The Sun. — 1864-04-21 (London, England)

TRALIAN MAILS.—SOUTIIAMPTON, Wednesday.— The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamship Delhi, Capt. Kellock, sailed hence to-day at three o'clock, with the mails for Gibraltar, the Mediterranean, Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India (except Bombay), China, Mauritius, Australia, and New Zealand, together with 33 first and 24 second class passengers. The Delhi took out on freight 144 boxes of specie, value £123,100; and a full cargo of general merchandise.  The Malta Times mentions the death under painful circumstances of a promising young officer of the Royal Engineers, Lieut. Gifford, who had been sent out from England with his corps to assist in demolishing the fortifications of Corfu. Tidings have just been received that he bad been killed by a fall from his horse. He was much beloved by his fellow officers.  MURDER AND SuicTDE.—Yesterday morning Dr. Lsnkeeter held an inquest at the Silver Cup, Cro. mer-street, Gray's-inn-road, on the bodies of John Thome Pearce and Keziah Pearce, his wife, who, it will be remembered, were found on Monday morning last with their throats cut at No. 6, Leigh-street, Burton crescent. The jury proceeded to the house to view the bodies, which lay in the condition in which they were found. They wore in a back room on the ground floor, each lying face downwards. The furniture seemed undisturbed. One thing, however, attracted the attention of the jury, and that was that the stove was partly cleaned, with one brush on the hob, and the fire laid ready for lighting, The woman appeared to have fallen nearest the door, as though she had endeavoured to get out of the room. Mrs. Martha Page identified the body as that of her deceased daughter, who was 43 years of age. She had been married about a twelvemonth to John Thomas Pearce, and lived very unhappily with him owing to his drunkenness. She was afraid to leave him, as ho had said if she did so he would kill her. Henry Page, brother to the deceased woman, gave similar 1 testimony, but added that she had told him her husband was, without cause, jealous of her and young Mr. Ashley. Pearce and his wife had lived together ever since his sister was 17, but he believed they had been lately married. Alfred Isaacs Ashley said his father carried on business at No. 6, Leighstreet. The deceased woman was their housekeeper, and the husband also lived there. Their sitting-room was the back room on the ground floor, and they slept, in one of the attics. They had been there 6 or 7 months, He believed that there had been some difference between them, owing to the husband wishing to leave that house. Mrs. Pearce had told him that it was owing to jealousy respecting witness, but there was no foundation for such a thing. On Monday morning, about S o'clock, witness came downstairs and found their bedroom door open, and was surprised at finding the passage door locked. Oa going into the kitchen he saw' blood coming through the flooring of their room and running down the wall. He then called is a police-constable. Pearce conducted himself at times in a strange manner. James Odell, 28 described the losition in which he found. the bodies, a hammer, and knife covered with blood, in the room. Mr. James Thomas Paul, divisional police au' rgeon, found them both dead. The woman was lying behind the man. She had a contused wound on the crown of the head, laying the bone bare. There were two wounds on the neck, one above the other, each separating all the large vessels. One of them showed that the windpipe and gullet had been cut through, and the instrument had passed into the back of the spine. The blow ou the head was such as would be produced by a hummer similar to the one belore the Court. The cause of death was lisa,norrhage from the wound in the throat. There being no blood upon the hammer could be accounted fur by the headdress being struck, and so preventing the immediate escape of the blood. Harriet --/Tatopson identified the deceased man as her son. He was 43 years o age, and worked at St. Katharine's Ducks, in the bottliag department. About eight weeks since she visited him, whin her daughter-inlaw told her she was afraid her husband was going mad like his father, who had been insane ten years. She feared he would kill her. Her son had also told her that be thought he should go mad, like his father. Mr. Paul showed that tho whole of the vessels of the throat of deceased had been divided, producing death from the self•inflicted wound. Tho jury returned a verdict in the case of the woman, of " Willul Murder against John Thomas ,Pearce," and in that of the man "Suicide while in an unsound state of mind." In the week that ended on the 9,11 inst. the total number of deaths in Vienna, as returned by Dr. Glatter, was 435. The mean temperature of the air in the same week was as low as 33'1 deg., while in London it wee 44'5 deg.