The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-25 00:00:00

BROMLEY POLICE.

Mr. Benjamin Roberts, the postmaster at Chislehurst,
Yesterday attended before Viscount Sydney, W. Norman,
Esq., and H. C. Morland, Esq., to answer two informations
laid agdrist him at the instance of the Board of Excise,
charging that he, being duly licensed as a postmaster,
neglected to insert in his return to the Excise-office the
particulars of the letting of a horse by him on the 3d
July, whereby the revenue was defrauded of the amount
of duty payable thereon.
Mr. Jaques, the supervisor of Excise, appeared in stip-
port of the complaint, and from his statement, and the
evidence of the witnesses, it appeared that on the 3d
July a fly, drawn by one horse, was let by the defendant
to go to Peckham, and the usual Excise ticket was deli-
vered at the New Cross turnpike-gate, but no entry of
the hiring was inserted in the weekly return made to the
Excise.

Lord Sydney inquired why so long a period had been
suffered to elapse before proceedings were taken against
the defendant. This alleged offence appeared to have
been committed more than four months ago.
The supervisor slid that these matters were always a
long time under consideration by the Board of Excise.
They first examined into all the circumstances, and then
called upon the party against whom complaint was made
for an explanation, and the matter was thus referred to
the solicitor of the Board.

The defendant, in answer to the complaint, admitted
that the entry had not been made, but he declared that
the omission was accidental, and he said that the fact of
his giving a ticket shew•ed that there was no intention on
his part to defraud the revenue.

The Supervisor said that the tickets were merely as a
check, and the only thing upon which the duty could be
claimed was the entry in the return made to the Excise.
Thr Magistrates, after a short consultation, said they'
should convict the defendant upon this information, hut
they would hear the evidence on the other before they
decided upon the amount of the penalty that ought to be
nflicted.

The defendant was then charged upon a second infor-
mation, with a ,similar offence on the 4th July, the
amount of duty;exacted being half-a-crown.
In this case the Excise ticket left at the turnpike-gate
was produced, and a witness swore that the particulars of
the hiring, which appeared upon it, were in the hand
writing of the defendant, and that no entry referring to
it, was made in his'Excise return.

Mr. Roberts
,declared that on the day in question be
did not send out any job as that referred to in the ticket
and that there must be some mistake.

The supervisor said the Excise had nothing to do
with mistakes. It appeared by the ticket in his own
hand writing, that he had let a horse and had made no
return of it. This had been a very common practice,
and he believed that one-half of the post-horse duty was
evaded. The Board of Excise, therefore, were deter•
mined to take the necessary steps to put an end to such
a system.
Lne Bench convicted the defendant upon this informa-
tion also, and adjudged him to pay a fine of 51. upon
each, and also the costs.

THE ALLEGED MURDERS ON
BOARD THE TORY.
THAMES POLICE-COURT--(THIS DAY. )
Yesterday morning Mr. Broderip, the presiding Magistrate,
stated that he had received two letters from the. Governor
and surgeon of the 'Westminster House of Correction, relating
to Capt. Johnstone, of the Tory, who stands remanded till
this day (Tuesday), on three charges of wilful murder on
board the Tory. The worthy Magistrate then read the letters
as follow :

" House of Correction, Westminster, 24th Nov., 1845.

"Sir,—l have received the accompanying certificate from
m
the surgeon of this prison, and have considered it right to
forward the same this day for your information.—l am, Sir
your obedient servant,
4, AUGUSTUS FRED. TRACY."

W. J. Broderip, Esq., Thames Police-court."
The certificate next read by the magistrate was as fillows :
—" 1 hereby certify, that George Johnstone is not sufficiently
recovered from his attack of erysipelas of the leg to enable
him to attend his examination on Tuesday next.
" JOHN LAWS, Surgeon.
" Hons. of Correction for Westminster, Nov. 23, 1845."
Mr. BRODURIP then addressed Inspector Evans, jun.' of the
Thames Pollee, and said that in consequence of the illness of
the prisoner he should further adjourn the case until Tues-
day, the 2d of December, on which day if the prisoner was
sufficiently recovered he would be again brought before him
and the investigation proceeded with. He directed Mr.
Evans to make known to the prisoner's solicitor and other
parties connected with the case that the inquiry was
postponed, and summon the necessary witnesses
to attend on the 2d of December. He would avail himself
of this opportunity to express his satisfaction with the con-
duct of the governor and surgeon of the Westminster Bride-
well, who had not only exhibited the most humane atten-
tion to the unfortunate men charged with piracy, on board
the Tory, but had displayed equal promptitude on the pre-
sent occasion in making known the illness of the prisoner
Johnstone, and forwarding the proper certificate.
The prisoner stands remanded on three charges of wilful
murder. On the next examination he will be also charged
with cutting and wounding: six of the crew, named
Julian Cordiviallo, Stephen Cone, Thomas Gair, Joseph Mor-
ris, Allison, and Johnson.

The female passengers, Mrs. Blewitt and Mrs. Thompson,
were in attendance at the Court this day. They will be eza•
mined as witnesses on the 2d of December.
Mr. BRODERIP asked Mr. Evans what was the condition
of the wounded man, Morris, on board the Dreadnought
Hospital ship? Mr. Evans—He is much better, sir.

HORRIBLE MURDER of a FEMALE,
AND ATTEMPT AT ARSON, IN THE UNITED
STA,TES.

Our city was thrown into a great state of excitement this
morning by a report that a most appalling murder had been
committed at the West-end, in a disreputablehouse in Cedar-
lare, which act was stated in our second edition, but without
any other particulars.
A Coroner's jury was empanelled this forenoon, and, under
0 the direction of Colonel Pratt, proceeded to examine the
body, and the premises in which the deed was perpetrated—
a preliminary step to the inquest, which will take place at the
Court-house to-morrow. The scene of the murder is a small
two-story brick house, in Cedar-lane, between Cedar and
Charles-streets, occupied by Mr. Joel Lawrence and wife,
who have lived there something like 25 years. For some
years past, as we understand, the premises have been used as
a house of assignation—rooms being kept for the accommo-
dation of those in the habit of visiting it.
The body, that of a young and beautiful female of 23 or
24, was
lying on the floor, covered all but the breast, head.
and feet, with a bloody sheet, which had been thrown over
it. She lay on her back close to the grate, with the head
turned over on the right side. The head was thrown back,
exposing a ghastly and terrible cut from ear to ear. The
j agular vein and windpipe were entirely severed, the razor
which the murderer used having entered to the bone. flor
hair was partly consumed, and her face charred and blackened
by the action of the fire.
The room, which was a small-sized bed-room, in the rear
of the house, in the second story, contained fragments of
burnt clothing strewed about, and the walls were spattered
with blood—probably done when she was dragged from the
bed and thrown upon the floor. A chair standing near the
head of the bed contained a pool of blood.
We gathered from a conversation wit,h Mr. and Mrs. Law-
rence, and a girl in the house, that they were awakened about
five o'clock this morning, by a shriek up stairs, and a heavy
fall, which apparently jarred the louse; immediately after,
and before they were hardly awake, a person came down
stairs, slipped in his haste and fell, but recovered, and rushed
out of the front door.
The family then smelt fire, and going np into the room,
found it filled with flame and smoke. The fire was set in
three different places---the bed which the murdered woman
had occupied—the closet containing her dresses, and a bed
in an adjoining bed-room, which was unoccupied, were all
more or less burnt Against the door of the front bed-room,
occupied by a girl who lives there, a pile of bed-clothes had
been placed and then set on fire—it seems to have been the
intention of the murderer to bury all evidence of his fiendish
deed, in the conflagration of the house, and the death of its
occupants.
The name of the murdere I woman was Maria. A. Bickford.
She was of slight, graceful figure, and very Imautifal. She
has been married, but has not lived with her husband for
tradeould oats lately
some time put. lie is a shoemaker by