The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-15 00:00:00

THE DOUBLE MURDER AT WALWORTH.

EXTRAORDINARYAND HIGHLY SUS-
PICIOUS PARTICULARS.
Yesterday, after the ordinary business of the Lambeth
Police-court was disposed of, Mrs, Martha Bacon, who
stands charged on the coroner's warrant with the wilful
murder of her two children, Edwin Fuller and Sarah
Ann Bac a, was again brought before Mr. Elliott for
further examination.
The melancholy case has, since the last examination,
from many causes that have transpired, assumed a very
different character; so different, indeed, that it now be-
comes a matter of considerable doubt whether hers (the
prisoner's) is the hand by which the unfortunate children
have been deprived of their existence.
It will be recollected, from the testimony of Dr.
Bushel, the medical ge❑tleman who had been examined
at this court, and at the inquest also, that the wounds
on the throats of the poor children, and which must have
instantly deprived them of existence, was the result of
one cut, executed by so powerful and muscular an effort
that the heads were nearly severed from the body, while
the wounds on the prisoner's own throat were mere
scratches, and penetrating only skin deep.
Inspector Young said, since the last examination, he
had received information that a robbery had been com-
mitted in the house, as well as the murder, and as he
was making inquiries relative to the alleged robbery, he
should, under those circumstances, ask for a further
remand.

Mr. Elliott—Very well; let the prisoner stand re-
manded to a future day.
The prisoner was then removed from the court, and
her husband, who was present during the examination,
followed her to the gaoler's room.
As before stated, circumstances have transpired in
connection with this unfortunate tragedy of a startling
and highly suspicious character ; and on Tuesday even-
ing Inspector Young, who has been ably and actively
engaged in their investigation, attended before Mr.
Elliott with Bacon, the father of the murdered children,
and the husband of the poor woman just removed from
the bar, when the inspector, addressing the magistrate,
said—Your worship having heard for the first time, on
the morning of the inquest of the children, that a
robbery was committed, I made it my business to see
Mr. Bacon the next day, and he then informed me that,
between the time of leaving home on the Monday
morning, the 29th, and his return on the Wednesday
morning, the 314 t, his house had been robbed of a 51.
bank note, two sovereigns, a Geneva watch, belonging
to his wife, and a suit of clothes. The note and sove-
reigns he said were in a small box placed on a chest of
drawers, the watch on the drawers, and the suit of
clothes hung outside on the lobby of the upstairs
room. The 51. note he describes as one of four which
he had received from the London and Westminster
Bank for a cheque sent to him by Mr. Atter, his
solicitor, at Stamford, and the money, the watch,
and the clothes he said he saw safe on leaving
his home at an early hour on Moaday morning.
The watch he said he had purchased from his brother,
who lived in Charles-street, Northampton-square, and
used to be worn by his wife, and its number was 32,798.
ft was a silver Geneva watch. The suit of clothes he
described as consisting of a great coat, with pockets at
the sides, a frock coat, and trousers. Having received
these particular., I first proceeded to inquire about the
notes, and having procured the numbers I found that
three of them had been paid into the Bank of Ezigland
on the 20th and 21st of November. A fourth note Mr.
Bacon passed, on December 24, at a shop No. 41,
Bishopsgate-street ; but that has not been paid into the
bank yet, and therefore I cannot say whether it is one of
the four mentioned ; but Mr. Bacon distinctly told me
that the note stolen was one of those he bad received
from the Lonslon and Westminster Bank, in change for
a 301. cheque:.
Mr. Elliott—Then the whole of the four notes had
been passed away, and three of them reached the Bank
of England before the alleged robbery ?
Mr. Young —Yes, your worship ; but I am not cer-
tain whether the note passed in Bishopsgate-street is
one of the four he received at the London and West-
minster Bank. I told him (Bacon) I had traced out the
four notes, and asked him if the one he bad passed in
B;shopsgate-street was one of those he received at the
London and Westminster, when he hesitated a good
deal, and at length said he had other notes since he came
to London. I asked him particularly where he got this
particular note from, and he varied considerably in his
statements, as he has frequently done through our in-
quiry, and could not tell me.
Mr. Elliott—Have you been able to trace the clothes
Mr. Young— I have not, your worship. Mr. Bacon
has varied a good deal even in his description, and says
he started from London before 7 o'clock on a cold winter's
morning for Reigate, with only a canvas jacket on, leav-
ing a greatcoat in the house behind him.
Mr. Elliott—Did he say how he left his wife on leaving
home on the Monday morning I
Mr. Young—Yes, sir. He said he left her in bed quite
comfortable ; that he kissed her before leaving, and that
she had tied up his finger before he left. I asked him what
was the matter with his finger, and he said he had cut it
while cutting a stick. I asked him to show it to me, and
he exhibited his left hand, when I found a straight cut
between the first and second joints of the first finger half
an inch in length and an eighth of an inch in depth.
Mr. Elliott—A straight and deep cut
Mr. Young—Yes, a deep cut ; and even about this
Bacon prevaricated, for he afterwards told me the cut
had been occasioned by the knife slipping while carv-
kg the dinner on • Sunday ; but he could not account
for his not having it dressed before his starting on
the Monday morning, when his wife did it for him.
He further said that he had seen the money safe on
the 'Monday morning when he went to the box for the
purpose of getting a pied of cotton to dress his finger
with. In conclusion, Mr. Young said that almost
every time he bad asked Bacon for fresh information,
and adverted to that which he bad told him before, his
statements were different, contradictory, and most unsa.
tisfactory.
Bacon, in reply to what had been stated by the Inspec-
tor, said that his mind had been so perplexed, and he bad
been so examined and cross-examined by the Inspector
that, though with every disposition to tell the truth, and
not mislead, he might have said things that were not
exactly correct. He loved his wife and children, be said,
too well, and had done everything in his power to make
them happy, and he was quite sure, he said, that his wife
loved her children too much to have done it. He felt
quite sure it was done by somebody who bad come in at
the door and not at the window, for he himself, while in
bed one night, heard somebody at the lock, and when
he went down and opened the door he saw a man walk
up the street. Before leaving town he had gone to his
cousin, to get her, not to take care of her, but to be a
companion and a protector to her for the night.
Mr. Elliott—Then you suppose your children were
murdered by somebody coming in at the door ?
Bacon—l really do, sir.
Bacon here went into a somewhat rambling state-
ment about the moneys he had received, and said he
was about to offer a reward for the missing watch
belonging to his wife, and again declared it was his
wish only to tell the truth to the officer.
Mr. Elliott told him he should not trouble him for
anything more then, but the fficer should still go on iu
pursuit of his inquiries, and Bacon withdrew.
Yesterday there WAS much in the conduct of Bacon to

excite much suspicion, particularly ef, Cook, the gaoler.
Previous to the examination, and while the prisoner was
seated k the gaoler's room, her hi s'and made several
efforts to whisper private cAntounicairms is her
ear ; and so deterininvd did he appear in his purpose
that the gaoler was compelled to be very peremptory
with him, That officer, who is a kind and humane man,
told him ho might be present and say what he liked to
her in his presence, and that he might hear it, bat that
he could nat consent to his whispering anything to his
wife, who was evid,ntly under considerable control or
terror of him. Finding hitoself foiled, Bacon a-ked pe.'•
mission to kiss his wife, and this was allowed ; but when
about to do so, he was about also W whisper something
in her ear, which, Cook perceiving, at ,-mce forbade.
Inspector Young, at a later hour of the evening, in-
formed the magistrate that the fourth note paid into the
bank was not one of those received by Bacon from the
London and Westminster Bank, and that the number of
the missing or alleged stolen note was 28,451,