The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-19 00:00:00

THE KINGSWOOD MU.RDER.

KINGSWOOD, TUESDAY EVENING.

The police authorities appear singularly fortunate
in obtaining important information in reference to
the leading features surrounding this terrible mur-
der, and to day they have succeeded in procurin g
evidence by which the movements of the murderers
have been ascertained, almost from the moment
when Mdlle. Tietjens gave one of them the letter to
Mr. Krool, the proprietor of the Hamburg Hotel in
America-square, City, for the purpose of providing
him with a passage at her expense to Germany,
down to a few hours subsequent to the committal
of the dreadful crime. The application for relief
was made to Mdlle. Tietjens on the evening of Fri-
day, the 7th. On the following day the murderers
no doubt walked down to Reigate, for it proved that
on the afternoon of Sunday they presented them-
selves at the Cricketers' Inn, just opposite the Rei-
gate police-station. The description given by Mr.
Sayers, the landlord, agrees in every particular
with that supplied by several other persoiis, and
also with that contained in the book found in the
room where the murder was perpetrated. They
remained at the Cricketers all Sunday night, sleep-
ing in the same room. When they left the next day
they intimated their intention of returning. They
did not, however, do so; but about 1 o'clock they
went to a small shop in the town kept by a person
named Pitcher and purchased a ball of stout cord,
for which they paid 2d. A girl who served them
observed that both were foreigners, and when one
of the pieces of cord with which the unfortunate
woman's arms and legs were tied together was
produced at Pitcher's, it was immediately identified
as having formed a portion of the ball above refer-
red to. They remained in Reigate to between 4
and 5 o'clock on Monday afternoon, and then no
doubt left direct for Kingswood, as they were seen
near the parsonage house between 6 and 7 tho same
evening. They made inquiries of two persons re-
specting the Rev. Mr, Taylor. By one of these, a boy
named White, they wished to be informed whether
the rev. gentleman was tall or short, bow he usually
dressed, and whether he wore a white neckerchief.
The boy replied to all these questions as well as he
was able, but, probably dissatisfied with his answers,
they put similar questions to an old woman named
Still, and she (of course without knowing she was
doing anything wrong) at once told them that Mr.
Taylor was away with his family and would not be
home again for some days. From the fact that
they had made these inquiries respecting Mr. Tay-
lor, freely mentioning his name as if they were well
acquainted with him and his family, it is believed
that they knew his residence and had decided upon
attempting to enter his premises before they left
town. The string being purchased at Reigate
proves that the miscreants intended to put it to
some early use, because such a purchase could
hardly have been effected on the road to Kings-
wood. When night came on no doubt the mur-
derers secreted themselves in one of the plantations
by which Mr. Alcock's seat is surrounded until
about 11 o'clock, when, probably, they imagined all
the inhabitants had retired to rest, and they then
proceeded to enter Mr. Taylor's house. The police-
constable they met at Sutton asked them where
they were going. They replied to London. The
constable asked what part of London they wished
to go to. One replied, who acted as spokesman,
"To Old Pye-street, 'Westminster." From this
moment all certain traces have been lost, but the
police confidently hope that they will soon secure
their apprehension.
With the latter object detective officers have
been placed at every seaport, and every vessel start-
ing for abroad is closely watched. The foreign
cafes and the sugar-baking district of Whitechapel,
where a great many Germans congregate, are also
narrowly watched by the police.
The mode by which the papers were dropped has
been ascertained. It was thought at first they were
jerked out of the pocket of one of the murderers
when he drew out the handkerchief with which to
suffocate the unfortunate woman. It is now proved
that one of the miscreants wore a short coat with
side pockets, and it is believed that the documents
were in the breast pocket, and that while he was
leaning over, assisting his companion to bind the old
woman's legs and gag her, they fell out without
being noticed.
Mr. Alcock, M.P., has had an interview with Sir
G. Lewis, the Secretary for the Home Department,
and undertaken to supplement any amount the
Government might be disposed to offer by giving a
similar sum. The result has been the offer of a re-
ward of £2OO to any person who shall give infor-
mation which shall lead to the conviction of the
guilty parties, all communications on the subject to
be addressed to Superintendent Coward, Police-
station, Reigate, Surrey; or to Inspector Whicher
or Sergeant Robinson, Detective Department, Great
Scotland-yard, London.
Another article, besides the servant's brooch, is
now ascertained to be missing, viz., a silver finger-
guard, but there are no special marks upon it likely
to lead to its identification.

With regard to the description of one of the men
alleged to have been given by Mademoiselle Tiet-
jens there is a slight mistake. The wrong descrip-
tion was accidentally read to the reporter. Made-
moiselle Tietjens describes the man who waited
upon her as being about oft. sin, of fair complexion,
dressed in a brown coat, speckled trousers, a cap
with a peak, striped shirt, turned-down collar, with
black necktie. This persoh answers the description
of Franz, not only as given in the book, but as that
of one of the men seen at Kingswood, and after-
wards at Sutton. Mademoiselle Tietjens adds that
he gave the name of Gotlaib and could not speak
English. It will be remembered that among the
papers found was a certificate of Franz's baptism,
which showed that he was the illegitimate son of
a man named " Gotlaib," so there can be no doubt
he assumed that name as an alias, and that he was
the bearer of Krohn's letter to Mademoiselle Tiet-
jens. It is necessary to revive the description, as
the only hope of the police as to the apprehension
of the prisoners rests upon the publicity given by
the press.
The body of the unfortunate woman has been in-
terred in Kingswood churchyard, her funeral being
attended by the whole of the inhabitants of the
district.