The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-13 00:00:00

MURDER AT BAT TERSEA.

WANDSWORTH POLICE COURT—(SATURDAY).
The Court opened this morning at ten o'clock for the re-
examination into the late dreadful murder at Battersea-
bridge, for which the man Augustus Dabnas is in custody.
Precisely at five minutes past ten the prisoner was placed
in front of the bar. He seemed a little nervous, and evidently
paid great attention to the statements of the different wit-
nesses. _ _

Rebecca Seaward, 5, King-street, Chelsea, glover. I recol-
lect Monday was the 29th April. At about half-past ten I
was coming down Beaufort-street into Duke-street, and saw
a man and woman standing close to the new rails on the
Middlesex side of the bridge, and on the right side coming to
Surrey. They were standing close together, and I was on
the opposite side of the way. They appeared to be quar-
relling.
Cross-examined by 'Mr. Gilham—Was sure that the hour
was half-past-ten, because she observed that she was late in
coming home, and looked at the clock in conse-
quence. Mentioned the circumstance of seeing the man and
woman to parties that same night, and many times after-
wards. The female had on a dark shawl, a light dress, and
a white bonnet. Had not heard from any other person the
description of dress which the prisoner or woman had on. It
was the man's voice I heard quarrelling. I did not see his
face, as it was concealed by the woman's bonnet. They were
standing still when I saw him.
By the CoußT—The words I heard were spoken loudly and
angrily. The words were, "So you won't, then ?"
James Cook, 11, Danver-street, coal-porter—l remember
Monday, the 29th of April. I was returning home about
twenty-five minutes to eleven, and stopped at my master's
stables, opposite Chelsea old church, speaking to the carman.
Whilst talking to him, I saw a man running down Duke-
street, in the direction from the bridge, he was calling
" Police" not in a very low voice. He ran up Church-lane
somewhere, and soon returned and said to me and to others
there "a woman has cut her throat on the bridge." He
passed quite close to me and used that expression as he
passed. I did not speak, nor did I hear others speak to him.
I went in, and he went by the church. The man had on a
black frock coat. I went on the bridge, and there met a
police constable. I said " I was told that a woman has cut
her throat on the bridge," and we went together to the toll-
house. The man I met in Chelsea seemed about five feet
six inches, was stout and full- faced, and wore his hat over his
eves. _ _ _

The prisoner Dolmas was then desired to mix with the
crowd in the body of the Court, and the witness then identi-
fied him as the person he had met in Chelsea.
By the Convr—ltelieve the prisoner to be the same man.
Never had known the prisoner before. Did not know him
by sight.
By Mr. Gilham—l mentioned the circumstance the same
night to the pot-boy at " the Swan." I saw the prisonertfor
about three minutes—saw him coming from the direction of
the bridge and running past—had a look at him after.
Mr. an-E to Mr. Gilham—l cannot see the necessity for
recapitulating the evidence alreadygiven by the witness. The
case will take an endless time if such a system is perse-
vered in.
Mr. Gilham—l will endeavour to be as concise as possible.
Examination of witness continued—l did not tell the person
Wells with whom I had communicated that night, that I
had seen a person running. I have seen no accounts, have
read no accounts. I did not tell the police, but I suppose
the potboy told the customers what I had told him, and
so the police got informed of it. I told my mates next
morning, that I had seen the man running, and they did not
advise me to communicate with the police. I was at the
toll-house at twenty minutes to eleven o'clock, and saw some
policemen there, but did not open my
.mouth about the man
running away. I told my wife the circumstance that same
night. I believe Mr. Hall, the toll-house-keeper, saw me
on the Monday night upon the bridge. After I got to the
toll-house I saw a knacker's cart standing on the Surrey-side

of the river.
Mr. CuvE again complained that Mr. Gilham was wasting
the time of the Court, by needlessly going over the same

ground.
Examination of witness continued—Cannot swear that
the man I saw had his waistcoat buttoned. Did not notice
his whiskers, nose, mouth, or collar particularly. I have
never been in any trouble myself.
Mr. C LIVE—Real ly, I must interfere, Mr. Gilham. You
have asked these questions over and over again. Any new
questions you may put as long as you please ; but spare us so
many needless repetitions.
William Parkins was then called, and the evidence given
by him on Saturday last was read over.
By Mr. Gilham—When she came up to me and said,
Will you oblige me by helpinc, me to the toll-house," and
informed me that somebody had cut her, she did not say then
who had done it. After being taken into the bar of the Swan,
I heard them put the question, " Did Dalmas cut your
throat ?"
By Mr. Cuva—When at the toll-house I heard some one
say, " Oh, it is Mrs. M'Farlane ; then Dalmas has done it."
By Mr. Gilham—The question might have been repeated
by the policeman. I did not hear him reply, as I was stand-
nig, and Mr. Gosling and the policeman were stooping over
her. Mr. Gosling said, "Mrs. M'Farlane, who did it ?" but
I did not hear the reply.
By Mr. CL.rvE—l thought the gotestion of tile policeman
very harsh and coarse, considering the state of the unfortu-
nate female at the time. I did not know the value of the
woman's reply as dying evidence then, and when I use the
term harsh and coarse, I refer not to the effect of the question
as militating against the prisoner, but simply with respect to
the unfortunate deceased.

An objection was raised by Mr. Gilham to the reply of the
dying woman being put in evidence, on the ground that
she had not been apprised of her dying state; but the Ma-
gistrate overruled the objection.
Mr. Hall, the toll-keeper, was next examined, but the
greater part of his evidence was a mere repetition of what
has already appeared in our columns. When the deceased,
Swan
Mrs. M'Farlane, came up to him at the toll-house, she said—
" See how I have been ill-used upon the bridge ; take me
home—take me home." I called my wife and another female
who
gave was
h e
the w
eand, with the assistance of
some persons, she was taken there. I did not follow, as I
tthere,ala rrn and a t
thsow maan then, from weakness, fell. I
could not leave the gate. I heard some person close to de-
ceased, when she was at the toll-house, say, • Gmd God !
her throat is cut." I had seen the deceased and the prisoner's
youngest daughter go over the bridge about eight o'clock.
By Mr. Gilham—Did not hear the deceased say who had
ill-used her. I did not put the question, as I was rather con-
fused at the time. She was perfectly sensible, and could
have told who had injured her if she had liked.
Eliza Long, 19, Fenel's-walk—l was going to Chelsea
about half-past ten or eleven o'clock, and after getting off the
bridge I heard a cry of " Police" near Battersea Folly, and
I went back to where the female was lying, and she was
bleeding from the throat. Saw her carried into Mr. Gos-
lings, the Swan Tavern. Heard a person say, " Good God,
the woman will bleed to death." When in the Swan I re-
marked that she was dying. She could have heard me say so.
By Mr. Gilham—l heard the policeman put a question to
the woman ; he said, " Mrs. 3PFarlane, who has cut your
throat ?" I did not hear her reply, but the policeman
seemed to understand it. He then said, " Oh, did Dalmas do
this, or it ?" I cannot say which, and she replied very
aintly, " Yes, yes." I then came out. No one has spoken to
me on this subject.
Police constable Langton, 36 V, was then called, and his
evidence was read over.
Augusta Dalmas was called, and said that three letters
produced in Court, marked A, B, and C, were in her father's
writing.
Langton examined by Mr. Gilham.—He asked the deceased
"My good woman, who cut your throat ?" She said " Dal-
mas." I called Mr. Gosling's attention to her answer, and
again repeated my question, " Was any other person with
you when he did it ?" She said, " No, no." I then asked
her the third time if Dalmas had done it, and she said, "Yes,
yes." I heard her replies distinctly. She was perfectly sen-
sible, and died in five or six minutes after.
By Mr. CuvE—The reason why I put the question was,
because I had heard that the deceased and Dalmas had been
on intimate terms. I know a man named Cook, but did not
hear his evidence as regards the man running past Chelsea
old church on the night of the murder.
William Gosling was next examined, and confirmed the
conotable's evidence as to the statement of the dying woman.
Three letters, marked A, B, C, were then put into Court,
and read by the chief clerk. They were proved by Augusta
Dalmas to have been written by her father. The first, A,
was undated, and was addressed to the deceased. The
contents were, however, of so grossly obscene a charac-
ter, and couched in such indelicate language, that it
is impossible to report them. The prisoner reproached
deceased with having robbed him, and, after criticising her
conduct as regarded her intercourse with a Mr. Meredith, he
concluded by stating, that by the same post he had sent a
letter to her sister, containing similar allegations.
The second letter, marked B, was the one referred
to, and was almost a counterpart of the other.
The third, marked C, contained what he termed
a statement of facts, the so-called facts being of
the most disgusting description, and illustrative of the de-
ceased's profligacy. It concluded with a farewell to his chil-
dren, and an expressed determination to commit suicide.
Police-constable Langton—Those letters were found in the
prisoner's apartments, and were all unsealed.
Superintendent Bicknell, of the V division, found other
letters, now produced, in a drawer in the first floor of de-
ceased's residence. Another was given him by a brother of
the deceased. They are dated at various periods, from No-
vember last up to the present time.
Augusta Dalmas was recalled, and identified them as hav-
ing been written by her father.
Mr. Bicknell—l got the letters numbered Ito 10 included,
in the drawer described, upon the Tuesday morning following
the murder. The other paper was given to me by Andrews,
the deceased's brother, on the Ist May.
Those letters were also addressed to deceased, and were
now read in Court. They were couched in the extravagant
and inflated language so common with lovers, and con-
tained protestations of eternal fidelity, intermingled with many
complaints of deceased's coldness and cruelty. The writer
also stated his determination to commit suicide if treated
with continued coldness by her. It evidently appeared
from their contents that the intimacy between the prisoner
and deceased had been of the closest character.
Mr. CiavE—lt will be necessary to adjourn the examina-
tion till Tuesday, and the witnesses will therefore be pleased
to be in attendance on that day at 10 o'clock.
The prisoner was then removed in the custody of Superin-
tendent Bicknell.
The daughter Augusta during her examination directed
many furtive glances at her unfortunate father, but he did
not in the smallest degree appear to notice her.

ANOTHER HORRIBLE MURDER
NEAR COVENTRY.
(From the Banbury Guardian.)
Scarcely, had the intense excitement following the murder
of Mr. Goldsby's infant daughter subsided, than the inhabi-
tants of the ancient city of Coventry were again thrown into
a state of great consternation, in consequence of intelligence
having reached the police-station of another cold-blooded
murder, upon the person of a weaver, named Henry Clewley.
An inquisition upon view of the body, was held at the Red
Lion Inn, Sowe, on Saturday last, before W. H. Seymour,
Esq., the coroner.
William Eaves, an intelligent old man, said—l live in
Leaton's-lane, Sowe Waste. I have known the deceased
twenty-three years, who was a weaver by trade, and about
forty -seven years old. I overtook him at Court-house-green,
in the pariah of Coleslull he was then on his return Imo