The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-17 00:00:00

THE MURDERS At MIRFIELD.

APPREHENSION OF ANOTHER OF TIIE SUPPOSED MUR-
DERERS.—HUDDEIISFIELD, FRIDAY.—The murders of Mr.
Wraith, his wife, and servant girl, at the village of Mirfield,
which are almost unequalled in England's calendar of crime
for atrocity and cruelty, have produced the most thrilling
sensation throughout the county. The unfortunate creatures
sacrificed were (excepting the servant girl) between seventy
and eighty years of age. They were much respected, being
quiet inoffensive people. The house which they inhabited,
and where the horrid crime was perpetrated, stands in a
somewhat secluded spot, about one hundred and fifty yards
from the public road, and no other building near for
some two hundred yards. Mr. Wraith is known to have
possessed a considerable sum of money in the house,
which cannot now be found, leaving no doubt that plunder
was the object of the murderers, for it is pretty evident that
more than one was engaged in the bloody affair. The hor-
rible appearance of the sufferers can never be effaced from
the memory of those who saw them. The skull of each was
beaten to pieces, the jaws driven in, throats cut, the arms of
the two females fractured, and the fingers broken to pieces,
as if the arms and hands had in vain been raised to protect
the head from the fearful blows of the inhuman wretches.
The sight was most horrifying. In places where the bodies
lay were pools of blood, in which the teeth and brains of the
deceased were lying. Amongst the first to enter the house
after the discovery of the murder was Mr. Kennel, the land-
lord of the King's Head, at Mirtield, who states the drawers
and boxes in the house were open and had been ransacked,
and the blinds had been drawn down and pinned together,
to prevent persons looking in. The mother of the poor
servant girl, Caroline Ellis, on hearing of their shocking fate
swooned, and died the following day. On Friday, Mr.
Superintendent Green apprehended an Irishman named
Patrick Reid,:who was:seen, in company with M'Cabe (already
in custody), near the house at the time the murder must
have been going on. Marks of blood were found on his
clothes, and the police are in possession of circumstances
which will in a great measure be the means of unravelling
the mystery that at present exists. Both the prisoners are
imprisoned at Dewsbury Lock-up, in charge of four police
constables.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.—The great claims which
Mr. Wallace has upon the public will, this evening, meet
theii ample reward, for there can be no question of his benefit
being an overflow—his own beautiful opera of Maritana, and t he
aid of all the principal artistes in London, being called into
requisition on this very interesting occasion.
PORTSMOUTH, MAY 14.—R'ING'S ROOMS, SOUTH-
SEA.—THE BACHELORS' BALL.—This reunion, which had
been looked forward to with so much eagerness, came off in
great style this evening. The rooms, which are of large
dimensions, were on this occasion increased by the colon-
nades being enclosed and made to form a supper room, at
once elegant and commodious. By a little after ten nearly
all the Rite of Portsmouth and its vicinity were assembled,
and dancing was kept up with great spirit till nearly four in
the morning, a fact that tells " trumpet-tongued" how much
the assembled parties appreciated the happy though fleeting
moments. Fiske, of Southampton, furnished the refresh..
ments, which consisted of the usual delicacies, and the band
of the 43d Regiment was in attendance during the whole of
the night, and gave the highest satisfaction, their melodious
and inspiring strains giving additional grace and agility to
the danseurs. We hope ere long to see in the same place a
similar assemblage of rank and beauty. A report has been
circulated that the Portsmouth Theatre was to be purchased
by Government, for the purpose of being pulled down, in
order to enlarge the Cambridge Barracks; and a weekly
paper asserts that the theatre was sold by auction on Wed-
nesday last, but no such circumstance took place. The
theatre is not likely, at least at present, either to be taken
down or sold.

We understand that the Commissioners of Customs
have at present under their consideration some rather exten-
sive alterations in that department of the public service, with
a view to giving greater facilities to trade. It is said that one
of the first changes will be the earlier attendance of such in-
door officers and clerks as at present attend from ten to four,
summer and winter; while the officers connected with the
outdoor appartments attend from eight to four in summer
and from nine to four in winter (viz., from Ist Nov. to Ist
March). An addition to these hours was contemplated, but
is said to be abandoned, as were such carried into effect, the
time that would necessarily be required in the middle of the
day for dinner would so much interfere with business, par-
ticularly on the silk or examination floors, where all the
fancy and high-duty goods are cleared, it hasbeen considered
that the facilities for passing entries, reporting and clearing
ships, two hours earlier than at present will meet the views
of those of the public more particularly interested—viz., the
wharfingers, who represent the mercantile community upon
the present occasion. This willprevent an addition to the bur-
dens of the country by an allowance to any more officers than FUNERAL OF THE LATE DUKE OF ARGYLE --
are necessarily required (for extra attendance); besides, the
present high prices of all descriptions of human food mast On Tuesday the remains of the late Duke of Argyle were
conveyed from Inverary Castle and deposited in the family
preclude the possibility of the labouring classes from pur
chasing sustenance requisite to enable them to bear up under
of vaultp people
0 of fl a Kt
ohi 1
ampdauynta
.. a
,stheoveme Earlylnto inlmoi
ocat
mark
the
Inverary,morningo
pe largeboe
ultmpt
bbel
ayi
rgctdel'hnen cifaTdunire
heNs,iae.
the extra fatigue lengthened hours would entail uponthem.
k A. 31 , the coffin containing Few persons unacquainted with the lock or wharf andquy
work can form the slightest
stnedrroDo
nu
dkeewdwhasbicyhbt.rntoheunegehhwpitreaooefiutmasnoosgufi,orntnheefrosc:stthelgdoe
e rlea large
offered labour which the poor ill-clad,. half-fed classes who are i"5 to th
employed have to endure—a visit to that great butter..nmart,
n ladies
g heb
olaouwfrintnhge
ghenoutryseh. olpd,raaynedrs
were
anMrd.
wSmaiikthed, odfolwnnvertaoryh,
eaftsteear m
-boats i
a Brewer's
butter-laden Quay, .
hLioaper,e willT Thames-street,
convince
a -
on
ics
net;
aneyt,waod
away
theerw:irtohw e
slavery
unfeeling
obduratel aui
in the
dense concourse of people, most of whom were dreassrsdedtihnin:
Westhis feelinfa may e,leftuntoucheda the subject of white
.irrnhge.
steamersT he procpesoslipohni
n,cra. amounted
sht ocas abouttle,
Indies, we have
slavery at home.—Herald.
ddievefiumaolurns.
FATAL AcCIDENT ON THE RlVER.—Yesterday
Dunrobin Castle, were chartered to conveyi the funeral com-
(Sunday) afternoon, at half-past two, the following fatal
pally to the place of sepulture. The coffin was taken on
and melancholy accident occurred at Battersea :—Two gen-
tlemen, one named Meeson (a member of the Thetis Club), board the Dophin, and deposited in the after part of the
and a friend of his named Bownes, took the club wherry, and cabin where it lay in state surrounded by the distinguished
started in it from Lambeth on their way to Putney. There relatives of the deceased and a body of Highlanders. The
was a strong wind from the west, and the swell was very vessels In Inverary harbour had their colours half-mast high,
heavy on " shooting" Battersea-bridge; the surf was very and the various vessels which met the steamers in their course
. high, and their boat, light and uncovered, dipped three to Kihnun, also lowered their colours as they passed. The
times in succession, filled, and upset. Mr. Meeson clung steamers proceeded through the Kyles of Bute with a fair
to the stern, and Mr. Bownes also gained firm hold, but passage, and arrived in the Holy Loch a few minutes before
feeling confidence in his powers as a swimmer, and anxious two o'clock, where a large assemblage of people, amounting
to secure a safer position for his friend, he bid him " hold
fast," and struck out for the shore, which most unhappily to about 2,000 from Glasgow and the surrefuTdingte crneari,
were in waiting to witness the laasttti
.freanntaond departed
was
Breat-
he never reached. Mr. Meeson maintained his hold for ten ness. The forenoon of the day
g rained without intermission
minutes, and was eventually picked up by Hawkins, the very unpropitious,
captain of the Citizen, passing at
,the time, who conveyed
him to the White Hart, Chelsea, where prompt assistance gers was notnwzore
;t and
iittw hadohcwoanvdsiengvenraetblyeenthe concourse
the
morningoetrimo.f.
favourable. By the time the funeral
was afforded him. Some idea of the roughness of the reach for several hour:
procession day
had disembarked. the weather had cleared up, and
may be gathered from the fact that in a race between three rem;
four-oared boats, two while contesting filled and sunk; the mist began to roll upwards from the hills, and the
loss of life, however, ensued. afternoon turned out agreeable and pleasant ; every eminence
Corrunna, the landieannogfdoAbfreggtyhaelne fbtuoenimnergoavleehtrtieaofi:m,. About twenty minutes
respectably dressed people, anxiously awaiting
DEPARTURE OF THE FOR.EIGN MAILS.—The r ?sit:
oardlonegrlythanedlinresepof procession waasroduosrnectehurpe.ied by crowds of
lowing notice was issued on Saturday at
Voffiigeoe,,OSpot.rtMo, Martin's
-,le
iGardaenirad:Tvzl TLlTsbmona,ilsCafdoriz, and Gib- past two o'clock the procession was arrangeednHuraocvnhin,tgbhiesrepGaiecrrhaec4
at hpe
acno coffin
impressive having b been de si t
rafter, will be made up tKiheimDanui
(this morning),
Neat packet due, .
by
the Iberia steamer. The the burial vault, situated behind the church of Rilmun, and
the 17th Tesita.
Southampton). . .
h and foreign colonies in the
mails for Madeira, the Brit's
to be forwardeddeday tinheereMiaedgri,
ed►th R D ' 9
fervent prayer. Immediately after
, e ev. r. M Leal offered
and
asmaliptaretylluofket„heLiradirvieEnmdzalefCt atmhepbegrllo,uMrnds.inßotnhareir,
West Indies (except Mexico,mu up
Venezuela, Bermuda, HenddurNasycaranagduaH a van
Grenadesn a_h ) ,
the funeral h
carriages and the company
Chili, and Peru, will Sanadejesnon tehe miorning,of the 17th
to be forwarded by the Thames
Next packet due, on the 22d. • f„,,,,
re-embarked on board the Dol..
steamerinstant (frtohmis
America, and the United
Bermuda, British North. States, on phin, the Craignish Castle, and the Danrobin Castle, for
, their several destinations.—North British Mail.
Southampton. ialningbel;ton.
evening of the 18th instant (to-morrow), to be conveyed
they the Hibernia steamer via Liverpool, Halifax, and Boston. NUMEROUS ROBBERIES.—On Saturday information
Next packet due, the Caledonia steamer, on the 30th inst.
Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the lonian Islands, Egypt, Aden, was received of the following robberies .—From Mr. lies-
Ceylon India, Hong-Kong, and China, on the m • keth, in the Edgware-road, a purse, containing thirteen so-
Thursday, the 20th inst., to be forwarded by the Rion0111113 g o
steamer, via Southampton. By the fortnightlyoverland vereigns ; from the office of the terminus of the railway,
Brighton, the property of the Brighton Railway Company,
Lilly-boy Sarah, lying off the Rose
closed mail to the Mediterranean, Egypt, India,s4 the and Crown-stairs, Shad Thames, the property
of 'William
evening andseals ; from MT
evening of the 24th instant, via Marseilles.
Wake, a silver watch, No. 951,
THE DESPERATE ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE IN THE
silver spoons, quantity of tobacco, sugar, and clothes, be-
CITY. —On Saturday 8 •
the police as to the foreigner who, on Thursday, cut his a
ome information was circulated by longing to lodgers;ingoi
Tavern,n-1 irtn d
Goodfellow's, the Waterman's s, Lower Shadwell, several
l fromd; froMmr. the Howell's,
Thatchedthe ITaad
House-
a quantity of silver plate and
Holborn, 6Ol. throat in Princes-street, in tll City nd has since been lying
in St. Bartholomew's Hospital in a'dangerous state. It had eT. H. I. ; from Mr. Brown, of South-
' been ascertained that his name is Halentine Legg, a nativeof amlinen,
in a house in Leman's-pond, Southwark, 27 Bove.
-"any. and that he had been only a few days in London. reigns, six 5L and four 101. Bank of England notes; and
,Rne,d
mLiaornk-esdtreer, Holborn,
Get.._ -c abode was not certainly known, but was believed from Mrs. Gullives, 51, Trafalgar-square, Walworth, 50 so-
His
82.1.,nd 10s. in silver, and a quantity of plate, marked
place ~,. -bbourhood of Holborn. He is described
to be in the neig..... see feet eight inches in height, with aS. A. O."
about 45 years of age,,.. l'ag blue jacket. ., MILL STOPPAGE IN WAKEITELD.—We regret to
light brown hair, and wore a u.-, e-si•provisions of stii --rn that the extensive worsted mill of Mr. Samuel Lee,
A high price is demanded 1.-
.... alb. household , "-- operations on Tuesday
rhomae-laue, Wakefield, suspended
be
will thrown out of
resent time. The ---
__,,„ • -beef ,t 200 hands
last. We hen that about kinds in Stamford at
loaf is 111., the p
fine, 111—;
and 10d per lb• • Mabtl" "1 6141°Yaelati by "" - • 9d. • .
7d. and 7 fanacon,.
__. .
la mutton, 7d. and 8d• Pr 14. 4, $
ae
ire
per peeteandi VirOnidee vereign.
=Spec D after Won
Led otePPage--- 0" •