The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-28 00:00:00

MURDER AT SHAD WELL.

A brutal murder was committed on Friday evening in
a street called Blue-gate-fields, High-street, Shadwell, by
two women of the town, named Mary Long, alias Owen,
and'Hannah Covington, on a gentleman, aged GO, named
Thomas Briggs, who had for mtDy years resided at No.
18, Norfolk-street, Turner-street, Commercial-road, and
was the owner of many houses in the neighbourhood of
St. George's-in-the-East and Shadwell. It appears that
the mother of Long had been a tenant of the deceased,
who, a few months ago, distressed upon her for rent,
after she had removed from his house. The daughter
had frequently declared she would be revenged, and on
Friday evening she and Covington attacked him, when
leaving the house of one of his tenants, with such fero-
city that he died in a few minutes afterwards. Both pri-
soners have been known to the police for a considerable
time, and have repeatedly been in custody for outrages
and disorderly conduct. The deceased formerly car-
ried on business in High-street, Shadwell, and was a
remarkably stout heavy man ; he had not even
spoken to the women before they attacked him,
so that the offence was as brutal as it was unprovoked.
'When the prisoners were placed at the bar before the
Magistrate on Saturday at the Lambeth-street police-
office. .

Thomas Hill stated that he saw Mary Long come out
of a house in Blue-gate-fields, seize an old gentleman
who wore spectacles and shake him violently ; she then
beat him, exclaiming—" You arc the murderer of my
mother ;" he tried to get away but she followed him up
and struck him several severe blows with her fist on the
nose and mouth. Covington then came running towards
the gentleman and also struck him, then took his stick
from him and with one blow felled him to the ground.
Both prisoners afterwards kicked him on the body, and
he cried murder ; witness went to his assistance and
picked him up, but was driven off by the two women.
Finally Long by a blow of the fist drove the deceased
against the house of a woman named Harvey. Both
prisoners used horrible language to the deceased during
the whole time.

Mary Ann Harvey, of No. 9, Blue-gate-fields,
stated that deceased was her landlord, and had been
for his rent ; he had not left above five minutes when
she heard a noise in the street, and looking out to ascer-
tain, saw Mr. Briggs bleeding dreadfully, and in a very
exhausted condition ; the prisoners were close to him ;
she took him into the house, saw that he was becoming
black and blue, and thinking he was dying, sent for Mr.
Bird, surgeon, of Ratcliffe-highway, but before that
gentleman's arrival, the deceased dropped out of the
chair and expired.
Sarah Burgess, widow, deposed that she lived at No.
10, Blue-gate-fields, and heard the noise ; she looked out
and saw the old gentleman bleeding dreadfully from the
nose and mouth r Covington hit him on the head with a
stick, and said with a horrid oath—" If that won't do I'll
give you another ;" the blow seemed to stagger him ;
Long also struck the deceased on the face ; both prison-
ers used very bad language, and appeared very deter-
mined in their manner. The deceased was unable to
offer any resistance.

George Malin, a police constable, stated that he was
called by the boy Thomas Hill (the first wit-
ness), and went to Blue-gate-fields, where he found
Mr. Brings quite dead. He afterwards appre-
hended Long, saying he wanted her for ill-using
a gentleman and causing his death. The prisr:ner
exclaimed, "Me ! I know nothing 9)—out it."
He found marks of blood on her hand an, clothes,
which
she accounted for by saying she
mackerel. tad been dressing a

John Geary said he h.ard his sister call out, so he
went into the hotise and found Mr. Briggs on the .floor
quite
„dead.

Thorns: Squires, a policeman, produced the deceased's
sPect:ecles and stick, which he found in Blue-gate-fields ;
.►o took Covington into custody for the murder ; she said
she did not do it ; that Long did it, and that she would
net. be blamed for it. On her way from the station-house
to the. police-office a woman spoke to her, and Covington
said----;." What are you snivelling about ? I have only
given the old man a slap on the face."
Samuel Burgess stated that he saw Long go up to the
old gentleman and give him a terrible blow on the face.
Covington then came up and struck him ; he was imme-
diately covered with blood, and died within four minutes.
Mr. John William Bird, surgeon, of 104, Ratcliffe-
highway, was called in to see the deceased, who appeared
to have been dead about 15 or 20 minutes. Me examined
the body, in company with another medical man ; and,
on removing the scalp, a great quantity of extravasated
blood was discharged ; on opening the head he found
more extravasated blood than in any head he had ever
seen. The brain was in a very unhealthy state, the
blood-vessels gorged, and every appearance indicative
of a predisposition to apoplexy. There were marks of
violence on the deceased's person : the bridge of the
nose was broken, and there had been a severe blow on
the eye. He considered that a sudden concussion of the
brain, in the deceased's full habit, had caused the vessels
to give way, and produce immediate death.
The prisonErs, when asked if they had anything to
say, sobbed loudly, and made no reply.
The Magistrate said he should commit them for
trial for the murder of Mr. Briggs, but would remand
them for the present, as an inquest would necessarily be
held on the body.

WILFUL ATTEMPT 'TO DESTROY
THE PICTURES AT THY', ROYAL ACADEMY.
(mom A. CO:MIESPONDENT.)
An infamous and. 'wanton attempt to destroy several
of the Pictures it the present exhibition, at the Royal
Academy, it
night la Trafalgar-square, was discovered on Friday
It would appear that it is the custom of the
°lii",:rs of this Institution, to visit all the rooms after the
company have retired. In doing so on Friday night, one
of the porters remarked that a picture of Mr. Simpson's,
" Mary Queen of Scots going hawking," had a suspicious
appearance, and upon a closer inspection, discovered
that the eyes in every one of the figures por-
trayed upon the canvas had been removed by
a penknife, or some other sharp instrument.
The detection of this rascally act naturally caused an
alarm for the safety of the other pictures in the collec-
tion; and a diligent scrutiny was at once instituted.
The result, we regret to say, was, in ascertaining tint
the " Italian Peasants," by Mr. M'lnnes, and a " Por-
trait of a Baronet," upon panel, by Mr. Corbett, had
been also injured. Mr. M'Clise's picture of " Hunting
the Slipper" has been injured in like manner ; !rat
this, together with " the Italian Peasants " and " Mary
Queen of Scots," are not beyond repair, but it's feared
that the work of art by Mr. Corlett is too
much injured to permit of restorations tilese outrages
have caused much excitement both out of doors and in
the Council of the Royal Acade':ay, and it has been at
onCe•determined to institute the strictest watchfulness,
and to cause to be punish with all the severity that the
law will permit, any 'cbrson detected in an act which re-
flects the greatest disgrace upon the country. A rail
should be placed around each apartment, which would
not only assist to protect the works entrusted for exhibi-
tion, but be a focal point for the view of the visitors.