The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1849-10-31 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THE BERMONDSEY MURDER.  Since the conviction of the Mannings a circumstance of very considerable importance has come to light, which, if any doubt could possibly exist as to their guilt, would appear to be almost conclusive upon the subject. It will be remembered that, after the verdict had been pronounced against the prisoners, the woman made a violent speech, in which she asserted her innocence, and appeared to make it strong point in her favour that she loved the deceased, and could have been married to him if she had pleased. It has, however, since been ascertained that for some time before the murder, O'Conner had been paying his addresses to a young woman, and they were on the point of being married; it is known that Manning and his wife were aware of the fact, and it is probable that, feeling the marriage would in all probability have the effect of breaking off all connection between them, they determined upon the desperate measure of getting possession of his property by murder. Another curious fact has also come to light. The trial, as our readers are aware, lasted two days, and the prisoners each day retired from the court a short time to take refreshment. Of course when the prisoners were first received at Newgate they were narrowly searched, and every instrument with which they might inflict injury, either upon themselves or others, taken away from them. Upon the second day of the trial, in consequence of something that came to the knowledge of the prison officials, it was considered prudent to search the female prisoner, and in her pocket there was found a large piece of broken glass a most dangerous missile, well calculated to have inflicted very deadly injury upon any person who might have been struck with it. It was immediately taken from her, and thus no doubt, from the violence subsequently exhibited by the prisoner, some desperate mischief was prevented. How she obtained possession of this glass remains a mystery, and the only way in which it can be accounted for is by the supposition that it must have been given to her by some of the persons who were in the dock, a great many strangers having been, owing to the crowded state of the court admitted into the dock during the latter part of the proceedings. Manning has made some extraordinary disclosures relative to the murder and his former connection with O'Connor, which will not be made public until after the execution. He persists in the statement which was handed to his learned counsel, Mr. Sergeant Wilkins—" That his wife killed O'Connor, and afterwards threatened to shoot him unless he helped her to bury the body!" He seemed more composed yesterday after his interview with the chaplain, and seyeral times wished to see his brother and kits solicitoti; Mr. Minis, to whom he wishes to make some communication. Prior to the trial, and while his unhappy wife was confined in the gaol where she now remains, she wrote several indecent letters to her husband, couched in the most obscene language and written in broken English. In none of them, however, does she allude to the murder, but she defies him to get her gold watches. Copies of these letters were shown to Mr. Ballantine and Mr. Parry during the trial, likewise to the Attorney-General, but no attention was paid to them. She still continues in a very sullen mood, and speaks very little. Her only remarks are, that she has _ , been unjustly treated by England, and that she is innocent. ,Duke I -