The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-04 00:00:00

THE MURDER OF A STEPMOTHER.

Yesterday, at the Thames Police-court, William Red-
head, aged 18 years, was brought up on remand before
Mr. Lushington, charged with the wilful murder of Sarah
Redhead, his stepmother, at No. 80, Sidney-street, Step-
ney, on Monday afternoon last.
Mr. Charles Young, solicitor, appeared for the prisoner.
lie was instructed to defend the youth by Captain Munro,
of the 7th Tower Hamlets Volunteers. A gentleman repre-
senting the firm by whom the prisoner was employed was
also present, and manifested great interest on his behalf.
Mr. Robert Edward Swyer, surgeon, of the Mile-end-
road, said he had made a post-mortem examinatfon of the
body of the deceased. A bullet had fractured the tenth
rib, passed through the body, and lacerated the heart in
its passage, causing immediate death. From the position
of the wound he believed the deceased was coming down
Stairs, and as she turned the curve of the stairs she was
shot. The prisoner must have come out of his room and
fired at the deceased.
Mary Ann Morris, the wife of James Morris, labourer,
and living in the house where the murder was committed,
said she was on the landing on the top of the first-floor
stairs when the shot was fired. The deceased was walk-
ing down stairs, and had nearly reached the bottom, when
she was shot. The deceased had just left the room in
Which the witness lived, and followed her out of the room.
Directly afterwards she heard the report of a gun, and
Smoke ascended the staircase and deceased fell. The
Prisoner was standing up in his room close to the door
when she saw him.

Mr. Philip Norris Page, sergeant in the 7th Tower
Hamlets Rifles, said the prisoner was a member of that
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prisoner fired 20 of them at the range, and had 10 rounds
left. The prisoner returned eight of them, and fired two
for himself at practice.
Mr. Edward Worels, superintendent of the K division
of police, said that, after reading the charge to the pri-
soner at the station-house on Monday afternoon last, he
asked him if he had any answer to make, and his reply
was, " All that I can say is that my stepmother has been
very unkind to me and my sister. That is all I have to
say. ,
Annie Brighton, in addition to her former evidence,
said that when she stepped over the body of the deceased
after leaving her room, the feet were towards the stairs
and the head towards the street door, and she believed the
deceased fell off the last step.
Mr. Worels—That completes the case for the prosecu-
tion.

Mr. Charles Young.—l am entrusted with the defence
of this most unfortunate lad. lam aware that your wor-
BhiP has no alternative but to commit him for trial on the
grave charge of murder. I have numerous witnesses to
speak to the mild and inoffensive character of the pri-
soner, and his uniform good conduct in all the relations
of life, but I will not call them here. His employers
have also sent their representative to this court to speak
to his fidelity, honesty, and attention during the three
Fears he was in their service. The prisoner will reserve
ms defence.
Mr. Lushington com witted the prisoner for trial.

MADAME SAINTON-DOLBY.—On Monday next
Madame Sainton-Dolby, who for so many years has
Charmed the lovers of music by her pure and beautiful
style of singing, will take her farewell of the public at a
concert in St. James's Hall.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—The summer concert this
afternoon will be supported by the following artists :
Madame Lemmens-Sherrington, Mdlle. Louisa Cari,
Draseil, Mr. Sims Reeves, Signor Urio, Herr
,o,tockhausen, and (solo pianoforte) Chevalier Antonie de
-K-ontski. This is the last day of the exhibition of roses.
The gardens of Rockhills will be open for promenade.
TriE FLOWER SERMON.—The flower sermon will,
thisl.. year, be preached, at St. Katharine Cree, Leaden-
nall-street, as St. James's Church, is closed for the pre-
sent. This quaintly interesting service will commence at
seven o'clock, on Whit-Tuesday evening, and the sermon
will, as usual be preached by the Rev. Dr. Whittemore,
rector of St. James's. The young persons attending this
special service carry bouquets, and the sermon is on some
oral text. There is something both touching and encou-
I;aglng in the site of an old City church crowded to over-
blooming th these young laeople, whose eager and
ountenances are a flower-sermon in themselves.
--City pre,.
of NEW LIFE SAVING ANCHOR.—A renewed series
p, experiments with the " Rogers' projectile anchor for
t'it,e-preservig purposes" were made at Portsmouth, under
,ua official superintendence of Capt. H. Boys, commanding
ner Majesty's gunnery ship Excellent, which were attended
With
very satisfactory results as to the efficiency of the in-
vention and mode of application. An eight-inch ordinary
service mortar was 'used, and in the first experiment made a
Iprojectile anchor, weighing 1281 b., fitted with an expansive
v.I,K and carrying a rove one-inch line, was thrown 156
line
charge of Boz. of powder. By means of the
tore line a three-and-a-half-inch hawser was passed at a
continuous rope, the holding powers of the anchor an-
swering the test bus applied very satisfactorily In the
see"d experiment, an anchor of 1281 b in weight was propelled
in the of t, e water, by a powder charge of 8 oz., a an elevation
theue mortar of 38 degrees, to a distance of 152 yards from
I shore. By the aid of the whip-line a three-and-a-quar-
Xinch hawser was rove through the anchor block, and a
s launch, with ten men on board as the crow, but not
assisting in the hauling, was hauled out to over the spot
where he anchor held, and without tripping the anchor.
. third experiment consisted in throwing a cone and
is_c),ek weighing 401 b. a distance of 163 yards, the charge, as
B';rre, being Boz. of powder, and the elevation of the mortar
,og., a rove line being attached to the cone block. In
thrown
I urth experiment a cone and block weighing 841 b. was
lurnown 196 yards with Boz. of powder, and in the fifth and
p_cluding experiment the same cone and block was thrown
rude by a powder charge of 12 oz. In all the experi-
--Lents an inch rope was used as a whip line.