The Illustrated Usk Observer and Raglan Herald

Murder of a Mother and her Daughter. Apprehension of the Murderer. RAMSGATE, THURSDAY. This morning, shortly after nine o'clock, Ramsgate was thrown into a state of intense excitement by a report that a man named Stephen Forward had com- mitted a double murder in a dyer's house in King- street. Unfortunately, upon inquiry, this rumour proved only too true. It appears that Forward, who was formerly a baker in the town, left Ramsgate some eight years ago, leaving his wife and a little girl behind him in a state of almost total destitution. From time to time anonymous letters have been sent to his wife, some of which have contained small sums of money. On Wednesday evening Forward suddenly appeared in Eamsgate, and made his arrival known to his wife. He requested her to take a walk with him, but she declined, giving as a reason that as he had been away for some years he was a comparative stranger, and she did not like being seen out in the evening with strangers. She then invited him to go into the house of a person named Ellis, a dyer, residing in King-street. Forward accepted the invitation, and they remained talking in the presence of Mr. Ellis and his daughter for some time. In consequence, however, of Forward having twice stated that he had something to say to his wife, and which he could not say in the presence of strangers, Mr. Ellis and his daughter left the room, but went into the shop which adjoins it. After the lapse of half an hour the wife came into the shop ana said that her husband had promised to come again the following morning. Mr. Ellis then went into the sitting-room, and Forward repeated the promise he ha.d made to his wife, and added that he would call shortly after eight o'clock. He sat down for sometime and told his wife and Mr. Ellis about the trials he had had to undergo during the time he had been away from her He further spid that he had been abroad, and that while away he had saved a sum of £1,170, but had been done out of the whole of it. He then, after re- newing his promise to come again the next morning, Idft. Yesterday morning, about twenty minutes past eight, Forward went to jillis s house. His wife waa share, having some breakfast with Mr. Ellis and his daughter. He was asked if he would take any break- fast, but he declined. Ha sat down, and commenced talking. Shortly before nine Mr. Ellis went into his workshop, and while there his daughter told Forward and Ma wife that if they had anything to say in private they might go upstairs. They bfth went upstairs, and had not been there many minutes before the daughter of Forward went up to them. She had hardly got there when Mr. Ellia and his daughter were startled by two rapid reports of a pistol, and on the latter rushing upstairs, she arrived at the landing just in time to see Forward's daughter fall down dead, she having been shot by the prisoner. She then called out to her father, whe immediately came in; and on rush- ing up stairs he saw Forward standing at the top of the stairs, just in the sitting-room. He said, What have you done, Forward ?" and seeing that he had a pistol in his hand, he called on him to give it to him, which he did. Forward then had a black moustache and dark whiskers on. Ellis then saw the feet of Forward's wife, and onlooking oyer the table he saw her h?ad, and j that blood was oozing therefrom. Ea told Fofwardt'o sit down, and he then perceived that lie had neither moustache nor whiskers on. He ssked Forward where they where, and he replied' that they ware under the grate. He looked there, but could tiok find them, and Forward then gave them to him. He then called out to send for she police and a surgeon. For- ward added, Yes, send for a policeman." lis was ¡ then given into custody.

Examination of the Prisoner. At noon Forward was brought before the trates, charged with the murder of his wife and child. Previous to the calling of anv witnesses, the prisoner, addressing the magistrates, said, "i'have here a paper to Sir Richard Mayne. which I hope you will permit me to read to you. I have a reason for it. If you will grant me the favour I think you will see that my reason justifies me in asking it. Immediately I was brought to the station-house I asked for some paper, a pen, and some ink, that I might draw up this statement, but it is not yet finished. I also made a. I statement to the inspector in charge. I inquired whether ha had heard of the murder of three children in London, My reason for asking this question Was, that previous to my being charged with this crime I was guilty of the murder of three children in London was guilty of the murder of three children in London (sensation.) I hope this may be taken as a communica- tion to Sir Eichard Mayne, and also that it is made quite voluntarily. The Chairman: You hai better wait until such time as we have heard the evidence. William Ellis was then called, and deposed to the xacts as above stated. .he magistrates having decided to adjourn the case till Saturday, The prisoner asked permission to read the state- ment, and having- obtained it, he read it aloud, laying the whole of the blame upon Lord Palmerston, Sir Eichard Mayne, the Earl of Derby, Lord Stanley, Sir E. B. Lytton, &c. The magistrates than adjourned the ease until Satur- day next.

Antecedents of the Prisoner. In the London journals of April 4th, 1864, an evens in the history of the man Southey or Forward is re- ported at length. By his instigation Mrs. White, with whom he was then cohabiting at Worcester, summoned the Eirl of Dndley before the Witley magistrates on the 2nd of April, and charged him with an assault upon her. There was a cross summons charging Mrs. White with having assaulted the earl but the only object of that summons, as admitted by his lordship, waa to enable him to make a statement on oath. His lordship's statement respecting the affair was to the effect that, last July, Southey first came to him in London, and represented to him that his brother (the Hon. Dudley Ward) had lost money to him at billiards, and he called upon him, in the name of all that was due to his family and posi- tion, to pay the debt. He (the earl) told him that in the case of a tradesman who had trusted with goods on the faith of a name, or in the case of money bor- rowed principal, not interest—he should consider the claim; but as to gambling debts he would not enter- tain them for a moment for if he did so he should soon be reduced from an independent to a dependent man. If he were to fall into the hands of such a rogue as that (pointing to Southey, who was in court), the claims made against him might aoon be such that no fortune could meet. He was obliged to threaten to have him turned out by his servants before he would leave. Next day, when on the platform at the Worcester railway station, Southey came up to him and addressed him, on which he threatened to give him in custody of the police if he interfered wish his privacy. Six months passed, when one day he received a letter from a Mrs. Southey, inclosing a card from Lady Shaftes- bury as an introduction. He went to her in the library, believing that she had some charitable object in hand, and, leaning against the table, said, To what cause, Mrs. Southey, am I indebted for the pleasure of this visit P On which she whispered some- thing about unsatisfied claims on his (Earl Dudley's) family which affected his honour. She represented herself as the wife of Southey, and he told her that he had already given Southey an answer, and men- tioned what had taken place on that occasion. She, however, would not leave until he (the earl) told her that he should leave the room. His lordship then came to the meeting of the 12th of March, at which the alleged assault took place. When told who was waiting to see him, he at once told his servant he would not see her, and directed him to see that the fly did not leave the door until she was in it. His servant returned, and said she was abstinate, that she would not go, and wanted to see bhe housekeeper, on which he (Earl Dudley) went to bhe library, where she was, and said, "Mrs. Southey, [ will not permit this intrusion. You must go." She asked him to hear her; but he told her he had heard the case and given his determination, by which he meant to abide. He took her by the left arm-not bhe right, as she had said—without violence, but leterm,inedly, to show her out of the room. She said, "You'll touch me, will you," and instantly at- ;ached herself to his whiskers. She afterwards at- tacked his head. He held her arms, and removed her 'rom the room to the hall, where he called his servant vYeeka, on whose appearance the woman's manner im- nediately changed. From a virago she became in- stantly calm, and bowing, said, I wish you a very ?ood morning, my lord." She afterwards attempted ;o get back into the hall, and his lordship took her by me shoulders and walked her out along the colonnade. ge admitted that'he had intentionally turned her out )f the house, but denied that he had used any or more orce than was nec5ssary. The inquiry lasted about five hours, and ter- ninated in the dismissal of the summons against the I earl. After this affair Southey, alias Forward, published a long and singular statement, which was mostly un- noticed by the newspaper press, because it was evi- dently the object of the writer to represent himself-- blackleg, wife deserter, and adulterer, as he was-as a man of the highest virtue, the purest morality, and the most chivalric honour and philanthropy, who had fallen on evil days, and whose whole life had been a constant but unavailing struggle against the over- whelming force of a wicked world and a corrupt age. A few extracts from this document will suffice to show its nature, and will help to indicate the character of its author's mind. After narrating the circumstances of his alleged winning of upwards of a thousands pounds from the Hon. Dudley Ward, he says: "I went home the night that I had won this contest- thanking G-od that at last I had gained the power to carry out the purpose of my life—that I should be able to employ means less uncongenial to my tastes and perceptions-that my life would no longer be a lie-that in living out my better nature I might still be of use to the world as well as to myself." "I met one evening a lady, whose extremely agitated manner showed to me that she was suffering great mental distress. I learned from her that she kept a young ladies' school- that she was endeavouring to bring up thereby four young children of her own—that she had 2s. 6d. in her possession, was in debt, and had already sinned to gef them bread as a mother should not—that she had left her home, intending never to return, feelina- that further life would only end in greater sin and disgrace—was going to the pier to escape existence. I saved her, as I should expect my sister to be saved by any honourable man finding her in such position." "I calmly weighed all the serious difficulties of my position, and obeyed the dictates of my conscience in yielding to her entreaty to share my destiny, which God knows, could be small boon." "I entered then into union with this lady, with the understanding that our lives were at Issue upon the settle- ment of my claim, and trusting should we fail during life, the fuller representation of the facts afterwards might obtain for those whose interests we sought the right before refused. This may read strange and un- wise, but most men, had they passed through what is here very faintly shad owed, had either been in the grave, a prison, or a madhouse. It is not external circum- stances which mea'mre human consciousness of pain, but individual sensitiveness thereto. I tremble more at life than death, knowing in which I have most to gain. But I do my duty as far as I am able, and ask. that help which I think it my duty to ask." "I now submit my position to the world in. the belief that any man in desperate extremity is justified in calling upon his fellow-man for aid—that-private mis- fortune should not be allowed to become public calamity. And to those many friends who have con- firmed me in believing that I was doing what was right, I address a last request for their nfluence." "Whatever may have been my errors.. I seek rather to be guided by the true spirit of what ia right than the imperfect letter thereof, as represented by soeial laws. For me the love of I life is gone, and I have the courage which much sufferiag gives, to do this my duty to society by sfcriv | i1* mV power avoid a calamity, and to ask in return that society will fulfil its duty to me." { • „• • '*1 submit the truth to the world with painful I reluctance. Penance does not atone for wrong, and I seek the power to make reparation; money repre- sents that power. I urge the sacred plea of mercy. M«ray for those who are innocent. Shall it be urged in vain P" In the statement read by the prisoner before the I Eamsgate magistrates, it will be seen that he still maintains clairas similar to those set forth in the ¡ foregoing document. aPPear that during the last six years bouthey has been in the habit of writing to a great I number of influential persons craving aid on the ground of his inability to obtain a livelihood. In the montn of December last, finding that his resources had diminished, Southey wrote to Earl Russell I stating that he had some very important information t to give to his lordship, as a member of the Govern- l¡, ment. The strange tone of the letter, coupled with previous communications, induced the noble earl to send the documents to Sir Richard Mayne, and Mr. Thomson, of the detective department, was directed to inquire into the condition of Southey and his ante- cedents. He was then living at Rose-cottage, Lower Common, near the river at Putney, with the woman I White as his wife. The inquiries made by Mr. Thom- son assured him of their utter misery and state of wretchedness, which he duly reported to Sir Eichard Mayne, who laid the circumstances before Earl Eus- sell, who sent a donation of £ 5, for which Southey expressed hia thanks, and said h0 would never forget it and his lordship had saved the life of his wife and children. The prisoner, since his examination, has altered his tactics, assuming a gentlemanly demeanour, writing an immense quantity of rubbish asking the Crown to provide a solicitor and shorthand writer for him, &o. He declares that his nerves are shaken, He wished to see a medical man. A doctor was sent to him, and after examining him, said that he saw nothing the J matter with the prisoner. He now confesses that he used nicotine for the boys, and says he had bought the poison long ago for himself and Mrs. White, they having agreed to commit suicide. There are rumours that he has also put Mrs. White out of the wayf as it is said she cannot be found.

Inquest at Eamsgate. The same morning at half-past ten o'oiock an in- quest on the bodies was opened at the Town-hall Eamsgate, before Mr. Mourillyan, the district coroner, and a jury of the inhabitants. They first viewed the bodies which lay at the Infirmary. The woman had been shot in the right cheek and again immediately oelow the right ear, and there waa a Distol Wound behmd the right ear of the child. Yfiiiiam George Tattenden, a lad of seventeen, a j porter at the Camden Arms, Eamsgate, said a few i minutes before eight o'clock on Wednesday evening a man stopped him and asked him to go to Mr. Ellis, the oyer s, for him, and ask if a woman named For- ward lived there. On going there he was referred to bi, King-street, and there saw Mrs. Forward, the deceased. He asked her whether she would give her address for a gentleman at the Camden A^-ms. She asked who he was. He said he did not kno w. She then wrote her address on a piece of paper. He took it back to the man and gave it to him. The man. who was then walking backwards and forwards before the Camden Arms, then went away in the direction of King-street. He had a long beard and moustache. The Ellises, father and daughter, then deposed to the circumstances which the father related before the magistrates on Thursday, and the substance of which is given above. The evidence of the daughter Ade- laide was a little more circumstantial in one material I respect than that of her father. On Thursday morn- ing when the prisoner and his wife were in the room she keard a report fire-arms, and then the child Emily fall. The child, whom he had sent for, had not been more than five minutes in the room. She ran up and saw the child rolling down the stairs. It was then bleeding profusely from the head, and ap- peared to run out of the room. She ran to catch the child, when the prisoner placed a pistol at her mouth, She sa.id, "Forward, what are you doing ■?" He made f8p- ^5 r imPression was that he had f £ 6ard a seoond report, and then he.r. father. On returning she picked up the child, which lay on the landing, and found it was quite _dead. She then went into the sitting-room frs- IoTa,rcl on the floor, bleeding profusely from what appeared to be a gunshot Jfw? llke tila chiia5 Was quite dead. She had dreaded the interview with her husband. The elder Ellis stated that, when the pri- soner came on Thursday morning, he took the child .fcimily by the hand, and kissed it most affectionately. Addressing his wife, the prisoner said, "Last night, when I saw you, you had nothing for me but reproaches I want no more of them." When witness west into the room, on being called by his daughter, he saw a pistol in the prisoner's left hand, and he rushed at him and collared him. The prisoner, at his demand, gave up the pistol, which was a revolver with five chambers, He made no resistance, nor any attempt to escape. Mr. Hicks, a surgeon, who had been called in, said he fcund the woman Forward lying on her left side quite dead. She had two gunshot wounds on the right side of the neck, one a small circular wound about a quarter of an inch in diameter, two inches behind the ear, and from which a small portion of brain was pro- truding; the other, about the same size, was about an inch in front of the ear, and the right eye was much bruised and swollen. She must have died instantane- ously. On examining the body of the child he found blood had issued in large quantities fram the mouth and nose, and there was a large gunshot wound on each side of the skull. A small pistol bullet flattened at the end lay on the floor. The two wounds in the mother s case were distinct. To Superintendent Levick, whoghad beenfbrought, and who ha,d recognised the prisoner by hia voice, the prisoner said he had lately gone by the name of Walter bouthey; and on being charged with murdering his wife and daughter, he said if the superintendent knew all, he would not think so ill of him. The prisoner produced a razor, two pocket-books, one of which con;" tamed some papers which he wished to be taken care of, and about 15s. 6d. in money. Six pistol ball cartridges lay on the table opposite to him. He said the child was his, and that the deceased woman was; his lawful, married wife." The papers which had since been examined contained nothing material to be material in^uast. They might eventually be i ^P^or Tanner, from Scotland-yard, applied on behalf of the Secretary of State, to be allowed to take the prisoner to London, to be charged with the murder of three boys in Holborn, assigning reasons for that course; at all events, that the inquest be adjourned until after the adjourned inquiry before the magis- trates should have been concluded. The jury, through the coroner, after consultation, said they were not prepared to assent to the applica- cion. They eventun,lly -i-vu s, verdict ™urd.er against Stephen Forward." I he following is the statement previously referred' to, wmch was written down and read by Forward to Ehe magistrates as he was about to be remanded— n „ Aii^ust 10, Police-station, Bamss'ate On Monday the 7th mst., I took three children whom I claim as mine by the strongest ties, to the Scar coffee-house ScMld fcrf T CJ?M,ren 811 the affection that a parent could ieel. I had utterly worn out and exhausted every power of mind and body in my efforts toTecufe a home and a future for those children, and also other five persons who doubtless were dependant on me, I could struggle and bear up no longer, for the last support had been withdrawn from me. My sufFermo-a were no longer supportable.. The last hope had perished by my Ditter paictul experience of our present iniquitous, defective social justice I shall be charged with their murder-with their criminal murder in the truest and strongest sense of the charge. I deny and repudiate that charge, and throw it back on the men who have, by their gross oriminal neglect, i? brought aboufc this sad and fearful crime. I charge back the guilt of the crime on those high dignitaries of thf State, the Church, and justice, who have turned a deaf ear to my heax "broken appeals, who have refused fellow-help in all mv frenzied efforts and exhausted struggles, and who K thereby impiously denied the sacredness of human life the mutual dependence of man, and the fundamental and sacred most ?™ °n « our soraal system itself is based. Pore- most among these I charge the Hon. Lord Dadlev th« the AH™ Lon^on' ^ichard Mayne, Lord Palmertson, the t' r) fy^e^er\ rT ?r^e GreV» Mr. Gladstone the K.irl of Shaftesbury, Lord Ebury, Lord Townahend Lord Eioho, Sir E. B Lytton, Mr. Disraeli, Lord Lyttelton' Su John Pakmgton, Lord Derby, Lord Stanley, Sir Francis Crossley, the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Under IS terrible -un of my life I did the very best.

Adjourned. JUxammation of the Prisoner. On Saturday, Stephen Forward, alias Ernest Southey, was re-examined at Ramsgate Town-hall on the charge of having wilfully murdered Mary Anne Jemima Forward, his wife, and Emily Francis Forward, his child. The magistrates present were:—Mr. A Crofton, (chairman), Sir B. M. Coghlan, K.C.B., the Kev. G. W. Sicklemere, Mr. B. Sicklemera, Mr. G-. E. Hannan, Mr. Thomas Whitehead, Mr. G.C. H. Wilkie, &e. j Mir-T1,H- G- Snowden, the clerk to the bench, con- ducted the examination. Inspector Tanner of the Metropolitan detective force, Scotland-yard, was present on behalf of the London police authorities. Mr. uold, jun.^frouithc iirm of Gold and Son, solid- A 2' Serjeant s-mn, Chancery-lane, attended to watch the case for the accused. The prisoner was brought up from the prison at Sandwich, in custody of Mr. Lewis Hill, the governor, aS,4 v0.ad m hand a roll of manuscript, from which it was surmised he intended to quote copiously during the proceedings. At a quarter before eleven the doors of the room were opened and the public ad- mitted, the spacious room being speedily filled with an excited audience. The following evidence was then talcen Robert Hicks, the surgeon, was called, and said he was sent for about a quarter past nine on Thursday morning, and found, at the house of Mr. Ellis the bodies of the woman and child. The witness repeated the evidence given at the examination on Thursday wen-US8 °^death each case was gunshot wounds.' William George Laffenden said: I am potboy at the Camden Arms On Wednesday evening, about eight o'clock, or a few minutes after that, a gentleman called me into the smoking-room and asked me if I would take a message. „ J.ke+Priso.Be!5 inter™Pting with great vehemence: I protest against my photograph being taken through that windGw. I am an innocent man, and am not to be made a show of. The Chairman: Certainly; it shall not 'be done if you object to it. Examination resumed: He asked me if I would go down to the dyer's in High-street, and seo if Mrs. Dressmaker lived there. I understood him to say Mrs. Dressmaker." I went back and told him she r ''there, and he said, "Idid not tell you that name, fs' ^orward." I went back to the dyer's, ?ii. 67 sent me over to 61> King-street. I knocked i at the door and asked for Mrs. Forward. She said, 1 1 am Mrs. Forward," and I said a gentleman has £ I — sent ma for your directions." I got the address on a. piece of paper, and when I returned he was walking; up and down outside, and I gave him the address. Sergeant Levick, having been sworn, repeated Ms' evidence as given at the inquest. He said in addition I asked the ages of the woman and the child. When I told him the charge I cautioned him that he was not obliged to say anything. He replied, addressing ma by name, that if I knew all I should not think" him; so bad," or it so bad," as it appeared. In addition to the matters referred to at the inquest as found on him there was a penknife. The pocket-book had sundry papers in it. I had him removed to the sta- tion, and he asked me there if I had received any communication from Sir Richard Mayne as to the death of three children in London. I said I had notP but should probably do so. He said he had a state- ment to make, but he was not sufficiently collected.. I left him for about an hour, and he then applied for writing materials, which being supplied, he wrote these cwo papers, which he wished to be transmitted, to Sir Eichard Mayne. The papers are as I received them. I have not read them. I then said, I also charge you with the murder of three children at Starr's coffee-house, Eed Lion-street, Holborn. He asked whether he should be allowed his election as to which charge he was to be tried on. I told him I dId not know. Police constable William Draysozi said he was called to Mr. Ellis's house on Thursday, and went with, other constables. He deposed to finding the bodies as already reported. Miss Adelaide Ellis repeated her statement made at. the inquest. Sergeant Levick said that was all the evidence. Mr. Gold, after some consultation with the accused, said that he (the accused) wished to ask for a remand, but he (Mr. Gold) did not know on what grounds. The Chairman: We must have a reason for grant- ing a remand. The prosecution have no further evi- dence. A further consultation then took place between the accused and his solicitor, and Mr. Gold said the reason the accused assigned for asking for a remand was that ho might be able to produce before the bench certain documents bearing on his case. He (Mr. Gold) was bound, of course, to state the wishes of his client,. Bu Bure was only wasting the time of the bench to make sueh an application. He only stated the simple fact and the wish of the accused. The accused (in a loud tone): The documents which I wish to place before you are not understood by you: in a proper light. They are documents by whieh I charge the guilt charged upon me upon others. I say it has been caused by others, and any acts so caused, I say on behalf of justice any person accused is entitled to show why he does that which conscian. tiously devolves upon others, and I ask that I may have the opportunity of proving that others have. The Chairman (stopping the prisoner, who was rambling on in an inoreaaedly excited manner): You must understand, Forward, that the Bench here is not trying you; you will be sent for trial by a jury of your countrymen, and I may further say that we have nothing to do with the murder of the three children in London. The Prisoner: But I claim the right here and every.. where in the name of truth and justice. The Chairman We cannot hear you. We peremp- torily refuse any remand, and you are committed to Sandwich Gaol, and you will be tried at the next assizes at Maidstone for the wilful murder of your wife and child-your daughter. I may say publicly that the prisoner made an application to me as to whether he should be tried at Maidstone or in London. We have nothing to do with that, that rests entirely with the Government, and if they wish to try him in London they have the power to do so, and remove him under habeas corpus. Mr. Gold The prisoner may also claim that under the Palmer Act. If he will be advised by me he will say nothing. The Prisoner, loudly: I must act on my own judg- ment. My conscience will teach me what is best for my good, and I must do as I like. The Chairman: We cannot hear you any further. Let him be removed. The prisoner then stooped down to speak to his solici- tor, and a woman was put to the bar charged with steal- ings purse, andconsiderableeonfusion arose, and as the prisoner was again about to address the bench, two of the policemen took him by the arms and led him out but as he crossed the floor of the court he lifted up his hands and arms, shouting, "I protest in the name of moral truth and justice I am not doing my duty to myself or the cause of holy justice if I do not protest against my committal. It is at these words; the door of the room was closed on him. Some hissing was uttered as he left f:ho court, but the crowd. wn;r;h w" "1 great, behaved with great, decorum. The following is the copy of a telegram which the prisoner requested might be forwarded on Friday evening, but which was not sent" To Gregory Cricketers, Putney.-Sout;hey Prison, Sandwich —la prison. My life is over. Have to justify myself from most terrible charges. See my Fulham friend. Want his brother. I shall often think of your kindness with deepest gratitude.-E. N. SOUTHEY." The prisoner's "notes for the Eamsgate bench consist of a string of questions relating to social jus- tice, self-defence, penalties for acts induced by others* wrong-doing, the want of Government precautionary measures against private distress and troubles, and the like. The following is a specimen: "Is there none who can read what must be the formation of a mind which could, under its own strong sense of right, offer up for theirs and the public good the lives of others for whom he had lived and faithfully struggled through many years of the bitterest suffering whose love and right and deeply-tried affection for them had been the only support which enabled him to endure and battle for them ?" How easy, after all to commit crime and evade the hell. Weep for the living, one poor dear soul must suffer, mine is past. What is it to die? The worthiest have died as ignominious a death as I shall, and have lived honoured and beloved in the hearts and souls of men for hundreds of years after. If I am unjustly con- demned I shall not be the first victim of injustice." He urges by his words that the Government should give him means to Drove his inrmnnnna P.¡ 10nnnn ..1.< some one organ of the public press will print all that he feels conscientiously to be for the elucidation of his case which he says the newspapers have already prejudged- He dilates much on the power of the press for good or for evil, and states that grievous wrong was done him in the report of the well known case in which Mrs White was concerned with a certain noble earl, whose power, with an income of .£300,000 a year, none could oppose with success. On trial by jury he submits that as a man should be tried by his equals they should be his equals in mind, thought, feeling, and love of qp r-fl folmnl1 S fv't f should have been trained in the same school of bitterness, injustice, and wrong. After referring to^many public men, he says that one (whom he names) "has done good service; he is the only man I know who could really understand and rightly judge my conduct, who could, by helping me to unfold bhe truth, do a service to society that would render his name revered, immortal."

A MISERLY THIEF, A man named William Yem, living at Plymouth, has been sentenced to one month's imprisonment for steal- ing an ounce of tea, value 3d., from the shop of a grocer. The prisoner is a most determined miser.. On searching his house, which is in a most filthy state, the police discovered 153 sovereigns and a spade guinea. He seems to have had, besides his love for money, a remarkable fancy for carpenters' tool" broken boxes, and barrels, for in his room was found of these articles nearly a wagon load. They were placed in such positions, and so scattered about the place, that the police found it difficult to pass from one room to another. There were besides a lot of old coal and blacking-boxes, and other rubbish that appeared to have been collected fromash.. heaps, lying about the house. The sovereigns and the guinea were found m an old blacking box" Prisoner is a tailor by trade, but he gave his occupation to the police as a labourer. He had been in custody on two previous occasions, and both offences were indicative of his miserly and peculiar habits. On one occasion he was in custody for stealing a piece of coal from a wagon, and on another for stealing one of those articles he appears to have such a fancy for—'vi?., an old empty barrel, from the Cheese Market, He has been in the habit of allowing himself scarcely suffi- cient to sustain life, and he was well known to be of. parsimonious habits: but it was not supposed he had such a sum of money in his possession. The money will, of course, be returned to him on hia leaving raol.

The Holborn Inquest. An inquest was held on the bodies of the three boys on Friday by Dr. Hardwieke, deputy of Dr. Lankester, coroner for Central Middlesex, at the Queen Anne's Tavern, Red Lion-passage, Holborn, when the fol- lowing evidence was taken:- William Stallwood White, of 4, Feaiheratone-build- ings, Holborn, schoolmaster, deposed: Of these three SSF,. re(* children I am the reputed father. Henry Wilnam was aged ten years; Thomas William was the next; he was nine years; and Alexander was eight. I last saw them alive on Monday evening, when they were at my own house in Featherstone-buildings, They were living with me up to that time. My son, osiah White, took them to deliver to the hands of applied for them to be given up to their mother. I cannot say where Southey waa then, and I did not see the boys again until Wednesday, when a policeman and a detective called at my house to make inquiries. I answered their questions and accom- paiued them to the Star Temperance coffee-house in Red Lion-street, and in an upper room I was shown two of the children in one bed; they were both quite Gead. I then accompanied the police fetch my son Josiah, who lives near Victoria-park, and he having returned with me, we went to the police-station. When I saw the two boys I was told of the death of the tinrd, and subsequently I saw the third body. I recognised all three children as those who had left me on -Monday. I noticed in the room a peculiar smell, and was astonished at its occurring so soon after death, and I also noticed a peculiar livid and spotted appearance of the bodies. The boys looked as though they had died by violent means, but I was not then aware of the cause of their deaths. Josiah White, son of the last witness, and residing at 22, Bedford-terrace, Old Ford-road, clerk, deposed I saw the three deceased children on Iffonday evening, when I was at my father's house, at about sixo-clock in the evening. I had arranged on the Sunday evening that I should have the children to deliver to Mr. Southey, who was to take them to their mother. I engaged to meet Southey at the corner of Bedford- road at nine o'clock on Monday night, and I saw him there after waiting about twenty minutes. He then came running up in a great hurry, saying that he had missed a train at the Clapham Junction; that being late nad put him out in his engagements, and that he coula not take the children as engaged. I said that lr he did not take them my father would think ha was humbuging him, and I asked Mm if ha could not get a lodging for them. He went, or pretended to do so, over to a public-house near Hand-court, at my suggestion that he should try and get a bed for them, and he said he could not there. We entered a public-house, and had a glass of ale together, and then walked down Red Lion-street. He went into the Star_ coffee-house, and on coming out he said, It is all right; they can be accommodated there.'1 We then walked down to the buildings (Featherstone- buildings), and I fetched the boys out. He shook hands with them, and asked them how they were and I told him that my father did not know that they were to stay so near, and that he had better not let them turn up. The arrangement was that they were to go to their mother and then to Australia. I watched Southey to the end of the passage (which leads into Red Lion-street from Bedford-row) until they were out of sight. I had seen Southey twice before this, when he called at my office in the City. Maria Beale stated: I live at the Stir coffee-house as tea-room maid. I saw the man described as Southey on Tuesday morning at half-past eight. He was then in the tea-room with the three children, and he was there at dinner-time as well, when he had dinner with them. He had tea with them in the evening, and took them up to bed. I know he took them to bed. On the next morning (Wednesday) I went upstairs, and my mistress asked me to go and see how the little boy in No. 8 was. He (the eldest) had been ill, and I went, but found the door locked. I went to No. 6 where the two children slept, and found the door wide open. I went up to the bed and said, "Are you not going to get up ? and, laying my hand oa the bed, I round the children were dead. I went down and told Mr. and Mrs. Clifford, my master and mistress, and Mr. Clifford came up with me. We went into No. 3 room, and there found the eldest boy also dead. By the jury The children went out at half-past six or a quarter to seven on Tuesday morning by them- selves and were out about half an hour. In the course of the day we asked them where they were going, and they said to see their mother; but they did not know where. They also went out with the man in the after- noon of Tuesday. Henry Clifford, landlord the Star coffee-house, Iiis daughter, Elizabeth Clifford, and Elizabeth Maidman, chambermaid, gave corroborative evidence, similar to that of the last witness. Dr. Anthony Roberts, of 73, Lamb's Conduit-street, was now called, and he deposed: I was called to the Star coffee-he)use on Wednesday. In the room on the third floor front numbered 6, I saw extended on their backs two boys. On the larger of the two children there appeared no external marks of violence. I have since made a post-mortem examination. I should think they had been dead not less than eight hours when I first saw them. I was also shown into a back room, where I saw a boy of about ten or eleven years. He was also extended in bed and was quite dead. An exudation came from the mouth and nostrils of a light straw-coloured fluid, slightly odorous. There was a bottle in the back room with a fluid having a slight white sediment. The post-mortem I made was about twelve or fourteen hours after death. Dr. Harley was present. I have preserved the stomachs of all three boys in separate jars, with the hearts, portions of the livers containing the gall-bag, bladders, portions of the spleens, and portions of the muscular structures of the bodies. They were sealed and delivered to Dr. Harley. The Coroner here said that he had received a letter from Dr. Harley, Professor of Medical Jurisprudence at University College, stating that the investigation with respect to the cause of death of the three boys was being proceeded with, but that it would not be concluded for.several days. He thought the inquiry had better now be adjourned. It was then resolved that the proceedings should be adjourned until Tuesday. Superintendent Searl now informed the court that there could be no doubt as to the prisoner at Ramsgate being the murderer of the children. He also stated t-hat the woman White had embarked for Australia, The jury were then bound over to appear, aud the-' proceedings closed,