Glasgow Courier. — 1863-11-19 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THE RECENT MURDERS IN LONDON.  The bodies of the Hunts and their children have been identified by several relations on both sides of the family. Mrs. Hunt's father is a cabdriver, named Blake, living in St. John's Street, Smithfield. He fully confirms the reports of the neighbours as to the frequency of violent quarrels between Hunt and his wife. Blake's daughter (Mrs. Hunt's sister) states that about a month ago Hunt made an unsuccessful attempt to poison his wife. Latterly he used to beat her severely, and the sister ascribes the wound on the unfortunate woman's foot to a blow from a poker given to her by Hunt. The house in which they lived is a small sixroomed cottage, somewhat poorly furnished, and bearing every mark of a household going to ruin. It has been represented that Hunt had fitted up a room in the house as a laboratory wherein to experiment on poisons. This is not the case ; the only signs of drugs or chemicals are a number of bottles on the back parlour mantelpiece, most of which are empty, the remainder containing a few such harmless substances as borax, camphor, flavouring for pastry, and a few other similar pieparations that might be found in every household in the kingdom. It is certain that Hunt well knew the properties of the deadly substances which he used with such terrible effect, but the knowledge was doubtless acquired by him in the course of business. When roused by the police he was in bed reading "Tom Brown at Oxford," and came down to the officers in his nightshirt. He must have swallowed the aconite immediately he found that he was pursued, for the bottle, containing perhaps a couple of drops of the poison, was afterwards found in a cupboard in his bed-room. The story he told to the police about Mrs. Hunt having an uncle at Southampton named Campbell, who had given her £5O, is a pure fabrication from beginning to end, the unfortunate woman's friends being all poor hardworking people, living in London. Hunt's body lies at his house, awaiting the coroner's inquest. A post-mortem examination was made by Dr. Puckle. The guilty man's countenance is moat forbidding. A receding forehead, singularly massive frontal bones, and a firmset mouth inspire one with no very favourable opinion of their possessor. The cabman, Gould, who took the Hunts to the Shoreditch Station from Camberwell, went to St. Mary's Hospital on Wednesday evening to identify the bodies lying there. A great deal lies been said about the moustache which was worn by the man in the cab, and sworn to by the cabman, but there seems to be every propability that Hunt wore a false one in order to disguise himself. Hunt must have had some other means of procuring money besides that afforded by his business, for not only did he leave eighteen months' salary in the hands of his employers, but £4O was found on his person after his death. . . .  The inquest on Hunt the murderer of his wife and children in a cab was held on Friday afternoon. Some fresh evidence was adduced. Mr. Jay, a chemist of Norton Folgate, deposed that a female, identified as Mrs. Hunt, had stopped in a cab at his shop, on Saturday evening last, and asked for a draught for a man who had taken too much liquor, and she bought a shilling glass to take it in; and W. Irnrie, hairdresser, of the Strand, stated that Hunt, whom he had identified, bought a moustache of him on the previous Thursday. Thirteen of the jury out of fifteen gave a verdict of felo-de-se. The body was interred, without funeral rites, at eleven o'clock on Friday night, in the Tooting Cemetery.  An inquiry was held at the London Hospital by Mr. Humphreys, Middlesex Coroner, on Thursday night, respecting the deaths of three children who lost their lives by very shocking accidents. Benjamin Smith, aged four years, the son of a mechanic, was locked up alone in a room with a little girl two years old. Loud screams were soon heard. The neighbours on going in found him running about in a mass of flames- His little sister had placed the lighted candle on the floor, and his frock caught fire He died Bonn after in great agony. The jury said great blame was due to the parents for shutting up children of so young an age in a room with fire and candle burning. Verdict, "Accidental death." In the next case, it appeared that Mary A. Cecil, aged three years, residing with her parents, on the same day got up on a chair next the fireplace. She fell into the grate, and pulled a pot of boiling water over herself She died from fearful injuries. Verdict, " Accidental death." The third case was that of Matilda Clarke, aged four years. On Monday she put her mouth to the spout of a kettle to drink. Her little brother struck her with a fireshovel to stop her, but she persisted, and the boiling water ran into her mouth. She died suffocated. Verdict "Accidental death."  At the Marlborough-street Police-court on Saturday Jane Henderson, 26, a lady's maid to Miss Emily F. Domville, of 3, Connaught-place, was charged with stealing .£2,000 worth of jewellery. It appeared that Miss Domville was in the habit of sending to Mr. Hancock, the jeweller, of Brutonstreet, for jewellery, and the articles required were brought by one of the men, and sent up to her by the prisoner. On several occasions rings were missed, and a detective officer was employed in reference to the matter. He went to Miss Doraville's house, and in the prisoner's room a great number of the lost articles were discovered, in value about £800; upwards of 200 pairs of gloves; and money in -gold and notes to the amount of £273. Since the discovery of the robbery, Messrs. Hancock had taken stock, and, as far as they could ascertain at present, they were over £2,000 worth of jewellery deficient. The relations of the prisoner were jewellers, and it had been discoverd that she had some connection with a young man who was a jeweller. Mr. Mansfield committed her upon this charge. A second case was then gone into, showing that jewellery had at various times been taken for inspection to Miss Domville from Messrs. London and Ryder, and had been sent up by the prisoner, and that a number of articles had been missed. One ring in particular had been stolen which was worth 140 guineas. About £1,500 worth of jewellery found in the prisoner's possession was produced. She was committed on this charge also.