The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-12 00:00:00

TB E SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, SEPTM BE It 12, 1866.

TEE MURDER, 1N ST. GILES'S.

Examination of Jeffreys—This Day.

BOW-STREET,

The report of the apprehension of Jeffreys, the supposed
murderer of the little boy in St. Giles's, which appeared
exclusively in a late edition of The Sun on Mon-
day evening, caused a very great concourse of spectators
this morning before the station of the F Division of-police
in Dow-street in the expectation of catching a momentary
glance of the man who had been apprehended, on his own
confession, of being the murderer of his son, a child aged
eight years, in a cellar in Neal's-passage, Seven Dials. The
prisoner is a person of short, slim stature, with a verysallow
countenance, black hair, and beard. lie wore an old black
frock-coat, a dirty yel:ow cotton waistcoat, and tweed
trousers ; he was devoid of necktie, and the soiled description
of his garments gave him the appearance of a man of the
most reckless description. On being taken into custody
he described himself as John Richard Jeffreys, Rippingale,
in the West Murlay division of the West Riding of
Yorkshire, and of 111, Ilalf-paved-yard,. Salisbury-square,
Fleet-street, and of 15, Great White Lion-street, Seven
Dial; tailor, the charge against him being wiliully
murdering his son, Arthur Richard Jeffrey; on the
30th of July last, by hanging him in a cellar, at No. 1,
Neale's-passage, Great Earl7street, in the parish of St.

Air. Vaughan was the sitting magistrate at Bow-street,
before whom the following evidence was given :

Mr. Humpheries (the second clerk), addressing the pri-
soner—ls your name John Richard Jeffreys?

Prisoner—Yes. Spell the name " ys," not." ies."
Sergeant Kay, 13 F, said—On Monday morning, the 30th
of July, at a quarter past seven, I went to a cellar in Neal's
Passage, 15, Great Earl-street, Seven-dials, and found
there the body of a boy hanging to a post, apparently about
eight years old. I measured him, and his length was
3 feet 7 inches.

Mr. Vaughan—Was he dead?
Witness —Yes, your worship.
Mr. Vaughan—Was there warmth in the body ?
Witness—lt was slightly warm. He was hanging with
his head about 5 feet from the ground, and his feet about
15 inches. The rope was round his neck, but very loosely.
Not having a knife, I caught hold of the body, and told
one of the men standing near to cut the rope.
Mr. Vaughan—What was the name of the person ?
Witness—lie is not here that I know of ; the rope, how-
ever, was cut above the knot.
Mr. Vaughan—Did you observe how many times the
cord was rcund the boy's neck ?
Witness—Only once.

Mr. Vaughan—Was it tight round the neck ?
Witness—No, your worship, I could have got my two
lingers between the cord and the boy's neck. The boy's
hands were tied loosely bahind him with the strip of
pocket-handkerchief I now produce
Mr. Vaughan—Were they securely fastened ?
Witness—Yes, your worship.
Mr. Vaughan—Was the boy dressed?
Witness —Yes, your worship, he had all his clothes on,
but they were very old.
Mr. Vaughan.--Had he his boots and cap on ?
Witness.—He had his boats on, but his cap was on the
ground. _ _

Mr. Vaughan.— You say the boy was hanging to the
post. How was the rope attached ?
Witness.—The post is a piece of timber running up one
side of the cistern in the cellar. His face was towards the
post. There was a cut in the post, and from that the
rope was suspended.
Mr. Vaughan.—Was there a chair in the cellar upon
which any person could have stood.
Wituess.—There was nothing of the sort, except an old
market basket, but that was in an out-of-the-way place,
and it bore no marks of any person having stood upon it.
Mr. Vaughan.—How is access obtained to the cellar ?
Witness.—You go down some steps and there is a cellar;
but when there, there is another further on. The entrance
to the cellar is in the street. There being no door to it,
it is always open.
Mr. Vaughan—ls there any light in the cellar ?
Witness—There is, I have since 1 was first there dis-
covered a slight opening in the cellar where the body was
found, but the door of the water closet being thrown back
when I entered, I did not observe it the first time I went
in.
Mr. ,Vaughan—ls 15, Earl-street a common-lodging-
house ?

Witness—No, your worship. It is in Neal's-passage and
let out in tenements.

Mr. Vaughan—Then I understand you to say the door
of the house is open day and night.
Witness—lt is never shut, your worship.

Mr. Vaughan—So that any person, whether an inmate
or not of the house, could go down into the cellar where
the body of the boy was found.
Witness -Yes, your worship.
Mr. Vaughan—Go on and describe what you did.
Witness -I cent for Dr. Harvey, and on his arrival he
pronounced the boy dead, and by his direction the body
was taken to the dead-house of St. Giles's Workhouse, as
the place in which it was found was so filthy.
Mr. Vaughan to prisoner -Do you wish to ask the wit-
ness any questions ?
Prisoner- No. I've nothing to ask ; but I should like
all the witnesses to be out of court.

Mr. Vaughan—They are so already.
Dr. Alfred Harvey, of No. 3, Southampton-street,
Strand, said—On the 30th of July I arrived at the house
at the corner of Neal's-passage, Great Earl-street, and
found the body of the boy lying on the back in the collar.
I ordered its removal to the dead-house, and on undressing
the body and examining it particularly, I found a mark
round the neck, and an.indentation.
Mr. Vaughan—All round the neck?
Witness—No, sir. The mark went round about two
thirds of the neck.

Mr. Vaughan—What part of the neck /
Witness—On the front, and running round to the back.
Mr. Vaughan—What was the nature of that mark ?
Witness—As if it had been produced by a cord.
Mr. Vaughan—Was the skin discoloured ?
Witness—Yes.

Mr. Vaughan—Did it appear to you of such a size as
that it might have been produced by the piece of cord now
before you ?

Witness—Yes.

Mr. Vaughan—Looking at the appearance of the body
before the post mortem examination, could you state the
cause of death ?
Witness—From the mark of the cord it appeareu
as if
death had been produced by pressure on the windpipe, the
other appearances were not such as might have been pro-
duced by hanging.
Mr. Vaughan— Was there anything else you observed
externally ?
Witness—No sir. On making the post mortem I found
the lungs congested, the eyes were natural, the pupils
dilated. The stomacep contain food, and otherwise the
organs were healthy.
Mr. Vaughan—To what cause, having made the post
mortem, do you attribute the death of the child ?
Witness—To suffocation.

Mr. Vaughan—And would the pressure on the windpipe
which you have before mentioned be sufficient to causo
that ?

Witness—Yes.
Mr. Vaughan—What was the probable age of the child?

Witnes—Between 7 and 8.

Jane Edwards said—l am a widow, and reside at No. 5,
Eagle -street, Holborn, and was living there on the 30th of
July.
Mr. Vaughan—Do you know the prisoner at the bar ?
Witness- Too well, your worship. He married my
daughter.
Mr. Vaughan—ls she alive ?

Witness—l believe so, though I have not seen her these
two months. On the 29th of July, a Sunday night, the
prisoner came to my lodgings about half-past 8. I had
had for about five months previous to that time the pri-
soner's Son residing with me. The child was in bed, but
the prisoner desired me to-dress the child. Ue said "Dress
that child" three times. The child said "Don't, granny,
dress me; J don't want to go with him." The prisoner
gave no reason for his directing me to dress the child. I
said to him "Don't take the child away; leave him till
to-morrow morning, and then come for him." I, however,
dressed the child, and the prisoner took him away. He did
not say where he was going to take him, but I followed
him, and lost sight of him in a court in Holborn. I told a
policeman of the circumstance. The next morning I re-
cognised the dead body of the child in St. Giles's dead-
house. I did not know where the prisoner was living
when he called upon me. The names of the deceased child
were Richard Arthur Jeffrey. The prisoner never paid mo
one farthing for keeping the child, and for the five
months the child was with me he never gave me
ono farthing. I had applied to him for money when
ho was at Gravesend, but he sent me up a letter
telling me he would pay me nothing, and that I might do
my best and worst. I sent for money at the expiration of
the first week it had been with me, and then it was that I
received the letter I have spoken of. The child had told
me that his father had treated him very shamefully, and
that if he told anything to anybody ho would kill him. I
don't, of my own knowledge, know how he treated the
boy. I was very fond of the child, and I never should
have asked him fur any mono y for the keep of it.
Prisoner—When I came for the child did I ask for his
black clothes?

Witness—Oh, dear, no ! Tho child had on the same
clothes he wore when you first left him. The child did
not say in my presence that I had pawned his hat.
Prisoner—Didn't you say that his aunt had paWned his
jacket ?

Witness—The boy might have said so.
Prisoner—Did'nt we all go into a publie-house, the child
and all, that same Sunday night when I left?

Witness No, certainly not.
Prisoner—Did'ut I come from Gravesend one night and
give you three shillings and a pint of shrimps.
Witness—No, not to my recollection.
Prisoner—l shall prove that I did, although you have
sworn that I did not. Did'ut I say that I had been told that

you had been given Us. in ono week, and that as you
neglected the child I should take it away.
Witness—l don't recollect your saying one word of such
a thing.

Prisoner—Recollect yourself ; you will have to prove
all you say.
Mr. Vaughan—You must not make such observations
as that. You can ask what questions you like, but only
quest ions.

Sarah Foster said, on the 30th of July last I was living
at No. 15, Great White Lion-street, St. Giles's. lam the
sister of the prisoner. I recollect seeing him that even-
ing; ho came to my place between 8 and 9, and brought his
child with him. It was the child mentioned by the last
witness. He said he had come to stop for the night, and I
told him Ire could stay if he liked. Ile remained till bn-
tween 1 and 2 o'clock in the morning in my room, when
he got up and went away with the child. Ile and the boy
had both been to bA, and had a good sleep. When he left
he said he was going a long way in the country. I don't
recollect hearing- the child speak all the time it was in my
room. It appeared to be in good health, and that
was all I saw of the prisoner that night. The next day I
saw the body of a child' in • the dead-house of St. Giles's
Workhouse, and recognised. itasthp sou of the prisoner.
Before tle prisoner left I said to him, "I hope you won't
do anything to the child to ill use it."

Mr. Vaughan—Why did you say that to him ?
Witness—Because I had heard him say. before that the
child should not be a trouble to any one long.
Mr. Vaughan—Had he said that that night ?
Witness—No, sir.
Mr. Vaughan—Then it was before that ?
Witness—Yes, sir ; but I have heard him several times
make the remark.

Mr. Vanghan—What reply did he make ?
Witness—He told me to mind my own business.
Prisoner—You say the child did rot speak on the Sun-
day night ; did'nt I make him kneel down and say his
prayers ?
Witness—l don't recollect.
Prisoner—Didn't I leaye my child at your door with a
nice suit of black.

Witness—Yes, about Whitsuntide I think that was.
Prisoner—Don't you know that I have paid money for
the keep of the child.
Witness—Yes. When I had him in the winter you paid
me very regularly.
Prisoner—Did you ever see me beat or ilium the child ?
Witness—l have seen you beat him.
Prisoner—Yes. When ho had told mo a story.
Witness—l know you have beat the child.

Prisoner—Do you recollect me taking the child away in
this mysterious manner before P
Witness—Yes; from-your 'wife, not from me after you
brought him at Whitsuntide. You had thou been drink-
ing, and when you came on that Sunday you were the
worse for liquor.

Prisoner—l have never bean guilty of ill-treating the
child. When he has told an untruth I have only corrected
him for so doing.

Superintendent Durkin—Upon this evidence, your
worship, I ask for a remand until this day week.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

FORGED ORDERS.—COMMITTAL.—WiIIiam Henry Aston
and Thomas Hiatt, the two young men charged with ob-
taining goods by means of forged orders, were again
brought before Mr. Tyrwhitt.
It appears that Aston, who was formerly in the employ
of Messrs. Mackay, Burke, and Wheeler, military tailors,
Bond-street, went to Messrs. Scott Adios' Scotch ware-
house, Regent-street, and obtained a quantity of cloth by
means of an order purporting to be written by Me ssrs
Mackay and Co., but which was proved to have been
written by Hiatt, who was his companion and lodged in
the same house with him. The prisoner Hiatt was charged
with
igetli
quantity of
by
means of an order of paper hangings from Mr.
SilasobtainingTucker
pur-
porting to come from his father, but was in reality signed
of la l
by himself. Since the last examination the prisoner Hiatt's
father had gone round to the persons where his son had
sold the paperhanging, and got a quantity of them back
with a view of screening his son, and he had gone so far
in one case as to threaten to give a person into custody if
he did not give the property up.
Several persons proved purchasing paperhangings of the
prisoner Hiatt, and subsequently, on his father calling
giving them up to him.
Mr. Tyrwhitt committed the prisoner for trial.

A FELLS SAVAGE.—Maria Yearly, of 5, Ann's-court,
Wardour-street, was charged with assaulting John Lewis,
of 32, Rupert-street, shoemaker, and Moss, 80 C.
The prisoner was proved to have assaulted Lewis, and
while on the way to the station she bit the constable
several times on the legs, and it was also stated that she
had assaulted Lewis's daughter, a little girl, so badly that
blood ran from one of her ears.

Mr. Tyrwhitt committed the prisoner'for seven days for
each of the assaults on Lewis and the constable, remarking
that violent women must be punished as well as violent
men. As to the assault on the little girl, that could be
hereafter preferred.

MARKETS.---This Day.

MARK LANL.

Fresh up to our market to-day the arrivals of English
wheat were on a limited scale, but, generally speaking, in
good condition. Owing to the unsettled weather, the trade
for all descriptions was very firm, and factors demanded a
further advance of is per quarter.
The quantity of foreign wheat on the stands was mode-
rate. In all kinds sales progressed steadily, and prices
again improved. The quotations realised being is higher
than on Monday.

Floating cargoes of grain changed hands freely at full
currencies.

The supply of barley was very moderate. The trade
ruled steady at the late advance in prices.
Malt was firm in price, with but little business doing.
Oats were iu moderate supply and good request, on for-
mer terms.

Beans and peas moved off slowly, but the value of all
qualities was well supported.
In flour a good business was transacted, at the late
advance.

SHIP ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oats. Flonr.
English and Scotch 620 60 620 1,310
Irish
Foreign 18,480 1,610

50
54,250 900 sks.
• bls.

CO3IPARATITE QUANTITIES AND PRICES OF GRAIL
For the week ending Sept. For the corresponding week
8, 1866. last year.
Qrs. Aver. Qrs. Aver.
Wheat 60,075-47 s 3d Wheat 60,834-46s 06
Barley 2,823--36s 16 Barley 3,072-31s 26
Oats 2,073-25s 2d, Oats

BOROUGH HOP.
The accounts from tho plantations are unfavourable.
The trade, in consequence, is steady, and late rates arc
well supported.

WHITECHAPEL.
Tho supply of meat on sale is moderate. The trade is
heavy, at the following quotations :
Per 81b. by the carcase.
Beef 3s 4d to 4s 8d I Mutton ... 6d to 5s 4d
Veal 4s Od to. 5s Od I Pork

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

LONDON, Sept. 12.—Wind this day at noon—North-
Westerly ; moderato breeze and fine weather, but r ther
cloudy.

• CLYDF, Sept.ll.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Chanza, from
Matanzas.

SWANSEA, Sept. 11.—Wind S.E.—Pat back—Kent, for
Valparaiso.
TORBAY, Sept. 10.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—John Henry,
inhad N.d
been detained during the
W.—Sailed—Norseman,
, but left in the evening on
the wind changing.
fromdf n
arlYtL bhi (Syn3hiCa°i vo' fyfoSrGse south-Hel Madeira.
.:eWt ;gale

PORTSMOUTH, Sept.
.10.-=Wind N.W.—Arrived—Star
of the East, from St. John's, N. 8.; her Majesty's ship In-
dustry, from Wbolwich for Rio Janeiro Achilles, from
London for Quebec.

The Late Fearful Collision cff the Suffolk

Coast.

BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY—Tins DAY

This day an investigation was held at the Green-
wick police-court, before Mr. Traill, the magistrate,
and Captains Harris and Baker, respecting the late
fearful collision off the Suffolk coast, between the
Bruiser steamer and the Haswell, a screw collier.
Mr. llargreave Hamel appeared to conduct the
proceedings for the Board of Trade. Mr. Cohen
and Mr. Pearse attended for the owners of the
Bruiser, and Mr. Cooper for the Haswell.
It will be remembered that early on the morning of
the 19th ult. the Bruiser, which was on her way from
Hull to London, came in collision With the
Haswell, which was bOund to the north from the
Thames, a few miles off Aldborough, on the Suffolk
coast. The Bruiser sunk in about 10 minutes, and
several of the passengers and 30 of the crew pe-
rished. The remainder on board the Bruiser, 93 in
all, got on board the Haswell, which brought them
on to the Victoria Dock, whCre they were landed.
Mr. Hamel having opened the Case in a speech
detailing the main facts,
Captain Chase, the master of the Haswell, was
examined at great length, but the inquiry will
occupy several days.