The Sun. — 1854-04-08 (London, England)

ALLEGED MURDER.  Yesterday afternoon Mr. William Payne, City coroner proceeded, at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, with alengthened investigation of the circumstances attending the death of Mr. Francis Anderson, aged 44 years, a hairdresser of Bethnal-green, who died from injuries received at the hands of a man named W. Daley, a fur-dyer in the City-road, at an early hour on Tuesday 'morning last, Mrs. Agnes Andrews, a respectable married woman, deposed that about 1 o'clock on the morning of Tuesday last she was in company with the deceased, his nephew, witness's husband, and a Mrs. Porter, sister-hi-law of deceased. They were in the City-road by the junction of the. Old-street-road. WitnesS and Mrs. Porter were walking on the pavement, and deceased and the other two men were in the road playing about or dancing. Two females came along towards witness, and they went into the road and faced the three men. Before, however, a word was said on either side two men, a short man and a tall man, rushed from the pavement, where they had apparently been hiding, and the taller man struck Alfred Anderson (the nephew), and knocked him down, and then the same man hit deceased twice on the head, and knocked him down insensible. The two men then walked away with the two women, but they were followed by witness, who kept sight of them until she found a policeman, when the tall man was taken into custody, but the other escaped. Mr. Alfred Anderson, the nephew of the deceased, gave corroborative testimony, and said in addition that when the tall man had struck witness, he turned round and said, " Oh, we have made a mistake.': Did not know to whom he referred. The man then turned round and struck the deceased, who was knocked down, and bled profusely from the nose and month. Did net see a stick or any weapon in the man's hand. Did not know the parties. Mrs. Eliza Porter, deceased's sister-in-law, who was also in company with the deceased on Tuesday evening, confirmed the above testimony. James Caffrey, 153 N, said he was on duty in the City-road when the first witness went up to him ; and, in consequence of what she said, he went into Baldwin-street and there apprehended the prisoner. The, prisoner said he, did not do it, and witness took :Mini to where deceased was lying, and, on seeing him covered in blood, the man clasping his hands together, exclaimed, i 0 Oh ! my God, I never did that." He also said, " Come on, and get a doctor, I can't stand it." He was taken to the station-house, where he was dreadfully Agitated ; and, on a surgeon saying that the deceased would die, the prisoner buried his face in his hands and sighed heavily. When the doctor said deceased was to be taken to the hospital, prisoner offered to pay. the cab hire. Witness had known prisoner ten or eleven years ; he was the associate of thieves. His name was William Daley, alias Patsey Daley. Witness told prisoner that if deceased died he would be tried for murder, and prisoner said, " Good God, you don't say so ; I did not intend to do it," or something to that effect. The Coroner then summed up, and pointed out to the jury the difference between the crime of murder and manslaughter. The jury at once returned a verdict of manslaughter against William Daley, and the witnesses were bound over to prosecute. The inquiry then terminated.