The Sun. — 1849-11-19 (London, England)

THE MURDER. IN, MILBANK PRISON. John Francis, who.stands charged with the coldblooded murder of Thomas Hall, one of the warders, underwent a very lengthened examination before Mr. Burrell, one of the Westminster police-court magis-1 trates, at the Milbank prison, on Saturday, the only 4, persons present being the magistrate and clerk, Mr. Hay ward, from the Treasury, and Captain Groves, governor of the gaol at the time of his entrance. c* The prisoner was brought in closely guarded by two -turnkeys. He exhibited throughout the same o callousness as on the occasion of the coroner's inquest. 127 He listened without the slightest emotion to the horrii G 9 t 69 ble details of this cold- blooded tragedy, and with - much cunning carefully avoided, in his questions to the witnesses, the slightest allusion to th:t portion of ;heir testimony affecting him, but wasted considerable time in putting, as before, frivolous and irrelevant questions. IHe is a man about five feet five inches in height, does not develop much muscular power, although well knit:, and is of the Jewish persuasion. The offence which originally consigned him to this gaol was a larceny, after previous conviction for a similar offence. He was furnished with pens, ink, and paper, and took notes of the proceedings. The witnesses who had severally given their evidence before the coroner's jury having been sworn, repeated their statements in almost the same words, nor did the frequent interruptions or questions of the prisoner go a step further than before to show any motive for the commission of the dreadful crime upon an inoffensive mull, in whom kindness seems to have been a leading characteristic. The witness Westbury, an elderly convict, who appeared to be a man of some feeling, was so excited by a recapitulation of the words he had heard uttered and the part he had seen of this fearful tragedy, that he exclaimed, with tears running down his face, "It was a sight I shall never forget; to be within view of a man being murdered, and not to be able to help him, in dreadful indeed; to be fastened up and know that such a thing is going on, is more thin a man can bear. If I had been loose my poor strength could have been of very little service, still would willingly have tried to save him." Upon the depositions being completed and read over,  Mr. Burrell, in the usual form, asked the prisoner whether he wished to say anything ? Prisoner—l have only two requests : the one is that I may be furnished with copies of the depositions; and the other is that I may be sent to Newgate and have a fair trial. Having been informed that he could have copies upon the usual terms, Mr. Burrell observed, that his warrant would commit him to Newgate. Prisoner—l have been in irons all the time I have been removed from ray ward. Mr. Burrell—l have nothing whatever to do with that.  Prisoner—The session commences on Monday week. I know I shall get no justice here. Captain Groves remarked that there had been every desire evinced on his part to treat the prisoner with the utmost fairness. He had communicated with the persons named by the prisoner as his friends, but none of them had interested themselves is his behalf.  Prisoner—l ought to have been sent away from here after the coron.m.'s inquest. I was told I should be taken before a magistrate. The laws of my country sayjustice shall be done.  Mr. Burrell—And there is no doubt it will. The prisoner was then removed, muttering into. herent sentences.  Captain Groves observed that he should be very glad to get rid of him, as he really could not afford to have two men constantly placed over him; and from the desperate character of the prisoner, he was afraid, after what had happened, if he were to attempt another act of the same description, something serious might result.  Mr. Burrell observed, that the prisoner appeared very mindful of the slightest thing affecting his own interest, although he did not exhibit the slightest emotion at the dreadful details given by the witnesses. [ There appears to be some legal difficulty with respect to the removal of a convict, or the prisoner would doubtless have been sent to Newgate upon the coro• ner's warrant. The difficulty, it is understood, has been overcome by some other instrument, and the prisoner was taken to Newgate in the course of the afternoon in a cab.]