The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-12 00:00:00

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The prisoner throughout the night slept very soundly. and
was frequently visited. by Inspector Partridge. Mr. M`Cann,
the surgeon, had a conversation with him this morning, but
he still obstinately refuses to give any explanation of the mo-
tive that let to the attempted committal of so fiendish an
act.
The police have made a further search of the prisoner's
lodgings, but have not discovered anything to throw anymore
light upon the subject. It appears that he resided with his
sister, Mrs. Phelps, whose husband is a baker, but who made
a successful application to the commissioners to be admitted
into the police a few days ago, and who is to commence duty
on Monday next. The prisoner's mother is at present in
Birmingham, staying with some friends, and she has been
there for the last month.
He left home about three o'clock yesterday afternoon, but
the officers have been unable to trace his steps until the time
he attempted to take the Queen and Prince Albert's lives,
and he maintains a sullen silence in reference to his connec-
tions, and the manner in which he has been engaged during
the last month, when he quitted the Hog and Pound public-
house in Oxford-street.
The letters referring to Hanover and a secret society, ad-
vising the members to provide themselves with arms, are
signed with the name of Smith, but they bear no date either
as to time or place, which tends to throw greater suspicion
on them, and to confirm the opinion that exists that the
prisoner has been made the tool of some secret or unlawful
society.
The prisoner called upon Mr. Lenton, butcher, of the
Waterloo-road, on Tuesday night, and, in a conversation
that the reporter had with Mr. L. this morning, he said, in
reference to Oxford, that he was a good boy, and his impres-
sion was that he must have formed a had connection and be-
come the dupe of some depraved party. This opinion is
strengthened by the words of an intelligent officer who re-
marked, " I have no doubt, when the excitement has passed
away, it will turn out that a diabolical conspiracy exists."
The police,. under the direction of Mr. Superintendent May,
are most active in endeavouring to trace out the author of
the treasonable letters, but they refuse to disclose the result
of their activity for obvious reasons, and they state their be-
lief that the signature " Smith"is an assumed name.

The prisoner this mcrning partook of a hearty breakfast,
consisting of coffee and bread and butter, and he told Inspec-
tor Partridge that he was very comfortable, adding, " If all
your station-houses are as comfortable as this, they are very
different from what I have read of them in the newspapers.
About ten o'clock his sister, Mrs. Phelps, called at the
station-house, for the purpose of seeing her wretched brother,
but she was not allowed to do so, as Mr. May had given
strict orders that nobody should have an interview with the
prisoner. She appeared so be in great distress of mind.
Soon after the time stated, Mr. Lowe,' of Copthall-court ;
Mr. W. Clayton, of Princes-street, Soho; Mr. J. Clayton.
Mr. Perks, Mr. George Skearce, and the police constable,
besides a number of other witnesses who volunteered to give
evidence, assembled at the station-house in Gardiner's-lane,
which was at this time (as well as the Home Office) surround-
ed by a denSe crowd of persons, anxiously waiting to catch a
glimpse of the prisoner.
The names of the several witnesses were entered by In-
spector Partridge on the police charge-sheet, which stated
the prisoner to have been brought in at three quarters past
six o'clock last evening, charged " with maliciously and
unlawfully discharging two loaded pistols at her. Majesty and
Prince Albert." The prisoner's name and address were
thus recorded—" Edmund Oxford, 6, West-street, West-
square—lB."

A. few minutes before 11 o'clock the prisoner was brought
out of his cell. He was dressed in a blue frock-coat and
velvet collar and dark trousers ; he smiled as he passed through
the station-house, and appeared to be in good health and
rather good-looking. Previous to his removal Mr. M`Cann,
the surgeon, cut off a lock of his hair. _ _

In consequence of the crowds round the station-house it
was arranged that the prisoner should pass out as quick as
possible, and turn to the left, and proceed the back way
through Downing-street passage to the Home Office, and
this was so excellently managed that scarcely those who were
admitted inside the station-house saw him pass along. He
did not wear handcuffs, and as soon as he got into Gardiner's
lane, he took to his heels as fast as he could, and was followed,
as preconcerted, by Inspector Pierce and Hughes.
These arrangements prevented any confusion in the public
streets, and the prisoner reached the Home Office immedi-
ately before the clock struck 11.

At that hour the following noblemen and gentlemen had
arrived to conduct the investigation :—Lord Normanby, the
Hon. Fox Manic, Mr. Philips, the Under Secretary, Mr.
Hall, the chief magistrate of Bow-street, and Mr. Burnaby,
the clerk of the same police court. There were also present
Lord Uxbridge, Lord Cardigan, and other noble personages,
whose names did not transpire.
Several reporters to the public press were waiting to be ad-
mitted into the Council Chamber, but it was understood that
the examination, as in Captain Goode's case (who was charged
with threatening her Majesty), would be strictly private.
It should he mentioned that when the prisoner passed, or
rather ran, through the station-house, his sister exclaimed
with bitter agony, " Ah! there he is—there he is," and
bursting into convulsive sobs nearly fainted away.
[The Globe of last night mentions a rumour that the pri-
soner is a Birmingham chartist, and a member of the Lon-
don committee.]