The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-03 00:00:00

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being murdered. That was the first discovery of iC ,
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Mr. Garner said that he (the witness) must bring %!,,a,-,-,
that friend forward at the adjourned inquiry. The ;„44-,iii;& . 'di'
witness replied that he would. (The witness left the

room.)
The CORONER here inquired of the officer who had
the accused in custody, if she was present ?
Policeman Haynes, G 155, said that she was not.
He had the accused in custody in the cell.
CORONER—What did she say ? Witness—She
asked me if I was not afraid to sit with her ; when I
replied that I was not. She then looked at her hands
several times, after which, she exclaimed, "Is it
possible that I could have committed such a crime ?"
CoaoNEß—Did she say how she did it, or make
any confession ? Witness—No, sir.
The CORONER here observed that he should then
adjourn the inquiry to Monday next, and that in the
meanwhile he should issue his order to have the
bodies of the children opened. He thought it ma-
terial in a case of that importance, where there were
marks of violence from which to infer a cause of
death, that post mortem examination should take
place.
The jury said that they entirely concurred with the
suggestions of the Coroner.
The inquiry was then adjourned until Monday (this
day).

FRIGHTFUL SUICIDE OF A
TRADESMAN AND HIS WIFE.
Throughout yesterday the greatest excitement
prevailed in the neighbourhood of Fitzroy-square, in
consequence of a report being generally circulated
that Mr. Alexander Toms Williams, proprietor of
the Star Coffee-house, Cleveland-street, had been
found during the night by his wife hanging in his
bed-room, and that she having alarmed the inmates,
then rushed down stairs into the shop, where she
destroyed herself by nearly severing her head from
her body with a razor. The report was unhappily
found to be too true. The deceased Mr. Williams,
who was only 31 years of age, was formerly a sergeant
in one of the regiments of the line, and subsequently
a constable in the E division of police, which he
left about ten months ago, and with his wife, who
was three years his senior, and to whom he seemed
much attached, took the above premises. They
there carried on a good business, which daily seemed
to increase, and which, from having had no family,
their whole time was devoted to, living apparently on
the happiest terms. The deceased Mr. Williams was
atintervals low spirited, for what reason or cause is at
present unknown, while, on the contrary, his ill-fated
wife was always possessed of a flow of good spirits.
On Saturday the business was conducted by both the
deceased as usual up to a few minutes to twelve o'clock
at night, when the time of closing being near, the
last customer, a man named Taylor, left the shop,
wishing them " good night," to which they (having
for some time previously been laughing and joking
together) responded. The male deceased was heard
to enter his bed room, the first floor back room,
about half-past twelve, and in a quarter of an hour
afterwards a lodger in the house, named Mathews,
who was in bed, was alarmed by Mrs. Williams ex-
claiming, " Williams has hung himself." lie in-
stantly arose, and as quick as possible hastened to
deceased's apartment, where he found Mr. Williams
hanging by a cord tied round his neck, and fastened
to the top rails of the bedstead, but Mrs. Williams
was not there. Having cut deceased down, other
lodgers went to his assistance, and Dr. Hatfield, re-
siding at No. 41 in the same street, was sent for, who
promptly attending, pronounced life to be extinct.
Up to that time Mrs. Williams not making her ap-
pearance, and no answer being returned on calling
her by name, search was made for her, and on enter-
ing the shop a horrible sight presented itself. The
deceased woman was found at the extreme end of the
shop, lying on her back, on a mat, in a pool of blood,
which was then flowing from a frightful wound in
her throat, extending nearly from ear to ear, and a
razor, with which the suicidal act had been committed,
open by her side. The cause of the double crime of
self-murder cannot be conjectured. Information of
the lamentable and shocking affair was last night
communicated to Mr. Wakley, M.P., the coroner of
he district, and the bodies await an inquest.

DELIBERATE MURDER NEAR
N AIL SEA, SOMERSETSHIRE.
WESTTOWN, JAN. I.—An inquest was commenced
at noon this day, before R. Uphill, Esq., Coroner,
and a respectable jury, on the body of a man named
John Wall, who was murdered in the most cold-
blooded manner, in his own house, and in broad
daylight.
The jury having been sworn, proceeded to view the
body, but it was subsequently found necessary to ad-
journ the inquest in order to admit of a post mortem
examination of the body, and to procure the attend-
ance of the magistrate's clerk, who had taken a dying
deposition of the murdered man, but the facts, as
they have been deposed to, are as follows :—The
deceased, who was a man of inoffensive character, and
steady and industrious habits, occupied a cottage and
some garden ground, which is situated midway be-
tween this village and the Nailsea-road, and his wife
hooka a dull in 44., Bristol market. The
motive which led to the perpetration of the
daring deed which resulted in his death is
supposed to have been plunder. The un-
happy man had been fattening some pigs, which it was
understood among his neighbours, he intended dispos-
ing of shortly before quarter-day, for the purpose of
paying his rent, and it is believed that his murderers
thought that he had the proceeds of the sale in the
house, and that had they killed him on the spot, they
would live rifled his house. At about a quarter past
three o'clock on the 18th of December, it being then
broad daylight, the deceased man was in the sitting
room of his cottage, and his wife being absent on
some temporary occasion, he was engaged in watch-
ing a saucepan in which some food for the pigs
was preparing. He was in a stooping position
before the fire, and in the act of lifting the saucepan
from the bars, when he heard the crack of a pane
in the window which was about a yard and a half
distance from where he stood. Upon looking round
and seeing a gun pointed through the broken
glass, he started to his feet and immediately heard
the report of fire-arms, and received the charge
(which had evidently been aimed at, and but for his
sudden change of position would probably have en.
tered his head), on the inward part of his thigh. The
account which the wounded man was enabled to give
of the occurrence, and the minuteness with which he
described the person of the fellow whom he saw
through the window, led to a suspicion against a
family named Manfield, the younger members of
which had long been suspected of various lawless
proceedings in the neighbourhood. Upon inquiries
being instituted, the suspicion was strengthened by
the fact of some of them having fled the place. Intel-
ligence was immediately communicated to the con-
stables of the neighbouring villages, and on the follow
ing Monday Charles Manfield, a youth of some 16 or
17 years old, was apprehended by Mr. Day, the con-
stable of Nailsea, who also found the gun with which
the offence was perpetrated, and traced it into his
possession. Upon being taken into the presence of
Wall, he at once identified him as the one he had
seen gazing through the casement. The injured man
lingered on till the evening of the 27th, when lock-
jaw came on, and on Wednesday night last he ex-
pired from the effects of the wound. While in cus-
tody the prisoner, C. Manfield, did not deny his
participation in the crime, but said his was not the
hand that fired the gun, and that he ought not to go
to prison alone. Upon being asked who ought to
accompany him, he said, " My cousin," alluding to a
young man who is said to be his half-brother, named
Robert Jakeways. He stated at another time, that
they were out in the grounds with the gun shooting
blackbirds and thrushes, when Jakeways said, " Come,
and let us shoot the old fellow," and they then went
to the cottage garden, and Jakeways put in the gun
and shot him, and he looked through the window
afterwards to see if he was dead. Wall then said to
them, " Thee hasn't done it," upon which they all ran
off, and as Jakeways could not run so fast as him,
he took the gun from him. He further said that his
younger brother, Anthony, was with them, and that
in order to have the place clear to shoot Wall, they
told him to go into an orchard and get them some
christmas, as they were going to shoot a wild duck
down by the drain, and that he went away from them
accordingly.

TOWN AND COUNTRY; OR, THE DAYS OF THB
REGENCY. BY MRS. Titor.LoPE.—The Court of George
the Fourth (while he was Prince Regent) bai attained
considerable celebrity for the gaiety, splendour! Ind
elegance which were so peculiarly its characteristics.
s
It likewise became somewhat notorious for
esp
thecondaizczulionusg
dissipation which infested it, owing to h
example of its accomplished andseductive
no leader.
scandal
period was indeed a remarkable one, and we rejoice to
see that Mrs. Trollope has given, certainly
about Queen Elizabeth,". but sparkling and vivid sketches
of courtly society and life during the renowned regency.
This delightful and very. clever novel is not, however,
occupied exclusively with such subjects. Admirable
descriptions of town and country society, in its widely-
varying phases and characteristics, are given in the
authoress's happiest style. On the one side are the
Regent and his courtly associates, admirers, and the
fashionable world in general: on the other, the very per-
fection of rural simplicity, happiness, and purity of
nature. The contrast is maintained very cleverly
throughout, and produces constant and powerful effect.
The volumes will be assuredly perused with eagerness
and deep interest.—Morning Paper.
DARING ROBBERY AT MR. FARREN'S,' THE CO-
MEDlAN.—lnformation was received by the police on.
Saturday, that between nine and ten o'clock that fore-,
noon, a most daring robbery of plate was committedat
the residence of Mr. W. H. Farren, the well-knownt
commedian, 30, Brompton-square. The robbery is be-
lieved to have been committed by two young men with.
hare-skins, who were seen to enter by the area gate,,
which, as well as the area door, was left open, and who
left a hare-akin behind them Mille area.