The Sun. — 1865-08-10 (London, England)

LATEST PARTICULARS—APPREHENSION OF THE MURDERER. A telegram was received in London by the police authorities, shortly before two o'clock, announcing the apprehension of the supposed murderer, Ernest Southey, this morning, we believe, at Margate. Tho bare account of the fact is all that can be relied on, although it is said Southey has been taken for murdering a woman and child with whom he was acquainted, in addition to the four little children found poisoned in Red Lion-street. There can be no doubt as to the certainty of the capture of Southey, as the police removed the bills offering the £lOO reward on receipt of the above intelligence.  Dreadful Death of a Lady through Crinoline,  An inquiry was held by Mr. William Payne, the coroner for the City of London and the Borough of Southwark, at Guy's Hospital, on Tuesday night, respecting the death by fire of Miss Charlotte Hillier, aged 31 years.  Mr. Joseph Squirrell, Portland-road, South Norwood, deposed—At 10 o'clock in the morning of Friday week I was speaking to a gentleman in Portland-terrace, South Norwood, when I heard loud screams proceeding from the house No. 7. In a short time afterwards a child of about four years of age came to the front door, and, holding up both hands, screamed loudly. I rushed to the house, and upon running up the steps I saw a lady walking about the hall in a mass of red and white fire. The child ran into the house before me, and- caught hold of the lady by the loft leg. I rushed forward and seized hold of the child and drew it towards the street door, lest she should catch fire. I then caught hold of the lady by the shoulders, and attempted to throw her on the floor. Sho turned round quickly and threw her arms about me, and in an instant I was covered with flame. All I could see was her eyes staring wildly at me. I at last got her down upon the floor, and I held her on the ground, face downwards, for the purpose of preventing the fire injuring her on the front of her body. She was quite sensible, and kept calling out to me to save her. I tried to tear the burning dress off, but it only came away in fragments. While I was so engaged the little girl came back and sat on her feet, crying. I caught hold of the child and three it into the room next to me. Mr. Todd, the gentleman whom I had left outside, then entered along with several others, and assisted me in extinguishing the fire. When I succeeded in tearing off the burning clothes, the poor lady was so dreadfully burnt that her flesh was the colour of chocolate. She was at once.eonveyed to the Croydon Infirmary, and thence (at her own request) to Guy's Hospital. If I had not entered the house at the time I did the little girl would inevitably have been burned to death as well as the deceased. Tho deceased informed me that she had only been in the house a few days ; that she was an intimate friend of the family, and had come down in consequence of tho death of Mrs. Solly to look after the house and children. On the morning she was burnt she had just put on her large crinoline, in order to go' out for a walk, and while she was near the fire-place, dressing the little child, a spark flew out of the grate and set her in a blaze. She said that she was afraid to throw herself on the ground, as only the children were in the house, and she imagined that she might be burnt to a cinder before they could bring assistance. She ran out into the garden, but no one being there to helpher she ran back again. The more she endeavoured to rub her dress the more it blazed up. When I saw her she was in one white flame. She afterwards thanked me for what I had done, and said, "A thousand thanks—l am dying; pray for me." The witness was himself seriously burnt during his struggle to throw deceased down and extinguish the flames. Mr. J. Todd, Harrington-road, Norwood, said that when ho saw the deceased and last witness they were both nearly hidden by the flames. Mr. Cooley, the house surgeon, said that deceased died on Saturday from her injuries. She said to him, "It was all through my crinoline." The Coroner having remarked upon the melancholy nature of the case, the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death by fire through wearing crinoline."