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

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-superititendent 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 Mill9ont 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.
Slr. Wontuer 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. Ile 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 had 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 other 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, ho 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 Lewes said —I 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. lievington,
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 bad 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 tho ring came, as I looked at the
clock in the dining room. Mrs. Millsom on one occasion
told me 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 payy
Witness.—She was frightened.
Mr. Scarth.—Yes, the usual agitation.
Witness.—She was much agitated.
Mr. Wontner.—She 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 slippod 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, and she said " Yes." I have not seen the man
since.

Police-constable 467 and Sergeant Ogboume repeated
the evidence given at the inquest with respect to the posi-
tion in which tho 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 the 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
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 Messrs. Bevington, if necessity, 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
he 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
wrote 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
slid 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
ho has only ono 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 s
Prisoner—l was not.
Moss—He was, my lord.
Mr. Woutner—Did you search the house ?
Witness—Yes, and I found a suit of clothes 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 (lid it while ho was in bed. His
mother is one of the laundresses of Eton College. I told
him I was a constable and should take him intocustody.for
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. I
called about 3in the afternoon. She was washing 'up
the things. I believe it was either Thursday or Friday the
first time 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 ho 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. He said ho was with Mr. Harris, a hatter
oteli;,
in Eton, until after 7 o'clock that night, and then wen
for a walk, and met a man whose name he did not mention
Prisoner—Whose name I did mention.
Moss continued—l am not sure about that. Tonwnlasight
have done so while in London. prisoner said he
in-
nocent.
Mr. Scarth—Did you make any inquiry about the priso-
ner at Eton ?
Moss—Yes, of the police. The pri over was seen re-
turning home about 12 or 1 o'clock on WQ.,llO$ night. d cl• •ht

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE---This Day.

NEWMARKET RACES-Tinis DAY
RENEWAL SWEEPS TAKES
Strathconan
Tomahawk

100 SOVS. PLATE.

Mr. Pitt
Mazeppa
Janitor

Mum—Horror beat Dot.
SWEEPSTAKES OF 50 SOVS.

Lass o' Gowrie
The Masson ...

Cottllon

SWEEPSTAKES OF 50 SOVS.
w. o.
SWEEPSTAKES OF 10 SOVS.
Goodfellow 1
Raven

SWEEPSTAKES. T.Y.C.

The Duke
Breadalbano
Sister to Aschani

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
TWO-YEAR-OLD PLA'I7E.
Hippia ............................................ . .....................
Hatty
Lady Hester ......................................................
Nineteen ran. Won by a length.
PRINCE OP WALES STARES.

Klarinska ..........HANDICAP ..............................................•
w. o.
PLATE.

llopvine .........................................................................
Ethelred ....... ....
Grapeshot ............................................................
Sixteen ran. Won by three-quarters of a length.
BETTING ON THE COURSE.
CHESTER CUP.
3to 1 agst Delight (taken)
5 to 1 agst Redcap (taken)
6to 1 agst Dalby (taken)
Bto 1 agst Mr. Pitt (taken)
10 to 1 agst Treasure Trove (taken)
12 to 1 agst Baragali (taken)
25 to 1 agst Moulsey (taken)
DERBY.
100 to 6 agst Blue Riband (taken)

VICTORIA CLUB BETTING—This DAY.

CHESTER CUP.
4to 1 agst Delight (taken freely)
8-to 1 agst Mr. Pitt (taken)
DERBY.
200 to 60 agst Lord Lyon (taken)

LETTER FROM DR BEKE.

lIALAI, ABYSSINIA, March 13, 1866.
Dr. and Mrs. Beke left M. Kulla near Massowah on
the 3d of March, and reached Halai, on the edge of the
Abyssinian table-land, on the 10th. They had previously
math, an excursion to Zulla, in Annesley Bay, in company
with a shooting party of the officers of H.M.S. Syria, with
a view to discover whether an entrance might not be made
in that direction, but the attempt was frustrated by cer-
tain intrigues.

On their way up to Halai, the gratifying intelligence
reached them that Dedjatz Tekla, Georgis, the Emperor
Theodore's Lieutenant in Tigre, had completely defeated
Derasa, the General of Waagshum Gobazye, at Hauzeyn,
about 70 miles south of Halai, and that the rebels were
retreating in all directions. This important event is
likely to materially facilitate Dr. Beke's journey into the
interior, and he has despatched a messenger to Dedjatz
Tekla Georgis, asking for an escort for himself and his
wife.

The change of climate has completely restored the health
of the traveller.

It was at first reported that the rebels had been defeated
by the Emperor in person, but this is not the fact. It is,
however, still believed that he is coming to Tigre.
It is not at all unlikely that his approach will ba ac-
celerated by the news of the arrangement made between
the newly-appointed Egyptian Mudir of the Daukali
East and the rebel Gorbazye, for the grant to the
former of Daggira, near Digsa (Dixau), and
otter villages along the edge of the high land, which have
always belonged to Abyssinia, though held as fiefs of the
empire by the Naibs of Arkiko. This arrangement was
only completed whilst Dr. and Mrs. Beko were on their
way up to lialai, as they passed the Mudir Ahmed Araye
on his way down, and some of the tribute oxen being
driven down to the coast.

No later news from Mr. Rassam has some to Dr.
Beke's knowledge, but before he left Mr. Kulla
he heard for certain that when Mr. Rassam
wrote on the 4th of January announcing his entry
into Abyssinia with an escort sent by the Emperor, he had
been stopped between Wekhni and Tjelga by the troops of
Tesso Gobazye, and that those of the Emperor had gone
to attack them and clear the way.