The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-26 00:00:00

MEAT.

NEWCIATE AND LEADENIIALL.—Thew markots aro ex-
tensively supplied with meat, for Ivliich tho doluaud rules
heavy, and our quotations are barely supported. Beef,
from 38 2d to 4s 6d; mutton, 3s 2d to 4s 6d ; veal, 3s 10;1
to 4s 10d; pork, 3s 2d to Is •Id por Blbs by tho carcase.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.—Thos Day.

NEW COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Lush).
THE ALLEGED MURDER AT LIMEHOUSE.
(Continued ;rem The Sun of yesterday.)
William Dunn said lie saw the prisoner on the morning
of the 24th July. The alarm of murder had been given.
He was holding his left hand up to his throat. Witness
asked what was the matter, when he replied, " She's cut
my throat and afterwards cut her own." Whou ho want
into ptisouer's room the deceased was lying partly on the
hearth rug, and her head was towarls the wall but uud•-r
a chair. IIe•r head was about six or seven inches from the
wall. The neck was resting on a pillow, but the head was
so far baek that he could not *see it until ho got up close to
it. lie afterwards saw a jacket taken from under the
pillow. It was a windsor chair, and the middle rail of it
rested on the tke3ased's chin. When he first went in he
saw tha blood blubbcring oat of the woun 1. The
deceased had only her chemise on. It was torn down
the front, an I a partiou of it stained with blood. The
chemise was torn down to within a foot of tho bottom.

The chemise worn by tho unfortunate woman was here
produced, but it was torn to shreds, and on the witness
being asked by the learned judge.to show the rent ho had
spoken of, he said the chemise was so much torn now
that ho could not with certainty say which was the front
and which the back.

Examination continued—He put his hand to deceased's
heart, but found no pulsation. He looked up again and
and then he saw prisoner with a dinner knife in his hand,
he said "She's done it herself, and this is what she did it
with." Witness then covered the body over with a sheet.
Before leaving the room he saw some blood on the seat of
the chair, partly covering a black apron. The blood on
the knife was wet, but he could not say in what state the
blood was about the room. There was no blood on the
stairs when he left to fetch a constable.

Cross-examined—Ho did not examine the body very
minutely, bit he knew when he put his hand to the region
of the heart, it did not beat. The front of the chemise
where the tear was was covered with blood. It was torn in
the front to within a foot of the bottom. Ho had not
heard any statements made by other witnesses about the
chemise. He said before the coroner the chemise was
torn in front for about a foot, but he did not consider that
his statement on the present occasion contradicted that.
He was quite sure the chemise had bean torn open in the
front when he first saw it. It had not been opened in the
front in the making. He was quite sure the cantro cross
rail of the chair rested on the chin of the deceased.

At the request of Mr. Ribton the witness placed the
chair over his head, in order to show the jury the exact
position in which it was when he fast saw it. On re-
moving the chair he turned it up, and, pointing to the
rail, said, "You see there's some hair upon the place that
rested on her."

Elizabeth Johnson gave similar evidence, but in addi-
tion said she was sure the chemise was mado " with flaps"
—that is, not open in front. When she assisted to move
the body of the deceased from the floor to the bed she ob-
served it was torn down the side aboUt a foot or so. When
she felt the feet of the deceased they were quite cold. It
was about 10 minutes after Wiggins calling out murder
that she felt the legs of the deceased and found them cold.
James Williams proved that it was about 10 minutes
after the prisoner first called out murder and the arrival of
the surgeon, and Thomas Allwood proved that the time
the alarm of the murder was first given in the morning was
about 10 minutes past five.
Police-constable Bannister recollected the conversi ',ion he
had with the prisoner on taking him to the hospital, :luring
which be said "She has done this." The head of the de-
ceased, when he first saw it, was resting against the cross
rail of the chair, or rather, ho should say, more properly
under it.

Dr. Horton said he arrived at the prisoner's residence in
about half an hour after the alarm of murder had been
raised. He saw the prisoner on his arrival, and puttiug
back the handkerchief he had around his neck ho saw the
wound on his throat. It was not a very deep one. He
pressed the handkerchief against it, and proceeded up
stairs to the room in which the deceased was lying. At
this time he did not observe any cut on the handkerchief
the prisoner had round his neck. The witness then de-
scribed the nature of the wound on the deceased's throat.
It had severed all the arteries in the loft side of the
neck and had injured the spine. Death must have been
almost instantaneous.

Mr. Poland—Do you think it possible that the deceased
could have inflicted such a wound herself ?

Witness —I think that a person inflicting such a wound
must be in a state of frenzy or madness.
Mr. Poland—ls it possible fur a person to inflict such a
wound on his own person.? .

Witness—lt is possible, sut only in a caso of extreme

excitement.

Mr. Poland —ls it probable—

Mr. Ribton —I object to a question put in such a form.
The learned Judge said the witness had been asked
about the possibili7 of saes a wuuud Wiug sulf-inflicted,
and he had answered it.

Mr. Poland—l will not press the point, but proceed to
another part of the evide'ncN low long do you think
that life had been extinct when you first saw the body?
Witness—Two hours or more.

Mr. Ribtbn—Didu% you say ono hour at the coroner's
inquest ?

Witness —I was asked by the coroner if life might have
been extinct one hour, and I replied "yes, or more;" that,
I believe, is what I said.

Mr. Ribton—ls there not some difference of opinion in
the medical profession with respect to the time that rigidity
of the body ensues after death ?
Witness—Yes.

Mr. Ribton—Was not the wound on the prisoner's throat
a dangerous ono ?
Witness—Yes, if it was loft unattended.
Mr. Ribton—And death might have ensued if it had not
been seen to ?
Witness—Yes, of course.

In answer to the learned judge, the witness further
stated that there was nothing inconsistent when he saw
the body, with the appearances of three or four hours after
death. The force required to personally inflict such a
wound as he had described would be such as only frenzy
could impart.

Mr. Dove, mAnber of the Royal College of Surgeons,
sail he was on duty at the London Hospital when prisoner
was brought in. Having described the wound on the
prisoner's throat, he said ho had carefully examined the
cut in the handkerchief the prisoner had worn round his
neck. Ho found it had 16 folds in it, and, with the excep-
tion of the two first folds, the rest were quite free from
blood. Had the cut been made in the handkerchief at the
time the wound was inflicted on his throat, the edges must
have been rendered bloody by the passing of the knife
through it after the injury was caused. Blood would flow
instantly the knife left the skin. The cut in the handker-
chief was some distance from that portion of it which had
actually covered tha wound in the person's neck. The
prisoner could easily have inflicted the wound by his own
hand gad ho felt so disposed.
In reply to Mr. Ribton, witness said he knew there were
authentic cases on record where persons had moved about
for some time after the interior carotid artery had been
severed.

The further hearing of the case was then adjourned.

The trial of John Wiggins was resumed this
morning.

Mr. Horton, the surgeon who first attended and
afterwards examined the body of deceased, was re-
called, and the following questions put to him by
The learned Judge.—You examined the body.
Did you discorer any bruises about it ?
Witness—Only an old bruise under the arm.
The Judge—Then we may take it that there were
no marks of external violence about the body?
Witness—Yes.

Thu learned Judge—No marks at all to denote
that she had fallen backwards ?
Witness—None, my lord.
The learned Judge—No indication of anything
having come in violent contact with the head ?

Witness---None, my lord.
Edward Dillon, 19 K, said he was on duty at the
station house when the prisoner was brought there
on the 3d of August. The charge was read over to
him, and be then made a statement, in which he
said he was innocent of murdering the young woman,
that he knew nothing about it. The statement
made by the prisoner was a voluntary one. No
questions were put to him, and he was cautioned
before lie did so.
Mr. Richards, the deputy. coroner, was examined
as to the statement the prisoner made before him
at his own request.
Sergeant Brady said—When he charged the pri-
soner with the .wilful murder of Agues Oakes at
the hospital, he replied "Just so."
By Mr. Ribton—The prisoner was not in bed
when ho went to the hospital to remove him to the
station. lie received the clothes of the prisoner
from the head nurse, and gave them to Professor
Taylor.

Professor Alfred Taylor said—l have been in
court during the whole of the trial. I heard Mr.
Horton's descripeion of the wound on deceased's
throat, and I agree with him iu the opinion that a
person in a state of frenzy or delirium might inflict
such an injury.

Mr. Poland -- Assuming that the deceased in-
flicted the wound herself, would the injury to the
arteries or that to the spine be done first ?—The
injury to the bone.

The injury to tU spine could hot have been done
after the vessels had been cut through
The 'mud Judge—ln your judgment alter the

wound had been inflicted would the deceased have
had power of motion ?—Yes, to some extent.
Mr. Poland—ln what period in your judgment,
after such an injury, would death have followed?—
In a very few minutes.

You have heard Mr. Horton's description of the
state of the body ; can you form any opinion how
soon More Mr. Horton saw her should you say
death had taken place ?—My belief is that she could
not have been dead less than two hours ;, it might
be five hours, considering the time of year and the
condition of the health of the deceased. There is a
great difference in the time a body takes to cool in
the two cases of a person dying suddenly hi full
health of body and one dying slowly.
The Learned Judge—Does the losi of blood aff,:ct
the cooling of the body ?—No, the loss of blood does
not do so.

The Learnel Judge—l Hieve that yo•i arul Dr.
Wilks, of Guy's Hospital, have paid great attention
to the time the body takes to cool ?—Yes, we have
paid particular attention to it. •

Mr. Poland—You have examined the handker-
chief the prisoner had about his neck, and the cut
that appears through the folds; should you expect, if
that had been made at the time the prisoner re-
ceived the cut on his throat, to find blood on the
edges of the folds ?—Yes, supposing it was worn in
the ordinary way.

You have also examined the cut on the shirt ?
Yes ; and I should have expected to find blood 011
the edges of the cut alsO.

You have examined the prisoner's boots ?—Yes,
I have. I found one or two drops of blood on the
instep, showing that it had fallen there when the boot
was not worn. There was also a spot of coagulated
blood which had fallen just above the toe. There was
none on the middle of the sole of the boot inside the
boot, there was no appearance of blood, but on re-
moving the dirt from the leather, a very small par-
ticle was found—only enough to see that it was
blood. I have examined both boots, there was only
a small quantity of blood on either. There was a
good deal of Wood in the stockings. That was
probably owing to the prisoner being in his stockings.
Cross-examined by ➢ir. Ribton—With respect to
the time the body takes to cool, I have had many
cases of violent death to found my experience on.
Mr. Ribton then read a case from Dr. Taylor's
book, in which death had not occurred until half
an hour after the arteries had been severed, and
asked the witness whether he adhered to the case
still, as the book had been published in 1865 ?
Professor Taylor—l adhere to that statement
still. Every case has its special conditions. In the
case you mentioned the windpipe was not severed.
When such an injury is done the blood gushes into
it, producing suffocation, and death is almost in-
stantaneous.

By the learned Judge—Might not the first plunge
of the knife have caused the injury to the spine?—
Yes.

The wound, then, could not be inflicted but by a
person suffering under great excitement ?—By a
person suffering from frenzy, delirium, or insanity.
Mr. Ribton—ln cases of undoubted suicide have
you not met with cases of very severe injuries ?
Yes, but not.involving the spine and the vertebra.
Dr. Willis—l have, with Dr. Taylor, paid parti-
cular attention to the time at which rigor mortis sets
in, and having heard Mr. Horton's description of
the wound on the throat of the deceased, and his
description of the state of the body, I should think
that death must have taken place at least from two
to three hours previous to his seeing it. That would
be rather under than over the mark. I cannot re-
collect a case in which rigidity set in under three
hours.

Mr. Poland—Do you think it possible that the
deceased could have inflicted the wound on her throat
with her own hand ?

Witness—lt is barely possible. My reason for
saying so is, that I have known such a case in a
man, but never in a woman.

Mr. Ribton—Thank you, sir. I shall ask you
no further questions.
Witi,ess•—llo you properly understand me ?.
Mr. Ribton—Yes, I do.
Mr. Scott having been called to speak to the cor-
rectness of the plan produced in court,
Mr. Poland said that would conclude the case for
the prosecution.
The learned Judge said there was another witness
who had not yet been examined.
Mr. Poland said he did not intend to call her.
Mr. Ribton thought the witness ought to be

examined.
Mr. Poland said, under the circumstances, he
would at once call the witness.
Fanny Wiggins said she was a relative of the
prisoner. With respect to the condition of the
chemise worn by the deceased she tore it in removing
it from the body after death.
By Mr. Ribton—She had never heard deceased
threaten to destroy herself.
Mr. Poland then summed up the evidence he had
adduced on the part of the prosecution, and con-
tended he had fully made out the truth of the
charge preferred against the prisoner; but if they
were not of that opinion, and entertained any doubts
on the matter, they would, of course, at onc3 give
him the benefit of the doubt, and return a verdict of
not guilty.
At that part of the learned gentleman's remarks
which alluded to the fact which had been established
in evidence, that although the soles of the prisoner's
stockings were saturated with blood, the inside
of his boots which he had on when he first
gave the alarm that his life had been at-
tempted by the deceased were nearly, if not
entirely, free from marks of blood, the prisoner
betrayed the greatest anxiety. And Mr. Poland
I proceeded to remark that he could not but come to
the conclusion that the deceased had been dead
some time previous to that prisoner had stated, be-
cause, had he put his boots on at the time he
'said he did, the interior of them would have been
very extensively marked with blood. The prisoner
hastily exclaimed, " Beg pardon, may I make a
few remarks." Mr. Ribton at once told his client to
remain silent, and listen without making any fur-
ther appeals to the Court. The prisoner at once
remained silent, but became evidently moved again
when Mr. Poland referred to the fact that although
the deceased's hands were found bloody both inside
and out, yet the handle of the knife which the pri-
soner said he had found sticking in the wound was
quite free from blood.
At the conclusion of the summing up of Mr.
Poland it was proposed to adjourn for refreshment,
but—

Mr. Ribton said he wished to be allowed at once
to proceed to address the jury on behalf of the
prisoner, and the learned Judge having assented,
the learned counsel commenced and said—His firm
impression was that the prosecution had started with
the theory that the prisoner's statement was a sham,
and that therefore they had decided upon calling
every particle of evidence which would favour that
view of the case, entirely throwing on one side any-
thing that could tend to dissipate the view of the
transaction they had taken up.
The learned counsel had not concluded his address
when we went to press.

OLD COURT.

(Before Mr. Justice Smith.)
THE FORGERIES ON TIIE BANK OF ENGLAND.

Henry Hodgson, who yesterday pleaded guilty to
an indictment charging him with forging certain
documents with a view of ddrau ling the Governor
and company of the Bank of England, made
a long statement, in which he stated that insanity
had existed in his family for many years.
The learned Judge remarked that there was
nothing which could induce the belief that the pri-
soner was labouring under any delusion ; on the
contrary, he had acted in a careful and clever man-
ner. Under all the circumstances of tho case he
felt it his duty to sentence him to seven years' penal
servitude.

ANOTHER PLANET.—Professor Watson, of the
Michigan University reports : —" On Friday night, Sept. 6,
while observing the vicinity of the planet Neptune, I dis-
covered another planet hitherto'unlinown, the brilliancy of
which is equal to that of a star of the eleventh magnitude.
It is situate in the right ascension 11 dog. 15 mini, and
dediltatin Q deg. 10 Mill. urth."