The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-05 00:00:00

DOUBLE MURDER NEAR DOPER.

On Sunday the town of Dover was thrown into a state
of the greatest excitement owing to the perpetration of
one of the most horrible crimes that has been committed
in this neighbourhood for many years past. During the
morning intelligence was received that the bodies of two
young women bad been found, stabbed in several places,
and lying in a hollow near the high road between Dover
and Folke.t one, about four miles from this place, both
having evidently been brutally murdered a short time
previous. On inquiry it was ascertained that the poor
creatures were sisters, and that they both belonged to
Dover, and from an investigation since made, it ap-
pears that their name is Back, and that they are the
daughters of bard-working people living at Albion-
place, in Dover, the father being employed as a labourer
upon the harbour, and the mother helping to gain a
subsistence by taking in washing. The eldest of the
girls was rather more than 18 years of age, and was
named Caroline ; and the youngest, Maria, was about
16. It is supposed, beyond all reasonable probability of
doubt that this appalling crime has been committed by
a private in the 2d Regiment of British Swiss Legion, a
Neapolitan by birth, and known in the regiment is
which he belongs as Dedea Redaniez; for during the stay
of the 2,1 Regiment in Dover, this individual contracted
an intimacy with the elder of the unfortunate girls, and
it appears that, at the time the legion was encamped at
Aldershot, be carried on a correspondence with her.
She, it appears, returned the affection he had expressed
for her, and some pledges of their mutual regard bad
passed between them, including a likeness of Redaniez
which was in the possession of the unfortunate young
woman- On Saturday evening last, it would seem, Re-
daniez came from Shorncliffe, where the Swiss Legion
is hutted, upon a visit to the girl Caroline, whom he saw
at her father's house in Albion-place. While there he
asked her to return with him to Shorncliffe, for the pur-
pose of visiting a sister of his, who, he told her, was
staying at the camp ; and after some hesitation it was
proposed that they should set out for Shorncliffe, which
is about 10 miles distant,from Dover, at three o'clock
on the following morning. The poor girl, it seems, fell
readily into the trap which was laid for her, and begged
her mother to allow her to go. The mother refused for
some time, it seems; but at last she gave her consent
upon the understanding that the younger sister, Maria,
should accompany them. No objection was raised; and
Redaniez left, saying he should call for the sisters at tbe
time at which it was arranged to start. During his con-
versation with the girl Caroline, however, it transpired
that he was labouring under jealousy, and that he was
impressed that another serjeaut in the legion had been
corresponding with her, and that she bad received those
advances favourably. The girl denied that anything of
the sort had taken place ; but failed, it would seem, to
remove the Neapolitan's apprehensions, for before leav-
ing the house be asked for his likeness. On getting
possession of it be threw it in the fire ; but onlbeing re-
monstrated with upon this strange behaviour, h
smilingly observed that be intended giving her a
better one, and by this manner lulled any
forebodings
that might naturally have arisen in conseque At
three o'clock on Sunday morning the poor girls left
home for the last time in company with Redaniez, who
was seen proceeding with :them upon thheorutavdast'ou then
camp by a police-officer named Herd w.
_a
capon
duty, and whose attention was rather particularly called
to the soldier from the fact of his having, some time be-
fore, been in custody for assaulting another member of
the force. This policeman is therefore certain 00 his
identity, and as the description Herd gives of him cor-
responds exactly with the description afforded by the
girls' parents, there is no doubt whatever that the sisters
left Dover in this mans
'company. They were subse.
quently seen in the soldiers company about five o'clock,

A
-
' , '"•//
---- /,---e<----- -7---- • 'lll.
oil, - de iiilblielenne abotit threa milea - 4i:leVS Ell,
half from Dover. Nothing, further was seen or -- d *.
of the party until the lifeless bodies of the young (o • . o-ee-1 "- `,4
were discovered on the grass, in the parish of I`e,, d' c.:-'9l.'
-, , --,e , •,:ric`—' ',.."
Fern e, by an employe; of the South Eastern 0.0,Re. t.
Companr, named Curling. This man Was walk ',re, i'irlits'.„,teelve-eixte
'by the edge of the sea, about seven o'clock or 0 litr'' '4:414t /Ski
ier \I
I morning, when he observed what he supposed t t 4 ii7r--7,"Rs ,g/4„
females lying asleep on the grass, beneeth the e 'on --k '''tiatO.
! which he was standing. He proceed there chiefly nakie a. s
of curiosity, and was horror-struck on finding that the
first female he came up to had been murdered. The
bodies were about twelve paces apart. Heimmediately
' ran for assistance, and by 8 o'clock Superintelidebt Steer
of the Folkestone,division of the Kent coastahulary and
other parties were in attendance: Upon the bodies
being examined by Mr. Bateman, a surgeon, it was
found that each had received four stabs about the
le: easts;and'tha t three on each body were fatal. The
eldest bad also received a cut through the band, as if
she bad resisted the mui&rerys 'attack, and her clothes
..
were also disarranged. It is but right to state that,
upon examination, it was discovered that some one bad '
recently bad sexaal intercourse with the elder girl ; and
horrible as it appeare, it is, therefore, only fair to as-
sume that tire seordler committed the first of his diabolical
crimes while his unfortunate victim was receiving his
umbrae s. Tae other poor girl Was probably attracted
to the ape t by the cries, and she then must have fallen a
victim to the we ,p in still reeking with the blood of her
sister. The bedies were removed to the nearest public.
house and an inquest opened before Mr. T. T. Dela-
sause, courier for the district, yeiterday, and subse-
quently adjourned.
The snpsrintendent constables of Folkestone, Wing.
ham, arid Canterbury, and the police immediately com-
menced avigoroue search after the murderer, and he was
traced to Har,ires, about five miles from Canterbury,
where he posted two letters, one addressed to the mother
of the deceased, and the other to the captain of his com-.
piny. They were both written in German. In the
former the wretched man alluded to the intention of the '
girl (Caroline) to go to Woolwich, at which he appeared
much hurt, He also expressed sorrow 5 r what he had
done. The murderer was afterwards seen in the parish
of Chatham, about three miles from Canterbury, where
be subsequently attempted to commit' suicide, Observ-
ing some labourers coming along the road towards him,
near the viaduct of the South Eastern Railway, the
murderer took out his knife, aud.plonged it into his body
three times. The men ran up to him, and Mr. Band, a
surgeon, wag quickly in attendance. . He found him
entirely puhselese, 'but after admioistsring a little stimu.
lant he rallied, and was removed ro the Kant and Cate-
. terbary Hasesitals.-- -111.re`. Beene *wither .I=gal:lN AMC --
examined the nature of the wounds, and found that the
knife had passed through the lungs, and that the unfor-
tunate man was in a very critical state—indeed, it is
hardly expected that he can live. It was about 5 o'clock
this afternoon when he was discovered ; he had the two
cloaks belonging to the murdered girls, turned inside
out, and wrapped- round him, with the view of biding
his uniform.

BURNIAG OF Till? NORTHERN
INDIANA.

(From the Buffalo Oourier, July 21.)
The first mato, Mr. \V. H. Wetmore ; the first engi-
neer, Frank Farrer ; and Charles E. Marsh, clerk, an,
rived in this city at neon, and we have gathered the
following statements direct from them. Mr. Wetmore,
who had charge of the vessel at the time, made the fol-
lowing statement :

" We left Buffalo Wednesday evening, July 10,
at seven o'clock. Thursday morning, *about ten
minutes past eleven o'clock, when about halfway
between Poipt-au-pelee Reef and Point-au-pelee
Light-
house, the engineer sent a man to me and said be want-
ed me Lelow, and when I reached there the first, en-
gineer, Mr. Ferrer, was getting the hose ready, and
attaching it to the fire-engine. Mr. Ferrer said, ' Mr.
Wetmore, she's afire.' There is a round hole, usually
covered with a plate of iron, which was off, between the
engine-room and the smokeoipe, on the starboard side.
I saw a light underneath the rnatsideck. I turned
about and ran to cal .the men, passing some on the
deck, whom I told to run to the engineer. I proceeded
to the forecastle, where two or three of the men were
sleeping, and told them to rouse. I immediately ran
back to the engineer, and found he hat got to work
with the fire.engine, and also saw the flames bursting
through the hatches. I saw she was badly on fire,.and
rap to call the second mate for the purpose of altering
her course. Thence I ran to my room, which was along-
side of the wheelhouse, to get my axes, and bail hard
work to get through the flames, which burned my bands
considerably. Ae I came forward I met the seven I mate
and one of the wheelenten, who Fetid they had the boats
out on the cranes. I went immediately on to the pro-
menade deck with my axes, and when I not there I saw
the forward boat was crowded with teen. I felt sure
they would all be lost, unless I could get them out o' it.
I took an axe in my band and ran forward, and told
them they would all be lost unless they got out.
"Mr. Ferrer, the engineer, and the second engineer
-.sere trying to pull them nut of the boat, and succeeded
in getting some out 67 the greatest possible exertion.
At that moment the cranes gave way by the weight of
those in the boat, and she went down end forwa:d, and
spilled most of them into the water. The boat would hold
18 or 20, and was crowded to excess. When she went
down I knew what would result, and did not stop to
look at her, but turned round and met the men whom I
had sent aft. They said they cent l not get aft, as the
flames would not permit them. I then turned to the
passengers and begged them to keep cool, and I would
save them all, at the sane time knowing there were
"abetit two cords of plank about half way aft on the.her-
board sine. =l ree where the plank was, andedge called
to the crew and such of the passengers as were near, and
urged them to get the planks out. I brought nut 'an
armful and then went back to the oppposite side and
brought back another lead. I constantly urged the
passengers to obey my orders, and f would insure
so.fety. I got them at work getting out plank and wood-
work, such as doore and panelings.
" We then rushed into the cabin and hauled out the
dining tables and threw them forward. We cut away
everything that could afford any assistance.
"A. woman shortly after came to me and said, am
alone with four little children.' She hail at the time
one in her arms. I took it and passed it up to a passen-
ger who wag on the deck. The woman then passed me
the other three. Soon after another woman passed me
a babe about six months old. Just previous to this
time the Mississippi, which was about five or six miles
astern when the firs broke out, had picked up most of
them in the water. By this time her small boats, and
those of the propeller Republic came alongside to pink
those off from the Northern Indiana. The boats were
full of life-preservers. The persons in the boats kept
throwing the buoys overboard, and called to the pat- •
sengers to jump over. The women seemed afraid to do
this. A passenger about this time said to me, 'Take
this child, and I will go and put them (the passengers
who would not jump) overboard.' I took the child, and
had another under my arm, and three more clinging to
ma. The passenger (whose name I did not learn)
worked heroically, and succeeded in getting three women
and men into the water, and then I lowered the children
away to them by heaving lines. My friend, the pas-
senger, was the last man, with the exception of myself,
who left the vessel.

r=- .

" Previous to leaving her I walked aft from 15 to 20
feet, and stood there without experiencing any incon-
venience from the flames; I then lowered myself on the
forecastle over the side to see if there was any one. I
found no one, and lowered myself into one of the Mis-
sissippi's boats, which bad just come out. We pulled
the boat rounq to the stern of the steamer and took off
two men who were hanging to the rudder. We then
puled round to the leeward and saw some in the wheel.
I called out to them to swim out from the boat if they
could. They not doing it, we pulled under the lee of
the wheelhouse, and then underneath, and found two
ladies and a gentleman ; got them on board, and told
the men to back away, as there was danger of the wheel-
house dropping on to us.
" We then pulled for the Mississippi, and on arriving
there asked Capt. Langley for a boat to assist in saving
the wreck. We took a lifeboat and rowed to the pro-
peller Republic, and asked him to take hold of the
wreck, to which he promply acceded. Sbe was then
towed into Pigeon bay, where she lies grounded 200 feet
from shore. I should think I could have remained half-
an•hour after we abandoned her without any inconve-
nience. When the flames were dicoovered the moat in-
tense excitement and panic prevailed among the pas•
sengerg, and it was impossible to maintain any kind of
order, and no attention was paid to my repeated appeals
to obey my orders, or they would all have been saved.
It is my positive opinion that not a single person would
have been lost had they observed presence of mind. I
did not see a single person drown, looking constantly
after the boat itself and those on board. It is my im-
pression that not more than 20 persons were lost, and of
those the majority were boat by the falling of the forward
boat in the early part of the disaster. I deny that the
Northern Indiana was racing at the time. We were
nearly an hour behind time when we started, and we
were running at ordinary speed. We were allowed to
carry 40lh„ and at no time had more than 281 b. or 80Ib.
" In conclusion, I desire to return thanks for and
bear testimony to the gallantry, energy, and good be-
haviour of my officers and crew ; also to the noble and
efficient efforts of the officers and crew of the Missies
sippi and the propeller Republic. Captains Langley and
Weaver did ail in their power to aid us in saving th
e
passeogers, analto them the credit of saving so many

lives is due.
"Two or three Fail vessels, the DAMN of which I do
not know, likewise rendered every assistance in their
power. I know that some were picked up by these
vessels, but what became of them I am unable to say,
6, VV. H. WETMORE.

" Buffalo, July 19."
Jut previous to the breaking out of the fire and before
any thought of such a di-aster had been started, one of
the passengers. hadwho a innt
andhis
tsot!k fromte-roomthae
package
mkagoef
money (lonic $3,000) went
about bathe amount and put it in his pocket. When
the 9,!arm of fire was given be found it impossible to
reach his state-room, and the balance was lost. He
could not explain to hint-elf why he took a portion of
the money, or why he should have taken any of it,
at the time he did. It was a suggestion of his mind
which came involuntarily, and without apparent cause
—one of those incotnp:eliensible things fur which
there is no explanation.
About one-half of those saved lost their all and are
entirely destieute, some entirely so. One man and his
wife had $2,000, their all, with which they were
going west to purchase a farm. They lost all, and
had hardly clothing to cover them left. Anither man
going west with his family and 500 dollars, all his
savings for years, and all lost. A poor woman with
four children, the oldest about eight years old, lost
everything, but saved their Another woman
with two children, one at the Afeast, WAX !Mud with
her little ones, but nothing else.

•
R MAJESTY'S TIIEATAIE.I
FAREWELL NIGHTS.
PICCOLOMINI— ROSATI —LE - COP.S AIRE.
THREE FAREWELL NIGHTS will be given, viz. :—This
Evening (Tuesday), August 5 ; Thursday, August 7 ; and
Saturday, August 9.
This Evening (Tuesday, August 5). will be presented
LA FIGLIA DEL REGGIMENrO.
Marie, Madlle. Piccolomini ; Tonio, Signor Calzolari ; Scr-
gents Sulpizio. Signor Belletti.
To conclude with the Grand Ballet,
LE CORSAIRE.
Medora, Madame Rosati.
On THURSDAY, August 7,
DON PASQUALE.
Norina, Mdlle. Piccolomini.
On SATURDAY, August 9,
LA TRAVIATA.
Violetta, Mdlle. Piccolomini.
With the new grand Ballet of LE CORSAIRE. Medora,
Madame Rosati.
Reduced Prices :—Three Pair, 11. ls. Two Pair, 1/. lls. ed.
Pit and One Pair, 2/. 12s. 6d. Grand Tier, 3/. 3s. Pit, 55.
Gallery Bows, 15s. Gallery Stalls, ss. Gallery Side Stalls,
3s. ed. Gallery, 2s. 6d.
The free list suspended, the public press excepted.