Norwich bulletin., 1922-03-13
FAMOUS TRIALS
FRANZ MULLER.

The Murder in the Railway Car rage, in England in 1864, attractel such vast amount of interest that as early as 4 o'clock in the morning crowds gathered outside of Old Bailey Tor an opportunity to be a witness at the trial or to get a glimpse at the re. nlarkable prisoner. The murder .oc- cured in North London, and although Muller was able to effect an escape to America he was taken back to I,ondon by detectives from Scotland Yard. the principal evidence against hkm being that he was wearing the murdered mans hat at the time of his arrest
 Muller, who was d German, tried his pest to prove an ilibi, saying that he could not have been in the railway car riage at the time of the .committaf of the crime because he was driving on an omnibus in London wearing carpet slippers.
 The court called the bus driver. who declared that on that particular day he did drive a man wearing carpet slip pers, though he was unable to identify I the prisoner.
 The murder of MT. Briggs in the rail- way carriage occurred on the night of Saturday, July g, 1864 When the com partIhent of the first-class carriage, in which he traveled, was opened, it was found that the cushions, floors and win dows were covered with blood Beyond the blood stains, hat, walking stick and a small leather bag, were the only traces of it's former occupants.
 Almost at the same moment of the ] discovery an engine driver observed the | body of a man lying on the 6-foot way 1 opposite the Tower Ham1ets parade | grounds. The body was badly mutilat- ed. In his pockets were letters address. ed T. Briggs. and it was soen discovered that he was the chief cashier Of the | banking establishment of Robarts, Cur 1 ifs & Co.
 The crime put the police of London 1 on their mettle. The hat found in the carriage and Mir. Briggs missing golt chain gave them the clues. The chair l had been exchanged two days after tht murder for another chain. and tht storekeeper said the man who made tht | exchange was unknown to him. but h Believed he would be able to recognize | him The same day 3 tailor namet Repsch saw the new chain at his housi in the hands of a tailor's cutter named Franz Muller
 Later Muller pawned the chain and gave a friend the ticket On the fol
 lowing Thursday the tailor accompan jed Muller to the London docks, and lef him on board the sailing vessel Vic toria. which departed for New York tht | following morning Suly 15.
 Clues all pointed clearly to Muller Having started for America. he doubt less felt himself safe. But he had for gotten that steamer easily beats !;
 sailing ship. His surprise. therefore may be imagined when. as the Victori;
 entered New York haribor, she wa
 boarded by party of men. and Mule
 found himself not only in the hands 0
 two London police inspectors. but con
 fronted by Matthews. the cabman. am
 Mir. Death the jeweler whom the gov ernment had sent over to identify him
 At the time of his arrest Muller wa
 wearing the murdered mans watch. am
 amongst other things found in his pos
 session was the peculiar low-crowne hat that had been the property of Mi Briggs. the murdered man. The Amer can courts at once granted the murder CTS extraditien, and as Muller wa : taken from the Tonbs prison to be car 5 ried back to England the warden of tn 3 i iail. an expert on criminoiogy,- made
 significant remark to Inspector Tanner
 Look after that fellow closely. H
 is a hard case, you may be sure of tha tHis mouth shows it. 's No trial in England during the pal century created a greater amount (