The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-08 00:00:00

8,

ORMINAL COURT —(Th's Day.)

OLD COURT.

(13.11 re Mr. Ju'tie Crompton and Mr. .L'..?ti.:%l Byles.)

THE HAYMARKET MURDER.
Giovanni Lani, a native of Duomo d'Ossola, on
the Lag° di Cumin° was placed at the bar charged
with the wilful murder of Helois° Thaubin, in the
Haymarket. The prisoner is 21 years of age. He
stands about 5 feet 10 inches high, and his appear-
ance is as youthful as his age would imply, He is
rather a good-looking young man, of rather sallow
complexion, without beard or moustache, but with
jtt black hair. He wore an Italian cloak and cloth
g'oves. His demeanour in Court was more sedate
than at the police court ; and he appeared to be
impressed with the awful position in which he stood
—that of his being tried for his life for the murder
of the unfortunate woman above-named.
The Court was densely crowded. There were a
number of well-dressed gentlemen present, and
guessing from their dress and the quantity of
whisker and moustache worn by them—if that
now be a test—they appeared to be foreigners.
The Sardin;an Consul was present, and watched
the proceedings on behalf of the prisoner.
Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Clarke prosecuted. Mr.
Tindal Atkinson and Mr. Austin defended the
prisoner.

Mr. Bodkio, in stating the case to the jury, said
that the prisoner, in the exercise of his discretion,
had chosen to he tried by a jury of Englishmen,
instead of half Englishmen and half foreigners, as
he had a right to claim, and he (the learned coml.
eel) was sure the prisoner would receive at their
hands strict and impartial justice. The deceased
woman was one of those unfortunate women who
infested the West End of London, and lodged in
Atuudel-place, in a house kept by a woman
named Levy, who followed the same course of
life as the deceased. In order to attract the
unwary, the deceased woman was in the habit of
wearing certain ar idles of jewellery which would be
proved to have an important bearing on the case.
There were other articles of clothing which would
also have a material connection with the inquiry.
The learned counsel detailed the crime, connected
with the prisoner's appearance and .conduct in the
house, and with the victim of the alleged murder,
and said that he should be prepared to prove the
facts he had stated by the most ample evidence.
He also derailed the circumstances connected with
the extraordinary capture at Gravesend, when on j
the point of sailing for Monte Video.
Interpreters having been sworn,
The first witness called was Julie Levy, a foreign
Jewess. She said—l am the landlady of No. 8,
Arundel-court, and have been so for about four
months. I knew the deceased Heloise Thaulain.
She lodged in my house. I first knew her about
three months ago, when she came to lodge with
toe. Deceased got her living by seeing gentlemen.
She occupied the front room on the third floor of
my house. On the night of the 23d February I
was walking in Charlss-street, Haymarket, about
ten o'clock. Heloise Thaubin was also in the
streets at that time. The prisoner spoke to me in
Charles-street, and we conversed together for some
minutes. I had my watch and chain on, and seve-
ral rings on my fingers. The prisoner asked me if
I was a Frenchwoman, and I said no. I tlisn spoke
to him in German, but he did not reply. I then
pointed out to him my residence, and we walked
up and down the Haymarket together. About
h tit.- pas ten o'clock I was in Arundel-
court. I saw the prisoner there. He was
talking with two women at the door of my house
—one of them was the deceased. At 11 o'clock the
primmer came to my house in Arundel-court alone.
He knocked at the door and asked for "Madame."
I was in my parlour at the time with an old lady.
The door was opened by my servant, Anne Brown,
and on seeing the prisoner I recognised him imme-
diately. The prisoner said ho came to pass the
night with rile. 1 did not entertain his proposals,
partly from expecting a friend, and partly because
he only offered me ten francs, which I considered
too little at that early hour. The ;prisoner said to
my servant, Anne Brows, " Well, then, I will
sleep with the woman I spoke to in the court.
Toe servant went to find the deceased, and, meet-
ing with her in Waterloo-place, brought her to the
house, and the prisoner and the deceased went up-
stairs to the bedroom of the deceased, but I
did not see them go into the room together.
I did not see the deceased again alive.
She wore a watch and chain, and had on two rings,
one with a white the other with a red stone.
Cross-examined—l had kept this house about six
months, but I have left it and sold the furniture.
I never kept such a house before in England or
a'noad. Four gay women lived in the house.
Deceased had no jewellery of her own. I don't
know where the gay women bought their dresses,
they were their own. There was a man named
Mouton living in the house. He sold jewellery.
He came to see Virgiuio Sylvestre. I think he
had another home. 1 don't know if Mouton slept
in the house always, as I do not trouble myself
with my lodgers at all. The ladies pay me weekly
for their lodgings ; none of them were in debt to
me at the time. I don't know if Monton was in
tin house at eleven o'clock that night. Mr. Disher,
the husband of one of the women, who lived in
the house with her, is a tailor, and works out of
the house. I don't know if Disher and his wife
quarrelled that night. The witness then gave
the names of the persons living in the house at the
tone, and the apartments they occupied. .Juliet e
lived in the bask garret ; the deceased in the front
garret. The second floor was occupied by Madame
Sylvestre, and the back by Madame Dishier. The
first floor (two rooms) was occupied by a Belgian
woman, but I don't know her name. I think her
name as Anna, but I don't know, as she had not
lived there long. I was the landlady of the house
but the servant let the rooms. The Belgian wo-
man was a gay woman. She met a lover at
her house. I believe he was a Frenchman. I saw
the Belgian woman's lover on the night the
deceased visited Heloise. I recollect now,
it was the night following the death of
Heloise that the Frenchman came. I recollect it
because I was so bad. I don't know if the Belgian
woman was in the house the night of Heloise's death.
I took no particular notice of her, as she had been
so short a time in the house. I never saw the
Frenchman speak to Heloise. I saw the Belgian
woman about 4 or 5 o'clock in the day after the
death of Heloise. That was the first time I saw
her that day, and she came into my parlour. I
occupied the whole of the ground floor. My bed-
room was at the back. No one slept with me that
night. No one came to visit me that night. I did
expect a friend, but he did not come. The kitchens
were below. I kept two servants—Anne Blown,
and a little woman, who has since left. The one
who left slept in the kitchen, and Anne Brown
out of the house. Anne 'Brown left sometimes
at one and sometimes two o'clock in the morning,
and came about, 10 or 11 o'clock in the forenoon
The servant who slept in the house was about 20
years of age. She went to bed about 1 o'clock on
the night in question, and got up about 7 or 8
o'clock the following morning. It was the ser-
vant's business to wash the passage every morning.
I wore four rings on the night of the 23d of Feb.
when I first met the prisoner iu the 11,ymarket.
All of them are diamond rings. Deceased wore
that night a ring with a real stone, like what gen-
tlemen wear in their pins. I believe it was a gar-
net. The prisoner was very cross when I declined
to sleep with him. He did not say anything, btu:
looked downwards and appeared very cross, as he
could not speak French. He said something to my
servant.

Virginie Sylvestre said—l live at 48, Lisle-street.
lam not ag ,y woman. I am supported by M.
Mouton. At the time in question, I lived at 8,
Arundel-court, where he lived with me. He
slept in the house on the night Heloise met with
her death—he slept there every night. I knew the
deceased very well. She deponed that she went
! out with Heloise in Waterloo-place, and there met
the prisoner and Madame Levy. I did not hear
him ask Madame Levy to let him sleep with her,
but he said he had asked her, and iu case she re-
fused, he would sleep with one of us. We then
parted. About a quarter to 11 o'clock I saw the
prisoner again. He again said if he did not sleep
with Madame Levy he would with me or deceased.
The deceased said, "Let Me alone," and the pri-
soner replied, "Good night," and went away. In
a short time Anne Brown ca,ine after us, and spoke
to the deceased at the corner of Jermyn-street,
saying that a gentleman was waiting for her at
Arundel-place. Tho deceased walked towards
Arundel-place, and the servant walked behind. I
went back to Arundel-place about 1 o'clock iu the
morning, and called out to Heloise (the deceased)
to come to supper. The first tune I called Heloise,
she said she was engaged and could not cime down ;
the second time I called to her, I said, "It does
not matter, come down." I then heard the pri-
soner say if she wanted a supper he offered her
one. After this she came down, and we took sup-
per together. Mouton was in bed. She remained
till about half-past two o'clock, and then left the
room and went upstairs to her bedroom. I took a
glass of beer to a sick person, and saw the deceased
go upstairs. I asked the deceased for a book. The
prisoner opened the door in his shirt and without
his stocking', gave me the book, and lockedihe
t the
door. I went down to my room. gotsilhPeoi
often
following day about twelve o'clock.
breakfasted with me, and we arranged
the
ogethr
f
night before we should breakfast Monte i;
About 1 o'clock the next day my
knocked at the bedroom door of the deceased, and
asked her to come to breakfast. No answer was
returned, and between 2 and 3 o'clock I
went up