The Express. — 1862-10-30 (London, England)

THE MURDER IN THE CITY.  Samuel Gardincr. 34, sweep, and Elimixth HundAler,were jcsatly indicted for the wilful murder of Elisalueth(iardiner.  Mr. Poland and Mr. Besley prosecuted. The prisoners were defended by Mr. itibton and Mr. Sleigh. The circumstances of this case have appeared very re. mutly in our Mansion house police report, and the charge rested entirely upon circumstantial evidence. It appeared that the prisoner Gardiner lived in Northumberland-alley, Fenchurchatreet, and the other prisoner, who is a married woman, there was no doubt had been carrying on an improper intimacy with him, and this caused quarrelling and ill-feeling between Gardiner, who was also a married man, and his wife. The female prisoner had lien liviug in the same house with Gardiner and his wife as servant, but she hail left, but returned to reside there shortly before the murder took place. In consequence, however, of something that occurred she was to have left the house on Monday, the 22nd of September. The prisoner Cardiner was in the habit of going out very early in the • morning to his work, and on the previous night he chalked the time he wanted to be called on the door post, and the policeman on the beat called him at whatever time was marked. On the ve of the occurrence the prisoner was called by the policemen at a quarter-past 3, but he did not leave the house until half-peat when the policeman who called him met him as ho left the bowie, and apologised to him for having called him so early, as he hail mistaken the j for a awl did not find out his mistake until after lie had calm him. At about 6 o'clock a young man who was employed as watchmen in the warehouses of the tit. Katharine l)acks was passing by Northumberland•alley, and heard a peculiar sermon proceed from No. I, which was the house occupied by the prisoner and his deceased wire. lle passed the house, thinkiug the scream proceeded from children romping, but thinking there was something very peculiar about the noise he had heard, he turned hack mei listened, but he bean! nothing more. After the prisoner ;:inliner was seen to leave the house at hell past 4 by the policeman, he wax not seen until about 7 o'clock, when he was wet in Ahleragateatreet by a witness, who spoke to him. lie hail his live:blue and soot bag with him at the time, and the memo alines.' saw him again in eerichurele street shortly liter, sitting on a seat before a public...house. He was seen a little later by a carpenter who was employed in Nerthumberlaoileilley, and who was waiting at the top of the alley to go to his work when the pri,otier passed him. The prisoner was seen after this by another witness in dose proximity to Northumberland-Iles. At shoot $ o'clock the prisoner Humbler went to le. Soilueira, who lives iu the neighbourhood, and who has atteuiled Mrs. Gardiner fur some years, and told him to go directly to her mistress, as she had cut her throat, awl would be dead before lie got to the house. lie followed her to the house, and weei up to the room on the tint their which I tardiner and deceased occupied as their bed mom. and there, on the floor, by the side of the beil, he saw the body of the prisoner's wife, with her throat cut. She was quite dead. When he told the prisoner Humbler so, she said, " Oli my God, you don't say so !" About a minute after Dr. sequeira went into the Teem the prisoner Gardiner entered, and said " What's the clatter and stopping down took a knife from the right hand of the deceased, which was covered with blood. The prisoner Cal-diner turned to the female prisoner, and said " You're tie- cause of this:" Upon the first examination Dr. is...vitae thought the ileccaerd had reallycommitted suicide, lot upon a cheer examination he altered his opinion, a!though whoever committed the act had evidently iirvm,reil the body for the purpose of making it appear that she had committal auici.le. The body was lying ou the floor, Ce legs quite straight, with the left arm straight the side, and the right hand across the chest, Lelding the keife with the back towards the palm of the Lod, aml from the nature of the wound he thought it t raid not have been lime by herself. The hands were severely cot, our of the lingers being cut right through to the I.IIC, and appeared to have had blood wiped from them. A rshce.constable was called in, Roil the place was searched ee.otly, but nothing could be discovered to arouse any eephii.e. The clothes of the female prisoner were cOnutely examined, but no trace of blood could be found teon them, end her hands were noticed by the doctor to be grimed with dirt, and apparently not washed since the previous day. At the coroner's inquest the prisoner :ardiner Raid he left his wife in boil when be left in the morning, and am. female prisoner said she went into the deceased's room to get a Inciter, when she saw the deceased lying on the rooc with her throat cut. The male prisoner several times e. 3.1 his " poor wife" bad been murdered, and when asked who he thought had done it, helmet he believed it was the female priemer. Alth iugh the police had repeatedly searched the house and the room where the deceased was found, without flailing any trace of blood, when they went to the house on the Thursday after the occurrence the priaoner Gardiner pointed out several spots of blood on the wall and upon the bedstead, which the officers were sure where not there pre'tousle, The learned counsel, in concluding, said the eel- •