The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-24 00:00:00

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

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 disreputable house in Cedar-
lane, which act was stated in our second edition, but without
any other particulars.
A Coroner's jury was empanelled this forenoon, and, under
the direction of Colonel Pratt, preccefed 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 2.5 3-ears. 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
jugular vein and windpipe were entirely severed, the razor
which the murderer used having entered to the bone. Her
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.
Wegathered from a conversation with 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
fail, which apparently jarred the house; 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 up 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 dresies, 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 murdered woman was Maria A. Bickford.
She was of slight, graceful figure, and very beautiful. She
has been married, but has not lived with her husband for
some time past. He is a shoemaker by trade, and was lately
in the employ of Mr. Smith, in Cambridge-street. He is
now in Bangor, where this ill-fated woman formerly belonged.
The wash-bowl in the room contained a quantity of bloody
water, from which it is evident that the murderer washed his
hands after his bloody work.
A letter was found in the room addressed A. J. T. to M.
A. B. ; also a pair of men's drawers, cane, and stocking, and
a bunch of keys. Dr. Moriarty, who was present at the exa-
mination, said it was impossible for her to move after she
received the death wound, and he must have dragged her
from the bed. In the straw bed under which she slept, a
bunch of matches were found nearly burnt up.
Suspicion, amounting almost to certainty, is fixed upon
Albert J. Tirrell as the murderer, though he has not yet been
arrested. Tirrell was arrested some time since, at New Bed-
ford, on a charge of adultery, and was lately discharged, hav-
ing compromised the matter. He is said to be a native of
Weymouth, in this State.—Boston Mail, Oct. 27.