The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-13 00:00:00

rEt i,43 SpiN, Lt•O N 0 N, WEDNESDAY JEW Nl. iq MA Y Is, If.

LAW DITELLIGENCE—(This Day.)

conveying voters on ci)unties woo:d ha eifecL to dis-
franchise the poor voters, and it would also have the
effect of swamping the towns by the e,.)untie... He asked
why hon. menaberedid not practice it at the late elec-
tion ? And he instanced the fact that the Maryleboee
tradesmen, at the election before List, put their favourite
candidate, Lord Ebrington, to 7,0001. expense for cabs
to go to the poll. (Hear, bear, and laughter.)
The SPEAKER put tne motion, when the ayes and
noes appeared to be pretty evenly balanced, and there
were loud cries of "agreed." The house however divided,
when the numbers were—
For the introduction of the bill
Against it .

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Befcro Mr. COmmispioner Goulburn.)
IN RE BAILEY AND HARVEY.

These bankrupts were described as of Crutched-friars,
merchants, ar.d to-day was appointed for consideration of

the certificate.

Mr. Hughes, from the office of Mr. Linklater, did not

oppo Le.

Mr. Pa,3a, for the bankrupt, sail that the latter was
quite a young man, and his father, on the faith of Baia
lay's respectability, had paid 300/. for his son to join-
and had also lent Bailey 500/. The greatest confidence
was reposed in Bailey by almost every one, as he had
been many years in busine s, but it eventually turned
out that he was deficient in the month of January, 1856,
to the amount of 2,4041., and he had carefully prevented
the bankrupt, from ascertaining the state of affairs, but
before he left England, he admitted to Mr. Harvey,
sen., that he had perfectly swindled him and his son.
His Honour said he could not look upon this as en-
tirely unavoidable loss, but it was unaccountable folly
of that kind which became injurious to others; he,
therefore, could only award a certificate of the second I
class.

. 151
. 58

Majority
93
Mr. WHITESIDE moved for leave to introduce a
bill to make provision for the appointment of Registrars
to the Masters of the Court of Chancery in Ireland ; also
for the safe custody of title deeds and documents lodged
in the said court ; and to amend the practice in certain
particulars.
Mr. FITZGERALD said that there was no necessity
for the introduction of the bill. By the present arrange-
ments with the judges and masters the vacancy of mas-
ter would not be filled up, and the business of the Irish
Court of Chancery would be conducted for the future by
the remaining masters, with additional clerks, by which
a saving of 1,7001. a year would be effected. He had
no objection to the bill being laid on the table for consi-
deration relative, to a future comprehensive measure on
Irish law reform.
Leave was then given to bring in the bill.
QUIT RENTS (IRELAND).
Mr, GROGAN moved for a return showing the gross
and net amounts of Irish quit and crown rents, as re-
ceived and applied by the Commissioners of Woods and
Forests in each year from the sth day of January,
1850, to the 3th day of January, 1857 (in continuation
of Parliamentary Paper, No. 243, of session 1850).
Agreed to.
GRAND JURIES (IRELAND).
On the motion of Capt. MAGAN, leave was given to
introduce a bill to amend the Grand Juries (Ireland)
Act, 1836.

HIGH SHERIFFS (IRELAND).
Mr. MONTGOMERY moved for a return of all
correspondence between the Irish Government and the
High Sheriffs of Counties in Ireland who, prior to the
late general election, tendered their resignation of
office, for the purpose of becoming candidates at such
election ; the dates of their resignation, and acceptance
of the same by the Lord Lieutenant ; and also the
dates at which each succeeding high sheriff was ap-
pointed.—Agreed to.
MEDICAL PROFESSION.
Mr, HEADLAM moved for leave to introduce a bill
to alter and amend the laws regulating the medical pro-
fession, which was similar in its details to that of last
session, which arrived at its second reading when Par-
liament was dissolved.
Mr. COWPER, on the part of the Government,
offered no opposition to the introduction of the bill. The
question was one of great importance and pressing emer-
gency.

Mr. A. Black, Lord Elcho, Mr. Napier, and Mr.
Craufurd supported the Introduction of the bill.
Leave was given to bring in the bill.
PUBLIC PETITIONS COMMITTEE.
Mr. B. CARTER moved that Sir William Russell be
added to the committee.—Agreed to.
HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY COMMITTEE
Mr. ADDERLEY moved that Mr. Christy be added
to the committee.—Agreed to.
The above bills were then brought in and read a first
time.

The house adjourned at five minutes to five o'clock.

CRIMINAL COURT—(This Day.)

THE WALWORTH MURDERS.
OLD COURT.

TRIAL OF BACON AND HIS WIFE.

Before Lord Campbell, Mr. Justice Creswell, and Mr,
Baron Bramwell.)

This morning Thomas Peer Bacon and Martha Bacon
were indicted for the murder of their two children,
Edwin Fuller Bacon and Martha Bacon.
Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Clerk appeared for the prosecu-
tion. Mr. Sleigh and Mr. Poland defended Mrs.
Bacon, and Messrs. Metcalfe and Lawrence appeared for
Bacon.

Mr. Bodkin, in opening the case for the prosecution,
said, placed in the pesition in which he then stood it
would be his duty to lay before the jury facts and cir•
cunostances to bring horse to the prisoners at the bar the
charge of murder. The case was one of the most extra-
ordinary kind that had occurred for some time ; and the
fact that the prisoners were man and wife, and the
victims their children, added to the heinousness of the
crime. The learned gentleman then proceeded to detail
the facts of the case, which have already appeared in the
columns of The Sun, and, in the course of his
observations, said it was his duty to inform the
jury that the female prisoner had been confined in
a lunatic asylum, and that she only quitted that
asylum two months before the commission of the murder,
but the version she had given of the affair, namely,
that a man had entered the window and killed her chil-
dren and attempted to cut her throat, was irrational,
absurd, and unworthy of belief, for the police had
examined the place and found the windows fastened in-
side, and that the dust and ground about the place had
not been disturbed in the slightest manner. Having al-
luded to Bacon's version of the murder, he said he should
also lay before them evidence to prove its entire falsity,
and he would prove that he neither lost a watch, note,
nor clothes, on the occasion, and that the whole story
about the robbery was a fabrication, and was only in-
♦ented to draw off from him the suspicion that attached
to him respecting the murder. With respect to blood

found on the trousers of the male prisoner, he accounted
for it by saying that he cut his finger at dinner on the
Sunday previous to the discovery of the murder. That
also was untrue. On the Sunday in question, he should
prove that he wore black trousers, and that being the
case, if he had cut his finger on that occasion the
blood would have been found on the black trousers
and not on those worn every day by the prisoner. The
jury would take into their consideration the circum-
stance that the female prisoner had been subject to aber-
, rations of mind; but in order to acquit her on account of
the state of her mind, it must be shown that she was in
such a state of mind as to be unable to distinguiph be-
tween right and wrong. The learned gentleman con-
cluded his remarks by hoping that an all- vise Providence
would guide them to a right conclusion.
The first witness called was Harriet Monroe. She
said--I am cousin to the male prisoner. On Sunday,
the 23th of December, the female prisoner came to my
house and asked rue if I would come and stay with ber
while her husband stopped at Reigate. I said I would
do so, and it was arranged that I should go to their
house in Four-acre-street, Walworth, between the hours
of 4 and son the following Monday. On the same
Sunday evening I saw both prisoners together at her
brother-in-law's house. I did not observe his hands that
evening. On the Monday when I went to Bacon's house
in Four-acre-street, I knocked repeatedly at the door but
could get no answer. I listened and waited at the door
for about three hours, not getting any answer I returned
home, but went to Bacon's house again that evening
about half-past 10. On the Tuesday morning, about 1
o'clock, my mother and myself met Mrs. Bacon in Four-
acre-street, she had a rent book and half asovereign in her
hand. My Mother asked her where she had been, and
she said she had been in the house all night. She then
said a man had got in at the window during the night
and had murdered her two children and cut her throat.
She said she was going to pay her rent and tell her land-
lord of the shocking affair. Mrs. Bacon, my mother,
and myself, returned to the house in Fouracre-street,
and, on going into the back room on the gniund floor,
I saw the littlo boy sitting in a chair by the side of the
fireplace with his throat cut. There was a quantity of
blood all round the place, and his face was resting on the
table. Mrs. Bacon made no other observation while
they were in the room but that " somebody came in at
the window and done it." On leaving the house I
went to the male prisoner's brother Mr. Edward Bacon's,
my mother and Mrs. Bacon (the prisoner), went
on to the police-station. I next saw Mr. Bacon after
he was brought up from Reigate on the Wednesday
morning, but I did not notice how he was dressed. I
some days after saw the male prisoner in a pair of
fustian trousers, but on the Friday the day of the
funeral, lie did not wear them. I saw the fustian on
the day of the funeral at Four-Acre-street, he took them
off shortly before the funeral, and I then saw some
spots of blood on the legs of the trousers. Two or
three days after the murder I saw the spots of blood,
and told Bacon of it, but he said the blood came from a
cut on his finger.
Lord Campbell—What day did you first see the blood
on the trousers

Witness—On the Tuesday after he returned from
Reigate.
Examination oontinued—Bacen told me he had cut
his finger on the Sunday.

Lor'd Campbell—Did he say on what Sunday ?
Witness—On Sunday after Christmas day. He said
be did it at carving the dinner. A day or two after he
said he cut his finger while eutting some wood to light,
a fire with. He wade this remark during a conversa-
tio❑ that was going on at my mothers. He said the
knife slipped and it cut his finger. The first time I saw
the cut on his hand was the Friday after the
murder, the 2d of January. He did not have
a rag on his hand. On the Thursday, as
the funeral was on the Friday, Mrs. Hyde
showed me a shirt of Bacon's upon. which
there were stains of blood. She was just going to put
it into the tub to waili when she showed me two or
three very small spots of blood. One of the spots was
on the collar, as if he had cut himself while shaving ;
the other two were on the wristband. I have remarked
several pieces' if cord and twine throwing about in the
back kitchen and front room in the houae in Four-acre-

street. I recollect seeing a piece of cord Oro rvu upon
*e fire with the ashes after the police had left the house.
I have known the prisoners ever since their marriage,
which took place seven years ago. Mrs. Baco❑ had
teen in a lunatic asylum in London, but I cannot to

how long she had been there. My mother and myself
took her b•nm the asylum in October of the last year.
Cross-examined by Mr. Sleigh—From all I know
Mrs. Bacon has always been kind and affectionate to
her children.
]3y Mr. Metcalfe—On the day on which Mrs. Bann
asked me to come and stop with her, she wished me to
come early in the morning. The reason I was asked to
stop with her was that Bacon said he did not like to
leave her alone at home the whole of the week. It was
from the circumstance of her being confined in the
lunatic asylum. The blood be had spoken of was on
the inside the collar of the shirt, and looked as if it had
come from his chin while shaving. I have often seen
his chin bleed while shaving. I never asked Mrs. Bacon
to confess what part she had taken in the murder.
By a Juror—She did not say what time it was
when the men broke into the house.
William Henry Cooke, a police-constable, L 75--
On Tuesday, the 30th of December, I was on duty
at the station-house in Kennington-lane, and I remem-
ber Mrs Bacon coming there about half-past 1 in the
afternoon in company with Mrs. Payne. They wished
me to come to Four-acre-street, as she said she thought
there was something taken place very serious in the
house. I went with them, and on the way Mrs.
Bacon said somebody had come in at the window and
cut the childreu'e throats and her own as well, but
she did not say when it had been done. On getting
te Four-acre-street Mrs. Bacon unlocked the door and
we went into the back room, and I there found a
little boy with his bead on a table with his throat
cut and quite dead. There was a good deal of blood
about—on the walls, the furniture, and the floor. I
asked Mrs. Payne where the other child was, and she
said, " Up stairs," and in the room up stairs I round
the infant lying on the floor with its throat cut.
There was a child's bed in the room. There was no
blood upon it, but it bad the appearance of having
been slept in. Both the children bad their night-
clothes on. On seeing the children I said, " This is a
bad job," and Mrs. Bacon said she did not do it ; a man
came in at the window and did it. She did not say
what time. She Paid it wag the back parlour win-
dow. 1 looked at the window, it was fastened, but not
properly. The hasp of the window was bent, but it was
sufficient to hold it down. A person from the outside
could not have opened it. Af►er the observation about
,its being a bad job, we all went into the first floor front
room, and I saw a female's night dress lying on the bed,
nearly covered with blood. I particularly observed th•
sleeve, there was a quantity of blood round the neck.
There was a quantity of blood on the floor. While I was
searching the room, Mrs. Bacon passed me and went
to a little box, from which she took out an envelope
and said that she must send it to her husband. The
envelope was already addressed to "Mr. Bacon, at Mr.
Marriage, Ironmonger, Market-place, Reigate." It
contained a blank sheet of paper. She said the writing
on the envelope was her husband's. I then returned to
the station-house and took Mrs. Bacon with me where
she was detained. She was taken before the magistrate
the same afternoo❑ and was remanded. Before Mrs.
Bacon was taken to the police•offYce I took Mr. Bushel,
the surgeon, to see the children. Oa the table of the
room in which I found the little boy I saw the two
knives I now produce (they were two common black-
handled dinner knives). They bora marks of blood, and
one appeared to have been recently sharpened. I
examined the room on the Wednesday after the
discovery of the murder, but there was nothing
to lead to the belief that any person had entered the
window. The dust about the window had not been dis-
turbed, and the ground underneath the window, which
would have easily shown the impression of footmarks,
was also undisturbed. On the 6th of January I received
from a female turnkey of Horsemonger-lane Gaol the
chemise which had been worn by Mrs. Bacon, which I
'lbw produce. [The chemise was stained with blood.]
Cross-examined by Mr. Sleigh—On the Tuesday that
I first sa at Mrs. Bacon I did not think she was in a
right state of mind. She never manifested the slightest
feeling or concern about the children.

By Mr. Metcalfe--In searching the house I found a
woman's apron. It had the appearance of a bloody
knife having been wiped upon it. It had been
placed over a pool of blood in th• room where
the little boy had been murdered. There were some
toys on the little table before the murdered child and
several on the flJor. On the Tuesday I went to Reigate
to bring him back to London. I was told not to tell
him what had occurred. I went to the address on the
envelope, but I did not find him there, and Mr. Mar-
rige said he did not know him by name.
Re-examined by Mr. Bodkin—l found Bacon at the
Bell public house at Reigate. I arrived about one
o'clock in the morning, he appeared as if he had been
in bed, and the first question 1 asked him was whether
he bad not an aunt of the name of Payne, and he said
yes. I was in plain clothes. I told him his aunt had
sent for him as his wife was very ill. He
wanted to know what was the matter, and said,
" What can it be I" I did not tell him what really was
the matter, in fact I had but little talk with him the
whole of the time we were coming to London. We left
Redhill by the mad-train at ten minutes to four in the
morning. Ho never asked me who I was. or made the
slightest inquiry.

Thomas Horton, another policeman of the L
said : I went with the last witness on the Tuesday to
Bacon's house in Four Acre-street, and found the
articles I now produce (a woman's night-dress and as
apron), upon which were large blood stains. The apron
was lying on the fl ior and night-dress on the bed. I
also examined the window and found the dust outside
undisturbed.

Rebecca Longbridge : lam matron of Horqemonger-
lane Gaol. • I was present when Mrs. Bacon was
brought there. I observed marks on her throat, it had
plaister upon it. On the Wedueday I observed a mark
on her throat as if a string had been tied tight round it.
It was very visible at the back part of the neck. On
being questioned about it, she said it had been made
with the knife, the same as her throat was cut with.
Ensiba Oaks, the female searcher at Kennington-lane
Police Court.—On the 30th of December I searched
Mrs. Bacon, and, whilit I was doing so, she said a man
had come in at the window and murdered her two
children, and cut her throat as well. She said " will
they lock me up," and I said "no," put on your clothes.
There was blood on her chemise but none on the outside
dress.
The Court then adjourned for a quarter of an hour.

On the return of the judges into court,
Mr. Charles Bushel, the surgeon, was called and ex-
amined by Mr. Bodkin. I was sent for on the 31st of
December from the Kennington-lane police-station to
Mrs. Bacon. I saw her, and on asking her how she was
she said she was very poorly—that a man had got in at
the window and cut her throat as also those of her chil-
dren. I examined her throat and found a cut about
three inches in length, it went over the windpipe, and
another cut downwards about two inches long, there
were also several cuts en the throat, but they were all
above the first one. There was no continuous cut, they
were all from right to left and from left to right.
The principal cut was that over the windpipe, but :t did
not wound that organ. The wounds might have bee❑
caused by her own hand. If they had been done by
any other person she must have been quite quiet and
assenting. I told her the wounds had been done some
time, and she said, " Yes, eight o'clock last night." I
examined her halide and found the left covered with
brown colour as if from stains of blood. I noticed the
nails o❑ the hand, the stains were much deeper colour
rouvid them. The second finger of the right hand was also
partially stained. After the interview with Mrs. Bacon
I went to Four Acre-street and saw the bodies of three
murdered children. I found them with their throats cut,
and the wounds were very likely to have been caused by
one of the knives produced. As far as lam able to
judge the stains on the knives are those of human blood.
I was shown a woman's night dre:,s in the front room on
the first floor. Torre was blood upon the night dress.
That on the lower part of the dress, but it was quite
different from that which had proceeded from thethroat.
It had the appearance of having been rubbed with
something for come time after. I was shown a them ice
and also a pair of fustian trousers, upon which there
were appearances of blood on the front. I also saw a
waistcoat. There was a spot of blood on the collar. I saw
the waistcoat the first time. I wentto the house, but I did
not closely etandue it. When I next saw the waistcoat
it was in poesession of Inspector Young. The witness
was then handed. the trousers, and pointed out spots of
blood down the front.
Cross-examined by Mr. Sleigh.—When I ssw the
female prisoner on Tuesday my first impression was that
she was not quite conscious of the aet, that had been
committed.

By Lord Campbell.—By that, do you mean she was
not in her right mind ?
Witness—l do, my lord,
By Mr. Metcalfe.—l was examined on the first
occasion, before the man was in custody, and I said it
was my impression that the act had been committed be-
fore the tints she mentioned--8 o'clock. I should
be very sorry to pledge that the stains on the trousers
are those of bl )od. There are many things that will
produce very similar stains. It is my opinion that the
blood on the lower part of the chemise had the appear-
cace of having spurted on it, and for the blood to bear
the appearance it did it must have come from a living
person.
Dr. Harris, surgeon of Horsemonger-lane Gaol said :
I saw Mrs. Bacon for the first time on the 31st of
December. I observed wounds on her neck ; they had
been dressed with plaister. There was also one as it
mark
f caused
by a cord being tied tightly round it. The lrk
could not have been produced by hanging, it mustthave
ular all round the
been inflicted lying down—it is so reg
throat. The cord must have been tied rather tightly, or
see-sawed, to have produced the mark. I asked Mrs.
Bacon how the injury was inflicted, and she said a man
had come in at the window and tried to cut her throat.
I have been shown a piece of rope by the police, and am
of opinion that it would cause the marks he had de-
scribed.
Cross-examined by Mr. Sleigh—When I first saw the
female prisoner I was of opinion that she was not a per-
son of soiled mind.
By Mr. Metcalfe—lt was my impression when I saw
the female prisoner at Ilorsemonger-lane gaol that she 1
bad inflicted the injuries upon her throat herself.
Mr. Sargeant, who resided next door to the house oc-
cupied
by Bacon, said—l last saw the prisoners on Sun-
day, the 28th of December. They went out together.
I did not see them again until the murder was discovered.
On the Monday following I was sweeping is front of the
door, and in doing so accidentally struck Bacon's door
and made a noise, and I hear: somebody moving inside,
as if some person was approaching the door to open it.
The door was not opened, and I heard the sounds return.
I have frequently heard a child cry in Bacon's house,
but on Monday I did not hear any crying.
Mary Pearson said—ln December I resided next door
to Bacon, in Fouracre-street. On Monday, the 29th, I
heard a noise in the room adjoining ; it continued for
about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. My atten