The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-16 00:00:00

SHOCKING MURDER IN ST. LOUIS.

ST. Louis, June 3.—Joseph Charless, one of the
oldest and most respected of our citizens, was shot
and mortally wounded on the street this morning,
by G. W. Thornton, formerly teller in the Boat-
men's Savings' Institution. Thornton was tried
and acquitted about a year ago on a charge of
having stolen 20,000 dollars from the bank, and
Charless happened to be one of the principal
witnesses against him. Intense excitement exists
among all classes of our citizens in conse-
quence of the shooting of Mr. Charless. At about
noon from two to three thousand persons repaired
to the gaol with the avowed purpose of forcibly
taking and hanging the prisoner, but through the
exertions of the police and the influence of several
prominent citizens, the 'excitement was somewhat
allayed, and a majority of the crowd prevailed
upon to disperse. A squad of excited men, how-
ever, lingered around the gaol all the afternoon,
whilst others traversed the streets, threatening
vengeance upon the culprit. To prevent violence
the mayor has ordered out the military, some of
whom now (eight o'clock) are standing on guard in
the gaol yard, while others are patrolling the streets,
prepared instantly to suppress any threatened out-
break. Mr. Charless still lingers, but his death is
looked for at every moment. He received two pistol
wounds in the abdomen, either one of which the
surgeons pronounce mortal.
Nine o'clock p.m.—Much excitement still exists,
and it is feared that the announcement of the
demise of the wounded man.will be the signal for
a general outbreak. Mr. Charless is the senior..
partner of the firm of Charless, Blow, and Co. most
he is looked upon as one of the oldest and.
uponed
esteemed merchants of the city. The attack
him is universally regarded as the most unprovok
and cold-blooded on record.

____------ ,
FATAL ACCIDENT AT ST. JAIVIEs'S WORKHOUSE,
—An inquest was held yesterday evening', at St. James's
Workhouse, Poland-street, Oxford-street, on the body of a
boy aged 14, named John Macdonald, who was an inmate
of the house, and was killed by a fall from the new build-
inm erectinm on the premises. The deceased on Friday
last ascend;d a ladder to the second storey, and there seized
hold of a rope to let himself down ; but, as soon as he
swung himself off the scaffold, the rope gave way, and he
foil to the ground from a height of 40 feet. The injury he
received brought on locked jaw, and he died on Sunday.
Verdict. " Accidental death."
COMMENCEMENT OF THE REV. MR. SPURGEON'S
CnArEL.—Yesterday, a great number of labourers were
employed in excavating the ground at the eastern end of
St. George's-road, which is to form the foundation of the
quitiereids
for the
or, as it will be called, the Tabernacle, for the con-
ea re
wregation of the Rev. Mr. Spurgeon.
s'iderable extent, there being a large
oafr
dsteodnilewohilcahis
erection of the schools. A specimen
intended for the construction of the sacred
ex-
hibited on a spot of ground adjoining the roadway. It is
stated to have been brought from the Bennett-hill Quarry
Nearly £12,000 has been,
Burton-upon-Avon, Wiltshire.
collected for the erection, about X 6,000 of which has been
expended in the purchase of the ground, But It is stated
that before the edifice can be completed about 410,000 more
will be required,