The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 30, 1859,

worthy of the gallapt, cot?, in which they have enrolled
I .
hemselves, and that they will defend with their lives the
colo:
Manley er'sr having returned thanks on
'l'? which have hecipc.J e their own."
rcgment the proceedings terminated.
blnehCibliefj:elNltening the r Aficers gave a grand ball in
Beggar's-bush-barraci 'is to commemorate the event,
which was honoured • with the presence of the Earl
and Countess of Eglii iton.
The at thorities at the War Department have
appointed Major C. P. Nugent, first Adjutant of
the Royal Engineer:3 at Chatham, to superintend
the erection of the batteries and other defences
which are to be thr( Twn up by the Royal Engi-
neers on the souther n coast of England. Major
Nugent proceeds froi n Chatham on the Ist of June
to Weymouth, to sup ,erintend the construction of
the battery which is being erected near the en-
trance of that harbour • by the 18th Company of
Royal Engineers, unde r the command of Captain R.
Hawthorn. • Major G. M. Stopford succeeds Major
Nugent as first Adjutan of the Royal Engineers
at Brompton Barracks, ttnd Capt. C. G. Gordon has
been appointed second A cljutaat.
The following Staff assi: dant-surgeons have pro-
ceeded from Fort Pitt, G 9 -Latham, to the stations
named :—C. E. Smith and M. Tracey, to Canter-
bury ; J. H. King and T. Ifeazle, to Colchester ;
T. T. Macarthy, to Portsmouth ; C. W. Watling,
to Yarmouth; and A. Jennings, to Shorncliffe.
Capt. A. G. Goodall, R.E., bas received orders
to join head-quarters at Chatham.

THE MURDER IN WALIVOI?7'IL

CORONER'S INQUEST.

On Saturday afternoon a very painful investiga-
tion was held before W. Payne, Esq., coroner for
London and Southwark, at Guy's Hospital into the
circumstances attending the death of Sophia Moore,
aged 25, the wife of 'William Abraham Moore,
residing at Trafalgar-street, Walworth-road, by
whom she was stabbed on Tuesday morning, with
a knife in the back, near her left shoulder. She
was conveyed to the hospital, where she expired on
Friday morning from the effects of the severe
injuries she had received. The wretch of a husband,
immediaiely after committing the dreadful deed,
and before any warning could be given, took to
flight and has not yet been discovered, although the
police have used the utmost exertions to find his
whereabouts; but there is no doubt that as he is
well known, and an accurate description of his
person and attire has been widely circullated, the
miscreant will soon be brought to justice.
The jury having been sworn, proceeded to view
the body, which showed a most placid countenance.
Mrs. Emma Harle said—l am a married woman,
the wife of Wm. Harle. I live at No. 23, Trafal-
gar-street, Walworth. My husband is a ware-
houseman. I only know the deceased by her
lodging at my place for five weeks. I have seen
her since her death. She lived with Wm. Moore,
and they passed as man and wife—as Mr, and Mrs.
Moore. I know his name is William tecause she
has called him so. I have only called him by the
name of Mr. Moore, and not as William. He has
answered me by the name of Mr. Moore. I did
not know her Christian name till the Monday.
Coroner—ls any relative of the deceased present?
Mr. Condell (the officer)—Yes, sir, her father is
here.

Coroner—Well, when did this happen ?
Mrs. Harle—On Tuesday morning last, at abort
half-past seven, when she rushed into my bed-room,
and said, "Oh !my back." She said, "He has
"struck me in the back." I asked if I should rub
her back, and she said " Yes." I did so, and found
Imy hand besmeared with blood. I showed her my
hand, and she appeared frightened. I asked her if
he' had struck her, and she said, " Yes, with a
knit‘\•" She then made for the door, and I told her
to call ,:ut murder and for the police. I heard their
little bo v clap his hands together, and say, " Oh !
father, w-
at have you done ? What will become
of us?" I:_here are two little boys living with
them, one &J.-nit ten, the oilier twelve. The boy
called out, i What will beeozie of us ?" or,
" What will beeo.rue of you ?" I did not hear any
answer made at all to that. Moore passed out of
the house, and in doing so I saw his bac...1% A
man named' Frost came in and asked wh...'re
Moore was, and also where the female was
who went out of the hc-vuse. I said that Moore
was upstairs, and he went upstairs. Shortly
afterwards Frost and Moore came down, and
went out together. The little boy (the youngest)
named Alfred was with them. They all went
across the road to the Nelson public-house. He went
deliberately over there, and any one could have
taken him. The woman had gone to Mrs. Banton's,
No. 13, on the same side of the way. I went there
and found her there with the doctor. Mrs. Moore
was bleeding from the mouth while she was leaning
on Mrs. Banton's shoulders. Mrs. Banton, myself,
an 3. deceased's father brought her here in a cab. I
have not seen her since.
By the Coroner—l do not know where the other
boy wa,,g at the time. He had been sent out before
the perp otration of the deed.
Coroner--Is the sergeant of police present who
has the case in hand ?
Inspector Worrell—l attend to watch the case
on belAlf of the police. Sergeant Bell has the case
in hand.
Coroner—ls the man Frost here ?
Sergeant Bell—No, sir, he is not.
Coroner—Why did you not have him here ? He
is a most important witness.
Sergeant Bell—l did not think he would be re-
quired.
Coroner—But he was with Moore the moment it
was done. Where is FrOst ?

Sergeant Bell—ln Trafalgar-street, sir.
Coroner—Then take a cab, and fetch him imme-
diately.

The officer retired, and the case was proceeded
with.

Mr. Elizabeth Banton was the next witness—l
live at 13, Trafalgar-street, Walworth. I did not
know Mrs. Moore until this affair, on Tuesday
morning, about 25 minutes to eight o'clock. I then
saw her at the house No. 13, opposite mine. There
are two No. 13's in the same street, opposite each
other. She was then at the door, calling for Mr.
Frost. I did not know Mr. Frost. She was scream-
ing and groaning. I went over to her and asked
her what was the matter with her, and she said
she was stabbed. I directly said, " Oh, I can see—in
the mouth." Blood was coming from the mouth.
She said, " No, it is not from my mouth, it is in
my back." She asked me to let her sit down ;
she was in the act of falling. I said, "Not here;
come across to my room." She did so, and when
she got to the passage of my house, she fell. I
called for some one to go and fetch the doctor; some
one went; but before he arrived several persons
came in, and we got her into my room. I can't tell
you how long he was with her. I cut her sleeves,
and took her gown off. I saw the wound; it was
under the left bladebone, and bleeding very much.
Before the doctor came she said she wanted to
cough, but she did not dare because it hurt her
heart very much. After the doctor attended her
she was brought to the hospital. Before that a
man came into the room. I did not notice his dress.
His name was York. She told me to turn him out,
as he was the instigation of it. The doctor said if
she was not kept quiet she would undo all lie had
done. I have not seen that man since. The person
that lives at No. 9 in the strtet came in and recog-
nised her. ' Until then I did not know who she
was. Her name is Byworth, and she said to de-
ceased, " Is this arising from last night's affair ?" I
understand that Mrs. Byworth was with her on
the previous night.
Coroner—Mrs. Bvworth ought to have been here.
Police constable Youell, 250 P—l did not know i
deceased before this happened. On Tuesday morn-
ing, about half-past seven, I was called to the house
23, Trafalgar-street, and from thence to No. 13.
When I went to No. 13 I saw deceased having her
wounds dressed by Mr. Howitt's assistant. I saw
the wound on her back, and asked her who ',did
it, and she answered, "My husband." I was told
he had gone to `the Nelson public house. I got
another constable, who went to the back while I
went to the front. I went in, and was told he had
been gone 10 or 12 minutes. I took deceased to the
hospital. I have not yet got the man Moore. I
produce a knife (an ordinary table knife with a blade
about six inches long) which I found on the tea-
tray in the room at No. 23. Deceased told me I
should find it there. There was no blood on it.
Moore had been in the room after the occurrence.

Coroner—Yes but you only understand that he
was.

Witness—l got the knife and brought it to the
hospital, and as soon as I showed it to her she said,
" That is the knife." I gave it into her hand. I
asked.hcr if he had threatened her.
Coroner—l am afraid I cannot take that. Any
conversation before might be taken ; but I must
pass this over for the present. Have you anything
else to say

Witne;s—Only a few words about her husband
having threatened heron two occasions. ,
Coroner—Well, I cannot take that.
Mr. James Broad was next examined. He said
—I am the house surgeon. Deceased was brought
in on Tuesday morning last, shortl - before nine
o'clock. She had a stab a little on the outside of
the lower angle of the left bladebone. She con-•
tinued bad during the day and night. Her breath-
ing was distressed; but next evening it was more
relieved, and she slept comfortably, during the night.
About five o'clock on llreirsday afternoon the diffi-
culty of breathing returned, and continued until
her death on Friday morning. I have since made a
post mortem examination of the body. The wound
on the surface was from half-an-inch to three-quarters
long. It passed between two iqbs, and penetrated

the left lung. The chest contained some air, and
about two pints of blood. The lung was perfectly
collapsed.
Coroner—And that wound was the cause of death.

Witness—Yes.
Coroner—Look at that knife. Is it likely the
wound could have been inflicted with such an in-
strument as that ?

Witness—Oh, yes.
Coroner—Can you discover any marks of blood
on it ?

Witness—l have examined it, but cannot find any
Coroner—One part looks to me as if blood had
been on it. Was she at any time before her death
in a state she could tell anything about it ?
Witness—No ; she became insensible about eight
or ten hours before her death.

Coroner—There was nothing else to account for
death

Witness—Oh, no ; the whole of the viscera was
perfectly healthy.
Coroner—She did not know she was going to die?
I ask that, because if she made any statement, and
knew she was about to die, that statement could be
received.

Witness—No ; she was insensible hours before
she died.

George Farmer, of 4, Townley-place, Brandon-
street, Walworth, said—l am a traveller ; deceased
was my daughter. Her name was Sophia, and she
was married to William Moore. He has been a
tailor, but he has not followed it lately. He has
been working as a French polisher. My daughter
was 25 years of age. He had no family by her ; he
had only been married to her six months (sensation.)
He had two boys by a former wife. After the affair
there was a crowd round my door, and Wm. Moore
came up. My wife said she would not see him, and
told him to go away. I was also much unnerved.
He went away in a moment. That was on Thurs-
day morning, two days after my daughter had
been stabbed. Ido not know where he is now, nor
where his children are.

Maria Stuart (a married woman), said—l live at
8, Cottage-place, New-street, Vauxhall. William
Abraham Moore is my son. I only knew Sophia
Moore slightly. I have only seen them two or three
times since they were married. I do not know where
he is, or the children. I saw him on Tuesday, the
day of the affair, and he said, " he had done for her
he believed." I asked, " What have you done, Wil-
liam ?" He said he had struck Sophia, and he was
afraid it was a severe blow. I asked him why he
should do that, and I said to him, " Why did you
not bate your passion when you were here last
evening ? If you have any grievance, why don't
you go to a magistrate and have a proper separa-
tion ?" He said he could not bear to le•tve her. I
said, " It is much better for you to do so than to
live uncomfortably." With that I went upstairs and
dressed myself, and when I came down he was
gone. I went out and met him. The children were
with him when he first came, but when I met him
they were gone. He asked me for half a pint of
beer, which I gave him, and some one soon after-
wards told me he put poison in it, and could not be
brought to for hours.
By the Coroner—He told me he was sorry
they could not live happily together. They
were invited to dine at her father and
mother's ; a young man sat opposite her and
threw off insinuations that she should have been
married to him and not to my son. I understood
that they had kept company before. My son told
me he felt very "little" at the dinner-table, and he
could not stand it. He said that this young man
had put his arms round her waist and kissed her.
He did not see it, but her sister had informed him
of it.

Mrs. Harle was recalled, upon the suggestion of
Inspector Worrel, and said, in answer to the Coroner
—Before she rushed into my room, as I stated in my
first evidence, she came down to me and said he
was getting up and she was so cold. He came down
to my door and asked for her. I told her she had
better go up. Before she came down again, when
she, was bleeding, I heard her call out, " You do if
you dare," and with the word dare she gave a loud
scream. The witness then went into a lengthened
statement showing that it was deceased's birthday
on the Monday when the disagreement took place
between the parties ; that when they returned to
Trafalgar-street, they remained up till three o'clock
the morning, and that Moore would not sleep
witl2 his wife ; and that he said to her on the Mon-
day night that that would be the last night he
should have anything to do with her.
William Frost, of 13, Trafalgar-street, shoe-
maker, having arrived, said—l know Mrs. Moore
and husband. On the Tuesday morning deceased
came to my door, and then I saw her crossing over
to No. 13, opposite. I saw her bleeding at the
mouth. and I went to No. 23 to see what Moore had
beeen doing. I eaw him there, standing in front of
the fire-place, not doing anything in particular. I
asked him what he had been doing. He said,
" Don't ask me, Bill." He asked me to go and
have a pint of beer, as he was parched with thirst.
I said, " Very well ;",and as I had no coat on I put
his coat on. He had no money with him, no
more had I, so we went through the Nelson
to East-lane. As we were walking, he said
they had had a row, but he did not say
that he had stabbed her. I said, " Your wife is
bleeding at the mouth very bad." He said he
would go and get some money for some beer. I
returned home and learned that his wife was
stabbed. On the Thursday afternoon I saw him
in Brandon-street with the deceased's brother, who
said, " I've gilt Bill here." They all went in the
direction of his mother's. Ido not know where he
is now.

The Coroner then summed up, and said there
was little doubt as to the case. That it was the
at!: of Moore there was no doubt, and his advice to
the was that they should return a verdict of
wilful rt,-,:gder against him, as' there was nothing
before them
excuse the act. Perhaps, however,
he might bring iizth some facts at his trial show-
ingarising from a recent
quarrel, and that he niiht an affection of tho
only be convicted of
manslaughter. He could not, ;iowever, recommend
any other course to the jury than return a ver-
dict of wilful murder.
The jury consulted together for a few minutPs,
and returned a verdict of wilful murder against
William Abraham Moore, and a warrant was issued
for his apprehension.
During the learned Coroner's summing up, and
on his direction to the jury to return a verdict of
wilful murder, the unfortunate mother of
Moore was seized with a fainting
fit, in which state
she was carried out of court.
The inquiry then terminated.

DREADFUL CRUELTY TO A SAILOR

BOY OAT TILE _HIGH SEAS.

Lobbett, a Welshman, the second mate
of the schooner Come On, from Portland Bay,
Australia, was brought before Mr. Selfe, on Satur-
day afternoon, at the Thames Police-court, on a
warrant, charged with committing a series of vio-
lent assaults on an orphan boy named William
Evans, the son of an English soldier, who died on
his way to the East Indies. •

Mr. Charles Young, solicitor, defended the
prisoner.

• The boy's appearance excited great commiseration
in court. There were sores on his wrists, contusions
on his face and neck and scars on his person, caused
by the savage treatment he received at the hands
of the accused. The boy is 13 years of age, but
looked younger. He is remarkably intelligent, can
read and write well, and can converse in four dif-
ferent languages. He had neither shoes nor stock-
ings on his feet, and an old pair of canvas trousers,
a flannel shirt, and an old cotton shirt of many
colours constituted the apparel in which he ap-
peared before the magistrate.
The boy, whose sobs and tears often interrupted
his evidence, said that he joined the Come On,
in the Isle of France, and it was agreed that
he was to have 10s. per month. He was servant
to a French gentleman in the island before he
'joined the ship, and he wished to escape from
the tyranny of his step-mother. The second mate
had almost continually ill-used him since he
joined the ship. The prisoner made him file his
(the boy's) teeth with a rough file, because he
bit his nails. The prisoner was in the practice of
thumping him on the head almost every night, and
had kicked and beaten him at the wheel when
steering, and while he was on the look out. The
prisoner oftten clutched him by the neck, and nearly
choked him, and beat his head against the wheel
house and the bulwarks of the ship. On Friday he
was knocked about for the last time, and was deter-
mined to appeal to the laws of his country, under°
whose flag he had been sailing, for redress.
In reply to the Magistrste, the boy said the
second mate beat him with a stick coming up the
English Channel. He raised his hands to save his
head, and his wrists were cut and injured. Ho
never gave the prisoner any sauce. He was on
several occasions quite black in the face and nearly
strangled by the prisoner grasping hi; throat.
In cross-examination by Mr. Young, the boy said
that he had been kept at the wheel steering six
hours in the day and four hours at night, until he
was nearly exhausted. He lived with a French
gentleman in the Mauritius. Ile did not go on
board the Come On at Port•Louis,"and say he had
no bread. He thought he
,gould do better on board
an English ship, and that was the reason he joined
the Come On. He was continually beaten, and often
covered with blood. The prisoner had given him a
shirt. the captain gave him a pair of trousers, and
a man lent him a pair shoes in cold weathei. He
suffered much coming round Cape Horn in bad
weather, owing to the want of proper clothing. The
captain and first mate never laid hands upon him,
and were kind to him. The boy then exhibited his
bruises and sores to the magistrate, and in answer
to further questions said the prisoner was in the
habit of hitting him across the jaws, sometimes .with
his fist and sometimes with his open hand. The
captain and mate complained he did not keep him-
self clean, and the master combed his head down and
brushed it. He was one day standing against the
wheel, and the prisoner came behind him, struck
him, and he fell against the wheel. The skin was
rubbed off his nose. He ran away from the ship at
Portland.

Mr. Selfe—Why did you do that ?
The boy sobbed loudly, and, with the tears trickling
down his cheeks, said—The second mate was too
hard upon me, sir; he made my life miserable, and
was always kicking and knocking me about.
Alexander Donaldson, a Scotchman, said, he
joined the Come On in the Isle of France. There
were not hands enough to navigate the ship. He
had seen the boy's face continually bleeding from
effects of blows he received .from the second mate.
He had seen the second mate grasp the little boy
by the throat, nearly choke him, and dash his head
against the wheel-house.

-Mr. Selfe—Was that child put to the wheel, and
compelled to steer the ship ?
Donaldson—Ay, sir, he was. It was work for
strong men, not weak boys. He was compelled to
be at the wheel six hours in the day time and four
hours at night, till he was exhausted.
In answer to questions by the magistrate,Donald-
son said the boy behaved reasonably, but he had
to be looked after, When boys went to sea they
generally neglected themselves, because they did
not know how to take care of themselves.

Leonard Gourdie, a Belgian seaman, one of the
crew of the Come On, had also seen the boy cruelly
ill-used by the second mate. The 'boy in cold
weather at the wheel was having a little sleep from
exhaustion, and the second mate ordered witness to
the wheel, took the boy forward, gave him a ropes-
ending, and then threw him on the deck with a
force sufficient to break every bone in his body.
He saw the second mate give the boy an iron file
and order him to file his teeth.

Mr. Young said he was taken by surprise; and
wanted time to prepare the defence. He earnestly
appealed to the magistrate for an adjournment.
Kelly, 130 H, who arrested the prisoner on board
the Come On, in the London Dock, said the boy
was in a deplorable state, and the gravel and stones
had cut his bare feet on the, way to the court.

Mr. Selfe—Lay out any reasonable sum to clothe
the poor boy, and buy him shoes and stockings. I
will give you a sovereign from the poor box.
Capt. George Lowell, the master of the Come On,
said he would buy anything the boy required, and
take every care of him. He paid £2 for the boys'
apprehension at Portland Bay when he deserted.
111 r. Joseph Smith, solicitor, offered his services
to condnct the prosecution.
Mr. Selfe—l am obliged to you, Mr. Smith. I
was about to ask you to do so. •
It was then arranged the boy should remain
under the care of the constable (Kelly) for the pre-
-se.ar and-the captain, who said Lobbett had been
in his sbrvice three years, deposited £5O with Mr.
BoWdler, the second clerk, as a security for the pri-
soner being forthcoming on Monday afternoon.
It is but justice to the captain to state that he
always behaved kindly to the boy, who was not in
his watch.

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

On Friday the weekly meeting of the Board was
held at Guildhall ; Mr. J. Thwaites in the chair.
The financial statement gave a total balance of
£369,221 3s. 10d. Government securities ; Exche-
quer bills, £24,100; New Three per Cent. Annui-
ties, £15,881 16s.

THE PROPOSED DISCHARGE OF THE SEWAGE OF
THE METROPOLIS DITa DEPTFORD CREEK.

A deputation from the vestry of St. Paul, Dept-
ford, attended the board to present a memorial re-
lative to the discharge of the high level sewers ou
the south side of the Thames into Deptford Creek.
The deputation was introduced by Mr. Bristow. •
The memorialists expressed their strong disap-
proval of this project, feeling certain that it would
bring such a nuisance into the very heart of Dept-
ford as would inevitably be injurious to the health
of the inhabitants and destructive of the interests
of the town. It was their opinion that the con-
struction of sewers for conveying sewage-matter
therefrom to Frith marshes would be a violation of
the act constituting the board, which had been
framed with a view to the purification of the
Thames.

Mr. WADE addressed the board at considerable
length in support of the memorial. A large num-
ber of persons were he said constantly being passed
either into or through Deptford, by railways, which
traffic would be destroyod if there was to bean outfall
of sewage into a creek over which they passed in their
transit by the railway. If it should take place Dept-
ford as a country residence would be entirely de-
stroyed, and therefore they were most anxious to
preserve for Deptford that character for health
which it had hitherto enjoyed. It was true that
Deptford had been visited by low fever at times, but,
those evils must be greatly aggravated if the con-
centrated sewage of the entire south of the metro-
polis should be poured into Deptford Creek, apro-
position which excited in the minds of the
inhabi-
tants the greatest feelings of alarm.
A deputation also attended the board from the
Greenwich Board of Works to present a similar
memorial from the inhabitants of Greenwich.
The Rev. Mr. SOAMES, vicar of Greenwich; sup-
ported the prayer of the memorial.
Mr. BRISTOW moved the reception pf the memo-
and afterwards that they be referred to, the
train drainage committee, both motions being unani-
mously agreed to.
IMPROVEMENTS IN. ALDGATE, MINOItIES, AND
FLEET-STREET.

A report was also received from the finance com-
mittee, recommending that the sups of £1,333 6s
Rd., and +;1,150, the contributions agreed to by the
board towards the costs of improvements carried
out by the Commissioners of Sewers for the City of
London, at No. 81, Aldgate, Nos. 1 and la, Minc.
ries, and Nos. 187 and 188, Fleet-street, be
The finance committee recommended thaaltdp.re-
cepts for the expense of the, year 1859 beissued
forthwith, and made returnable on the 29th Sep-
tember, and that the necemry ardnrg be passed
thereon.
Some other business of an uninteresting natuve
having been disposed oft the board kidjoußed. '•