Star.
London, England, 1830-08-25 00:00:00

THB MURDER AT LAMBETH.

Since the above dreadful murder was perpetrated, owing to the vigi.
lance and activity displayed by the Union. Hall officers, some extraonli.
nary facts have been brought to light, which will probably lead to the
discovery of the murderer. Chief constable Hall having been in.
formed that it was the invariable practice of the deceased to clean
the tea-cups and saucers immediately after she and her husband
Witham had taken tea, and it appearing that on the afternoon
the deceased was murdered they had drank tea together, the
chief constable immediately proceeded to examine in what state
those 'things were left on that occasion. He found the tea.things
had been removed from the table on which they were previously used,
and deposited on the mantelpiece precisely in the condition they were
after the deceased and Witham had left them—a singular fact, which
indicates that the murderer in all probability was the person who had
removed them from the table to the place in which they were found, the
deceased never having been known to put them away without first wash.
ing them. It has been generally believed, that the weapon used by the
murderer was a wooden hat, on which some marks of blood were disco.
vered ; this, however, has not been ascertained with any degree of cer-
tainty, for since the finding of the wooden bar a poker has also been
found in the house, an instrument with which it was more probable the
wounds were made; and on a subsequent examination of the head and
face, that supposition was strengthened. In the course of yester.
day Mr. Chambers, the magistrate, having been apprised that no infor.
mation of the murder was given at this Office until Friday morning,
expressed his astonishment that it was not made known on the night
previously, in order that immediate steps might have been taken for
dispatching the officers of the establishment to assist as speedily as pos.
slide in tracing the circumstances connected with the murder, and co.
operating with the new police on the occasion, who were not supposed
as yet to be so well acquainted with pursuing inquiries of that nature.
The Magistrate was informed that no account of the murder had been
made known at the office until nearlyeeven o'clock on Friday morning,
at which hour a messenger arrived who stated that he was sent by one
of the inhabitants to communicate the circumstance, with a request also
that some of the officers might be sent to the spot to render their assistance
to the new police, a party of whom, it appeared, had entered the house on
the preceding night. At 11 o'clock the same morning Mr. Baker, one
of the inhabitants of Prince '*.street, called at the office, and having
thanked the Magistrate for his attention to the wishes of the inha-
bitants, stated that the money and other property belonging to the de.
ceased, found in her bed.room, was in his possession ; and as some dis.°
agreement was likely to arise between the parties who had claim to it,
he was anxious to know whether he would be justified in retaining It
until after' proper investigation took place ? The applicant was in.
formed that he was perfectly justified in retaining the property until
further investigation had taken place, for as yet it was impossible to
discover to whom the property legally belonged.
Mr. CHAMBERS hoped that no jealousy would exists between the old
and new police upon this occasion, and that they would co-operate, and
by their united exertions be the means of bringing the perpetrator of
the murder to justice.
Chid-tonstable Hall said, that from the moment ire commenced an in.
quill into; the affair, he had given every assistance in his power to the
new police, and should continue to do so, although he was bound to 1
state that he had met with some obstruction in the first instance from
some men of the new police on entering the premises belonging to the
deceased, although he told them who he was and the business he had
come upon.
Mr. CHAMBERS said, that no ill.feeling ought to prevail between
the officers belonging to the different establishments and the new police,
particularly in a case of this nature.
It is proper to mention that it has been a matter of complaint at
Union Hall, that the inspectors of the new police very seldom divulge
when robberies or housebreaking take place in their respective divisions.
This omission must be calculated to defeat the ends of justice ; for, on
information of any offence or outrage having been committed, an account
is transmitted, from the police office where it is given, to Marlborough.
street, and it is inserted in the report which is circulated all over the
kingdom, and lads, not unfrequently, to the detection of the ofenders.