The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-14 00:00:00

THE ALLEGED MURDER IN SPITALFIELDS.—Ann
Linner, alias Nance Ruffey, who had been remanded
from last Monday upon a charge of stabbing a young
Irishman, named Daniel Crawley, was placed at the bar
before Mr. Broughton for re-examination, charged now
with wilful murder, the man having died last Saturday
in the London Hospital.
The deceased, it may be remembered, stated in his
dying deposition that, about one o'clock iu the morning
of Sunday se'nnight, he went into the prisoner's shop,
in Spitalfields, to purchase some cooked meat, which
was cut for him by an Irishman, a stranger to him, who
was then with the prisoner. The latter told him the
price of the meat was 2id., and he said he had not
enough by a farthing, but he would call as he passed by
and pay the farthing. The prisoner, however, took the
knife rrom the Irishman and thrust it into him, saying,
"Take that you -." He declared that he had not
uttered a word more to provoke her.
Sergeant King now informed the magistrate that he
had cot the Irishman spoken of by the deceased, and
another man also present as witne.;ses, but he was sorry
to say that they were under the influence of liquor.
George Brown, who seemed half stupfieti with drink,
was tin n examined. He said he knew the prisoner, but
could not now tell the name of the street in which she
lived. On the Saturday evening before last he went into
the shop between the hours of seven and eight, to get
something to eat, and he remained about the r-hop until
about half-past one. He was standing behind the counter
with the prisoner, when the man now dead came in and
ordered a quarter of a pound of meat, which the prisoner
asked witness to cut for him. He accordingly cat and
weighed it, and the prisoner said the price of it was 2.4 d.
The deceased put only 2d. into the hand of the witness,
who placed the money on the counter, but the prisoner
said that was not the price. The deceased said t‘s wit-
ness, " It's all right, is it not ?" and leaning upon the
counter endeavoured to persuade the prisoner that he
had paid for it. She said that he had not, and should
not have it till he paid 2id. ; and putting her hand to-
wards his face, called him a blackguard, and told him to
be off, and that she did not want his custom. She after-
wards took up the carving knife now produced, and cut
a bit of the meat off, telling witness that he had cut too
much, and he then saw her strike the deceased with the
carving knife, saying, at the same time, " There's the
ha'porth for you." The deceased clapped his hand to
his breast, and the witness then saw the blood gush out
between his fingers.

In cross-examination he said that the deceased did use
abusive language to the prisoner.
The magistrate was informed that the surgeons were
that day making their post mortem examination prepara-
tory to the inquest being held, and he remanded the pri-
soner for a week.

WANDSWORTH.
OVER-VIGOROUS EXECUTORS.—Mr. Richard Brown,
of 7, Chapel•street, Edgware-road, baker, and Mr.
Edward Dell, of 18, Titchfield-street, Marylebone,
agent, were charged with having broken into the house
of Ellen Darby, a poor widow living in the Bridge-
road, Battersea. _ _

Mrs. Darby, who is an aged woman, very deaf, and
who was greatly a4it3ted, said that about half-past ten
that morning the two prisoners and another man came
with a van to take her goods away. She had rented the
house for 33 years, and had paid her last quarter's rent.
Brown, finding the street-door faster.ed, took a pickax
from Dell and broke it open, as also another inner door.
She previously told him not to do it, and to go to her
solicitor.

Mr. CLIVE wished to know why the defendants should
have resorted to so extraordinary a proceeding.
The complainant said that her son, who had been for
some time insane, died on the 27th of August. and made
a will, leaving to a woman he was living with, and her
sister, a house in James-street, Chelsea, and some of the
furniture in her (complainant's) house. She had a li, n
of 61. upon the furniture, and she had been told by her
solicitor to resist any attempt on the part of the execu-
tors to obtain possession.
The defendant (Brown) said, he was one of the execu-
tors. and produced a probate of the will. He said he
had been authorised to do what he did by Mr. Tibbs,
of Doctor's Commons, who told him if he found the front
door closed to force it open with his foot.
Mr. CLIVE said Mr. Tibbs was wrong in giving such
advice, and defendant equally so in following it.
Joseph Larkin, a neighbour, said, had he not fetched
the police the poor woman would have been deprived of
everything.
Mr. CLIVE remarked, that it was monstrous for the
defendants to suppose they could force a door open with
a pickaxe; and the consequence of this proceeding on
their part would be, that if the complainant thought fit
to bring an action against them a jury would give very
heavy damages. The only question he had to deal with
was the act of wilful damage, and to ascertain the amount
done he would remand them to Wednesday, and they
must find good bail to appear on that day.
It was ultimately arranged that the defendants should
enter into their own recognisances of 10/. each to appear
on Wednesday, and in the meantime, if the damage was
repaired, and the complainant satisfied, there would be
no necessity for their attendance.