The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-17 00:00:00

HORRIBLE MURDER IN DRURY-L &NE.

(THIS DAY.)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER.
This morning another horrible crimo was added to the
list which it has been our painful duty to publish during the
last few days. In this case the parties are in the lower
walk of life, and inhabited a small room in one of the
courts in Drury-lane. The scene of the murder is Feather's-
court, a cul de sac, containing about a dozen houses, the
majority of which are let out in single rooms to those whose
necg.ssitics compel them accept that mode of living, and
and a public house called the Blue Anchor.

About half-past six this morning the terrible discovery
was made that a married woman named Mary Whitley,
a resident at No. 8, Feathers-court, .had been brutally
murdered, and on the police entering the house the body,
of the unfortunate woman was found lying in a pool of
blood in the passage, her head resting ou the bottom of
the stairs. The constables proceeded up-stairs, and on
going into the front room on the third floor they there
ieund the body of a man named James Whitley, the hus-
band of the murdered woman, lying bathed in blood, which
was flowing from a deep wound in the throat.
The divisional surgeon of the, F Division of police
was immediately sent for, and on his arrival an
examination of both the man and his wife was
made. The woman was quite dead, and on her throat
there was a dreadful punctured wound, which, without
doubt, was the cause of death. The man was not dead,
although the wound on his throat was so deep and severe
that recovery is altogether out of the question. The
wound was a clean sharp cut across the throat, similar to
that which would be produced by a razor or some such
keen instrument. Dr. Harvey did all that was possible at
the moment, and without the least delay the man was con-
veyed to King's College Hospital, where he lies until death,
which is certain to follow, takes place.
A strict search has been made in the room and a clasp
knife covered with blood has been found, and this without
doubt is the instrument by which the fearful deeds have been
committed. No particular noise was heard to proceed from
the room the Whitleys occupied that morning, so that the
inference to be drawn is that some quarrel had taken place
between the man and his wife previous to his going to
work, and that he hadcut her throat during the quarrel, and
then made a desperate attempt at self-destruction. The two
led a very unhappy life, and tho quarrels between them were
very frequent. Early on Saturday morning last there was
a very serious disagreement between them, and the woman
on that occasion shouted " Murder," but as that was by no
means an unusual cry in the neighbourhood, the other
lodgers took no notice of the circumstance, and slept on
until their usual hour of rising. It then became known
that the husband had threatened to "do" for his wife, but
his threat was looked upon as that of an angry man, and
one that was not so near its realisation as .has turned out.

Another shocking matter in the tragedy is, that there
are seven children left, of the respective ages of 3,5, 6,9,
10, 11, and 17. Five of the children have been taken to tho
Strand Union, and the other two, as they expressed a wish
to be conveyed to their uncle's residence, have been con-
veyed thither. Whitley was a bricklayer, doing a small
business on his own account. The murderer, it is said in
the neighbourhood, has been excited to the commission of
the crime by feelings of jealousy. The age of the man 'was
43, and the woman 38.
On arriving at King's College Hospital at noon to-day,
our reporter was informed that the man was, to the
astonishment of the surgeons of the establishment, still
alive, although recovery was beyond all hope.
The body of the unfortunate woman has been conveyed
to the dead-house of St. Mary-le-Strand, where it awaits
a coroner's inquest.

DEATH OF THE MURDERER.
The man Whitley died from his wounds to-day
at a quarter before 1.

MARKETS.---This Day.

HAY.

SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 12s; clover,
£5 5s to £6 15s Od ; and straw, £1 18s to £2 5s per load.
Demand inactive.

CUMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 15s Od; clover,
£5 5s to £6 12s Od; and straw, £2 Os to £2 5s per load.
A moderate inquiry.

WnTrEcHAPEL.L3leadow hay, £4 4s to £5 12s; clover,
£5 5s to £6 15s Od ; and straw, £1 188 to £2 5s per load.
Trado slow.

COLONIAL.

TEA.—Business has remained very dull, the trade
having deferred their operations until the public sales,
which commence to-day.
SUGAR.—The market continues dull, and prices gene-
rally are unchanged. Refined goods, however, are in
better request, and, in some instances, command a slight
advance.

COFFEE.—Thero has been a fair enquiry, and superior
descriptions of Ceylon fully maintain previous quotations.
RICE.—A very limited business has been reported, and
pries have'shown no material variation.
TALLOW.—The tallow market has been very steady
throughout the past week, with a fair business doing,
chiefly to close contracts for April to June, there has been
-a good demand for forward periods, the lust three months
being most in favour; but the importers have not been
ready to satisfy the wants of buyers at current rates.
On the spot, the trade demand is light, owing to the
greater abundance of the home make. Last week's prices
are well maintained at 48s 3d ; spot, 48s ; April to June,
48s 6d ; June, 49s 6d ; October to December, town tallow,
465, nett cash. Australian beef, 475; Odessa boef, 47s 6d.

France and the German Question.

PARIS, April 15.

The Constitutionnel of to-day publishes the fol-
lowing article, signed by M. Paulin Limayrac, upon
the position of France, considered with reference
to the probability of war between Austria and
Prussia :

" Let us examine the present state of things with
calm, and reflection, particularly in so far as it con-
cerns France.

" It would be useless to disguise that Europe fears
a crisis. Now, any impending war may affect a
country by exposing it either to general or particu-
lar dangers. The latter, which are by far the most'
serious, only threaten the Powers directly engaged
in conflict. General dangers exist for the States
who have not to take part in the struggle ; and this
would be the position of France in the event of the
outbreak of war between Austria and Prussia.

" The effects of war in Europe are felt much
more now than in times past, even by the nations
keeping aloof from hostilities. Such is the inevit-
able consequence of the more frequent communica-
tion, stronger bonds of connexion, and stricter soli-
darity which 50 years of peace, the march of ideas,
and the immense development of international com-
merce have established between all nations.

" It does not therefore depend upon the Empe-
ror's Government that France should be spared her
share in the general effects of a war which might
arise in Germany. Whatever legitimate influence
it may possess, this Government has not the means
of preventing war everywhere and at all times. It
is given to no person in the world to suppress all
passions, restrain all ambitions, and resolve all
difficul ties.

"The Emperor's Government, in the affair of the
Elbe Duchies, as in all matters in which it has no
part, had only the right to give counsel and offer
friendly observations. It did not fail to intervene
in that manner and within those limits ; it did so
with zeal and loyalty, and recommended every
means for a peaceful settlement.
" In order, also, to be better listened to, the Em..
peror's Government always preserved and has main-
tained a strict neutrality upon that question. It
took part neither for nor against Austria or Prussia.
It never addressed either Power, except on behalf of
European order, nationalities, and the universal in-
terests demanding the maintenance of peace.
" With greater reason, it gave no encouragement
on either side to ideas of war. Nothing in its atti-
tude, in its acts, or in its language, authorised Aus-
tria or Prussia to suppose that it viewed the com-
mencement of hostilities with any other sentiments
than those which it professed at the London Con-
ference and elsewhere, since the question of the
Duchies arose, and which may be expressed by an
earnest desire not to see Europe disturbed by this
question.
" The Emperoes Government has thus well served
the interests of the country—first, by doing all in
its power to remove the idea of war, and then, by
securing France, should war unhappily be inevit-
able, in a position which places her aloof from the
conflict. In a word, if war broke out, France, like
all neutral Powers, would only have to suffer the
general effects of the war, and would not be exposed
to the particular dangers reserved for the Powers so
placed as to be drawn into participation in hostili-
ties.

"These simple observations will suffice to show
the exaggerated nature of the panic which has
reigned in the world of business during the last two
days. Is it, besides, absolutely certain at present
that we shall have the war, the sole prospect of
which causes so much uneasiness ? If some symp-
toms show it to be imminent, are there not others
which appear to form an obstacle, and are these less
significative ? Do they not, on the contrary, prove
that the two parties confronting each other have a
consciousness of the terrible responsibility assumed
by him who should make the attack ? Does there
not everywhere exist an extreme solicitude in de-
monstrating the reasons which militate against war ?
" Let it be observed with what care Austria and
Prussia seek to cast upon each other the responsi-
bility of provocation, and determination to cause a
conflict. Let us also bear in mind the multiplied
efforts of the minor States to prevent collision, and
the manifestations in favour of peace made by nu-
merous meetings in all parts. Finally, we must not
forget the steps which are being taken by the great
Powers of Europe, who, although neutral, are not
' indifferent. The state of affairs is not therefore
desperate. In any case it is not, for France parti-
cularly, of a nature to justify the alarm that we
have witnessed. It is unworthy of a great country
to put on these frightened airs, and drive allinterests
into a disastrous flight by cries of ' Sauve qui pent!'
More confidence and calm would better become
France, who cannot forget the wisdom and modera-
tion displayed in all the European crises by the So-
vereign who for the last 15 years bas presided over
her destiny."

TEE NORTHUMBERLAND.

MILLWALL, MONDAY AFTERNOON.

It was arranged that the groat attempt should be made
this afternoon at half-past 2 to launch the Northumber-
land, and thousands of persons embarked on board the
different river steam-boats to witness the attempt. Un-
fortunately their curiosity was not gratified, as
owing to the lashings of the after starboard
camel not being perfected the directors were compelled
to forego the attempt to get the Northumberland afloat.
The Admiralty had sent two powerful steamers, and
early in the morning it was confidently expected that
success would attend the exertions of all, but such was
not the case. It cannot be said that failure of any de-
scription occurred to-day, the failure being simply that
owing to the cause above stated, no actual attempt to
move the huge vessel took place.

It is fully expected that by to-morrow afternoon all will
be complete, when the great attempt will be made.
The disappointment to the thousands of persons who
hadavailed themselves, and that too to a dangerous extent,
of the Greenwich steamboats to witness the launch, was
extreme, especially as many of them had to endure for
hours the pelting of the rain and a biting cutting wind
from the south-east.