The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-15 00:00:00

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THE MURDER OF LORD WILLIAM RUSSELL
EXAMINATION OF COURVOISIER THE VALET,
• -AT BOW-STREET.•

- (From the Morning Herald of Tuesday.)
The investigation which took place before the police author-
ities„ at the residence of the deceased nobleman in Norfolk-

Street, Park-lane, having produced a sufficient train of cir-
cumstantial evidence against the accused, to enable those
engaged in the enquiry to send the case before the chief ma-
gistrate at Bow-street, the valet Courvoisier was removed
from Norfolk-street at twelve o'clock on Sunday night, in a
hackney-coach, and conveyed as privately as possible, to the
station-house of the F division, guarded by several consta-
hles. He was then locked up in one of the cells, and closely
watched during the night. At an early hour in e morning,
the fact of his having been sent, to the station-house soon
transpired, and a great crowd of persons collected in a Bow-
street, for the purpose of obtaining a sight of the accused.
During the day, the street in front of the com t, and opposite
the station-house, was yearly impassible, and towards even-
ing it became necessary to call out several constables to keep
the footway clear. The curiosity of the public was further
excited, by the rumour that Richard Gould and Jarvis and
his wife were also at the station-house, and that another in-
vestigation would take place upon the subject of the murder
of Mr. Templeman, which proved to be correct.
At ten o'clock, Mr. JARDINE took his seat on the bench,
for the purpose of disposing of the night charges, which being
more numerous than usual, °coupled his attention until a
quarter to two o'clock, by which time, Mr. nobler, the soli-
citor, arrived, to conduct the prosecution against Courvoisier,
on the part of the commissioners of police. Mr. Flower, of
Hatton-garden, was also in attendance on behalf of the pri-
soner, and on the bench we noticed, besides the chief magis-
trate, and Mr. Jardine, Lord Montfort, Major Anderson,
the Hon. Mr. Byng, Mr. Dyer, son of the police magistrate,
Mr. Yardly, secretary and chief clerk to the commissioners of
pollee, and several other gentlemen. None of the relatives of
the deceased nobleman were present.
At two o'clock, the prisoner was brought from the station,
in custody of Inspector Peirson, of the A division, and three
constables, and placed at the bar. He is a middle-sized man,
rather stoutly made, and aged, we should suppose, about 30 ;
the expression of his countenance is dull and heavy, and there
is not much of a foreigner in his general appearance; he has
a down look, and his face and lips were deadly pale.
As soon as he was placed in the dock, Mr. Flower, the so-
licitor, addressing the chief magistrate, said that he had re-
ceived instruction to attend on behalf of the prisoner, and on
his going to the station for the purpose of obtaining an inter-
view with him, he found, contrary to the usual practice, that
he could not be seen, even by his professional adviser.
Mr. HALL—I believe the usual practice is in all cases of a
serious nature to obtain the order of a magistrate to visit a
prisoner. You may now, however, retire for a short time
with the prisoner, before the examination is proceeded with.
The proceeded was accordingly allowed to leave the bar
with Mr. Flower. They remained absent for a short time,
and the prisoner having again taken his place in the dock.
Mr. Bartaby, the chief clerk, asked him—ls your name
Francois Benjamin Courvoisier.
Prisoner—lt is.

Mr. Hobler then stated that he was instructed by the com-
missioners of police to conduct the inquiry against the pri-
soner, who was charged with the wilful murder of the late
Lord William Russell. It was not his intention at present
to produce more evidence than would be necessary to entitle
him to pray for a remand until some convenient day in the
course of the present week.
Mr. HALL—Does the prisoner understand English enough
to enable him tO know the nature of the evidence you are
about to bring forward?
Mr. Hobler—Oh yes, he understands English, and can
speak it very well.
Mr. Nicholas Peirson, an inspector of the A division, was
then sworn.

Mr. Hobler—Did you attend at the house of the late Lord
William Russell ? _ _

Witness—l did ; I went there between five and six o'clock
on the evening of Wednesday last.
Mr. Ilobler—Did you on that occasion go into his lord-
ship's bed-room ?
Witness—l did.
Mr. Hobler—ln what state did you find his lordship ;
alive or dead ? _ _

Witness—He was dead.
Mr. Hobler—What establishment had he kept there ?
Witness—A man servant and two female servants, as I was
informed. _ _

Mr. Hobler—Was the prisoner in the house at the time
you went there, and was he named to you as one of the esta-
blishment ?
Witness—Yes, sir, I understood that he was one of the
servants.
Mr. HALL—Did you address him as such ?
Witness—No, riot at that time.
Mr. Hobler—Did you afterwards speak to him as one of
the servants ?
Witness—l did. and he told me himself that he was one
of his lordship's servants.
Mr. Hobler—What did you observe when you first went
into his lordship's bed-room ?
'•Witness—l turned down the bed-clothes, and found his
lordship lying dead on his right side.
Mr. HALL—Sitting hare, .I am not supposed to know what
has occurred elsewhere ; and I wish you to state whether,
from the appearance which the body presented, you were of
opinion that death was produced by violence ?.
Witness—That was my impression. His throat was cut;
I saw blood upon his face, and a great quantity of blood on
the bed-clothes, and alsb on the floor.
Mr. Nobler—Do you mean on the floor by the side of the
bed ? _ _ _

Witness—No, it was under the bed, as if a great quantity
of blood had soaked through the bed and the two mattresses.
Mr. Hobler—Did you attendthat night at the inquiry held
before the coroner?
Witness—Yes, I was present part of the time, towards the
close of the proceedings.
Mr. Hobler—Were you in the room when the jury returned
their verdict ?
Witness--I was.
Mr. Hobler—What verdict was given ?
Witness—The verdict was " Wilful Murder against some
person or persons unknown."
Mr. Hobler—Did you assist in searching the house that
night?
lA itness—J did, and since then.
Mr. Hobler—And have you found any property belonging
to Lord William Russell, in the course of those searches ?
Witness—l have found property, which I have brought
here.
Mr. Hobler—Describe to the magistrates what that pro-
perty consists of, and where you found it.
Witness—On Friday last 1 examined the butler's pantry,
having previously searched the house as well.
Mr. Hobler—Had the room you speak of been described
to you as the butler's pantry before you made the search
there?

Witness—Yes, it was; and the .prisoner himself told me
it was his.pantry, before the search was made.
Mr. Hobler—Now state the result of your search.

Witness.—On searching the room I observed a skirting
board between the side of the fire-place and the sink, and
perceiving that a small piece of the lime, or plaster, had been
recently removed, and, by tearing some more of the plaster,
I got my two fingers inside of the skirting-board, and then,
by a sudden jerk, about nine or ten inches of the board in
length, and about six inches in breadth, came away with the
pull.
• Mr. Ham..—Did this .board come away as if it had been
recently removed from its place?
Witness.—Yes, it did.
Mr. Hall.—Did the wood appear to you to be sonnd or
decayed?
It was perfectly sound.
Mr. Hobler.—Now state what you discovered.
Witness.—At the moment I pulled away the skirting, I
saw the gold net purse I now produce. It was lying about
two inches from the skirting, on the inside, as if it had been
pushed there. Two constables were in the pantry at the
time, and I immediately called their attention to the cir-
cumstance. I then took the purse out, and it is now in the
same state as when I found it.
Mr. Hobler.—Now, then, tell the magistrate what it con-
tained.
Witness.—lt contained the five gold coins I now produce,
wrapped in this piece of paper; also five gold rings, one of
which is a wedding ring. After I drew out the purse, I saw
a riband in the same place, or a little farther in, and having
pulled away another piece of the skirting, 1 took up the ri-
band, to which was attached a Waterloo medal, with the
name of the " Hon. Captain Russell, Aid-de-camp,"
inscribed upon it. On the inside of the skirting, and far-
ther on, I found a £lO Bank of England note. I afterwards
searched the room, and found this watch ring hidden in the
wall, about seven feet from the ground, behind a leaden pipe
affixed to the wall.
'Mr. HALL.—Before you searched the pantry had you any
conversation with the prisoner about the rings or any other
property which were missing?
Witness.—l had ; and before I 'found the rings the pri-
soner told me that his lordship was in the habit of wearing
rings, which, he said, were missing with the other property.
Mr. HALL.—After you found the articles you have de-
scribed, did you mention the fact to the prisoner ?
Witness.—l did. He was in the back parlour at the time,
and I placen the articles on the table, and said to the pri-
soner, I have found these rings and other property concealed
in your pantry.
Mr. H ALL.—Did he make any reply to that ?
Withess.—Yes, he did ;. he said I know nothing about
them. lam innocent, my conscience is clear.
Mr. HALL.—Did he say that the rings were those which
were missing?
Witness.—No, he did not. He merely said I never saw
the medal before.
Mr. Hobler.—Did you afterwardi take him to the pantry,
. and showhim the place where you found the things?
Witness.—l
Mr. Hobler.—What observation did he make when you
pointed out the place to him ?
Witness. His answer was the same—" I know nothing
about them. lam innocent."
Mr. Hobler.—Did you then continue your search in the
room, and did the prisoner remain there while you were so
engaged ?
Witness.—He did for some time.
room when I found the watch ring.
Mr. Hobler.—Were the articles you found afterwards iden
tilled as his lordship's property ?
Witness.—Yes, his lordship's late valet identified them.
Mr. -Hobler said he did not mean to go farther with the
case at present.
Mr. HALL considered that some further evidence ought to
be given.
The witness then proceeded to state. I searched the bed-
room of the prisoner, and found a bunch of keys, I think
ten in number. I also searched his person, and in his right
hand trousers' pocket. I found a gold locket, with hair in
it, and 7s in silver. While I was examining the locket, the
prisoner said " It is mine."
Mr. Hobler—Did he tell you how long he had it?
Witness—l did not ask him that question.
Mr. Hobler—Did you afterwards search his box for any
property or instrument ?
Witness—l did, but discovered no property in the box. I
found, however, a screw-driver and a chisel in it. And on'
Wednesday night I found a hammer in the pantry. Having
applied the end of the chisel and screw-driver to the marks
on the drawer, and also on the door of the plate-cupboard, I
found them- to correspond. When I showed the prisoner the
chisel he said, " That's mine," but the hammer and screw-
driver he said belonged to the house.
Cross-examined by Mr. Flower—l first went to the house,
No. 14-, Norfolk-street, on last Wednesday, in the afternoon.
I found a great many persons and several of the police,
amongst whom was Inspector Tedman. 1 found the rings
and other articles last Friday at one o'clock. The prisoner
told me that his lordship wore rings. He gave me that in-
formation before the rings were found. I cannot say how
many persons had gone to the pantry before I went there.
The prisoner is a Swiss.
Mr. BALL—I suppose, Mr. Hobler, you have an farther
evidence to bring forward at present.
Mr. Hobler—No, sir, I have no more to offer now, but in
a day or two I shall be prepared with additional evidence.
Mr. HALL—What day would you name for farther hear
Mr.
in
Mr. Hobler—On Thursday, if you please.
Mr. HALL (to the prisoner) Is it your wish to make any
observations now ?
Prisoner—No, sir, none at all.
Mr. HALL—You are now remanded until Thursday next,
and you will be sent from hence to the Westminster Bride-
well, in 'Tothill-street.
Mr. Flower—l hope, sir, in the mean time, that I may be
admitted to see the prisoner ?
Mr. HALL—Certainly you may, on my order, as his pro-
fessional adviser.

He was not in the

'....i`

~~

The prisoner was then removed from the bar, and was af-
terwards conveyed in a coach, handcuffed, and strongly
guarded to Tothill-fields' Prison.

The removal of Courvoisier to Bow-street, on Sunday
night was effected in a very private manner, the police-officers
who since the melancholy occurrence have. been in charge
of the house not being aware of the intention until a few
minutes before the removal took place. In fact, we under-
stand, it was effected as soon almost as it was determined on.
Courvoisier had for the first time since he had been in the
custody of the police retired to bed, on Sunday night, in the
back attic, the room to which he had been restricted since
suspicions were first entertained against him ; and on being
informed, about half-past 11 o'clock, by Inspector Pearce,
that he was 'his prisoner, and that it was his intention to con-
vey him to a station-house, lie without hesitation or making
any remark, beyond a fervent declaration of his innocence,
arose from the bed and commenced dressing himself. In
the meantime a hackney-coach was procured, and Courvoi-
sier was taken to Bow-street. On alighting, Courvoisier
was conducted into a private room, where the charge was
entered by Inspector Musgrove in the following manner :
" Francois Benjamin Courvoisier, charged with the wilful
murder of Lord William Russell, on the 6th instant, at No.
14, Norfolk-street, Park-lane," which, having been signed
by Inspector Pearce, Courvoisier was placed in a cell by him-
self, a serjeant of police remaining in the cell with him until
he was conveyed over to the police-court. He was dressed
in a brown frock coat, slate-coloured figured Valentia waist-
coat, black trousers, and boots. He is in stature above the
middle height, or if anything rather under, of rather sallow
complexion, with full face, the features of which are strongly
marked, and has dark brown hair.
Soon after 10 o'clock yesterday, Mr. Philipps, the under
secretary of state for the home department, visited the house,
where he remained until after 11 o'clock, and on leaving pro-
ceeded direct to the Home-office. Mr. Wing, his late lord-
ship's family solicitor, also arrived at the house between 11
and 12 o'clock, for the purpose of proceeding with the inves-
tigation and examination of the premises. In the course of
the former, we understand the depositions of some of the
servants of Major Anstruther, next door (No. 15,) were taken,
but to what purport we have been unable to learn.
• We understand that on the day subsequent to the murder
(Wednesday) Inspector Beresford, while obtaining from Cor-
voisier a list of the articles supposed to have been stolen and
removed from the premises, asked him for a description of
the seals attached to his late lordship's watch, when Cour-
voisier fetched a wax impression of a seal bearing the arms of
the Bedford family, saying that one of them bore that im-
pression. That seal was the one found on Saturday, by In-
spector Pearce, behind a leaden water-pipe, not far from the
skirting board behind which the articles first discovered were
found. Behind the same pipe was also found a signet ring,
usually worn by his late lordship, which bad been bent and
nearly broken, apparently for the purpose of being destroyed.
It Is also stated that, on au examination being made, on the
morning after the murder, of the bed in Courvoisier s room,
it appeared to hare been rumpled and disturbed, but had no
appearance of a person having slept in it.
During the whole Qf yesterday the house was besieged by
messengers from the royal family, the cabinet ministers,
numbers of the nobility and gentry, anxious to pay a tribute
of respect to the memory of his deceased lordship, urgently
requesting that they might do honour to his obsequies, by
their carriages, at the funeral, following in the mournful
cortege. It is also stated that her Majesty and Prince Albert
sent a similar request, but we understand the whole were
most respectfully declined, it being the wish that the inter-
ment should take place as privately as possible.
About four o'clock Mr. Commissioner Mayne and Mr.
Hobler, jun., the solicitor for the prosecution, arrived at the
house from the examination of Courvoisier at Bow-street
police court. They were shortly afterwards followed by
Superintendent Baker and Inspector Pearce, when a further
minute examination of the several apartments was entered
into, but, we believe, without any further important disco-
veries being made. Mr. Mayne remained until near seven
o'clock, about which hour Mr. Wing also left, but Messrs.
Baker and Pearce remained to a much later hour.
About 10 o'clock the outer coffin was brought in a hearse
from the establishment of Mr. Richards, the undertaker in
Holborn, whose shop had been thronged throughout the day
by persons anxious to see it. It is a reiniarkably neat and
plain coffin, covered with exceedingly fine black cloth, and
studded by rows of richly-gilt nails on each side, and the lid
being divided into three compartments or pannels, in the
centre of which, on the sides, and at the head and foot, are
massive gilt handles, unadorned by any embossment. In
the centre compartment on the lid is a large brass plate, on
which is engraved the following inscription :
" The Right Honourable
LORD WILLIAM RUSSELL,
The son of Francis and Elizabeth, Marquis and
Marchioness of Tavistock.
Born August 20, 1767,
Died May 6, 1840,
Aged 72 years."
To the leaden coffin, in which the shell is placed, is also
attached a leaden plate, on which is engraved—
" LORD WILLIAM RUSSELL,

Died May 6, 1840,
In the 73d year of his age."

(From the Times of Wednesday.)
TUESDAY EVENlNG.—Throughout the day the crowd in
front of the residence of the late Lord William Russell has
been fully as numerous as on any of the preceding days, and
great diappointwent was generally expressed when it was
found that the remains of his late lordship had been removed
,from the house at the early hour of six o'clock, the general
opinion being that the removal would not take place till a
much later hour.
During the day the examination of the premises has been
further proceeded with, and we' understand that part of the
gold key attached to the watch of the deceased, which is still
missing, has been found in the back pantry, only used by the
valet, Courvoisier. It was discovered in a small aperture
near the floor, between some bricks and the wall.
In the course o f the day the following description of the
gold watch was forwarded to the differeet police-stations, and
to the various pawnbrokers of the metropolis :—" A gold
horizontal repeating watch, with silver dial, jewelled in four
holes, engine-turned case, with Breguet pusher, No. 1212,
made by Barrel and Coutain. Two private numbers made by
the persons who last cleaned the watch will be found inside
near tne hinge—Nos. 6119 and 10,035.
For the last two or three days inspector Bcresford has been
engaged in making inquiries as to the truth of the statements
' made by Henry Carr, which have been found to be perfectly
correct, and fully exonerate him from any suspicion of having
been concerned in the perpetration of the diabolical murder.
One of the persons who accompanied Courvoisier on Sun-
day night, on his removal from Norfolk-street to the station-
house, was Serjeant Driscol, C, 2 who, after the charge had
been entered against the prisoner, and he was removed to a
cell, remained with him therein during the night, and up to
his removal to the police-office about two o'clock on Mon-
day. Durin,, that time Courvoisier remained very firm and
free from all symptoms of agitation. He frequently ex-
pressed his confidence that he should be eventually honour-
ably acquitted of the dreadful charge alleged against him,
and told Serjeant Driscol that when again at liberty, he
should not forget him for the civility he had shown him.
In the Times of this morning appears a letter dated from
No. 1, Charles-street, Grosvenor-square, and signed " C.
Barry," iu which an inquiry is made as to where his lord-
ship's dog was on the night the murder was committed. It
appears that the dog in question, which was a very great
favourite of his lordship's, was usually kept during the night
at the stables, but was taken to the house in Norfolk-street
to be fed in the morning, and Was also generally in the room
with his lordship during the evening. On the evening pre-
vious to the murder the dog remained at the house until
about nine o'clock, when it was fetched away by the coach-
man, and taken to the stables for the night.

FUNERAL OF LORD WILLIAM RUSSELL.

On Tuesday the remains of the above ill-fated and la-
mented nobleman were removed from his late residence and
the scene of his mysterious murder, No. 14, Norfolk-street,
Park-lane, for interment in the mausoleum of the noble
house of Russell, adjoining the parish church of Chenies, in
Buckinghamshire, about four miles from Rickmansworth,
and twenty-two from London.