The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-20 00:00:00

THE MEDITERRANEAN.

SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Pera, Captain John Soy, arrived to-day, with
the heavy portion of the India and China mails, in
charge of Lieutenant Charleton, R.N., and dates
from Alexandria, Feb. 7 ; Malta, 11 ; and Gibral-
tar, 15.
The Pera on her outward passage experienced
strong winds, but generally fair, and complete I
her voyage to Alexandria in 10 days and 18 hours.
Homewards she has met with fine weather and
generally fair winds, and has made a most remark-
ably quick run. She was 3 days 5 hours from Alexan-
dria to Malta, 3 days 10 hours thence to Gibraltar,
and from Gibraltar to Southampton she has made
the unprecedented passage of 3 days 22i hours •,
making from Alexandria 10 days 13 hours, and
from Malta 7 days 8 hours. Her average during
the voyage has been nearly 12 knots—a rate of
speed scarcely to be expected from a ship of 2,620
tons, and a propelling force of only 450 horse power.
On the 16th, 20 miles south-west of the Bur-
lings, observed a vessel with no canvas set and
apparently a wreck. Captain Soy at once
shortened sail, and proceeded towards her with the
view of saving any of the crew who might be yet
on board. She proved to be the bark Ralph
Thompson, waterlogged and abandoned ; her main-
mast gone six feet from the deck, fore and rnizen-
masts standing, and all her sails gone ; so she had
probably been visited before. She was a vessel of
say 300 tons, and was drifting on towards the land.
She was just in the track of steamers, but if the
wind and set continued as it was, from tha west-
ward, she would in a few hours be well in shore off
the Burlings.
Dates from Gibraltar extend to the 15th. Ex-
changes on the 14th were quoted as follow :—Lon-
don, 90 days' date, 51 ; Paris, ditto, sf. 32c. ;
Marseilles, ditto, sf. 33e. ' • Genoa, ditto, sf. 38c. ;
Madrid, 8 days' sight, idis. ; Cadiz, ditto, I dis.
Malaga, ditt dis. • Seville, ditto, die. ; Ali-
cante,Valencia, ditto, j- dis. ; Bar-
elo nSpanish pillared dollars 94 to
Bar-
celona, a ditto,ditto,
10 per cent. premium.

THE PACIFIC. -

SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY.

By the Magdalena steamer, from the West Indies,
we have files of Panama papers to the 23d of Jan.
The British steamer Bolivia arrived at Panama on
the 21st, with dates from Valparaiso to the Ist,
and Callao the 11th.

From Chili we receive the usual satisfactory con-
firmation of peace, progress, and plenty existing
throughout the country, although the past season's
crops had suffered from the inclemency of the
weather, so as to make many articles of consump-
tion inconveniently high priced for the lower
classes.

The Valparaiso Railway was progressing favour-
ably.
Business had not been so brisk as usual during
the: fortnight in Valparaiso, owing to the great
scarcity of specie, caused by heavy exportations of
that article of late to Europe.
Freights—To England, per ton English, 31. 10s. ;
hamburg, ditto, 31. 15s. to 31. 17s. ; France, per
ton French' 100 f. to 105 f. ; United States, per ton
English, 20 dollars.
From Peru we learn that the revolution con-
tinued, and was drawing nearer the capital, the
possession of vessels of war giving General Vivanco
a great advantage over the Government in beiug
able to move his forces from point to point.
President Castilla had issued a decres prohibit-
ing the supply of provision?, Sic., to the revolu-
tionists under penalty of trial by martial law.
From Bolivia we hear that another attempt at a
revolution had been made, but it was immediately
supprassod.

NICARAGUA.— The latest news from hence state that
General Walker was strongly fortified at Riv.,s, and that
he had an effective force of 1,200 men, well armed.
SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY.—The directors of this
company have resolved to recommend the proprietors at
the ensuing half•yearly meeting to order payment of a
dividend of 150. on each 30/. stock, being at the rate of
5 per cent, per Annum.

THE DOUBLE MURDER IN WALWORTH
AND LINCOLNSHIRE POISONINGS':

EXHUMATION OF Tlit BODY OF BACON'S FATHER.
STAMFORD, THURSDAY EVENING.
It would be difficult to describe the excitement that
prevails in this town and neighbourhood at the present
time, consequent upon the decision which the jury came
to last evening respecting the death of Mrs. Ann Bacon,
the mother of the wretch Thomas Fuller Bacon, who
was committed by the magistrate at Lambeth police-
court yesterday, to take his trial for the murder of his
t wo children.
It seldom happens that, however bad a man may bet
or whatever crimes he may be accused of, but that he
has some few persons at least to speak somewhat in his
favour; but the present instance seems to be a great wx-
ception. Every person with whom our reporter conversed
express their entire satisfaction at the result of the in-
quiry, and the only surprise to them was, that the tna•
gistrates for the Stamford division of the county had not
long since taken the initiative in bringing the man to
justice, as it was not only patent to every one, but aby-
word in the town that Bacon was a murderer, a forger,
guilty of arson, had committed a rape, defrauded his
creditors, caused his wife's insanity by his brutality, and
the perpetrator of numerous other crimes, more or -less
heinous. Had it not been for the almost superhuman
exertions of Mr. Reed, the chief constable of Stamford,
this most atrocious culprit would still have been at
large. From the first moment that he heard of the
murder of the two children in Walworth, be arrived
at the conviction (from his knowledge of the antece-
dents of Bacon) that he was the perpetrator of the crime,
which fact he immediately communicated to the proper
authorities, and the result was his apprehension. After
he was in custody Mr. Read informed the magistrates
of Stamford that he had every reason to believe that
Bacon's mother bad been poisoned by ber son, but ne
steps were taken by the magistrates to arrive at a satis-
factory elucidation of the case. When Mr. Elliott, the,
magistrate at Lambeth, suggested that the body should
be exhumed, the magistrates of Stamford still exhibited
the same supineness, and excused themselves from inter-
fering on the ground that the body was interred out of
their jurisdiction. Mr. Reed, however, still persevering.
furnished the whole of the facts connected with the death
. of Mrs. Ann Bacon, and transmitted them in depositions
to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and
cir G. Grey at once sent instructions to Mr. Hough, the
coroner fur Rutlandshire, for the exhumation of the body.
But even here there was another difficulty ; for; not'
' withstamaing the Secretary of State's letter„the ?coroner
did not like to act without the authority of the rnagle"
trates, and those learned savants declined to inteffere.
The next difficulty that presented itself was the extra-
ordinary pertinacity with which Dr. Barber adhered to
'his original certificate as to Mrs. Bacon's death, and be,
assured Mr. Reed and Inspector Young that if the body
were analysed a thousand times over they would not
find a grain of arsenic. However, his evidence rota'
day proved he was in error. The disclosures that were
taking place in the examinations at the Lambeth Police
Court at length induced the authorities to bestir then:
selves and the body was exhumed, and with what mob'
our readers are now fully aware.
EXHUMATION OF BACON'S FATHER.
Whilst the foregoing ibquiries were being proCeeded
with, certain facts came to the knowledge of. the
.police
that induced them to believe that Nathaniel Bacon, tb.
husband of Ann Bacon, and the father of the alleged Mtn;
direr, in whose death he had a beneficial interest, ha'
died from poison. Mr. Bacon was possessed of house
property in this town to the extent of about 1601. Per
annum, a portion of which would immediately revere to
his son, Thomas Fullei Bacon,
,and the remainder to big
wife for life. Nathaniel Bacon, the father, dined With
his son on the 13th of October, 1854, was taken ill'
seized with cramps, spasms, and vomiting, died on the
17th, acd was interred in Great Casterton Churchyarui
As there appears no doubt now that he n3e,
his death by foul play, anti in order that nothing
shall be wanting to insure the conviction of the 03,13 r;
derer, the authorities have determined to have 1'
body exhumed, with a view of being subjected to
analytical teat. This will be proceeded with forthWit_A
The grave in which Mr. and Mrs. Bacon are interre;
is situate in the north-east corner of Great eastert:4
churchyard. It is surmounted by a very chastely-car/
upright head-stone, bearing the following inscriptiol34
which were suggested by the alleged murderer
"In memory of
NATHANIEL BACON,
Died Oct. 17, 1854, aged 60 years.
ANN BACON,
Died May 15, 1855, aged 62 years.
" Hew still and peaceful is the grave
Where life's reign tumults past,
Th' appointed house by Heaven's decree
Receives us all at last."
u the
It is said that the above lines were also selected 4
murderer.

BACON'S rm.
The murder of the unfortunate children at Wall •
would, in all human probability, not have taken Poce:
except for the extraordinary conduct of the judge bereh
whom Bacon was tried when he was charged with WO.;
The case against the prisoner was the most comp*"
in its evidence and details that could be conceived ;
but because Bacon's house had been valued shortly bra
fore the fire, for the purposes of sale, at a few pour
more than it was insured for, the judge argued, 11l
his summing up to the jury, that there was no in°tive°
as the prisoner could at any time have got more mono!,
by the sale of the house than it was insured for, op:
the consequence was the jury acquitted the prisoue:
But it is now quite clear, from what has subiseqtlool,
transpired, that the villain had a double object in
first, to get mid of his children, whose lives were insure d¢
and, secondly, to obtain the amount of the policy UP°
his house.

CAUSE OF MRS. BACON'S APPARENT MADNESS.
_,•
The medical men and others acquainted with the Baitfamily state that the cause of Mrs. Bacon's apPoefor
aberration of intellect is the brutal treatment that.
years she experienced from her husband, the prinsll);
cause being that, on one occasion when Bacon wenthf.
partially intox'cated, he kicked his wife down
flight of stairs, and afterwards. jumped upoit her 1041
which caused a fracture of the skull, from which she l'e,
b
been suffering ever since ; and it is, therefore, the Ls
lief of the medical men who have attended her, tm-
although she is not what might be termed per .1
insane, she in such a state that Bacon may have sib°:‘,4
worked upon her to have assisted him in his diahcul
transactions.

TRIAL OF BACON.
The course intended to be taken by the authorities if'
tb
respect to the trial of this culprit is :—Under ordintebt",
circumstances, he will be placed upon his trial for trt
murder of his two children at the Central Criminal C°llo,
on the 4th March next. On that day Mr. Hough, the Oral
ner, have his officer present at the Old Bailey, svb°'-oi
the event of Bacon not being fount guilty of the murder
his children, will at once take him into custody and oosT,:4fi
him to Oakum, the assize town of Rutlandshire, to wizl
place he (Bacon) is committed on the coroner's ifolltb
tion and he will be placed in the dock there on the 1 J
or 15th of March. In the meantime the magistrates.:
Stamford will have preferred a bill of indictment at 1.41,14
- coin, the assizes for which county commence on the
50
of March. It is expected that when the prisoner is tak.o,
to Oakum, the judge will complain of the want of ;10%
diction, the death of Mrs. Bacon having taken plfceh".
the county of Lincoln, where according to the,
inquest should be held, and from which county the
dictment should emanate; but, in consequence of the inter
ment of the unfortunate woman being in the neighbou
ing county Rutland), and the magistrates of Stawfur
refusing to stir in the matter in order to avoid the .t
pense of the analysis and other incidentals, the ioclnv-i
was held at Casterton, these lathes takes place ; bit!,
under Sir John Jervis's Act, it is competent for SP,
Court at the assize to send the whole of the deposition;
to Lincoln, where no doubt the trial will eventually tit,
place. There is one point, however, upon which the._
appears to be some doubt—that is, whether or Irt",
under Lord Campbell's recent act, which was framed ill
meet the case of Palmer, the whole of the depositions,.
the other cases (the prisoner being in custody within t;•
jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court) may net
returned there, and the trial take place in London.