The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-12 00:00:00

SUPPOSED MURDER.

REA DING, SATURDAY.—Throughout to-day this town
has been in a state of great excitement, in consequence
of a report gaining ground that on the previous evening
a woman, named Elizabeth Spicer, residing at No. 16,
Howard-street, had been found in a lifeless state in the
cellar of the house, under circumstances which led to
the conclusion that she had come to an untimely end by
t';e hands of her hu-band, William Spicer, a journey-
tn b is!,et-rnaker, and who has been taken intocustody
on the charge of having caused the death of his wife.
Co sensation prevails throughout the town ;
1:-,- more as happily so dreadful a crime has not been
ri)erpe:rated in this borough within the remembrance of
the oldest inhabitant.

inquest was held this evening at the public office,
b4,re Mr. G. Morton, Deputy Coroner for the borough,
and a resue:tahle jury, when the following witnesses
were ex:twined :

M:ir: ha Aubry deposed—l am on a visit to my sister,
TV/r.4. Tomk ins. of No. 1.5, Ilo,ard-stre.et, next door to
Mr. I knew the deceased by her coming in
an < taut of icy si-tet's house ; saw her about eleven
yesr.erday, when she was in her usual good
h aith. She came to borrow a clothes-prop of my
sister. We dined between twelve and one o'clock. Whilst
at dinner we heard a noise in the adjoining house, occu-
pied by Mr. mid :Nil's. Spicer, like something heavy
lling (lox n stairs. My sister said, " Oh ! what can that
bo ?—surely th is Ilelre.:* Mrs. Spicer fallen down ?"
I said, " don't you go, I'd run," and instantly ran
out of the doiir kto thi• front i:arden, and looked through
Mr. S:.,ic,r's ,indow. I there slw Mr. Spicer looking
d x n the cel:iLr stairs, and I concluded that nothing
serous hail happeni:d. I distinctly saw Mr. Spicer
standing looking dawnthe stairs. I went back into my
sist-es house tuid said, " Oh, there is nothing the mat-
ter, Mi.. Spicer is home." At the time I saw Mrs.
c r its the morning she appeared perfectly sober. I
),,,ted dt-,e.gre.. able pass between them before I
heard the noise.

Leary Tomkins—l live at No. 15, Howard-street,
end am by trade a shoemaker. I live next door to Mr.
Spic+ r. I have latayan Mrs. Spicer for about two years.
Last Navember,they vier, married. I saw Mrs. Spicer
aeaut devea a• caralt yesterday. She came into my
• tear •• bor-ox aal '.thas prep. About half-past twelve
• We' a Fria a daffier, when we heard a tremendous crash
it the next r•ott:e, ocaupied by Mr. and Mr.. Spicer.
We were all el road, having heard that Mrs. Spicer had
n fit scene time t:efore. We said, " There is poor Mrs.
Stie: r fallen down stairs." I did not see Mrs. Spicer
any line between h wring that noise and eight o'clock
ist the evening. Ab ,ut eight o'clock in the evening
Mr Spit; .r Came out of his front door, and I went out.
He .aid, " Mr. Tomkins, have you seen anything of my
. ?" I said, " No; is she not at home?" He said,
" wars e A,,mt- to my tea and did not find her. I cannot
matoe out e here she is got to." I said, " Oh rear, it is
not she tett has fafien down the cellar." He said,
Oh dear, I da not know," and wentimwediately towards
the c • :kr- door. I was in toy own garden at the time.
La about a minute he came out again and said, " Oh dear
me, my el e is dead." It was near eight o'clock,
coal he h d re, c,,relle. Spicer the n immediately got
glut, and Mr. House, who had been in my house,
want iH to Spicer's, and reok the candle, and both of us
went dean the cellar. Whilst we were in the cellar, Mr.
Spier wae siting down in a chair in his front room. We
towel the laudy 01 Mrs. Spicer at the bottom of the stairs,
and Lee face against the wall. She was lying on her
right side, with a great wound in her temple. The head
was drea !fully cut and bruised, and there was a great
deal of blood on her head. Her cap was off her head,
and her clethes smooth upon her body. Her legs were
in an upward position, resting on the steps. I imme-
aiiately went to inform Mr. Houlton, the superintendent
of pe!ice of this borough.
13y the DEPUTY-CORONER—When I saw her in the
mandea she w4S perfectly sober. She -was not a person
eat eted to ,irittking. They were not in the habit of
r taut iebeso three weeks ago we heard them
.i•arret f..• about .n hour up stairs. She has frequently
,aoptaived to me of her husband coming honees intoxi-
rated, arid late at night. Mr. House and myself went :nto
'the cedar. Mr. Spicer was sitting in the front room,
and lie ma•lia ne ohservation. The noise I heard was a
eradi, as if sent thing heavy had fallen. The blood I
bl ck and congealed.
I.l,Corae Melee. of No. 30, Upper Hosier-street, la-
-I,ollrtr—l knew Mr. and Mrs. Spicer before they were
ma, re about eight months ago. I was at Mr. Tome
benae a'eeat half-past seven o'clock last night
about eight e'cloek. I was standing at Mr. Turn-
kin-'s gaae, allow: to leave, when Mr. Spicer came to his
clew, and ask. d Me. Tomkins if his (Mr. Spicer's) wife
was at Mr Ternkins's house. Mr. Tomkins replied,
no ; and esker! Mr. Spicer if she wasn't up-stairs. He
lid no. he bad le On up stairs. Mr. Temkins then asked
as down in the cellar ? He said, "I do not
will go and 3CV," and then lighted a candle,
the cellar-door down a step or two. He
el and placed the candle en the table, and
.came u. d. and said to me, " Oh, she is down
there." I then &reedy caged Mr. Tomkins, and we
went together to Spicer's. The candle was en the table.
We went :".own stairs Mr. Spicer remained in the front
roe:fa crying. I .aa the body at the bottom of the stairs,
the feet were upea_rds, and the head doubled under. The
face was coverea cith blood. Saw the left eye wounded.
The other was pressing against the wall. There was
teuen blend on the floor. The cap was off the head. I
sac the bread lying eat the floor. There was also a
f rk and a pair of slippere, and a bread-basket lying
lab ut. see Leal of bread appeared to be fresh cut. I
iaa; ;he ; ~ai d extinct. We came up stairs
ta,a, •triee, r. iotnkins went for Mr. Houlton, the
supetareeadent of police, and I gave an alarm to the
axighbours.
By Ow DEPUTY CORONER—I asked Mr. Spicer if he
had any tea wren he came home at tea time, and he said
he had no tea. but a piece of meat and a piece of bread
on a 'late retuaird g from dinner time. He then, he
ta: id, went (0 aI r. Sharp's, at the Royal Oak, and had a
twit of b t r, an l inquired if his wile haul been there, and
they said ehe hail n.A. He then call d again on coming
b ,we in the evening, and found she had riot been there
than. Atieut ilia.. or ten o'clock in the evening Spicer
said. that whilai he was out in the yard after dinner he
tht-arct a ri• i.e like creme one falling down stairs.

ar.o wt

the::

Vito s: e,,otitity-d---When I saw the body the legs
were visiOl.- hAf-wa.• up, to about the calf. Both the
r..maini-d as much uncovered.

By a .I:.ror-1. arn not immediately connected with
Spwer ,t• y that that he has dealt with me at times.
By another .luror—Before I had the conversation with
him he seen%ed agitat, d, but he was afterwards more
cornposAi when the conversation took place.
The ,x,imination of this witness having here ended,

)EPUTY CORONER said, that as aireat deal more
evidence wouid be brought forward, which could not be
gone thr:mgh that night, he would suggest the propriety
et an ailjourninent at that late hour (nine o'clock) till
_Monday; and ultimatrly it was agreed to adjourn the
proceedings to th,t Slav at one o'clock.

THE New EDITION OF BURKE'S PEERAGE AND
Ba AONETaGs FOR 1845, just published, is certainly the most
perfect and comprehensive Encyclopedia of personal and na-
tional I.lstory ever given to the public, combining surprising
accu:-t.ev and im•!nrtant information with the greatest brevity
and cle,rties4, and exhibiting in a condensed and lucid form the
tivt-s and ,tchievemen's of the many eminent men who have
shed lustre on the roll of our nobility, from the steel-clad
Barons of Crescy and Agincourt, to the heroes of Blenheim
awl Waterloo. This new edition has evidently undergone the
must gearel+ing revision, several of the lineages have been re-
writtert—all remodeled and improved ; —and the introduction
.of
n ere.ttn-
• g matter reVn-ential to the Baronets and the
hvaiwnes, re,:tlers the impression far more valuable
than any of the former on.s. Indeed there is not a name con-
nected with Peer or Baronet that is not displayed in its pages,
and yet, by the judicious plan that has been adopted, the bulk
of the volume is not increased.

STE %IV- BOAT ACCIDENT.--DOVER'AUG.AUG 10.—
The Ondine steamer, Captain Jenkings, arrived here Itis
afterrwon, towed in by the Belfast steamer. She lefteitend
esterday morrln2 with vas;engers for Dover, and about half-
an-hour after her departure sustained some injury to the ma-
chinery of one of the wheels, by which it was rendered useless.
They hoisted a foresail,and attempted to proceed with the
other wheel, but the wind and tide were strong against them,
and unfortunately they carried away the foremast and disabled
the second wheel. The non-arrival of the vessel caused alarm,
it,Al the Britannia -trainer was sent from hence in search.
Fortuna:My. at d 9,light this mornrig, they were discovered
about t. n rages i,ff Gravel:nes in this distressed state by the
steamer Belfast, on a voyage from Calais to Lond:in, who bore
<lowa to them, took them in tow, and brought them safe into
kpert. The rasseri.iers give very great credit to Captain Jen-
ins, for his good conduct and judgment under such trying
circumstances.
YARMOUTH, AUG. la—Died, this day, aged 60
years, Mr. Benja nin Cobb, a respe,able tanner and leather
merchant Great Yarrn,iutn, Norfolk. Mr. C. was one of the
first elected rivrn Couneillo-. aster the passing of the Munici-
pal Corporations' Act, 1835, was re-elected 1838, and retired
from (41,:e Ic4O.