The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-17 00:00:00

Mr. Corrie inquired what evidence Rivers would
be able to give.
Inspector Thornton—He states that he saw the
Baron striking his son with a riding-whip.
Corrie observed that it would be necessary
that the Baron should be present when the deposi-
tion was made. _ _ _

Mr. Burnaby observed that it would also be neces-
sary that the young man (M. de Vidil) should be
present, in order that the witness might be en-
abled to indicate him as the person who had been
assaulted. There might be some difficulty about
that, from his unwillingness to appear against
his father.
Inspector Thornton said he had no doubt the
young man would come.
Mr. Corrie—No doubt you can bring him there,
but you can't make him speak.
Inspector Thornton said that young M. de Vidil
was at Ware, but would probably arrive in town
shortly, a telegraphic message having been for-
warded to him early that morning, requesting his
immediate attendance here.
Mr. Corrie said that, if necessary, he and Mr.
Burnaby would go down to Twickenham at the
same time that the officers conveyed the Baron and
his son thither, and the deposition could be taken
-by Mr. Burnaby before him (Mr. Corrie). But it
would answer the purpose equally well, he should
think, if it were taken before a local magistrate.
Inspector Thornton said there would be no diffi-
culty in finding a magistrate on the spot. Mr.
Burnaby could take the deposition before any ma-
gistrate.
Subsequently the Baron was brought to the
court, to await his son's arrival. Hi 3 solicitor, Mr.
Wontner, was in attendance, having received notice
of this proceeding from the police.
Mr. Wontner requested to see the information,
which was as follows :
The deposition of Alfred John de Vidil :—I live
at No. 40, Duke-street, Westminster. lam the law-
ful son of Alfred Louis Pons de Vidil, commonly
called the Baron de Vidil. On Friday, the 28th of
June last, I was invited by my father to go with
him on that day to Claremont to visit the ex-Queen
of the French. I went on the said 28th day of
June to the Clarendon Hotel, in Bond-street, where
I met my father, and from thence went with him
to the Waterloo Railway station, and arrived by
train at Twickenham, where two saddle-horses were
awaiting us. We went and made the call at Clare-
mont. On our return, just before we came to a
public-house where a side road leads to the left, he
said, "I shall ask which will be the best road,'
which astonished me, as he knew the road perfectly
well. He did not ask, but, without saying a word
took the left. I said " I can't understand your
coming here." He gave me to understand that he
was suffering from bowel complaint. I said,
" Won't you turn back and go to the inn ? ' The
lane was quite empty when we entered it, but
afterwards a woman appeared at the end. He
said, " Will you hold my horse ?" I said, " How
shall I hold it ?" meaning was I to remain on my
own horse or get down. He said, " Oh, never
mind." The woman was at the end of the lane. We
walked back into the main road. In passing the inn
I urged him to take some brandy there. He said,
"No no, thank you—it does not look a very nice
place." When in the lane he told me:of his stomach-
ache. I said, "If I had known that, I would have
dined at Hampton, as you asked me to." He said,
" That is very kind." On returning to the main
road he said he should go to the Duke d'Aumale's,
which astonished me after his saying that he had
the stomach-ache. The road to the Duke d'Aumale's
is by a lane leading to the river side. There are
several other lanes also leading to the river. The
Baron took me down the first of these, and on my
expressing some surprise he said he did not know
whether there was a road at the end of it or not.
There was no road at the end of it. We returned
to the main road. The Baron took me down the
second lane, which we both knew did not lead to
the Duke d'Aumale's. We then went on to the
lane leading down to the Duke d'Aumale's, but to
my great surprise he did not go into the house, but
went on along the lane which turns to the left, the
end of which is parallel to the road. It turns again
to the left into the main road. I made some remark
as to his not going into the Duke d'Aumale's. I had
just got a little way up the lane leading to the main
road, when he said we had made a mistake and must
turn back. I turned back without saying word. It
is very shady in that corner. I saw no one near. I
got a little ahead of the Baron, he being on the
rigjit. I had gone a pace or two when I felt a vio-
lent blow on my head. I turned round, being all
right in the saddle, and saw the Baron's hand up-
lifted with something in it. With this he struck
me another blow, and again raised his arm, when I
hurried on my horse, and having got on a little way
I got down quietly, putting my leg over as usual,
and ran on to where a woman and man were stand-
ing. I caught hold of the woman's dress and clung
to her, praying her to protect me. The Baron soon
arrived on foot, very red. He got over a
gate on the left, and as I afterwards discovered,
hurt his hand in doing so. The man who was
standing with the woman took me by the hand to
lead me to a public-house. He would not let me
take his hand, as he was dripping with blood. I
said to the woman I had knocked my head against
the wall, which was not true, and which I said out
of fear of my father. I dared not say he had done
it. When I got to the public-house I was taken in
and my head bathed with water. The Baron
offered to bathe me, and often asked how I was. I
could not answer him, and begged him not to touch
me, for I was very tender. Mr. Clarke came and
saw me with his assistant. He tied up the two
wounds—one on the front of my forehead, and the
oth-3r on the side of my head. The Baron occasion-
ally left the room. In some of these intervals I
managed to tell Mr. Clarke that I had not fallen,
or knocked against the wall; but that he had done
it. I entreated him to go with me to town. He
sent his assistant, who accompanied me. I men-
tioned in the public-house that my money would
have gone to my aunts and cousin. I have never
been married. If I were to die without lawful
issue, and without making a will, my father would
succeed to about £30,000. I believe that my father
wounded me with intent to murder me.
(Signed) ALFRED JOHN DE VIDIL.
'0

prisoner was placed among the crowd to be singled
out by Rivers, if his memory enabled him to identify
the Baron at all.
The oath having been administered to the sick
man, he proceeded, in answer to Col. Donnethorne's
questions, to make the following statement. He
spoke in a clear, audible voice, and although sadly
distressed at intervals by a cough which told of his
almost hopeless condition, he gave his testimony in
a remarkably satisfactory
.manner.
He said—My name is John Rivers. I live
here, and I am a labourer. I remember leaving
this house on the 20th of June last, and going
to my work at the river-side, down by the Duke
d'Aumale's. It was about seven o'clock. I met
two gentlemen on horseback. I think I should
know them if I saw them again. The elder gentle-
man had a white hat on. They were riding
towards me, the younger one being nearest to the
railings. I saw the elder one strike the younger
one a back-handed blow on the forehead with a
whip-handle, or something like it. I could see
there was a shining knob at the end of it. The
young man's hat fell off, and he cried out, " Oh,
don't, pray don't." I then saw the elder gentleman
strike the young man's horse across the head. The
young one rode off as fast as he could. The old gen-
tleman said, " Hoy, hop; here's your hat," and
tried to get his horse back, but it would not go.
werehhis
b o laoto, s
ande. tooktol d thei m hat
about to the
it. S
Magistrate—What did you do ?
all
Witness—l stood and looked on. When I had
seen all I could I went and picked up the hat. I saw
the young man jump from his horse. Both horses
young gentleman went to, and the landlord gave
me a shilling. I saw Mr. Loscombe that evening in
walna,lwsohteorled m
wife. they

The witness was then asked to point out the
elderly gentleman, and after looking steadily round
the room, he fixed his eye on the prisoner, and
said " That is the man." Again, when the pri:
soner put on his hat, he said, " I have not the
least doubt of it." The son was then brought into
the room, and the witness immediately identified
him also.
By Colonel Donnethorne—The blow was a very
violent one, and the young one appeared to be much
hurt. The blood poured down his face.
Cross-examined by Mr. Sleigh—l saw them for
the first time just before the blow was struck. There
is a turn in the lane just at the spot, which would
prevent my seeing anything that might have hap-
pened before.
Captain Murray—Did you hear them talk in an
angry or excited way ?
Witness—l did not.
By Mr. Sleigh—l was not 100 yards off.
Colonel Donnethorne—Could you describe the
exact spot by any post or tree ?
Witness—No, I think not.
The witness then affixed his mark to the deposi-
tion after hearing it read by Mr. Burnaby, and the
examination closed.
A very large crowd of persons had assembled
outside the cottage, to witness the departure of the
prisoner.

CHARGE OF MURDER AT CAMBRIDGE
UNDER MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.

EXAMINATION OF THE PRISONER
YESTERDAY.
A case which bids fair to occupy an importan
position in the annals of jurisprudence for the invo-
lutions and contradictory swearing involved in it,
has just occurred at Cambridge. On the morning
on Sunday, the 30th ult., a youth named Rumbelow,
the son of labouring parents, was found not to have
returned home all night, and his parents immedi-
ately commenced an anxious search for him in all
directions, and the same was continued for several
days without avail, until on the morning of Sunday,
July 5, his body was discovered in the River Cam
under the circumstances below stated.
An inquest was held by the borough coroner,
Edmund Foster, Esq., and this, after two sittings,
in the course of which 30 witnesses were examined,
resulted in a verdict " That deceased came to his
death by violence, but by whom inflicted there was
no evidence to show." The evidence of the wit-
nesses was so contradictory that, coupled with the
medical evidence, the jury had no resource but to
return the above verdict, which was come to on
Tuesday, the 9th. Public excitement, however,
went on increasing, and the police, who took the
matter in hand at the conclusion of the inquest,
have been since indefatigable in their endeavours to
bring the guilt (if any) home to the proper parties.
Public suspicion, in the main, all this while pointed
at Pilson, a youth about seventeen, but there are
those who believe deceased to have come by his
death either by accident or suicide. Be this as it
may, on Monday the Mayor and- a large bench
of magistrates were engaged for some hours in in-
specting the depositions taken before the coroner,
and finally they issued a warrant for "wilful mur-
der" against Pilson, who was immediately taken
into custody. The result is that all the previous
evidence will have to be gone over again, with a
large quantity in addition. On the body of the
deceased his watch and a shilling and three half-
pence were found, and this after having, as will be
sworn, visited Barnwell on the Saturday night he
disappeared. Some curious revelations, with regard
to the life of.the habitues of this infamous place, are
expected ; but it will be sworn also that Pilson said
he had this watch, but thought it safer to " plant
it back again, and if it was not in the pocket
when he was found it ought to be there, for he put
it there."
The prisoner Pilson was brought before the mayor
(C. F. Foster, Esq.) and a large bench of magis-
trates yesterday. He was undefended, and exhi-
bited the utmost coolness and self-possession, with
no sign of consciousness of guilt.
William Seaber Moore, of Victoria-road, Chester-
ton, compositor, deposed that on the morning of
Friday, the sth of July,:about ten minutes after six,
he was passing over the high bridge at Chesterton
Sluice, towards the common, and saw the body of
the deceased nearly upright in the water. No part
of the body was above the water, above the sluice-
pen, and about three or four yards from the sluice-
gates. Knocked up Mr. Banham, at the sluice-
house, pointed the body out to the Waterbeach
postman and others who came up, and
as a hook
out beionng
got from the sluice-house, the body w got
the common side. Witness then went and gave
information at the county police-office. The body
was in the jaw of the sluice-pen, about the middle,
and a few yards from the pens. There was blood
on deceased's mouth, and weeds on his arms, appa-
rently duck-weed, small and a light green, but
could not say positively. The man tore the coat
under the arm with the hook getting the body out.
Parsons Rumbelow, a labourer, of the Madingley-
road, deposed that he works on Mr. Scott's farm ;
he first saw the body taken out of the river at Mr.
Collins's lodge, in the sedge-yard, whither it had
been conveyed, a little after seven on the morning
it was found •, it was the body of witness's son,
Harvey Rumbelow. Was too excited to notice
anything more particular about the dress than that
it was the same in which he had left witness's house
on the preceding Saturday evening, at about half-
past six. Saw him again at a quarter before eight ;
he was standing near Barton's beer-shop, opposite
the corner of Bell-lane. A straw hat, shown to
him by Inspector Thompson, was his son's, to the
best of his belief. His son was sixteen years old on
the 16th of last May ; he worked with witness, for
Mr. Scott. His son's work was to milk the cows
and carry the milk about the town for sale. Does
not believe he owed Mr. Scott anything. At the
corner of Northampton-street witness said to de-
ceased, " You don't want any money, do you, Har-
vey ?" He said, "No, father, I've got lls." Wit-
ness said, " Well, be a good boy, and get home
is
good time ;" and he said he would, and those were
the last words they had. His son was sober then.
Never saw him otherwise in his life. The Friday
in Whitsun week deceased was out all night. Had
seen his son in company with a young man. namedired
Pilson, and when he missed him, I 1;1 inu his
of him. Deceased had not been I_3o regu_
Neaver saw
habits since Whitsun week as before. went and
withb ut
Pilson with his son but once,
the Ist of last August. Deceased
it had a metal
him when witness last saw h and
dobratehd. eat
watchwas a
'm
;both with a seal.
e ve muddy when they
Deceased's clothes wer
in nest, and there
guard and chain round the neck,
were given witness after the h
cishoes were ver
were small weeds on them. .
washed and the shoes cleaned.) Deceased was a
muddy. (The clothes have sinceebeen imprudentlyy
still, well-disposed youth. When he was out all
night, witness asked him next morning where he
had been, saying he could do nothing till he knew,
and, after some hesitation, he said he had been in
Parker-street, and a man had fetched them some
beer.
By Pilson—Never breathed to you on the Tues-
day after deceased was missing that my son .„„
out at the fair till four o'clock in the morning with
young Spillman.
Witness to the Bench—Pilson came P
Great Bridge), and told him that on
11'
to wit-
ness two days after his son was missingthe
(r
Snae tan dt ah ye
ale and a bottle of

Pulse- TY'l4; .tell you we went to the Dog
and Duck Titer :axing the Haymakers
Witness-0 .1d not say. (The poor fellow, who
was much affected hardly knew what he was about.)
tse Had
footmore than
hlyoka
ten n Elizabeth, wife of John Chapman, fossil digger,
of Mount Pleasant, said that on Saturday night in
the fair week (the night deceased disappeared) her
daughter went to Fee Frederick's Theatre, on Butt-
green. She did not return at the time she expected
and witness went to seek her. As witness pasa,,d
eparticular
and s
o over
in
counting.
h
the end of Shelly-row a church clock struck twelve.
clockhdtevepeWent of
up
ton
her
Chesterton-lane,
h own.est
e r
bridgepath
minutesyth at
f al
leading
ta. thed i
nsal;uf
tti
Passed
after
J. e
thes lu Banham's' s he-
lal
oat
en
k ed
tl
hr nokuuois
house,
egiat
aa nkl
t._d
we
as
nn wt I"sa ns
V Banham'sentwsaeewnand
heard
house and
m men
nn
comingarchw
along
yoosn-egr
a
jangling and swearing. They were on the same
path, coming from Jesus-lane way, and witness met
was
drain'
them full face at the place mentioned. They stopped
as if to fight. It was not so dark but you could
recognise people you met. It was cloudy. Met
the men just as they stopped. -Witness looked
at them to see who they were. Stopped
for a minute or two. Saw one she knew
as Snaps (the prisoner) ; had known him some
months. Snaps was dressed in dark clothes, but
cannot say positively whether he had a hat or a cap.
Rumbelow was another ' • knew him by name, and
had known him 14 weeks. They seemed all to be
dressed in dark things. Thinks he had a hat on.
There was one more whom she had not the slightest
knowledge of: He had a cap on. Saw a man she
took for him at tho inquest. Rumbelow was not so
tall as Filson, but stouter. After the inquest went
with Larkins (et policeman) on a search to see if she
could identify the person she thought was the third
party, and ultimately saiv such a one on Christ's
Pieces, but should not like- positively to swear to
him. Still thinks it was him. When the stop was
made on the common, and witness had seen and
known them, heard Snaps say to Rumbelow " You
have got it, and I'll have it, and if you don't givo
me it, I'll smash your head," and then he struck
Rumbelow, witness thinks, on the side of the head ;
but if not it was between the head and the neck.
Rumbelow, apparently crying, said " I havn't got
it, or I'd give you it." Snaps then said " You have
got it, and if you don't give me it I'll throw yon
in the river," and while he said so gave Rumbelow
another blow. Rumbelow held up his arm to ward
it from his head, and it caught his shoulder. They
continued jangling and swearing, and went towards
Collins's gateway. Both the others appeared to be
on to Rumbelow, but only Snaps struck him. Heard
Rumbelow call Snaps a liar, and such as that. He
said " You're a liar," or, " You're liars, for I havn't
got it." None of the party spoke to witness, though
she could have touched them. When they went
towards Collins's, witness went round to Frederick's,
and found her daughter standing in front. The
performances appeared to be over, but the show was
not closed, and there were lights insides. Took
her daughter home the same way she went—over
the common and the foot-bridge. Did not pass
male or female after leaving Snaps till she reached
the theatre. About half an hour passed after leav-
ing Snaps before she found her daughter. Met no
one on her return, but several followed that way
from the theatre. All appeared still and quiet on
the common as she passed on her way home. On
her reaching St. Giles's Church the clock struck one.
The parties continued jangling all the way towards
Thompson's-lane. Witness turned her head several
times to look, and heard them after she lost sight
of them when she turned the corner at the Grove.
They were then near Collins's gateway. There
were a " goodish many" people round the theatre,
but saw no one she knew except her daughter.
First mentioned what she had heard on the common
to Banham, on the Monday after the body was
found. Never heard Rumbelow was missed till the
Saturday, the day after the body was found, and.
then heard from her husband, about six o'clock,
that young Rumbelow's body had been taken out
of the river. Did not tell him what she had seen
and heard, or any one else, till she told Banham.
Had taken shelter at Banham's in a storm. Ban-
haw and witness were neighbours for some years.
A conversation then arose about Rumbelow's death,
arid witness said she little thought when she saw
him and " Snaps" together on the common when.
she went to fetch her daughter from the theatre,
his end was so short. One word led to another,
and eventually she told him the whole. Did not
tell her husband what she had seen, because she
went after her daughter without his knowledge
after he was in bed, because he had promised their
daughter " the strap" if she was out late.
Filson put several questions to witness, but they
were quite irrelevant. The prisoner's mother, who
was just behind the witness, exclaimed, " You could
not have seen him at the time you stated."
At this stage of the proceedings, Mr. Chief Con-
stable Turrall formally applied for a remand, which
was granted till Tuesday next. The prisoner ap-
plied to be allowed bail, but the same was peremp-
torily refused, and the prisoner was conveyed to
the town gaol, attended by an immense concourse
of people.

111URDER 01 AN ARTILLERY SER-
GEANT AT WOOLWICH.

Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner for West Kent,
yesterday held an inquiry at the Gun Tavern,
New-road, Woolwich, relative to the murder of
Sergeant Martin Murphy, Royal Artillery, by a
gunner of the same corps, at the military guard-
room of Woolwich Arsenal. _ .

The proceedings excited much interest, and the
room was densely crowded.
The jury having viewed the body of the deceased
at the Royal Ordnance Hospital, the following
evidence was taken :
Sergeant Thomas Ashton, R.A., deposed that he
is the chief officer of the newly-organised military
police at Woolwich. On the night of Monday,
the Bth inst., he was on duty with the deceased at
the guard-room of the Royal Arsenal, when Peter
Masterson, a gunner of the regiment, was brought
in as a prisoner, for being absent without leave.
The deceased asked the prisoner his name, when
he replied, "I have had three months for you, and
should like to pay you off before I go to India."
The prisoner subsequently became quiet and sat
down, but after a lapse of about 25 minutes he
went stealthily across the room and immediately
after struck the deceased a blow on the back of
his head, under the right ear, with the iron bar
produced, which was used as a poker, and which
the prisoner took from the coal-box. The deceased
was in the act of writing when he received the
blow, and he cried out " 0 !" but did not speak
afterwards. Several soldiers were in the room,
but it was impossible to prevent the blow being
struck, as the prisoner came so quietly to the place
where the deceased was seated, and it was not
perceived that he had a weapon. The prisoner.e
subsequently told witness that he wishedtowgievn
the
himself up as a deserter from the 11th Foot,
la
i witness replied that he would have to aeant.er
The
charge of attempting to murder the serg _
rs in the
out." The deceased had been 14 y
prisoner then said, " I wish I had killed
service.
Marines, proved seeing
Sergeant Starke, Royal .
k the blow. He ran
him right
the prisoner Masterson sr
was('
too late. He then
forward to prevent it,
thebu
ddeliberation, and no
iprisoner, who acted with
per-
son in the room had an
the deceased in the act of
assault.
tthooekgrtheaetweset
R A
Bartholomew, . ~ deposed that
Corporal Henry
and other
he was sitting close to
er. The prisoner c
reading a newspap came -very
commit
quietly behind the deceased and struck the blow.
Witness caught the deceased in his arms.
Gunner John M'Granary
were examined, from whose evidence it appeared
that the prisoner managed to concealwitnesses
thebar of
iron when taken from the coal-box until he struck
the blow, when he said "There, take that you ---,
I've had it in for you a long
time."
Assistant-Surgeon Smythe,A deposed—The
deceased expired at the hospitalß. " Friday night
on.
last, from the effects b the
of injuries received
the right
blow, which fractured the skull under right
ear. A post mortem examination had been made
by witness and Dr. the vessels of the
Blake, when
brain were found congested and gorged with
ere to be
blood, and the appearances presented fully proved
that the cause of death was concussion by violence
such as
would result from a blow given by a weapon
similar to that produced.
In reply to questions from the jury, it was stated
that there was no cell or separate place in the guard
room for prisoners, who consequently sat in the
same apartment as the military police.
Inspector J. Linvell, of the B. division el police,
produced the iron bar with which the deceased was
struck, and which was a formidable weapon.
The jury without hesitation returned a verdict
of wilful murder against Peter Masterson, who
was then committed for trial on the corone r'a war-
rant.