemnly assure
you that he is the same person who appeared at the
Mansion-house on the charge of abduction. Mr. Ka-
vanagh has not resided at Brentwood-hall these six
years. The property is let by him to Mr. Knight.
The person now residing at Brentwood-hall is a gen-
tleman of the name of Chapman, who has got the lease
for 21 years.
" Mr. Kavannah is well known at Brentwood, and
the description given to me of him precisely corre
sponds with my observation of him when I had him
before the Lord Mayor. He was seen on the plat-
, form, Brentwood Railway, on Tuesday morning,
the 12th of October, going to London, in the exact
dress in which he appeared before his Lordship on
Friday, the 15th, which was black, with crape round
his hat. He is in mourning for his sister and mo-
ther, whose death entitles him to a very large pro-
perty. Brentwood-hal( was left to him by an uncle
of the name of Kavanagh, a doctor in the army, with
other property. His return to Brentwood was ex-
pected on Friday, the 15th, the same day on which
he was before his Lordship on the charge, but he has
not been seen there since Tuesday, the 12th instant.
I have been to the Post-office, and have ascertained
that the letter to the editor of the Times, which is
stated in a notice in that paper to contain a denial of
the facts I have represented, was not sent from Brent-
wood-hall, nor from any way near Brentwood.
" I remain, with every due respect, your most
obedient humble servant,

" 537 JOHN DAVIS.
1

" Goodman, chief clerk, Mansion-house.

" I am perfectly satisfied that Mr. Kavanagh, who
is entitled to the estates of Brentwood-hall, is the
person who was before his Lordship."
When the defendant in the case in question was
put to the bar at the Mansion house, several papers
which had been found upon his person, directed to
W. H. Kavanagh, Esq , Brentwood Hall, were pro-
duced ; one of them was addressed to him from a
vicarage-house in the country, requesting the loan of
five or six hundred pounds, and bearing strong evi-
dence of the conviction of the writer that he was
addressing a large capitalist. The receipts for poor-
rates and an acceptance, and, in fact, everything in
writing found in his possession tend, d to identify the
owner with Mr. William Henry Kavanagh and Brent-
wood Hall.

THE LATE MURDERS IN
BIRMINGHAM.
BIRMINGHAM, MONDAY NIGHT.—This afternoon an
inquest was held before Dr. Burt Davies, borough
coroner, at the Public-office, Moor-street, upon the
bodies of the four unfortunate children who were
murdered by their mother, Ann Wilkes, at their
home, Cheapside, in this town, early on Saturday
morning.
A respectable jury, of whom Mr. Morris Banks was
foreman, having been empannelled, proceeded to view
the bodies.
A plan was exhibited in the inquest room showing
the position of the children when found in the bed,
the situation of the furniture and the marks and pools
of blood upon the floor of the room. An inspection of
this plan rendered it entirely unnecessary for any per-
son, with a view to understand the situation of the
unhappy victims, to visit the horrible scene of blood.
The names of the deceased children were Henry
John, Mary Jane, William Charles, and Frederick
George. This appeared from the production of the
family Bible, produced and afterwards sworn to by a
witness, whose evidence is given below.
The jury having returned, the first witness called
was—

Edward Alfred Banks, of Sherlock-street, who de-
posed that by trade he was a tailor. Ann Wilkes
was his sister-in-law. He believed that to be her
name, but he understood that there was a person
present who was prepared to say who her supposed
husband was.
A man named Hodgson here came forward and
said, being sworn, that a short time ago, in con-
sequence of some dispute likely to arise about pro-
perty, he called upon Ann Wilkes, and she then in-
formed him, with tears in her eyes, that she was
never married to her reputed husband, Wilkes.
Witness was formerly a surgeon, and Henry Wilkes
was a brother of his wife's. The accused always
went by the name of Ann Wilkes. Whether she had
been married or not, with respect to the property it
would have made no difference either way. She told
him that she was not married, and consequently her
name must have been Green. All four deceased
were, he believed, her children by Henry Wilkes.
She gave a list of their name from her Bible.
Harriet Fisher, of Exeter-row, saw the children
alive at the house of the mother on Friday night last,
between six and seven. o'clock. She called in con-
sequence of an invitation from Mrs. Wilkes. Was
with her not more than half an hour. The children
were all four playing on the hearth. They all
seemed quite well, and wished witness good night.
Did not observe anything particular about the mother
anything more than usual friendship. They spoke
chiefly respecting the growth of the children. While
there all the deceased went up to bed, and the mother
accompanied them with a candle, and apologised to
witness for doing so.

By a juror—Did not see any other person in the
house besides herself and her children.
By another juror—She did not appear in the
slightest degree excited.
By another juror—She did not send out for any ale
while witness was present.
Mr. Banks being again called, the family Bible
found in the house was produced, and witness swore
to the family register there found being in the hand-
writing of the litte Mr. Wilkes. It was as follows :
" John Henry, born Aug. 3, 1837; Mary Jane
Maria, born January, 1840; William Charles, born
October, 1841; and Frederick George, born July,
1843." From all witness had heard, he believed that
Mrs. Wilkes (as she was called) was married to
Henry Wilkes.

Elizabeth Hemming, the landlady of the White
Horse public-house in Cheapside—On Friday night
last Mrs. Wilkes came to my house about ten o'clock,
and purchased a quart of sixpenny ale. Did not
mark the time exactly. She took the ale home with
her. Saw nothing more of her that night. Did not
observe anything particular about her manner. She
generally came for half a pint at lunch time and half
a pint at supper time. A quart was more than she
usually had at night. Witness's house was nearly
opposite that of Ann Wilkes, but she could not see
into it so as to be able to say whether she had any
company. Ann Wilkes told her when she came in
that she was much tired, and that she had washed the
children and put them to bed.
By a Juror—Mrs. Wilkes paid for the beer. Did
not know that she had lodgers at any time.
By the Coroner—Had before known her to fetch a
quart of beer, but it was unusual for her to do so.

- William Edwards, of 8, Cheapside, deposed that
about half-past twelve o'clock the neighbourhood was
alarmed because the window-shutters of Ann Wilkes
were not opened, and in consequence he went to the
house, and saw that the key was inside the door.
The blinds were also down at both upstairs windows.
He tried the doors and windows, and found all fast.
He partially opened the shutter, and found that the
things were as they usually were, and by that he
knew that they had not " flitted." Some people
thought it would be best to break the door open, but
he (witness) got a ladder and got in at the front-
floor window. Everything there appeared to be very
comfortable and clean. He then proceeded upstairs
into the attic ; but when he got within two steps of
the top he saw Ann Wilkes lying on the
ground in a pool of blood, and the youngest
child, Frederick Wilkes, lying beside her. It
startled him, and he ran down stairs, exclaiming
to the people in the street, " Oh, good God !
they are all murdered " Wellings, the policeman,
and other persons speedily mounted the ladder and
proceeded up stairs. When he again went into the
room he saw the infant on the floor, and three other
children lying in the bed nearest the window. They
were covered with blood, but he could not say that
at the time he saw any wound. He raised Ann
Wilkes. She was still living, but very cold. The
childrenW
were all dead. When he raised the mother
up she began to struggle, and attempted to tear her
throat. He then ran for a surgeon as soon as pos-
sible,almost and Mr. Archer
ea a hia immediatelynder enteredehief to
thetbe
looked at the woun4lnh'e and after Mr. Archer had
throat of the woman
ahnik the
retied the handkerchief, and
Ann Wilkes was removedre hospital in a car.
,jllaee. l She received no in-
neverj\uVriytnieus sthtouok removal,her on
Tislepreaced on a bed. She
possibility
spoke on the road.
apparently for any person to havewgyiretairni the house
through the attic. Saw two razors
The bed in which Ann Wilkes usually lan; haidi.kepa.
parently been laid upon since it was last made. a-
- The examination of witnesses (many of whom
were to be called) was proceeding when our parcel
was made up.
The woman Wilkes is living, and there is a proba-
bility of her recovery.

The line between Bridlington and Filey was
opened on Monday.