The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-08 00:00:00

THE ATROCIOUS OUTRAGE IN

WESTMINSTER.

William I uff, alias William Mantleld, was placed in the dock at.
Westminster Police-court, charged with throwing a woman out of
window. He is a fellow of Herculean stature and ferocious aspect.
Margaret M'Lean, examined be Mr. W. Taylor, the chief clerk—
I live at No. 3, Pear-street, Westminster. Tuesday night, at eight
o'clock, I heard a woman, who lives in the next room to me,
screaming violently. I immediately went to her door and saw the
prisoner with a poker in his hand. He had hold of her by the hair
of the head, and I saw hint strike her on the head with the poker,
and her head bled very much. I was very much frightened. I
heard the woman call for a policeman several times as loud as she
could.
Sarah Green sworn—l am a charwoman, and live in the same
house as the injured female. I heard such violent screams as in-
duced me to go to her room. I saw the prisoner beating the woman
with his fists, and I tried to get her out. She was covered with
blood. The prisoner struck me in the face, and finding I could not
get her out of the room I went down stairs. As I was going down,
I heard the prisoner say, " You —1 I'll throw you out of the
window " And I had scarcely entered my own room, when I saw
the poor woman fall past the window into the yard.
Thomas Carter sworn—l heard a noise up stairs, and saw a female
fall past my window into the yard. I then ran into the yard and
found her lying near the waterbutt, on her back. She was bleeding
from the nose; she never spoke, and I thought she was dead. I, with
assistance, conveyed her to the hospital.
Mr. Taylor—Did you see anything of the prisoner ?
Witness—He was looking out of the window. In answer to my
inquiry of how it happened, he said if she had behaved herself it
would not have occurred.

Police-constable Robert White, 100 B sworn—l took the prisoner
into custody at a quarter-past eight o'clock. He was not sober, but
knew what he did. He was sitting with a knife in his hand, and
said ho wotild run it through the first who came into the room. I
struck him on the wrist with my truncheon, and he let the knife fall.
I then, with the assistance of another constable, gothim down stairs.
'He was very violent.
Witness produced a brick covered with the unfortunate woman's
hair and blood, which he found in the yard; also some crockery,
covered with blood, which he found in the room.

--Thepii;;ersaid—l came home from work at the House of Lords
at half-past six o'clock, but could not get in. I went out again, and
returned at eight o'clock. Finding I could not get in, I then burst
the door open, and in live or ten minutes afterwards she came in. I
said, " These are flue goings on, Lizzy," and she was very abusive.
I then hit her beside the head, when she began blaokguarding me,
and I struck her again. She then laid hold of my linger and bit it.
I then sat on the bed, and she made a bolt towards the window, and
I fetched her back. The knife was at that time lying by my side. I
next went to the cupboard to get some victuals. I turned round, and
she was gone out of the window. I was going down stairs when a
party knocked me down, and I became senseless. I know nothing
more about it. I deny throwing her out of the window.
_

Certificates frOm Nir. Wlldboie, the house-surgeon at Westminster
l'lospital, dated May 5 and 6, were then handed in. They stated that
the poor woman was in an insensible and very dangerous state.
Mr. Taylor intimated to the magistrate that an important witness,
who had seen the prisoner take the woman round the waist and
throw her out of the window, was not in
.attendance, and asked
for a remand.

The prisoner was remanded until this day week.
The unfortunate victim was, at a late hour last evenin
less condi Jr, in e hope-
tion.

ADELPHI THEATRE.—Mr. Worrell took his annual
benefit on Wednesday to an overflowing house. Paul Bedford and
Wright were as funny as usual, and Miss Woolgar played and looked
as bewitching as ever. The performances gave very general satisfac-
tion throughout.
THE FRENCH IN LONDON.—The annual general
meeting of the French Philanthropic Society, founded live years ago,
under the patronage of their Majesties the King and neen of the
French, the Queen of the Belgians, all the Princes and
P Qrincesses of
the Royal Family of France, and the French Ambassador, took place
on Sunday last at the Hanover Rooms. The report read to the nu-
merous assembly showed, that during the ing en of
May inst., the receipts amounted to 1,0721. year 19s. end
3d. Th the 3d
at relief in
money, bread, or the means of returning to France bad been
given to
the amount of 1,9161. lis. 2d., and that the society had still remaining
In the hands of their trustees 1,1421. 16s. Id., and in the hands of the
treasurer 561. 11s. Id. After the report the subscribers proceeded
to the choice of seven members in the place of those retiring by
ballot. The nomination of President and Vice Presidents Mewed.
The candidates for the presidence were Count d'Orsay and Mr. 1
Vouillon : Mr. Vouillon was elected President, Mr. tlautier, Chan-
cellor of the Consulate, and Mr. Hubert, Vice-Presidents. Thanks
were voted to the chairman, and the members retiring, and the
mull broke uporitb 4 tiromlae -from all priptirnt tb prqmotl the, Tfaeir OrtanknittirM.

THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH AT

BROMLEY.

'I he jurymen so often assembled met for, we believe, the_ldtit
time, yesterday, in the Swan Inn, Bromley, for the purpose of corning
to a decision on the mysterious circumstances attending the death of
Harriet Monkton, who was (as our readers may remember) found
dead in a water-closet attached to Verulam Chapel, in this town.
The position of the deceased led to the inference that some foul play
had been perpetrated, and an inquiry was consequently set on foot,
which involved (to use the mildest term) some of the more important
personages connected with the religious denomination to which the
deceased belonged. This fact had in a great measure prolonged the
inquiry, and added, in an eminent degree to the interest felt upon the
snbject, which interest has been, if possible, increased by the an-
nouncement that another witness, who could throw some light on the
matter, was to be examined,
At about half-past 10 o'clock, W. J. Carttar, Esq., Coroner for the
Western Division of Kent, took his seat. The names of the jail'
men having been called over,
Frances Williams (the new witness) said, that on the last occasion
on which she saw Miss Monkton, Thomas Churcher had called on
her before they had finished tea. Miss Churcher also called.
and she (witness) sent Thomas Churcher out for some gin:
giving- him a stone bottle. The deceased had left before i"
was brougot in, and Thomas Churcher left as soon as he had
brought it. He afterwards returned, and said that he
had forgotten some biscuits which he ought to have left before. Wit-
ness, going to post with's letter, looked at the clock, and found It was
eight o'clock. He (ThOmas Churcher) did not sit down; he said
that he was going home to bed, and wondered why the deceased did
not come back. Witness did not take the letter, and Churcher did.
Witness had asked the deceased to return for the letter, but she did
not so return. She had a perfect recollection of deceased not return-
ing for the letter, and her giving it to Thomas Churcher as it was
striking eight o'clock. She knew it could not be nine, because then it
would be too late for post. He made no other observation than that
he should not wait, as she (the deceased) had not returned.
uaenswonerseydro inin thelr rnegcAatßiTv.
ARTe ,
The Cosorma questioned the witness as to whether she had had
any communication with any person in Bromley since the first
inqlunirayn,swaned,
to wasqsti
the witness said that
she recollected no conversation with Thomas Churcher further
than charging her (the deceased) with unkindness in not coming
back. On an after occasion Thomas Churcher said that it
was not necessary for her to mention his name. The de-
ceased was in the habit of going to the schoolroom to take back the
books. She (witness) acted as librarian, and was therefore obliged
to keep an account, and the only communication between her.
cell'
and deceased was that she requested her to " keep the hooka
tidy." She went to the library afterwards, and found
that the deceased had not kept them so. She knew
Mrs. Sharpe, and if Mrs. Sharpe had stated to the jury
that she (witness) had said that Thomas Churcher had asked her to
conceal his name, she (witness) believed that Mrs. Sharpe had not
spoken the truth. She did not remember that the deceased had gene
to the chapel on the Monday on which she was missin The cakes
received by Thomas Churcher were from his sister. She had never
mentioned to any one that she (the deceased) and Churcher had met
that day in the chapel, and if she had -thought that Thomas Churcher
was in the chapel in the middle of the day, she would not have seat
Harriet with the bodks there.

The Coacnexa —Why ? Witness—Because the people in Bromley,
as they-always do, would have talked about it.
The CORONER—Why did you withhold Churcher's name 0P
a former examination ? Witness said—Because she did not think it
necessary to state it. He did not pos!tively request her not to state
his name. She did not believe Mrs. Ilopperton's evidence, because
she knew that she had in too many instances stated that which TIM
quite untrue. The deceased seemed very much excited oil
the Sunday evening previous to her being missed. Thoulx,
Churcher remarked that she seemed to be in very good spirits. the
'had had no conversation with Thomas Churcher about the state of
Harriet Monkton's mind until after her decease. She never told
witness that Thomas Churcher visited her at Hackney. On recol-
lection, she was aware that some mention had been made of his
visiting her. Thomas Churcher afterwards married Mary Madge&
He had been paying his addresses to her about six months. 11°
never paid his addresses to her (witness).
A juryman (Mr. Hodges) suggested that the witness should till all
she knew, because it might otherwise be necessary to send for her.
Item the country a second time.

Miss William.; said that many of the new inquiries were suggested
by the tattle of the town of Bromley, and if she were to reply to all
the observations made, she would probably detain the jury some
three days.—(Laughter.)
Nicholas Pearce, superintendent of the F division, said that he had
in the year t 843 come down to the town of Bromley to make inquiry
into the circumstances connected with the death of the girl Harriet
Monkton, He had among other persons examined Thomas Churcher,
and he had admitted that he had seen the deceased before she was
missed, but he denied all knowledge of being more intimately con-
nected with her.

John Joyce went with Mr. Field, the inspector, and Mr. Carpenter.
to Mr. Churcher's house, and he refused to answer further questions
than had already been put to him by the Coroner.
Charles Frederick Field, inspector of police, bad, in coarse 0f,....11
examination respecting the causes of the girl's death, ascertained I.'
Mr. Cranfteld had no connexion at all with the girl.
The evidence having been closed,
The Colim a,. proceeded to address the jury. He had had the
honour of acting as coroner for this division of Kent for some fourteen
years, and this was the most lengthened and most unsatisfactory
case that had ever come befere him ; and this state of things Wei.
arisen solely from the reluctance of some four or live individual
connected with the chapel to which the deceased had belonged—So
in the exercise of his public duties he felt bound to mention the name°
of Mr. Verrall, Mr. Sweeting, Mr. Beasley, and Of
younger Mr. Churcher—as those who were reluctant to
evidence. It was impossible that he could know everything that
witnesses could throw light upon, and the principal facts via,
therefore, only elucidated by a sort of accident. He coneidereue
however, that considerable benefit had arisen from the delay. he"
cause, although is the early course of the inquiry they might 00
returned a general verdict of " wilful murder by some person 01;
persons unknown," still he thought it was better that they ehould
have a mere lengthened investigation, to ascertain, if possible, the real
circumstances which led to the death of this girl. The Learned Coroner
having given a slight sketch of the rise and progress of the jurisdic:
lion of Coroner a Courts, said that although they bad come to a peal:
on which they could mark the finger of suspicion against some Part"
or parties, yet they could not satisfactorily bring the fact horn°
to any one, and therefore it was for them to consider whether
they should return a verdict, sending some man at once Or
trial, or whether they would not rather leave the question open
so that at some future time the link which was at present wanting on
the chain might be supplied, and the parties really culpable sent fO.
trial.—(The Learned Coroner then read over the evidence, °ea'
sionally commenting upon it, hut as the facts have been in the On°
ofthe last three years so repeatedly before our readers it would he.
altogether unnecessary to repeat them. The Learned Coroner's 0
servations seemed pointed against the persons more intimately eon'
nected with Verulam Chapel.) There was nothing in the cvidene°
to justify them in coming to a positive conclusion with respect to
any one person, and be would, therefore, having fully recapitulat
the evidence, leave the matter in the hands of the jury.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and on their re-admisMon..,
The Coaoruca announced that the verdict of the jury was " W
murder" against some person or persons unknown.
After a few words from Mr. Hodges (one of the jurymen) the .1
was discharged.