The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-13 00:00:00

THE SPEKE MYSTERY.

The correspondent of the Manchester Guardian tells a
good story of the Speke search. lie says :—" In the
searches made by the police for some trace of the missing
Mr. Speke, a strange discovery is said to have been made
in a dilapidated house in one of the slums of Westminster.
In a kitchen was found a chopping-block, made fast to
the floor, of the kind that butchers ordinarily use. No
ostensible purpose could be assigned Tor it in such a situa-
tion; and no ordinary force was sufficient to move it. By
accident one of the police touched a spring, and the top
(found to be a lid) flew open, and it was discovered that the
sham block was not only hollow, but that it communicated
with the main sewer."

On this paragraph the Times remarks :—" In the present
state of public alarm occasioned by the disappearance, no'
only of Mr. Speke, but of several other persons, such ter-
rible inventions as chopping-blocks communicating with
main sewers might produce a panic. To any one, indeed,
knowing anything of main sewers the story would carry
its own contradiction on its very face. To those who are
not acquainted with such constructions it may be neces-
sary to say that the paragraph in question has not an
atom of truth for its foundation. Without attempting to
solve the mystery of Mr. Speke's disappearance, we be-
lieve we are justified in stating that the police are now in
possession of information which promises to supply a sort
of clue to the mystery of Mr. Speke's absence, though, of
course, this promise may be disappointed."
A correspondent of the Times writes as follows :—" My
unfortunate experience is the loss of my son, a young man
20 years of age, of most exemplary character. He went
for a walk from Regent-street, at 2 o'clock, p.m., on the
4th July, 1865, and has never been heard of since. He
took no money or clothes with him ; there was no known
reason for his leaving, and his affectionate nature pre-
cludes the idea that, if alive, he would leave his mother
in suspens3. I had the ornamental waters dragged, and
employedhospital,
everycl %ewrso
rkt to
081 elsaer,chl
wentthe (tin( ep est
myself.p
a rt1.8"11 e pEvery()lic e
made the usual inquiries, though they seemed to decid'
at once it was a voluntary absence, for which he certainly
would have requirtd money, which he left behind. The
French vessels, the army
and navy recruiting service,
were communicated with—though his staid character waf
quite against any supposition that it would be success-
ful. I advertised in the Times and daily papers, and
at intervals continued the advertisement in the Times.
though I could not afford the large reward offered by Mr.
Speke's friends. To the last advertisement I received a
letter, well-written and spelt, dated from ' London,' cau-
tioning me not to give money to a party who would most
likely call on me with news. The writer said he was a
steward on board a Mississippi steamer which had taken the
young man 1,000 miles up the country, and signed his name
' Bennett' only, saying he was goinginto the country, and,
in the meantime, not to listen to anyone or give money
till I heard from him again, which I never have, nor has
anyone come to me for money. A tall, dark-whiskered
man was seen watching my house some days after, but did
not call. I took the letter to Scotland-yard, bat they seemed
to think little of it, advising me to cmniuunicate. with the
American police, which Idi a. Mr. Kennedy, the head
superintendent in America, took immense trouble and
He eat afte nntde rbeelni
nn
dt hdeencbatse f
t,
heorreibwyasicl feel
no eueh most
name
os grateful.
steward
on the Mississippi steamers, neither had any young Eng-
lishman for three years been in that locality. My belief
now is, there was some fear of one of the gang giving in-
formation. I have preserved the letter in case it might
ever prove any clue. I see in the attack on Mr. M`Keown
a coloured man' is named. Could that in any way be
connected with the steward in my letter? My son was
sft. 10in. high, well dressed in black, a gold watch and
Albert chain, linen marked Gudge,' believed only to
fwg bAd 2si AMOY With

11-11 IE << SUN" NEWSPAPER.-G. R. GLENIE
delivers the L ITE EDITION at Chelsea, 7.40; Kilburn,
S: Starch-green, 8 ; Woolwich, 7.30; Uxbridge, 9.20; Watford,

SUN."--LATEST EDITION.-Mr.
M A RSIIALL, of the "Neeld Arms," Harrow-road, ()p-
-osit° the Lock Hospital, takes the Edition of `• THE SUN" con-
,ining the result of the day's Racing, Latest Betting, Money
Aar ke t &c.—Omnibuses every half hour to and from the City.

THE LATE EDITION of " THE SUN " at
J. SMITH'S, 39, Bow-street, Covent-garden.

LATE EDITION of "THE SUN" at
L 'W. SMITH'S, " Camden Stores," 78, Park-street, Camden-

town.

ripHE LATE EDITION of " THE SUN" at
IL JAMES SPEEDY'S, "The Wellington,"Wellingtou-street,

S t7lnd,

EMOSES and SON (the Originators of the
, Ready Made Clothing System) beg to remind the public
that in every department of their business a large and varied
STOCK is constantly maintained, and excellence and cheapness
are combined in a degree hitherto unequalled. The articles corn
prising their stock are too multifarious to he enumerated in an
advertisement, but a list of distinct departments is subjoined:--

READY MADE CLOTHING FOR ADULTS.

READY MADE CLOTHING FOR JUVENILES.

READY MADE CLOTIIING for SAILORS and MECHANICS.

CLOTHING MADE TO ORDER.

HOSIERY AND DRAPERY.

CI BITIAWM, & LADIES' UNDERCLOTHING

HATS AND CAPS.

BOOTS AND SHOES.

OUTFITS for SEA or SHORE.
List prices, with rules for sellmeasurement and patterns,
forwarded gratis and post free.
E. MOSES and SON'S ESTABLISHMENTS are
/.O,SED EVERY,. FRIDAY EV kaiiN
at sunset till
SAT Et DAY EV.k.;,, ING at sunset, when business is resumed
till 11 o'clock.
Every article is marked the lowest price in plain noires, from
which no abatement can be made.
Any article not approved of will be exchanged, or the money
will be returned,
The following are the London addresses of E. MOSES and
SON:-
151, MINOIZIES
155, MINOiIIE
iv;, MINOILIE6.
1,57,
;. A I.!%OATE.
81,
Tr DGAT r.
t;(3, A 1.1)(3 ATE.
S'T, Al, D; ;AT E,
A 1'
S.;: 11A3(lA
s ,XEORD s-rizEET.
OX ['NEE r.
P.:),N" ON FORD-6111E13.
1, lIAIIT-s I IfEET.
2,11 All ItEET.
- 11 A itT- MEE v.
137, T,yr ['Es II AH-C “Th.T-1:0AD
I'A TOT II A NI-COURT-ROAD.
261, EILISTUI-ItOA D.

Country Branch:
19, BRIDGE-S FREE 1;11,A De ORD, YORKS
20, BRIDGE-STRE BRADN'ORD, YORKS.

SPECIAL NOTICE.
In consequence of frequent mlsrepresentations, E. MOSES and
SON thal it necessary to Ptate that they do not oraplly any tra-
valers or agents, and that their only Establish:l:Lents are the
eboTe-mentioned.

L.
aITA ,76140%. Utt.