The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-27 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY INVESTIGATION

Last night, previously to Mr. ROGERS, the Ma-
gistrate of Hatton-garden, leaving the Bench, the
office was crowded to excess, and the greatest inte-
rest excited, in consequence of the apprehension of
Mr. Beaune, the proprietor of an estate lately esta-
blished at Islington, entitled the " French Colony,"
under the following extraordinary and mysterious
circumstances :
The prisoner, who appears to be about forty year,
of age, is a foreigner, and some time ago contem-
plated the erection of a number of small cottages
on a spacious piece of ground in the neighbourhood
of Islington, and which were to be tenanted at low
rents for the purposes of economy, the prisoner
being, as it is represented, guided by liberal prin-
ciples. During the last few days the little colony
has been in a state of considerable excitement and
alarm, in consequence of circumstances of an ex-
tremely singular and mysterious character taking
place, and which gave rise to various rumours and
suspicions all over the adjacent neighbourhood ; but
those who had the most knowledge of what had
occurred were fearful, we understand, to state what
they had beard or knew, under the impression that
they would he prejudiced. Yesterday morning.
however, Mr. Mortimer, of John-street, Islington,
met with Mr. Weller, whom he invited to take
some refreshment, it being Christmas season, and,
in the course of conversation, Mr. 'Weller inquired
whether he had heard of the mysterious and curiou-
proceedings that had taken place on the " French
Colony," and, on answering in the negative, he
(Mr. W.) replied that he bad never heard of a more
horrid or disgusting transaction in all his life. Th,
Frenchman's sister, he had heard, had been witt;
him ever since she was seven years of age, and she died
on Saturday week in childbed when she was carried
away by the defendant in a box; that on the Wed
nesday followiog thp acs,
carried trom the premises by the defendant, wh,
was followed by a person named Skinner, to the
London University, where he left the box and con•
tents, and returned to the colony. Mr. Weller ex-
pressed his strong suspicions to him (Mr. Mortimer),
who was extremely excited in consequence of the
representations made, and naturally asked Mr. Wel-
ler why he did not give information to the police.
He said he was not disposed to do so, and even all
those who had heard of the proceedings were back-
ward in their inclination, under the idea of being
injured in the estimation of their landlord ; indeed
they were afraid of him. Mr. Mortimer could no.
help suspecting that all was not right, and he re-
proached Mr. Weller for a want of independence it,
suffering himself to be supine if he thought that
any thing wrong existed, and said it was cowardice.
if people were ever so poor, if they suffered the
thing to pass by without causing judicial investiga
lion, and be immediately proceeded to the above
office, and gave information to Mr. Rogers, who
advised him to give information to the palish autho-
rities of Islington, as he (the S'agistrate) could not
assist him upon hearsay statements. Mr. Mortimet
instantly proceeded to the parish officers, and gave
information. Proper inquiries were instituted, and
the grounds of suspicion were ultimately entertained,
when Brown, the beadle, was deputed to apprehend
the defendant, whom he found at his residence iu
the colony. The greatest interest was felt, and he
was brought before the Magistrate, when the office
was thronged to suffocation.
The defendant entered the bar with great confi-
dence, attired in a mean working dress and a fora-
ging cap, and having the appearance of a mechanic
Brown, the beadle, deposed that he received in-
formation that two dead bodies had been removed
from the defendant's premises under very suspicious
circumstances, without having been regularly ex-
amined by the searchers of the parish, and that th,
deceased had been carried to the London University.
It was usual when the death of a person took place
in the parish to give information to Mr. Stanles;
the inspector, in order that the bodies might be pro-
perly examined, to ascertain whether they had died
naturally, or whether unfair means were used to-
wards them, and the surgeon, Mr. Semple, of the
parish, immediately consulted, if necessary; but it,
this instance the usual mode was avoided with re-
gard to all searching or examination. On question-
ing the defendant he said that he took him into
custo-ly because he was a Churchman and differim_
from him in his religious tenets. He took him to
the station-house prior to bringing him to the office.
Mr. La w, a tenant on the colony or estate, stated
that the body of the woman was carried away the
day after her death in a box, and on the Wednesday
following the child died, and that was also taken
away under similar circumstances, which created a
strong suspicion on the estate. The defendant wa-
watched, and he carried both of them to the London
University.
Mr. ROGERS now called upon the defendant to,
account for the removal of the bodies, when he ad-
dressed the Magistrate in the English language,
which was tainted by his native dialect, and did so
with great confidence. He did not deny having te-
m ,ved the body of his sister as described, but it
was according to her own desire prior :o her disso-
lution. She was a woman of peculiar mind and
liberal sentiments, and she was willing after her
death, that her body should be delivered over to the
surgeons for dissection, and for this purpose he took
a cab and rode with an undertaker to the London
University, to consult with Dr. Cole, of that insti-
tution, who informed him that he could part with
the body and deliver it over for dissection according
la Act of Parliament, and he took the body and
delivered it for dissection. The deceased woman
had a peculiar complaint, and she wished the corns
munity to be benefited by a medical examination.
He delivered the body to Drs. Cole and Quin, of
the University.
Mr. ROGERS —What has become of the body ?
Defendant—l suppose it is bnried, but I cannot
say positively s if it is not, it is now under process
of dissection.