The Sun. — 1847-08-17 (London, England)

SOUTHWARK. Yesterday Henry Joseph Killerby, nineteen years of age, was charged with sending a letter, threatening to murder Elizabeth Spriggs, the daughter of a tradesman in White-street, Southwark. The prisoner is the same young man who was brought up to this court about eighteen months ago on charges of sending threatening letters, some of them containing poison, to different persons residing in the district. One of the letters was addressed to Mr. Craster Humble, a hop merchant, of 82, High-street, Borough, and contamed a threat to murder him, and also to set fire to his premises. Another letter was addressed to Elizabeth Clouter, the daughter of a tradesman in Kent-street, Southwark—there were two papers inside containing oxalic acid—and the writer advised her to take them, describing that they were pleasant and would benefit her health. Other letters of a similar tendency were sent to other persons, but fortunately they declined taking the advice. For a considerable length of time epistle,, all of a similar character, some of them containing poison, and others threats against the lives of the parties to whom they were addressed, were received, all written by an anonymous writer; and the system continued until people became exceedingly alarmed, and, in formation having been given to the police, at length the prisoner was taken into custody. He was committed from this court, and tried on the 25th of February, 1846, at the Central Criminal Court, for attempting to administer to Elizabeth Clouter one ounce of oxalic acid with intent to murder her. He was found guilty, but strongly recommended to mercy on account of his youth, and sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment. While in prison the prisoner wrote.a letter to his brother, confessing that he was the writer of all the letters, and describing that his motive in sending poison to Elizabeth Spriggs was in consequence of the little affection she bore him, adding, that the fact was, he had for a long while read a great many of Lloyd's works, in which were some most wonderful characters, and he thought at the time that he could do as represented in the books, and appear a very mysterious character. He regretted sincerely what he had done, promised that when he got his liberty he would do nothing but what was upright and just ; that he used to write the threatening letters in his employer's composing-room during the dinner hour, and used to post them when he went out; that the three last letters which he wrote to Eliza beth Spriggs expressed what he felt towards her, and declared that when he went to the house where she was, armed with a knife, that he merely took it to frighten her, and not to murder her as was supposed when he was taken into custody. Mrs. Elizabeth Spriggs, the mother of the-young woman alluded to, atteneed at this court on Saturday morning. and, addressing Mr. Seeker, stated, that since Killerby's liberation from gaol he had commenced sending letters of a threatening nature to her, and that her daughter went in bodily fear of him. The magistrate immediately granted a warrant against the prisoner, and be was accordingly taken into custody late on Saturday night by Murray, one of the summoning officers, and was placed at the bar yesterday rooming before Mr. Cottingham, who was the magistrate before whom all the previous examinations took place, and who was in full possession of the circumstances. The complainant deposed that she had received letters containing threats since the prisoner had been discharged from Newgate, one of which she produced, dated the 12th inst., and which was as follows :  " Mrs. Spriggs,—As I have before told you, I now inform you that I know the residence of your daughter Elizabeth, and I safely promise you that before another month has passed away your daughter shall be in her grave ; for, as there is a God in heaven I do intend to murder her before that time has passed, be the consequences what they may.  "