The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-21 00:00:00

NEWSPAPEIt
, ,e.---,----
.0.6„....e------- ----,
. . ,
•;,„t Ag 4
.-.....,.,,,,..... , ciii
~..„,NFilii. : •, I.
k° : iT
jr-lit-';',,° si,4l EtU,. . "•-,,,iNtriaA•
!her*
.4' •• ~,-,..,,,„
,s
14.-.,,
ft, ''-0 -- ----. , ~.... tabril .5=4,4 • 7/ ......." ,o-jiva.
\ • , :.....-- /
i,-.4 ~:' •e- ----t,,,, f.'
4j.,--7- • —4, -0 i.--,7 n_ . 1a,...0...
...›, , . 'f!lfrwili--rea,
ri: ,-,
.c: c, A, , ... • '... , .-', ''. ~..A.. '4.1174,,i . •
: '
. ,
k!':' " 1_ -,‘ ' • •-• "..' ' . ,ir:4- ~.i.E, -- -, -, -, ,- i'l,,. • - 1111.- 4°' - ;-..;.,-....- .. '
. z,/,* , t ' ' 2` 'relfitifiN I.k.* .'‘., 'v•,zeiltat% ors- ' ..,•,.,' -..„.
'..;'- -'- eat, 4) ' v if. vs', VP' . */ ;41/* '" by ,:,...• • %V: • w ....
.A,ThAy9 82) c, .1. •, - 4A,.4.0 .0-., - 4 „.__,.___ 411-1.1.''14- -villf

I then
whicmcrwiti_ra, murder of
and I hold a warrant for your appre_
read the warrant to her, and she commenced cry_
Kent,
ing, and said " I am innocent !" which she repeated
several times. I then accompanied her to her bed-
room, where she put on her bonnet and mantle,
and brought her to this place. She made no
further remark to me. I now ask for a remand
for a few days, and on the next occasion I belie*e
I shall be able to show the animus which existed
between the prisoner and the deceased, and to
search for the missing nightgown, which, if in ex-
istence, may possibly be found. To Wednesday or
Thursday next I think will be ample time. ,
After some further consultation the prisoner was
remanded till Friday next, and was removed to
Devizes Gaql, in custody of Inspector Whither and
your
tobryt,' s
Superintendent Woolfe.

PRICE 4D. ►STAMPED, 5D

make an announcement which 1 fear will cause
some consternation among the creditors. We in-
tend to place this firm in bankruptcy. (Hear.) I
have• no doubt this will cause surprise to some,
because when the failure first occurred our view
was that the affairs of the firm should be wound up
by administration. But then we had not the full
view of the assets before us, and there are other
circumstances which I shall state. Messrs. Ley-
land and Billins, the eminent bankers in Liver-
pool, and the principal creditors of the Liverpool
estate, which is so mixed up with this house that
where the one goes the other must necessarily fol-
low—they have signified their determination to
place the Liverpool estate in bankruptcy ; and
much as I regret it for the sake of the dividend,
yet, as I. matter of public interest, I think
they have acted justly and rightly, and they
have our full concurrence in what they have
determined to do. Because We have here such an
amount of accommodation paper put into circula-
tion, purporting to ba drawn for goods, and spread
over a number of houses where it is impossible to
trace them, I am satisfied that we must have a full
investigation into this gigantic system of —.
But I will not characterise it as I think it ought to
be done, (Hear, hear.) However much, therefore,
I may regret the dividend—however much all of
you may regret it—l believe that this is a perfectly
just, right, and proper step to be taken, as a full
investigation of all the circumstances can only take
place in a Court of Bankruptcy. I shall be happy
to find that you agree with me in this opinion, and
in the hope that you do, I beg to move as a resolu-
tion, "That while this meeting regrets the loss of
the dividend which may arise under bankruptcy,
yet as s matter of public interest this meeting is of
opinion that the estate ought to be administered in
the Bankruptcy Court."
Mr. CHAYTOR—As representing one of the
largest creditors, I leg to second the motion. I
cannot say with pleasure, but because I believe it
to be right. The nature of the estate is such, the
assets are so small, the transactions involve so much
suspicion—I do not say of dishonesty, but of over-
trading—that I believe it can only be satisfactorily
wound up' in bankruptcy, and therefore I second
the motion.

This resolution was then put to the meeting. At
first the result was doubtful, and it was therefore
put again ; but on the second occasion there was a
decided show of hands against the resolution. It
is fair to add, however, that the great body of the
meeting did not vote at all.
The CHAIRMAN said—l am very sorry to find
that the sense of the meeting is against me—it may
be in numbers, it may be in amounts. But how-
ever that may be, it will not alter our decision ; for
we have already given instructions as to the course
to be taken. I put this resolution to the meeting
because I did believe that in an assembly of English
merchants this infamous system of drawing accom-
modation bills, purporting to be good bills, would,
at whatever cost to themselves, have met with a
decided condemnation, and a determination to in-
vestigate them to the uttermost. I regret that the
resolution has not met with your concurrence, but
it will not affect our decision.
The meeting then broke up.

TILE L ATR CHILD MURDER AT ROAD.

APPREHENSION OF MISS CONSTANCE
KENT.

ROAD, FRIDAY EVENING.

This morning, at 11 o'cock, a meeting of magi-
strates was held at the Temperance-hall; Road, for
the purpose of continuing the investigation into the
murder of Francis Saville Kent, under the mysteri-
ous circumstances with which the public are already
familiar. _ _

The following justices were present) :—Mr. H.
G. G. Ludlow (chairman), the Rev. R. Crawley, Mr.
R. Walmisley, Mr. W. H. Sheppard, Mr. S. P.
Stancombe, and Mr. W. P. Stancombe.

Mr. Inspector Whicher, of the metropolitan de.
tective force; Captain Meredith, chief constable of
Wilts ; Superintendents Foley, Abbot, Woolfe, and
Summers were also in attendance.

From 11 o'clock till about half-past 3 the inquiry
was conducted with closed doors, but Mr. Inspector
Whicher appeared, having Miss Constance Kent, a
half sister of the deceased child, in custody. The
accused walked with a firm step from her father's
house to the hall, but was in tears. She was accom-
modated with a seat in front of the magistrates'
table. Mr. Inspector Whicher taking up his station
on one sido of her and Mr. Superintendent Woolfe
on the other. She sat with her eyes fixed on the
ground throughout the inquiry. The hall rapidly
filled with inhabitants of Road and the neighbour-
hood as the intelligence became known that Miss
Constance Kent had been apprehended.
Mr. Ludlow (addressing the prisoner)—Your
name is Constance Kent, I believe ?

Prisoner (in a faint voice)—Yes.
Mr. Clark, clerk to the magistrates—l will read
to you the information of Jonathan Whicher, the
inspector of detective police of the metropolis, who
has taken you into custody, and this is the charge
he has made against you :—" I have been engaged
since Sunday last in investigating the circum-
stances connected with the murder of Francis
Savile Kent, which took place on the night of
Friday, the 29th of June last, at the house of
his father, situate at Road, in the county of
Wilts. From my examination of the premises,
the scene-of the murder, and from inquiries and in-
formation received, I have reason to believe that the
said murder was perpetrated by an inmate of the
house, and I suspect that Miss Constance Kent is
implicated in the crime, and I pray for a warrant
to apprehend her."

Mr-. Ludlow—That is the information upon which
you have been apprehended, and we shall now pro-
ceed to take evidence.

Elizabeth Gough was then sworn, and deposed
—I am nursemaid in the service of Mr. Kent. I
recollect the 29th of June last. I had charge of
the deceased child, and put him to bed as usual,
about 8 o'clock . I saw him sleeping in his cot with
his face towards the wall a little after 11. I then
retired to rest as usual. Mrs. Kent came up about
half an hour after, and shut the door when she left.
I missed the child the following morning about 5
o'clock. I did not wake till that time after I went
to sleep. The little girl was lying uncovered, and
I got up and looked across, and saw the little boy
was gone. I lay down again, and at 6 o'clock I
went to Mrs. Kent's room, and knocked there, but
got no answer. I afterwards went to Mrs. Kent's
room a second time at about a quarter past 7. In
the interval I had got the water for the second
child, and had dressed her. Mrs. Kent was then
in the dressing-room. I communicated the loss to
her, and afterwards saw the child brought into the
house. He was then quite dead.
William Nott sworn—l am a shoemaker, residing
at Road-hill. On the morning of the 30th of June
a man called and told me that Mr. Kent had lost
his child. I went out and saw Mr. Kent going to
Trowbridge. I then went to the house with a man
named Benger. We came to the bottom of the
plantation, and I said we would look for a dead
child if the living one was not found. We went
to the closet, and to our horror saw a pool of blood
on the floor. I said, " Oh, Benger, it is as I pre-
dicted." I then went to the house, and asked for a
candle, and when I had got it and returned to Ben-
ger, he said, " Here is the dear little thing." He took
out the child and a blanket, and took them into the
house. The child's throat was cut to our horror
and amazement then, as it is now; when it
was lifted up its little head fell off almost. The
body was taken into the kitchen. Miss Kent and
Miss Elizabeth Kent came into the room. I can't
describe their horror. I and the constable went
round the premises, but could discern nothing. The
servants and neighbours also came in and saw the
child. That is all I know.
Inspector Whicher sworn—l am an inspector of
detectives. I have been engaged since Sunday last
in investigating the circumstances connected with
the murder of Francis Saville Kent, which took
place on the night of Friday, the 29th June last, at
the house of his father, situate at Road, in the
county of Wilts. In company with Capt. Meredith,
Mr. Superintendent Foley, and other members of
the police force, I have made an examination of the
premises, and I believe that the murder was com-
mitted by some iamate of the house. From many
inquiries that I have made, and from information
received, I sent for Constance Rent on Monday last
to her bed-room, having previously examined her
drawers and found a list of her linen which I now
produce, in which were enumerated, among other
things, three night dresses as belonging to her. I
said to her, "Is this a list of
it 2" She
your linen. She re-
plied, "Yes." I said, " In whose
rheer es
aairde,
said, "It is my own writing.'
three night dresses;the wash the
et
" I have two ; the other was lost a
She then brought me the
week after the murder." S
where are IthsaylP”
were.sh
two which I now produce. I also saw a night dress
and cap on her bed, and
asked whose they'
She said, They are my
sisister's:"h e two
brought me had been worn. This afternoon I again
proceeded to the house and sent for the prisoner
Police officer .
room, I said, °'l am a
into the dining"