The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-12 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING,
,FI4I,I3RUA.i',,Y 12, 1858.

EXTRA ORDINARY CHARGE AOA /SST A BRIS-
TOL CLERGYMAN AND HIS • WIFE.

eaterday (Thursday) the Rev. S. Smith, M.A.,
and his wile w,re again placed at the bar at the
Lam ford's-gate Petty Sessions. near .Bristob.charged
with feloniousl wounding with intent to murder
Mr. John Leach; of Cr oydon. 'The room wal
crowded throughout the examination.
Mr. Garsford, solicitor, of Berkeley, appeared for
the complainant, and Mr. Stone, barrister, de-
fended the prisoners.
Mr. Garsford, after opening the case, called
Mr. John Leach, the complainant.. He deposed
—I• live at Shirley, in the parish of CrOydon, and
am a contractor. I know Mrs. Smith, her Chris-
tian name is Sarah. I first became acquainted with
ker about the end- of December, 1846. She was
then unmarried, and her name was Sarah Mills. I
wss then porter at Swan and Edgar's in Piccadilly,
London. Sarah Mills came there as kitchen-maid.
She was there about two years and a half, and then
went into a situation in Tottenham-court road. I
visited her there, and first saw Mr. Smith when
going there for her. Sorne few months after I saw
;Am my acquaintance ceased. It was on a Gcod
Eirday, in 1849, when I saw him, and my acquain-
tance ceased from the following Christmas. About
two yews after, I was married. My wife died in
March, V 357. On the 22d Jan., 1858, I received
the letter produced; addressed Mr. J. Leach, jun. I
cannots wear the handwriting. It is a remarkably
good imitation it'j c is not Mrs.-Smith's handwriting.
Mr. Garsford expressed a wish that this letter
should be read, and ;the original then returned to
him. The magistrates, however, refused to admit
the letter, except on condition of its being annexe&
to the depositions. A warm discussion ensued,
which ended in-the letter boing read ;it was as fol
lows :•-•-•

" Jan. 23, 1552.

. .
"My dear Friend,.--As I am now living in the country,
near Bristol, a widow with three children, my husband
treated me more badly towards the last, and has left me
thousand pounds. If you have not forgotten your promise
made to me when we met and spent a day and right to-
ether by the sea-side in 1849, I should by glad to 8,,e You
once more, if you are not engaged. Write to S.M., Care
of Mr. Lasbury, bookseller, Park-street, Bristol, to say if
you can come, and I will write again to tell you where to
meet me.—l remain, yours Sincerely.
Examination continued—l answered that letter.

I received another letter subsequently, dated Jan.
28. I believe it to be in the handwriting of Mrs.
Smith. It was as follows :

"My own dearest Friend,—Having come into Bristol to-
day with my friend Mrs. Isaacs, with whom I am now
living at a farm-house in the country, I am pleasod to find
a letter for me from you, as I ft are(' not having beard from
you for such a long time, that you might be gone from your
old home to some more distant part of the country. It
being market day, I came in, as I often do, to buy a few
things for my dear little children, and I shall be coining
in to Bristol again on Sunday, :fiat, with my friend, and
shall be a eturniug again by the five minutes before 7 o'clock
train by myself to Wapley, where I live, and if you still
care for me as you say, I shall be glad to meet you at the
Bristol and Birmingham platform at a quarter to 7, and
then you will see with your own eyes that I am your own
dear old friend Sally. Then you can come on with me
and stop in the village all night, and we can talk over
matters together, and if you still wish to bo honourable to
me, I shall be very glad to see you, and 'to be yours for
ever ; but mind there must be nothing improper. I was
sorry to hear your poor mother was dead ; and more so
Ellen. I suppose you married her. I think you might
have seen by the circumstance I mentioned in my last note
that it could be no other than your old and sincere friend
Sally ; therefore I shall subscribe myself as before,
" Same address.
"P.S. Please write directly on receipt of this, and get
it posted in London on Friday night if you can, as I shall
call for the letter as I go through on Sunday morning.

" Good bye for the present. -
"If this does not reach you in time to write again, come
the Sunday following, Fob. 7, or fix some other time, and
I will endeavour to meet you."
- -

Examination resumed—l replied to that letter.
I received another letter, in the same hand, as
follows :

" Jan. 31.

" Dear John,--I was glad to receive your kind letter this
morning, though I must say I was disappointed you did not
come to-day. I long to hear the romancing stories you have
to tell me, and to talk to you about our future prospects. I
have not much time to write to-day, so shall only say that I
wish you very much to come by the 1 o'clock train from
Paddington next Wednesday, Feb. 3. It gets here at half-
past five, and I will meet you at a quarter before seven at
the Bristol and Birmingham Station, as I said before. The
trains on Sunday will be ill-convenient, and they may be
altered in February, so you must inquire about that, and,
besides, next Sunday ?11 the Isaac will be at home ; but on
Wednesday next they will drive into the Circus, and won't
be back in the ountry before twelve. I can come with
them and return with the same train I toll you of, and we
can have a chat to ourselvesrover all we have gone through
since we last met. If you wish, yen can get something at
the hotel by the station. Dear John, as you don't say
anything about marriage, and you know we have had a
great many troubles before, I should be glad if you would
bring all my letters with you, and wo will at once s3ttle it
one way or the other.—Yours, ever affectionately,
" S. M., in haste."
I replied to that also. In consequence of those
letters I came to the Bristol and Birmingham sta-
tion in Bristol about 20 minutes before 7 in the
evening on the 3d inst. I had with me a small
parcel of wearing apparel, and a silk umbrella.
After waiting there a few minutes I saw a gentle-
man go into the waiting-room, and I thought how
like he was to Mr. Smith. A few minutes after I
saw Mrs. Smith coming up the stairs, dressed in
widows' weeds. I went part of the way down and
met her. I shook hands, and a, ked her how long
Mr. Smith had been dead, She replied, "Si,
weeks." I said it was very strange, for I had seen
a person go into the waiting-room just like him.
She said, "How could you think that ? He has
been dead six weeks." 111 rs. Smith was dressed in
a dark grey shawl, a dark dress, a black bonnet
with white strings hanging down ; her face was
open, so that any one might have seen her. I
asked where she was going to. She said, " To
Yale station." I got two first class tickets for
Yate. I left her on the platform for about five
minutes. We went to Yate. When we got there
I was going out the same way I saw others going.
I passed through the gate, when Mrs. Smith said
she wished to go by the common, as her
friend Mr. Isaac *as coming to meet her, in
case I did not come by the train as was expected.
We went to find the gate or -steps leading
to the common, but it was so dark we could not
find it. Mr. Suffolk, the station-master, came to
ue with a light, and said it would be impossible to
cross the common ou so dark a night. I then pro-
posed going by the road, or having some convey-
ance. Mrs. Smith said she should know the way
across the common when she found the hedge, and
she wished to go that way. Mr. Suffolk lighted us
on the common. I went about 150 yards, as near
as I could judge, but we could not find the hedge.
I said we had better return and go by the road.
She made no reply, but called out " We are lost."
I was at that time feeling with my umbrella for the
hedge. Mrs. Smith might have been three yards
from me when she said " We are lost." A man's
voice replied, "I am lost, too." I turned round
in the direction of the sound, and thought I saw
the shadow of some one approaching. I then re-
ceived a heavy blow on the back of my head. I
turned round, and saw a man, with a bludgeon
about 12 or 15 in. long, and of a light colour. It
was too dark for me to recognise the man. I re-
ceived three or four blows on the head from the
same weapon. I closed with the man, seizing him
by the collar with my left hand, and holding his
left wrist with my right hand. I threw him and
fell upon him. I held his left arm out quite straight
and held his head down. In his left hand I saw
something which I supposed to be the bludgeon be
them‘
wfAolouunort
found
etolhrk.
the railway
me
could
dlodwffindaotyhtnot t
per
snenei
standee
came Mrs.
t
had struck me with. I called out, "hold," and
e
I
oSnmiyithhealtp.thisotnime
of
e.
s oann
dwho
dh at
od
haettaancpkpeodrtme
de
A light was brought, and 1 then recognised the
Stop,Sin i Smith h
tahsat being
person,
lieperson
has
nearly who
man who struck me as the same person I had seen
in the waiting-room at Bristol. I am not able to
me.sw I
eartosall'idl, r.
mur-
dered me." No one attempted to do so. I saw
him go across to Mrs. Smith, and they
both
when
off together. I lost the parcel I had with me went
off
I fell, and my umbrella. I have since seen the
contents of that parcel in the
stable
Windmill.
The complainant was briefly cross-examined by
Mr. Stone, but his evidence was not affected. He
denied ilia', he had corresponded with the female
prisoner. after knowing her to be a martied wolaan.
Mr. Suffolk, station-master at IrAte, produced a
c,pped and lortdcd six boa t died revolver, which had
been found on the sane of the scuffle the followine-
moreing.
Chas. Haven, one of the parties mentioned, stated
that on his attemptis,g to follow Mr. Smith, the
latter said :—" The first man that molests me, I'll
blow his brains out ; and that Mr. and Mrs. Smith
then walked off towards Westerleigh.
Henry Tilley, porter at the Yate railway station,
gave confirmatory evidence.
John Beck, coal merchant, Of y„te, produced
some articles of widow's ',apparel, which had been
found by him on the scone of the assault.
'A girl named Aplin, a housemaid in the service
of the Rev. S. Smith, proved that on the 3d her
master and mistress took tea together about
' o'clock, and appeared to be on the most friendly

teru:s. .A liAle before 6 o'clock h r mistress wont
upstairs, and sh- rtly aC:ertrrsid,; t,o;h Mr. and Mrs.
Smith went:out, but whether they wait together or
not WittiOtit•C 7.10 t tOll. • They returned about I.
o'clock t inornii4f, au4 were, on the
friendly .telms as when they left.
Se:'gew)t K ssell, otthe .Glocestersbire
Coustabulaiy, deposed that on 111:e .4th, in coin-
pany with Fear and Windmill, :of the BListvl force,
he went to Mr. Smith's house at Clifton, and appre-
hended him on a charge of assault, with intent to
murder, and highway robbery. Mr. Smith sAied
the sergeant for his authority, and he said he had no
warrant, but apprehended Mr. Smith on suspi-
cion.- Mr. Smith then asked permission to go up
stairs and change •his coat, .which was granted, the
officer following. While in the bed-room Smith
called his wife, who was taken into custody on the
same ch4rge. He said to her, " Whatever pea-
Cons they ask you, make.no reply." Both prisoners
were taken to Bristol central station,, and the offi-
ceri returned and searched the house, where a par-
cel was found :containing wearing apparel which
was produced, and identified by Mr. Leach as his
pr•perty.

Windmill, a detective of the Bristol force, con-
firmed the evidence of the last ‘vitnoss.
Mr. P. D. Leman, surgeon, of Chipping sod-
bui:y, deposed that he was called in to attend Mr.
Leach on the 3d, and found him suffering from
two scalp wounds, one in front, the other at the
back of the head ; -tbe wound at the back was 2i
inches in length, and extended in depth to the
membranes of the skull. The front was of a simi-
lar character, but not so extensive,
being only one
inch in length. Witniss did not. consider these
wounds dangerous to life, bbt thought if they bad
not been speedily attended to erysipelas might
have supervened, and fatal results followed. They
were apparently inflicted by heavy blows with a
stick.

Gellard Lock, a pupil at Mr.- Smith's school,
proved that on the 23d of January he was instructed
by Mr. Smith to go to Mr. Lasbury in Park-
street.- He had a card given him with the initials
"S. M." on it. This card he was told to give to
Mr. Lasbary,- and tell him that if any letters came
there so.diremed they were for Mr. Swith. Wi'.-
uoes called again a day or two fiftt,twards, but there
;yew no IeLLA-s there then. He called a second
time end fn.pid two, one directed "S. M." And
the oth,73r "M. S." Took both lotcrs, and told
Mr. Lassury thq.if either vvas wrong it should he
brought back, Gave the lethrs to M: s. ;
she d&-.2-ined the one directed " S. M,," the other
was rElturned. _

Ribert Nevile,ascistant to Mr. Gibbs, gunsmith,
Corn-street, Bristol, di-posed that on the 29'.h ...f
January Mr. Smith . am. .0 his ni,i.ster's ;.: hop about
S o'clock in the evening, and asked to look at some
pistols. He was shown several, but did not buy
any, and said he would call again. On the 2d of
February, about 7 in the evening, he came again,
and purchased a six-barrelled revolver, which, at
He asked fur a receipt, and on the
si
his own request, witness loaded with six balls, but
did not cap it.
in. what name the - account
assuiaca
iushould be made out, the prisoner gave the name of
Hicks. Noticing hiaecrical appearance, witness
asked whether li, silould say the Rev. Mr. Hicks.
one sold, and was in the
" Hicks, Esq." Tho
The prisouzr replied, " Oh, n.,,.,, The account
same caidii ion,
pwiasstoltph
with the exception that it was now
capped.
reondumcaelewnaustthteo
This b ing the whole evidence, Mr. Stone ad-
nait'ed that au asslult of an aggravated nature
had been commit, ed by Mr. Smith, but contended
that his wife, having been coerced, and acting
under the orders of Ler husband, was not ame-
nable. .

The magistrates, however, considered both
equally liable, and committed both prisoners on
a charge of felonious maiming.
Bail was refused.
REWARD FOR THE APPREHENSION OP
MR. THOMAS ALLSOP.

The following placard has been largely circulated
by the police authorities :

2001. REWARD.-MURDER.

Whereas a warrant has teen granted for the
apprehension of Thomas Allsop, late of Nutfield,
near Reigate, in the aouuty of Surrey, and for-
merly of No. 1, Royal Exchange-buildings, in the
city of Loudon, and a member of the Stock Ex-
change, charged as accessory to the murder of
divers persons (whose names are unknown), at
Paris, in the empire of France. A reward of 2001.
will be paid to any person or persons as shall lead
to the apprehension of the said Thomas Allsop.