The Express. — 1866-04-24 (London, England)

THE CANNON-STREET MURDER.—The investigations made at Eton by the detective officers of the City of London, and the Eton College police have elicited some further information with reference to the whereabouts of the prisoner, William Smith, on the night of the murder. It is understood that a young man, personally known to the accused, saw Smith one night during the week inwhich the murder occurred (he is not certain whether it was the actual night), at Eton. The accused, it is said, jokingly remarked, " I've got to do forty miles to-night," which the other refused to believe, and the prisoner soon after left him. The time of the above occurrence was, it is believed, a little before seven o'clock in the evening. Mr. Harris, the hatter at Eton, in whose company, it will be remembered, Smith said be had been till half-past seven o'clock on the night of the murder, is reported to have stated that the accused was with him; till a quarterpast seven o'clock, and that the last he saw of Smith was at the cornerof Eton-square, as he quitted the turning. Still more important, however, is the statement of • man I named Blackman, who is employed at the Eton Gasworks, and, being a relation of the accused, would of course know him well. Part of Blackman's duty is to light the lamps on the highway, between Eton College and Slough. On the day of the murder his wife went over to Chalvey, a little village near Salt Hill, to work. Blackman made arrangements (as he would have to go along the Slough mad to light the lamps) tomeet his wife as she returned from her work at Chalvey. Just as Blackman and his wife had reached what is called the Chalvey stile they met Smith as if on his way to Slough, sad, it is believed, spoke to him. Blackman has reason to recollect the night in question, more especially from the fact of his wife's going out to work at Chalvey being an unusual occurrence. Now a person leaving the corner of Etonsquare at a quarter past 7 o'clock in the evening, if desirous of proceeding to London from Slough would have to catch the 7.43 p.m. train on the Great Western Railway. He would have nearly half an hoary to y do the distance, which could be effected by way of Eton College and the Slough road in the time named. The 7.43 is the 7.30 p.m. train out of Windsor at Slough, and by it the City could be reached about five minutes past 9 o'clock. About half-past 11 o'clock the accused was seen to come from the direction of Windsor-bridge, and go into Etonsquare. He seems to have then visited the New Inn, a public-house situated in the square, and where it is said Smith had some refreshment, and remained till the house was about to be closed, when he returned home. It is singular that the prisoner, who, wheniarrested, stated that he had been with Mr. Harry, did not volunteer some statement of how he passed the intervening hours between the time given (half-past seven) and the time he was known to return home. It is said that numerous witnesses will be called to prove an atai, but some of those persons who at first volunteered such evidence, on being questioned separately, had a difficulty it is understood in recollecting the precise day.