The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-08-15 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

THE MURDER AT, THE MENAI BRIDGE.—The excitement consequent on the discovery of the brutal murder of a watchman 'named John Rowlands, at the works of the Britannia Railway Bridge over the Menai Straits, has considerably increased within the last few days by there-capture of the supposed murderer, and the likelihood of his being committed for trial on the serious charge. It may be remembered that John Pritchard, who was also employed as a watchman on the works, stated that be saw three men attacking the deceased, but from a fear of being assailed himself, he made no alarm. This party was held in custody during the coroner's inquiry, buton a verdict of" Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown" being returned, he was discharged. The affair, however,was left in so much mystery, that the authoritiesdeterrnined on scouring the services of two of the Liverpool detective officers, to assist Mr. Landsborough, the superintendent of the town, and Rees Davies, in detecting the guilty parties. Circumstances soon transpired which warranted the re-capture of John Pritchard, and the following were the additional facts adduced at his examination before the magistrates. It may be at once stated, however, that the "detectives," with Rees Davies, whose knowledge of the Welch language has done much to aid the ends of the prisoner which bad men austraetect I.oth appears there is a store room on the works in which ale, porter, and several other articles are kept, this particular store being situate on that portion of the works which was the beat of Pritchard. In the pocket of the deceased was found a key which had recently been so filed as to open the lock of the store-room door. This key has been satisfactorily ascertained to be the key of Pritchard's door. The lock had been taken off, and it was stated that it had been exposed to the weather for upwards of a fortnight, but there was no rust about it, which would be reasonably expected if it had been exposed to the weather so long. The next suspicious fact is, that yesterday morning week, about five o'clock, the prisoner was seen throwing something over the Menai Bridge into (as he is supposed to have intended) the sea, but they alighted on or caught a rock near the shore, on the Anglesey side. He then went across the bridge into a wood, and procuring a stick, endeavoured •to push the articles that had fallen on the rock into the sea. The stick, however, was not long enough to reach them, and in this attempt, therefore, he was foiled. His whole movements being watched, a boat was put off to the rock, -and the articles he had thrown over, with the view evidently of disposing of them were discovered to be three pairs of trousers, the material . of. which they were made being of the same character :16 some stolen from the storeroom. -Immediately on the discovety. being. made, he was apprehended.. The officers then proceeded-to • the residence .of the prisoner, and, concealed in. a- waterscloset, they found two other pairs of trousers of the -satne'material: On continuing the search, they discovered; linried in the garden, a quantity of naila of a peculiar description, and which are always kept in the stores. A pewter pint measure, which was in the store for the purpose o. -the- men .drinking out of, was also found on- the top of the prisones bed.- • -On these important discoveries, the prisoner was remanded until tomorrow (Saturday), when he Will undergo a more lengthened examination: The railway authorities are -adopting every possible means to bring to light the perpetrators of the atrocious act. A