The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-11 00:00:00

MURDER AT BATTERSEA.

IVANDSWORTH POLICE COURT—(THIS DAY).
The Court opened this morning at ten &clock for the re.
examination into the late dreadful murder at Battersea.

bridge, for which the man Augustus Dalmas 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-strut, 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 Counr—The words I heard were spoken loudly and
angrily. The words were, "So you won't, then ?"
James Cook, 11, Danver-street, coal-porter--I 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." Ile
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
eyes.
The prisoner Dalmas was then desired to mix with the
crowd in the body of the Court, and the witness then identi-
fied him as the person be had met in Chelsea.
By the Court-I.—Relieve 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 prisoner/for
about three minutes—saw him coming from the direction of
the bridge and running past—had a look at him after.
Mr. CLIVE to Mr. Gilham—l cannot see the necessity for
recapitulating the evidence already given 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
as 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. CLlVE—Really, I must interfere, Mr. Gilham. You
have asked these questions over and over again. Any new
questions you may put as long as yeti 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 helping 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. CLIVE—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-
ing, 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. CiavE—l theught the question of the 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 repetitidn of what
has already appeared in our columns. When the deceased,
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 was there, and the woman then, from weakness, fell. I
gave the alarm at the Swan; and, with the assistance of
some persons, she was taken there. I did not follow, as I
could not leave the gate. I heard some person close to de-
ceased, when she was at the toll-house, say, " Good 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. M'Farlane, 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
wascon read over.
36 V, was then called, and his
evidence
Augusta Dalmas was called, and said that three letters
produced in Court, marked A, B, and C, were in her father's
writing.
saidosw e r ",
and
Da
her
She
answer,
Dal-
mas" examined by Mr. Gilhain.—He asked the deceased
m" 11a
sly. goodl
called woman,
Air whoc
Gosling'su
t
again repeated lay 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,
yourattention throat
?t''o
yes." I heard her replies distinctly. She was perfectly sen-
sible, and died iu five or six minutes after.
By Mr. CLIVE—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
constable'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, be
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 almostl 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 names was recalled, and ideated them as hay-
, 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. CLIVE-1t 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.

COMMISSION ,OF LUNACY.
(THIS DAY.)
This morning the Commission of Lunacy. against William
Parker, Esq., wasresumed before Mr. Commissioner Winslow.
The inquiry had been adjourned for the attendance of Mr.
Freshfield and Mr. Scotto, two professional gentlemen, whom
the lunatic insisted upon attending. Upon inquiry it was
found that Mr. Scotto had been dead some years, and Mr.
Freshfield refused to act, being wholly unacquainted with
Mr. Parker. Mr. Yany, barrister, appeared in support of the
Commission, and Mr. Rogers attended on behalf of Mr.
Parker's sister. It appeared from the evidence that Mr.
Parker was a partner in Messrs. Bagshaw's house, of
London and Calcutta. In 1840 Mr. Parker proceeded in a
steamer to Calcutta. The vessel anchored about eight days
at Madras, during which time Mr. Parker went ashore with
the other passengers, but instead of taking the precaution
necessary for Europeans of travelling in a palanquin, walked
from the beach a short distance into the country for the
purpose of visiting the inhabitants and comparing their
customs and habits with those in the West Indies. On re-
turning on board the vessel Mr. Parker's manner was con-
siderably changed, when the passengelA came.to the con-'
elusion that lie had received a coup de soled, or stroke. of the
sun, a very common occurrence to Europeans who walk only
a short distance exposed to the sun. On arriving at Calcutta,
about four days after leaving Madras, it was discovered that
he was insane, and it became necessary to -have him watched.
He was shortly afterwards removed to England, and placed
in Bethlem,- and afterwards at Dr. Oxley's Asylum,
Hoxton. Dr. Oxley and Dr. Arnott deposed to the state
of the prisoner's mind. He was very wild and incoherent,
but not unmanageable or at all violent. Amongst his delu-
sions he supposed parties to be alive who had been dead
many years, which was the case with his mother, whom he
said lived with the Duke of Wellington, and that they in-
tended to visit him shortly. During the examination of
the witnesses Mr. Parker continually interrupted them,
denying their statements, and generally finished with a
thrice repeated exclamation. The jury returned a verdict
that Mr. Parker was of unsound mind, and had been so since
Feb. 18, 1841. ,

MONE AND COMMERCIAL NEWS.
CITY, QUARTER TO THREE.
A moderate business was done yesterday in the Liverpool
Cotton Market, at previous rates ; sales 4,000 bales.—Shares
remained firm, without much Activity ; Birmingham and
Gloucester, 92; Caledonian, 41; Birmingham, 231; Brighton,
444 ; South-Western, Eighths, 4i- ; Midland Counties, 90/ ;
Paris and Lyons, 3 ; Ditto and Orleans, 38/0 Ditto and
Rouen, 37i ; South-Eastern, Scrip,
Accounts from Port Phillip of the 21st and 26th of De-
cember have been received to-day, by separate arrivals. The
colony was rather more thriving, and the new system of
melting down tallow and salting meats for exportation to
Europe, had been of sensible advantage 'to the_ flock masters.
There had also been arrivals of a few parties from England
possessed of moderate capital, and which were very oppor-
tune, after so long a cessation of beneficial immigration.
There are accounts in the Port Phillip papers of the 15th De
cember from Van Diemen's Land, and these, from their general
tenor can scarcely be looked upon as much more favourable
than those previously come to hand. The Directors of the
local bank (the Colonial) had convened a meeting of the
proprietors to consider the propriety of winding up. The
Western Australiin papers to Jan 10, show that the colony
is rising.
The Toronto, from New York, furnishes advices to the 11th
ultimo. After some flatness, stocks had become in better re-
quest, and were held for higher rates; while, on the other
haiid the symptoms of returning speculation in cotton had
not become more developed.
In the Consol Market not much business was transacted
to-day. The prices remain at about the same as they were
yesterday, viz., at 99A for Money and for the Account. The
premium upon Exchequer Bills has advanced to 775. 795.
India Bonds have been done at 945. premium ; and Bank
Stock for the Account at 195/.
A slight improvement has taken place in the Spanish
Bonds this morning, the Three per Cents. having touched
36/ ; and the Active Bonds, 241 to 25/. The variations in
the other foreign stocks have been trifling.
A good deal of business has been done in the Railway
Shares, but the prices have not changed much. The Com-
mercial Bank of London Shares have been bought at 160, or
40 discount.
BRITISH FUNDS THIS' DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. 6
(From the Official List)
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities ....... 98% 99
3 per Cent. Consols. Annuities 99%%
334 per Cent Reduced Annuities ION%
New 354 per Cent. Annuities... ............. 102%
Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan. 1860 l2 7-16%
Ditto 30 Years, Expire sth Jan. 1860.

. _ _
India Bonds,l,ooo
Ditto under 1,000 94
Bank Stock for Account
Consols for Account
..,
_ _._

Exchequer Bills, 1 M. ---
10001. ••••••••••••••••••••«•• ..... 00000 ••••••• 77 TIM.
MUU4••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••• 76 pin.
Ditto 5ma11.................. ............ 75 pin.
FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Belgian Bonds, 5 per Cent........... 102%
Columbian 80nd5....................... .......... 147,
Mexican 80nd5.1837,-5 per Cent. :35%
Ditto for the Acc0unt.—.............. ....... 353.,
Ditto Deferred 5t0ck............. .......... ..... 15%
Peruvian Bonds, 6 per Cents. 29
Portuguese Bonds, 5 per Cent. -
Ditto Converted 463
Russian Bonds, 1822, 5 per Cent 117%
Spanish Bonds, Five per Cent 1840 24% 253'6
Ditto for the Account

13(d.

Ditto Passive Bonds.
- Ditto Three per Cent.
Ditto for the Account 35% 3614
Dutch 2% per Cents... 61% 61
Dutch 5 per Cents lOO%

PRICES OF SHARES THIS DAY AT ONE.
RAILWAYS. PAID. PER SHARP.
Bristol and Exeter 7O 7B ..... .... to
Caledonian
Eastern Counties
Ditto New Registered 81. 6s. 8d....... 14%
Ditto Perpetual 5 per eent 135. 4d.... 1
Edinburgh and Glasgow 5O ..... .. 663
Great Western
Ditto 16 Shares
Ditto Fifth 5......... ..... ..... ........ 12
_. to .

Harwich (Braithwaite) ~
Hull and Selby - 60)
Leeds and Bradford 5 .•• •..... 24
London and Birmingham lOO .........232 to
London and Blackwall 16%
London and Brighton BO 44% to
London and Greenwich - to
London and Greenwich (Preference) 18%
London and South Western ...... 41%
Ditto Eighths ,
London and Croydon
Midland Counties lOO 90% to
Newcastle and Darlington Junct. 18 . .... .... 41%
South Eastern and Dover 32% 3'7% to
Paris and Orleans 2O 3814% ... to
Rouen and Havre.
JOINT STOCK BANKS.
London Joint Stock
Union of London lO - to ••••
PRICES OF IRISH STOCKS, MAY 11.
3 per Cent. Consols 98%
Three and a Half Stock ......
Ditto New, Ib3o lO2
3% per Cent. Debentures 94%
Bank Stock l9B
Grand Canal Stock.. 15%
Grand Canal Delymtures,6 per Cent.
Ditto 4 per Cent. 56%
LAST PRICES OF SHARES.
RAILWAYS. PAID. PER SNARL
Dublin and K. Road
Drogheda 55 7l
Dublin and Cashel ditto
25 *2 4%
Hibernian Bank
National Bank ..,
10 17%
11
13i
• Royal Bank
National Insurance 25
Patriotic ditto
Wicklow Copper Mines
City of Dublin Steam Company
British and Irish Steam Company ... so
Steam Ship Building Company
MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, MAY 10.—The market
to-day has been rather inanimate, and stock has been more
freely offered.—Hull and Selby, Quarters, 11i ; Manchester
and Birmingham, 60 ; South-Eastern, 38 ; Preston and
Wyre, 20i ; Blackburn and Preston, 5i ; Manchester
and Liverpool District Bank, 104 : Union Bank of Man-
chester, 9 1-10.