The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-13 00:00:00

THE WATERLOO-BRIDGE TRAGEDY.

LATEST PARTICULARS.-(THIS DAY.)

Five days have now elapsed since, the discovery of the
remains of the unfortunate individual whose foul murder
has so naturally terrified and shocked the public, and
yet the police appear t) be as fir from discovering the
perpetrator or perpetrators as when the announcement
was first made. The information conveyed to the public
that heads, feet, See., of human beings had been found in
different parts of the metropolis, cannot but cause great
uneasiness in their mind, and a sense of insecurity per-
vades it which is anything but agreeable. It teuds to
an impression that with all our boasted civffeation and
efficient police system deeds are ceintnitted under the
very eye of the police, dreadful to contemplate. In the
case now ao painfully exciting the public mind we find that
a person can be most Mb uneaely butchered and created—
the evidence before the Coroner showing that the unfor-
tunate man was stabbed in nine places—pickled in brine,
nay, probably boiled also, to prevent discovery of the
crime from decomposition, till such time as the re-
mains could be quietly and safely got rid of ; but for-
tunately for the public the latter part of the inten-
tions of the parties implicated has been providen-
tially frustrated, and it is to be hoped that before
long these fiends—fitting companions for Indian
Sepoye—will be in the hands of justice and expiate
their crime on the scaffold.
The two human heads found in Sussex-gardens were
brought to the Bow-street station yesterday evening,
and submitted to a medical exstaination. The result
went to show that they have no connection whatever
with the remains found at Waterloo-bridge, and that
they were Probably buried in the place in which they
were found by some pert' •ns who had used them for
anatomical purposes, as they beat the marks of having
been operated upon by a surgeon. One of the heads is
that of a wan, and ie quite bard and withered ; the
other is that of a female with red hair appended.
A human foot was found in the Grand Junction
Canal about three weeks ago in a good state of preserva-
tion. The police, at the time, appeared to treat the
subject with indifference, as it was presumed that the
foot had been in the poesession of some medical student
who had no other way of disposing of it than by throw-
ing it in the canal ; but on dire consideration of the
matter, the question flow seriously arises, did that foot
belong to the body found at Waterloo-bridge /
It eeeese the fu,e, which at the time Was supposed to
be that of a female—but on thii point it is at present
impossible to arrive at a right conclusion—when found
was quite whole, not being in the least mutilated
er disfigured. It had been disj ,inted front the
ankle, and there were no marks of disease about it or
signs of an anatomical exetnination. Had the foot been
obtained from any hospital for anatomical purposes, :t
would not have been thus got rid of without being used
as an anatomical subject, for since the new Anatomy
Act came into operation, and resurrection men them-
selves became defunct, it is very expensive for students
and surgeons to obtain such subjects for anatomical
researches.
It is feared that this discovery was never made known
to any other petite districts, and the mysterious affair
would have passed over unnoticed were it not for the
vigilant eye of the press.
It does not appear clear what has become of this foot,
whether it remains in the dead-house or has been buried
with the heads, but it certainly behoves the police now
to strictly investigate whether the foot has any connec-
tion with the present dreadful tragedy, or any other of a
eitailer nature secretly committed in the metropolis. It
may be, some fearful disclosures will take place respect
ing secret crime in London.

Yesterday evening two German lath, who described
themselves as bakers, called at the Bow-street police
station, and requested to be allowed to examine the
clothes, stating that a friend and fellow-countryman of
theirs had been missing for about three weeks. The
clothes were accordingly shown to them, when one of
them positively asserted that they were those of their
missing friend. Mr. Superinteudent Durkin, however,
sent immediately to the residence of the missing man,
and obtained evidence which proves that the lad was
mistaken in his impression, and that the clothes are not
those of the absent German. A further search was made
yesterday in the barge to which the bag was taken on
Friday morning by the lads barber and Kilsby, when
another sock was found, and also a black silk neckcloth,
both of which had fallen out of the bag.
There is now little doubt but that the unfortunate de-
ceased was, if not a foreigner, at least a stranger in the
metropolis, and that his death was caused by a number
of wounds received in the region of the heart. The
police are of opinion that the carpet-bag in which the
remains were found was that which the deceased carried
when inveigled into the house in which he met bis
death. Tnae he was a traveller may be inferred from
the fact that he wore a great coat at the time of the fatal
occurrence, and as the weather was extremely warm a
fortnight ago, it is not probable that he would have worn
such s garment had he not lately com^ off a j iurney.
The fact that some female hairs have been found cling-
ing to the remains would lead to the inference that at
least one woman was directly concerned in the mutila-
tion of the body, if not in the fatal assault upon the
deceased. The hairs, whey examined through a micro-
scope, are found to be long, soft, and of a light colour.
A. portion of the hair of a man's whi3kere, of a dark
colour, was also found clinging to the particles of flesh
and bone.

The weapon with which the crime was perpetrated
appears to have been one of 'theme cmmon dirk knives,
which may be picked up at brokers' shops in any part of
the inetropoli-. The stabs thrones the clothes in the
region of the heart are wade longitudinally ; and it
would appear from other stabs in the shoulder and
collar of the coat, that the deceased must have had a
severe struggle with his assailants, and that he was
struck indiscriminately before the wounds were made in
the left side, any one of which would appear to be suffi-
cient to account for death.

Although there can be ne doubt that the murder was
perpetrated in a moat deliberate manner, it does not ap-
pear that the arrangements for the disposal of the
remains were carried out with the caution which the
enormity of the offence would suggest. No means
appear to have been taken for sinking the bag in the
water, and it is Low proved that, even if the bag had
sunk as intended, the long
rope attached to it would
have floated on the surface of the river, and thus have
infallibly led to the discovery of the bag and its contents.
The circumstance that the entire suit of clothes worn by
the
th
deceased, being the chief if not the only evidence by
which he could be traced, were packed up with
remains, also a cueioue fact in the case,
as an eaddi-
tional illustration of the fact that the greatest criminals
generally commit some strange oversight when endea-
vouring to conceal the traces
of their guilt.
The C-minissioners of Police have communicated with
Sir G. Grey, the Secretary of St,iie for the Home Da-
partment, ou the subject of offering a reward for the
apprehension of the chief actors in the trsgedy, and we
believe 1001. will be offered for any evidence that may
lead to their conviction. It is also believed that a sum
of 501. will be offered for the apprehension of the woman
who was known to have brought the bag to Waterloo-
bridge.

Two French gentlemen connected with the French
press were present yesterday at the coroner's inquest,
watching the proceedings with great interest, in the
event of anything being disc'osed with reference to the
deceased's identity, and his being a foreigner, to imme-
diately telegraph the fact to the continent.
The question relative to the remains being those of
a foreigner or an Englishman appears now to be set at
rest, it the clothes found in toe bay with them are to be
considered of any importance. They have been pro-
nounced, by a competent person called in by Mr. Super-
intendent Durkin to examine them, to be positively of
foreign manufacture—either French or Belgian. The
person referred to states that the clothes are such as
would be worn by persons moving in respectable society ;
and, furthermore, that they were wade to order, from
their being of a style and workmanship superior to that
to be found in ready-made or slop articles. If it really
be so, that they are of foreign manufacture, and that
they belonged to the deceased, the difficulty surrounding
his identification becomes greater, it not imur-
mountable.
The number of persons who have lest relations, that
have called daily at the police-station to examine
the clothes, is truly appalling. Up to the time of ,
our going to press at least twenty- persons had
called at the station to look at them to ascertain whe-
ther they belonged to those whom they hell dear. It
is truly lamentable and heartrending to witness the
agony of mind in which many are, fearing an inspection
of the clothes will reveal to them the horrible and brutal
compose w
iv e
manner inwhich n theirsearch relative
of
husbands,has
lostfather's
his life ;
sons,they
sister's and brother's brothers, and friends looking
with
hd
him
mhisof
his
sn
son; heio
for a friend. Amongst them this morning was
a gentleman
appeared in great distress of mind and showed the police
hiikewn
showingme r
arer. iuThtehitswo who
oss hheasbadmwis
, and of whose where-
ahoppheasttohgartapit might lead to his discovery. Another was '
a respectably dressed female in search of her husband,
information :
she was unable to identify the clothes, but said that they
were something similar to those worn away by her hes-
aablooulteaftshheerhaasbonuott six weeks
able since, and
any
hus-
band when ho left his home ; it is needless almost to state
that the clothes have not yet (3 o'clock) been iudentified.
The remains have undergone another examination
this morning iu the presence of Mr. Paynter by a gen-
the improbability of medical science being in
tletnan of the highest surgical attainments ill the metro-
polis, and it is ro far satis!actory to Mr. Paynter, and it
will be no doubt satisfactory to the public to know, as
quite concurs in Mr.
natter,he heads
ds that he
Paynter's opinion given in
.his evidence before the
haelso un lergone a second
Coroner relative to the mutilation of the body, the
wound on the breast, and the remains belonging to a
examination, but neither of them belong to the remains.
The foot stated to have been found some time since in
the canal has not been examined by Mr. Paynter, for the
extraordinary reason teat the authorities who once had
it in their possession do not appear to know what has
become of it. It is described as being the fore part of
the foot from the ancle joint, and too small to belong to
a mar. Searoh is being made for it, and when found it
will be carefully examined by Mr. Paynter, and cone-
pared with the remains. Mr. Paynter's impmeion,
from the deecripition given him of the foot, is that it
1 does nut belong to the remains.

In the course of his sermon on the Fast day, the Rev.
A. I. Ritchie, of Dundee, mentioned, as illustrations of
the extent of the bereavements caused by the Indian
mutiny, that a gentleman in this country had lost 22
relatives in India within eix weeks ; and that out of
thirteen of a famEy party which
met last year in St.
Andrews, only one is now living, twelve having gone
out to India and fallen victims to the mutiny.