The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-01 00:00:00

The St. Helen's Murder.

The inquest on the body of Adam Mather, who
was murdered at Greenleach, wasresumed on Tues-

day, at the Town Hall, St. Helen's, before Mr.

Duffield, the deputy county coroner. The court
was densely crowded. Sergeant Whiteside, who

was the first witness examined, said that about oue

o'clock on Sunday morning the 21st, he went to
the house of Mather. On his arrival, he found

Mather lying on a bed in a room adjoining the
kitchen, dead, and with his throat cut. On the
floor he found a razor case and cap saturated with
blood, and on an examinatio❑ of the garden he dis-
covered foot prints and a pair of clogs. Witness
also noticed in the road footprints of a person who
had passed along without shoes on, and these prints
were traced across several fields until they were
gradually lost in the main road.—Mr. Arthur
Jamieson, surgeon, said he was called to see the de-
ceased about 1 30 a.m. on the 21st, and found him
dead. He found a wound extending from the back
of the left ear, following the line of the lower jaw
to within two inches of the right ear. The wound
was very deep on the left side, extending as far as
the spine, and dividing in its course all the chief
bloodvessels of that side of the neck. Any instru-
ment exceedingly sharp would have inflicted such
a wound. The deceased could not have sur-
vived more than twenty minutes. There was
another wound on the chin extending to the jaw
bone. He had examined a shirt which was stained
with blood on the outside. There were stains of
blood on it. He had examined a cap and pair of
trousers belonging to the prisoner and had found
blood stains upon them. The pair of clogs found
in the garden exactly fitted the prisoner. The stock-
ings of the prisoner were:covered with mud. The
texture of the stockings exactly corresponded to
pieces found in the clogs. There were sores on the
elbow which must have been recently inflicted.
James Ludlam, superintendent of the St. Helen's
police, said that about five o'clock on the morning
of the murder, he searched the neighbourhood of
Mather's cottage. The prisoner was brought from
Prescot. Witness charged bim on suspicion with
having murdered Adam Mather in his own cot-

tage at Greenleach, and the prisoner replied,
" God forbid that I should ever be guilty of such
a thing." When witness took prisoner's clothes
from him the prisoner said, " Now, there is no
blood on those trousers, for the doctor has
examined them." Sergeant Brown, who took
the prisoner into custody, stated that he placed
himself in a position to watch the St. Helen's and
Rainhill Roads. He had not been on the watch
long before the prisoner came down the road lead-
ing from St. Helen's. When prisoner saw witness he

hesitated to come forward, but perceiving he was

noticed he advanced. Prisoner crossed the street,
went up against a blank wall, put a pipe in his
mouth, and struck a match. Witness turned round
and appeared not to be taking any notice, and the
prisoner then commenced to walk furward again, in
the direction of Liverpool, and crossed the mai
Witness followed him, and the prisoner turned to
look over his shoulder. Prisoner took a sharp turn
up Tea-street, Prescot, and was about to enter a
lodging house when he was apprehended. Witness
asked him where he came from, and he said St.
Helen's. When asked where his coat was prisoner
said, " What's that to you?" Witness said he would
have to answer the question, and
prisoner was re-
moved to the police station. The shirt, stockings,
and cap produced were taken from the prisoner.
Superintendent Fowler stated that when he at-
tempted to take off Smith's shirt the prisoner trem-
bled so violently and turned so pale and unwell
that he would have fallen to the ground had not
the officers supported him. The prisoner asked
fora
Witnessd r drink
askedofh i
water,
n wat v
which given to him.
he trembled, and the prisoner replied, " You would
shake if you had as much drink in you as I have
‘as the was
matter, and why
had." James Birchall, employed in one of the glass
works, deposed to having met the prisoner in Tun-
stall's public-house at eight o'clock, and purchased
a shirt from him. Witness was there again at one
o'clock, and heard him barter with an old man for
his clogs, but the old man would not have them

because be said they were cut away at the ankles.
Richard Lee, glassblower, proved that he had ex-
changed the cap found in Mather's house for one
which the prisoner had. George Ashton said he saw
the prisoner about five minutes to 12 o'clock on
Saturdly night, at the top of Coal Pit Lane, and he
was going in the direction of deceased's house. The
jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against
Smith.

EXCITING SCENE Al A MENAGERIE.

(From the Liverpool Mercury.)

Some weeks ago a group of eight American
rattlesnakes which had been landed at Liverpool
were purchased by Mr. -William Manders, and were
first exhibited by that gentleman at Northampton.
As the box in which the snakes had been brought
over was to a certain extent unsafe, Mr. Manders
had a stout case expressly manufactured for their
reception, and the poisonous reptiles were installed
in their new quarters. The new case had a thick
plate-glass front and top, hot-water cisterns under-
neath, and a small door fastened by a spring latch
on one side. This case fitted in a massive oak box,
in which it was placed when the snakes were not on
exhibition, every possible precaution being taken to
prevent an accident. Mr. Manders arrived with his
menagerie at Tunbridge Wells, on Friday morning
last," set" the caravans he
left
for and a
nsd n
o ono, as h© had
to superintend the debarkation of
three giraffes which he had purchased, and which
Lo
were then on board a steamer in Blackwall
s
Reach. Mr. Manders was detained in London
until summoned to return on Saturday, and when he
did reach the menagerie again he was dismayed at
the sight which met his eyes. It appeared that early
on Saturday morning the keeper who attends the
reptile department of the menagerie had put a large
pan of water on the coke fire which stands in the
centre of the enclosure, so that he might be enabled
11 to fill the cisterns with hot water. During the time
the saucepan was heating the man proceeded with
his work, and at length 14. e took the case containing
the rattlesnakes out of the box, and commenced
cleaning the exterior. While he was so engaged the
spring latch of the door at the side of the case be-
came detached, and the door dropped down. At
this moment the water in the pan boiled over, and
tehaentkineenpaleyr rushed to the fire to remove the pan, in-
cautiously
resumenthe door
his work h rattlesnakeew
that
one of the largest of the snakes had escaped from
the case, and was Peering about, hissing in a terrible
of the
sa
case. On his return
manner, and shaking its fearful rattle. The man
closed the open door of the case, and then warned
his companions, who were cleaning up the menagerie
previous to its opening for a morning exhibition.
vailed on some of
fieAultpyaanniceslediezreldy the men, and with the greatest dif-
m
ficulty
endeavour to recapture the fearful reptile.
brooms, haeneln
tanmreedrn
aFrankn i n
tGh
eo defnr
ne
lyo s purr ee
Arming themselves with shovels, forks, scrapers,
Godfrey, proceeded towards the snake. The Sco., the keepers, under the direction of
rep-
tile, during these preparations, remained perfectly
quiet, but on the approach of the keepers—which
was heralded by a large sack being attempted to be
thrown over him—the reptile leisurely proceeded up
the centre of the enclosure, hissing fearfully all the
time. It did not appear to notice any of the occu-
pants of the numerous cages and dens until it came
to the caravan containing the bonassus, a species of
buffalo—an immense animal, weighing upwards of
two tons. This caravan is what is technically termed
a " well" caravan,
the centre portion between the
front and hind wheels nearly touching the ground.
On arriving opposite this caravan the rattlesnake
paused for a moment, and then made a spring, fas-
tened on the bonassus, and bit it in the left nostril.
The reptile then let go its grip, and, shaking its
rattles, glided through an opening between two of
the caravans, where some of Mr. Manders' grooms
were filling a cart with straw. To this cart was at-
tached one of the finest horses belonging to Mr.