The Sun. — 1845-12-09 (London, England)

QUEEN-SQUARE. MURDER OF MRS. MUNDELL.—This case was brought before the Coroner's Court last week, when a verdict was given that deceased had committed suicide. Suspicions, however, fell upon a young woman, now in custody, Martha R, owning, who, it seems, had been living with the deceased at the time of her death. Further inquiry confirmed the suspicion of murder, and the manner and language of the prisoner were of a character such as allows little room for doubt who has been guilty of the deed. The facts need not be detailed, as they will appear in evidence. The prisoner was brought up before Mr. Bond on Wednesday last, and remanded till yesterday, when she was again brought into Court. The prisoner is a good-looking young woman, of poor condition. She seems to labour under the deepest agony. She had to be lifted on both occasions into the dock, where she was accommodated with a chair. Throughout the examination yesterday she continued in a reclining posture, her eyes shut, her features deadly pale, seemingly unconscious of what was going on. Her breast displayed marks such as might have been inflicted by herself in the agony of despair. The first witness called to-day was Ann Gage, the daughter of the deceased. Her evidence last week was read over to her, which she again confirmed, She said she lives at 11, Rochester-street, Rochester-row. She knows the prisoner, who has lived with her mother for the last three months. It was on Monday morning last that she came to witness's room, and said her mother had had a fit, and screamed out " Murder, murder !" She (prisoner) said no person had gone into the room, for the door was locked. Witness rose from bed and went to deceased's lodgings. When she went into the room she looked into the bed, and found that empty, but afterwards saw deceased lying on a box. A. rope was fastened twice round the throat of deceased, and her mother was then quite dead. Since the inquest they had had reason, from the prisoner's manner and conduct, to suspect her. On Tuesday morning prisoner had asked her to go with her to the corner of Bedford-street, Covent-garden, where she expected to get some money. Witness went with her to near the place, when she was left by the prisoner for a time. Prisoner, when she came back, said she had got a 5/. note. Next morning prisoner went over to the " Blue-coat Boy " public-house to get change of the note, but when she returned to witness's house she said the gentleman had played a trick upon her by giving her a Bank of Elegance note. Witness's husband, on this, wished to see the note, and prisoner, after waiting a moment as if unwilling, gave it to him. That note had marks of grease on it. The note produced in Court is the same. Her husband, upon seeing it, said to witness, " Your mother had two notes like that." Witness had often seen them, and one of those notes was marked with two spots of grease. , Mary Cheshire said she lives at 1, Providence-row, L Brewers-green, in the same house with the deceased. On the night of the murder she was awakend by the cry of " Murder, murder." She knows it was Mrs. Mundell's voice. Before witness could get up, she heard deceased cry again, " What are you doing to me? what are you doing to me?" She went and knocked at the door of deceased's room, but received no answer. Knocked again, and after a time the prisoner said, in a ow voice, 6 Nothing is the matter." She is certain the prisoner was the party who made answer. She tried the door but found it locked, when she returned to her bed. She had not been thero more than half an hour when she heard deceased's room door unlocked and some one knock at hers. She called out, "Come in," and the prisoner, with a bundle of fire-wood in her hand, came into her room, and said the old lady is very poorly. Witness answered, 4`lfsheis very poorly, go for her daughter." After a little time she said she would, and went out. prisoner came in again with her