The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-18 00:00:00

MARKETS.---This Day.

MARK-LANE.
Fresh up to our market to-day the arrivals of home-
grown wheat were but moderate. The trade for good and
fine samples ruled firm, at full prices ; but inferior qualities
moved off slowly, at Monday's currency.
The market was moderately supplied with foreign wheat.
The amount of business transacted wiis moderate, and prices
ruled firm.
Floating cargoes of grain were in fair demand, at late
rtes.
The supply of English barley on sale was small—of
foreign moderately large. The trade was dull, and thin
samples changed hands at rather lower prices.
Malt was in fair demand, and tke quotations ruled firm.
The supply of oats on sale was tolerably large. The
trade was steady, and prices ruled firm.
Beans were in steady request, at fully late rates.
There was a fair demand for peas, at late prices.
The flour trade was steady, on former terms.
COMPARATIVE QUANTITIES AND PRICES OF GRAIN.
For the week ending April For the corresponding week
14, 1866. last year.
Qrs. Aver. Qrs. Aver.
Wheat 55,193 —445 5d Wheat 61,605-40s ld
Barley 19,055-37 s Od Barley 22,977-29 s 6d
Oats

THE MURDER IN CANNON-STREET.

EXAMINATION OF THE SUPPOSED MURDERER
AT THE MANSION-HOUSE THIS DAY.
This morning the man William Smith, apprehended at
Eton on suspicion of being the murderer of the unfortu-
nate woman' Sarah Millsom, the housekeeper to Messrs.
Bevington, No. 2, Cannon-street, was placed before the
Lord Mayor for examination.
Colonel Fraser, Chief-superintendent Foster, Inspector
Hamilton, chief of the detective department, and Sergeant
Moss of the detective force, watched the case for the police
authorities.
The following -is the exact form in which the matter is
entered on the charge-sheet :
April 17, 5.35 p.m., 25 years of age, sft. llin. in height,
William Smith alias Denton, 6, Eton-square, Eton, Bucks,
labourer, charged by John Moss, detective sergeant, Ed-
ward Harcock, P.C. 499, on suspicion of wilfully mur-
dering Sarah Millsom alias Swann on:the night of the 11th
April, in the dwelling-house, No. 2, Cannon-street West,
by striking her on the head with some blunt instrument.
Mr. Wontuor appeared for the prosecution ; the prisoner
was defended by Mr. Scarth.
The prisoner is a powerfully-built young man with dark
hair and strongly marked features. He wore a black frock
coat with velvet collar and light trousers. .
Mr. Wontner said it was his duty to attend before the
Lord Mayor, on the part of Messrs. Bevington, to lay
before them the circumstances of a murder which was
perpetrated on their premises on the 11th instant under
circumstances of the greatest atrocity. The. Messrs.
Bevington were actuated by a desire that justice should
not fail on any peculiar point. It appeared that deceased
had been under serious apprehension by the repeated
wants of a person who was in the habit of extorting money
from her. To such a pitch Shad this arose that the poor
woman made it a point to answer all the calls that were made
at the door. The deceased was acquainted with a person
named Terry, and she consulted her as to the best means
of raising a loan of £3O. The money was advanced by a
person named Sarah Webber. Terry afterwards became
the inhabitant of a low lodging-house in Kent-street. He
then met the prisoner, and, in course of conversation,
told him of the transaction, and he then proposed that
he should take steps to get repayment of the loan. It was
agreed to, and the prisoner was pointed out the place of
business of Messrs. Bevington ; and the matter that had
led to his apprehension was a letter which had been found
in the box of the deceased, which, it is presumed, Terry
gave him to present to the deceased.
The letter was read, and was of a threatening character.
It went on to recount to the deceased the motives she
alleged for borrowing the money, viz., for to pay the doc-
tor's bills and physicians for her late husband, which she
knew was not the fact. It also stated that, as Mrs. Webber
had become desirous of her money being repaid, and that,
if she did not take immediate steps for its repayment, he
(the writer) would have to see Messrs. Bevington and Mr.
Harris, and to state to them the real nature of the
loan, and that he should also have to bring up her sister in
the matter. There were ether circumstances to show that
the prisoner had called many times at Messrs. Bevington's,
that there were portions of his clothes found saturated with
blood, and that when he spoke as to the last time he was in
London he had stated that which was untrue. The pri-
soner had not the slightest right to interfere in the matter
of the loan, and, under all the circumstances, he thought
after the evidence he had adduced his lordship would judge
whether there was not sufficient to justify the most
thorough inquiries into all the circumstances connected
with this horrible and atrocious murder.
The first witness called was
Elizabeth Lowes said—l am a cook to Messrs. Beving-
ton and Sons, 2, Cannon-street West. They are wholesale
leather sellers. Sarah Millsom was the housekeeper there, and
had been so for the last nine years. We both entered
the service of Messrs. Bevington together. The deceased's
husband was formerly in the service of Messrs. Bevington,
but he died in 1859. The premises are closed at seven
o'clock, and after that hour they remained in the charge of
Mrs. Millsom and myself. After the premises had been
closed for some time past there very often came a ring at
the bell, which was invariably answered by Mrs. Millsom.
The ring at the bell last Wednesday occurred about ten
minutes past nine, and deceased went down to answer it.
I did not see her again until a quarter past ten, when, as
she did not return, I went to look for her. I found her
lying on the ground against the bales of goods, her feet were
towards the stairs. I called to her, but getting no answer
I became alarmed, and then I opened the street door and
called for the police, and constable 467 came up. Deceased
had spoken to me onee of a man having called on her and
demanded some money. She seemed very excited, and
asked me to lend her a sovereign to give him. It is
about two months ago, as near as I can recollect.
By Mr. Scarth.—l am quite sure that it was about 10
minutes past 9 when the ring came, as I looked at the
clock in the dining room. Mrs. Millsom on one occasion
told mo about the man calling, and she had borrowed two
sovereigns of me.
Mr. Scarth. —With respect to the excitement you men-
tioned on the occasion she borrowed the sovereign of you
was it not the usual excitement of persons who are ap-
plied to for money which they could not pay?
Witness.—She was frightened.
Mr. Scarth.—Yes, the usual agitation.
Witness.—She was much agitated.
Mr. Wontner.—Sho appeared frightened you say.
Witness—Yes. She appeared so agitated when she
came up stairs to borrow the sovereign of me, that, not-
withstanding I was in my night-dress, I slipped my
clothes over them and looked out of the window, when Isaw
a tall, biggish man get into a cab, and when she came up
stairs I asked her if that was the man she had given the
money to, ttnd she said " Yes." I have not seen the man
since.
Police-constable 467 and Sergeant Ogbourne repeated
the evidence given at the inquest with respect to the posi-
tion in which the body of the deceased was found.
Mr. Scarth said, the crow-bar which had been spoken
to by the last two witnesses not being in court, he should
reserve his cross-examination of them until it was pro-
duced.
Inspector Shelford said—l have examined the papers in
the prisoner's box, and I produce tho following letter :
" The bearer of this I have sent to you as my adviser.
I have taken this course, as I have received so much an-
noyance from Mrs. Webber, that I can put up with it no
longer. He will propose terms to you, which
you may accept or not at your pleasure, fail-
ing your agreeing to his proposal, he is in-
structed by me to see Mr. Bevington or Mr. Harris and
explain to them how the matter stands. You know your
111
reasons you put forward for borrowing the money (for
doctor's bills and physican's) for your late husband, which
you know was not the case. I shall also have him bring
your sister before him, Messrs. Bevington, if necessary, or
your obstinacy compels (my adviser) to go to the extreme.
—I am, yours obediently,
"Received of Mrs. Millson £l.—" W. DENTON.
for " GEORGE TERRY."
"Mr. George Terry, 26, Old Change."
Sergeant Moss said I apprehended the prisoner at Eton,
at a beer shop at the back of his mother's house. I said
is your name william Smith, ho said yes, I asked him when
ho was last in London, to which he replied about the 10th
of January last with his mother. I then showed him the
letter given above, and said is that your handwriting, and
he replied, "yes, it is, I now know what you mean; I
wroto a note for a man and took it to her for him." Pri-
soner's mother then came into the room and asked what
it all meant, I said I had been asking him if he had
been to London during the last week, and she
said she thought not. I asked what time he
returned home last Wednesday, and she said she
did not know, as she was in bed. She could not, in any
of the questions I put to her, recollect what time she saw
him last Wednesday. She said her son had been a great
trial to her, that he would not work, and that is the reason
he has only one shirt. I thought 1 would make him work
and get another.
Prisoner—l object-to his evidence.
Lord Mayor (to Moss)—Was the prisoner present when ,
it occurred a
Prisoner—l was not.
Mess —lle was, nay-lord.
Mr. Wontner—Did you search the house?
Witness—Yes, and I found a suit of olothes spotted with
blood.
Lord Mayor —Which you believe to be blood. .
Witness—l have no doubt, my lord. They were recent
spots. I also found a mourning ring which he said be-
longed to his brother. I asked for his shirts, and his
mother said he had but one. I asked her how he got it
washed, and she said she did it while he was in bed. His
mother is one of the laundresses of Eton College. I told
him I was a constable and should take him into custodyjor
murdering Sarah Millson, on Wednesday last, at 2, Can-
non-sheet, City. Prisoner replied "that's a very serious
charge, indeed. lam as innocent as a baby. I've not been
in London since the Ist of February, when I called on a
Mr. Fuggle, Aldermanbury about some money that is due
to us. It was £lO my brother lent Mr. Fuggle. I first went
with the letter alluded to, in the latter part of last year.;
called about 3in the afternoon. She was washing up
the things. I believe it was either Thursday or Friday the
first tune I went. She told me to come on Saturday, and
I called on that day. I said did you write the receipt
on the letter " W. Denton," and she said "Yes, it's ao good
denying that, as you can prove my handwriting." I asked
him why he signed W. Denton, and he said "I have some
times used the name, and I have called Mrs. Millson three
times, She has paid me three sovereigns, and I wrote a
receipt each time. I knew it was all wrong about
the money, and I knew Terry was not entitled to it, and
that is the reason I did not put my right name to the re-
ceipt. I told him it was most important for him to show
that he was not in town at 10 o'clock on the night of the
11th of April. Ho said he was with Mr. Harris, a hatter
in Eton, until after 7 o'clock that night, and then wenttseount
for a walk, and met a man whose name he did not men
Prisoner—Whose name I did mention.
Moss continued—l am not sure about that. You might I
have done so while in London. Prisoner said he was in- 3
nocent.
Mr. Scarth—Did you make any inquiry about the priso-
ner at Eton ?
Moss—Yes, of the police. The prisoner
ewsdaasyaeneinghrte.-
turning home about 12 or 1 o'clock on w