The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-12 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT PORTSMOUTH.

APPREHENSION AND EXAMINATION OF
THE BROTHER OF THE MURDERED MAN.
PORTSMOUTH, SATURDAY, APRIL 10.
This day at three o'clock in the afternoon, being
fixed for the examination of Edwin Hart, tho
brother of the unfortunate man, Daniel Hart, who
was most mysteriously murdered on the night of
aturday, the 13th of March, the entrance to the
gaol in Penny-street, which is also used as the
police office, was crowded by persons long before
the stated hour, who were anxious to obtain admis-
sion to be present at the proceedings.
Hither.° this murder has been completely
shrouded in mystery, inasmuch as no object for
the commission of the crime could be assigned,
beim; perpitrated at the street door of the house
in the presence of a witness, and no attempt at
robbery appeared to have been made. The coroner's
investigation tended to throw but little light on
the transaction, except so far as was obtained from
Mrs. Vick, the k€eper of the house where the
deceased lodged as to a description of the person of
the man who committed the murder, and that ha
was dress-d in a Macintosh coat, and wore a glazed
bat. On Thursday last Mr. Superintendent Leg-
gatt, of the Portsmouth Borough Police, received
certain information which has led to the appre-
hension of the prisoner on suspicion of the murchs-,
being no other than the brother of the murdered
man.

It is a somewhat remarkable fact that the
prisoner is a clerk, and was employed in the
office of Mr. Swainson, the Admiralty coroner,
in High street, Portsmouth, and that gentle-
man professionally attended the coroner's in-
quiry as to the death of Hart, to watch the case
on behalf of the relaeives of the deceased.
The peculiar circumstances of the case and the
person now charged with the commission of this
foul deed, have led to au excitement almost with-
out a precedent in this town and neigiibouth.od.
The I\l4yor presided, and the bench was tilled by
magistrates, am itigs: whom were the ex Mayor,
Mr. A. Nance, and Mr. NV. B, Carter.
Mr. R. W. Ford, solicitor, appeared for the pro-
sectiti, n ; Mr. Field, of Gosport, fix the prisoner.
Mr. Foid briefly stated the case which he should
have to lay before the court against the prisoner
at the bar, an I said that it was one of vast import-
ance, not only as regarding the public, but as to
its deep and serious consideration towaids the pri-
soner, and most sincerely did he (Mr. Ford) wish
that he might be able to give an answer that would
be satisfactory to the evidence that he should have
to adduce. It would appear that on Thursday last
the superintendent of police (Mr. Leggatt) received
a communication, and in consequence of that he
waited upon the prisoner, and having put some
questions to him, his answers were so unsatisfac-
tory that he felt it to be his duty to take him into
custody on suspicion of having murdered his bro.
ther, and subsequent inquiries led to the discovery
of other circumstances, which would be detailed to
the bench.
Mr. Superintendent Leggatt was then called.
Mr. Ford—You are superintendent of the police
of this borough !
Mr. Leggatt—l am.
Mr. Ford—l believe your attention has been
called to the circumstances attending a murder com-
mitted in this town ou Saturday night, the 13ih of
March 1
Mr. Leggatt—Ye3, myattention has been drawn
to that unhappy event, and I have for some time
been engaged in endeavouring to trace the mur-
derer.
Mr. Ford—ln consequence of information you
had previously received did you go cie Thursday
last to Mr. Swainson's office, where the prisoner
was employed I—.l did ; it was about half past 11
o'clock in the morning.
Who did you see there 7—Mr. Swainson and the
prisoner.
What did you say ?-I said to Mr. Hart, " I
have come to talk to you about some information I
have received. a'
What reply did he make I—He made some short
reply ; but I do not remember what it was. I then
said, I have been informed that you went to a beer-
shop on Sunday morning, the 14th of March, at
about a quarter past 12 o'clock, to which he im-
mediately replied, "I did not." I went on to say,
" The beer-shop is the Portsmouth Arms, in Penny
street, Portsmouth. You had a glass of beer there,
and you had on a Mackintosh coat, and Mrs.
Whiting, the landlady of the house, has told me
so."
What reply did he make I—He said, "It is a lie.
I was not in Portsmouth all that night, and I have
not got a Mackintosh coat."
Mr. Leggett—l told him it was a serious thing,
and asked him to go with me to Mrs. Whiting's
and face it out, but he said he would not go. I
remonstrated, end said, " Surely you don't mean
that ; for I wound go to the end of the earth to
prove my innocence of such a charge." He said Ile
should be out of the office at twelve o'clock. Au
inspector, Deist], was with me during the conver-
sation, and Mr. Swainson was also there the greater
part of the time. We then lef the place, but placed
ourselves in such a situation as to be enabled to
see when he should leave the place, but up to
half-past twelve o'clock he did not come out.
About that time I saw Mrs. Whiting, the
landlady of the Portsmouth Arms, coming
across High-street, and I went to meet her,
and had some conveisation with her, and
in consequence of what she told me I went back
to Mr. Swainson's office, accompanied by Inspector
Daish and Mts. Whiting. Mr. Swainson and Hart
were both present. I asked Mrs. Whiting if she
knew Hart, and she immediately said " Yes ; I
will swear you are the man I served with a glass of
ale about a quarter-past 12 on Saturday night, the
i
13th of March, and you then wore a Alaciiiht::o
coat." The prisoner—" Nonsense, wornant,:mal
with
not got a Macintosh, and I was not in Po:_d, ~ I
on that night." Mrs. Whiting then u said,
heard a knock at the door, were in a
in. You
asked me for a glass of ale,pay for it.
andand
slacildoete,o_ou
hurry, and you gave me Bil_lri went to the back
There being no light in thet Del- you change. I had
room for a candle, tooe:useegive
I suspected you were
a good look at you,
oec
and might have come to
a policeman in le e
after twelve o'clock. That
you so well." We all came
entrap me for servingdisull know'
is the reason
but ehortly afterwards I wont again to Mr.
away, , office, and told Hart that it was a -very
Swainson s .
unpleasant business, and that he must go before
the magistrates. Ile again refused to go, but I
told him that I should be most happy if he could
explain away any suspicious circumstances, but I
had a duty to perform, and that he must go. Upon
that he went with me to the police-office, and on
the way denied that he ever wore a Mackintosh
coat in his life. He was taken before the magi-
strates and remanded for eight days. Shortly after-
wards I went, accompanied by al police constable,
to the prisoner's house in West-stree-, and in a
cupboard in the front lower room a double-barrelled
pistol was found by the police constable, which I