HORRIBLE MURDER ON THE NORTH LONDON RAILWAY. (FROM THE "HOME NEWS")

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2238, 22 September 1864, Page 5

HORRIBLE MURDER ON THE NORTH LONDON RAILWAY. (FROM THE "HOME NEWS" )

One of the most atrocious ciimes that probably ever disgraced this country was perpetrated late on Satur> day evening, July 9, in a first-class carriage of a passenger tr tin on the North London Railway, when Mr. Thomas Brigg^, chief clerk in the banking establishment of Messrs. Eobaits, Curtis, and Co., of Lombard street, wan murdeiously assailed, plundered, and thrown out of the tiain. On the above afternoon, about 3 o'clock, Mr, Biiggs left the bank for the day, and pioceeded to his niece's residence in Nelson square, Peckham, where lie dmed There he remained until half-past 8 o'clock, and was seen into au omnibus in the Old Kent load by the husband of his niece, a Mr. Buckhain. Before parting with his lelative he intitimated that he would proceed to the city, and then take the train from Fenchuich-street station for Hackney. He was almost a daily traveller on tho line, and was well-known by the railway servants. From the time of Ins getting mto the omnibus in the Old Kent road until his body was discovered on the line of the North London Hallway, between Old Foul bridge and Hackney- wick station, nothing has been gleaned of las movements, or whether any one was in his company. The atrocious outrage was discovered somewhere about a quaiter or 20 minutes past 10 o'clock on the above evening. On the ai rival at Hackney of the 9.45 tiain fiom Fenchiuch-street station, a gentleman called the attention of the guard to the state of a compaitment of a first-class can iage in the train. He had opened the door at Hackney with the intention of getting in, and had placed his haud on one of the cushions, which he found to be covered with blood. The guard, on looking in, found such to be the fact. Not only were the cushions, bnt the floor, sides, and window were besmeared ■with blood ; in some places there was quite a pool. He also found inside the cairiage a gentleman's hat, tv walkingstick, and a small leather bag. The guard took charge of the aiticles, and locked up the door. Some ladies, who w r eie in the adjoining compartment, here called the attention of the guaid to the circumstance that some blood had been spurted through the carriage window on to their dresses as the train came fiom Bow. The guaid at once telegraphed the discovery to Mr. Kebble, the stationmaster at Bow, and at that time an impiessioii was eutertained that some one had committed suicide, and had thrown himself out of the window of the carriage on to the hue. Almost about the same peiiod the above discoveiy was made, the duver and stoker of an engine which had been working the Hackneywick and Stratford tiaffic were'" returning fiom the Wick station to the Bow locomotive works en the North London Railway. As they were approaching the railway bridge over Duckett's Canal, by the side of the Mitford Arms Tavein which fronts the Tower Hamlets Volunteer paradegiouud in the Victoria-park, they saw something lying on the six-feet way, the space between the up and down line. At first the duver thought it was a dog, but his mate, the stoker, judged it to be a human being. The engine had parsed the object, but stopped near where the railway passes over the main diamage works. The stoker got down and w ent back along the line with a lamp, and on coming up to the spot discoveied it to be the body of a gentleman, saturated in blood and apparently dead. The stokei instantly lulled the drivei, and ran down the embankment to the Miltoul Aims Tavern. Seveial peisons in the house, with the landlord, afc once i etui ned with the stokei up to the live, and steps weie immediately taken to remove the unfoituuate gentleman to the adjacent tavein, but in doing so, the men who were assisting in the melancholy task nearly lost their lives by a passing down tiaiu. "When got to the tavein and laid on a couch, suspicions of foul play were at once aroused, for his head seemed to have been battered by some instalment. His clothes were covered with blood, and the bioken link or hook of a watch-chain was hanging to a bnttou-hole. No watch or the other parb of the chain being found, at once led to a supposition that he had been plundeted. The laudloid immediately gave information to the police, and sent foi surgical aid. On the aruval of some medical gentlemen, they at once proceeded to examine the wounded man. He was iv a perfect state of collapse — quite insensible. On the left side of the head, just over the eai, w lnch was torn away, was found a deep wouud , the si. nil was fiactuied, and the bone driven in. On the base of the skull theie weie four or live lacerated wounds ; there were more blows on the other paits of the head, and the medical gentle* men expiessed theii surprise that the uufoitunate suiieier should be alive, the wouud over the left ear being alone sufficient to cauae death. Stimulants weie applied with a view of restoring consciousness, but to no purpose On the airival of Mr. Inspector Keuessey from Bow station, measures weie taken to ascertain whether the sufferer had any papers which would lead t> his identification. In his breast coatpocket weie found a buudle of letteis addressed, "T, Bugsjs, Esq , Messr». Eobarts, Curtis, and Co., Lombaid-street," upon which a messenger was immediately despatched to the bank iv the city to learn where the gentlemau named on the addiess lned. In his troiiseis' pocket were found £i 10s. in gold and silvei , aud a silver snuff-box iv his coat pocket. The messenger, on teaching the bank in Lomhnid stioct, found that the de->cuptioa given of Mr. Buggs answered that of the gentleman found on the lailway ; and communicating the facb to Mi Inspector Kerressey, he at ouce despatched an officer to the address given by the people at the bank, No 5, Claplou-squaie, Hackuey, who broke the melancholy intelligence to the son of the uufoitunate gentleman. Mi. Briggs, jun., with some other membeis of the family, ami Mr Toulnun, the family doctor, proceeded to the Mitfoul Arms Tavern, and put an end to all doubt as to whom the unfoituuate sufferer w as. Only once, it is thought, did the unfoitunate gentleimn show any signs of sensibility. An old female domestic called him by name, and a. slight trembling movement of his fiaine and 'a guighug groan seemed to indicate that he knew the voice, but it was only a momentary leaction. The medical gentlemau remained in attendance neaily the whole night, and in the course of the mormug the sufferer was lemoved in a litter fiom the tavein to Clapton squat e, where he expired ou Sunday night, July 10. On the tram leaolnug Camclen station the railway officials ilnected it immediately to be brought back to Bow, aud tho cauiage in question was at once uncoupled and placed iv a shed, which was secured, 'ihe carriage has three fust-class compartments. On opening tho door of the oonipaitmeut-, the interior, as before stited, was found in all directions to be besmeared with blood, with clotted pooli on tho cushion aud on the 9oor There was ample cvi lence of a deadly "truckle having taken place. The unfoitunate man, it \\ ill be i emembered, was found in the six-foot way. On inspecting thp outside of the caimge, wlnoh would be the off-hide of atiam going to Catndeu, the body of the cauiage was seen to be besmeared with blood, as if it had been spurted ou as the train flew by. r lhe wiudow was down, aud on the brass handles were maiks of a. bloody hand, leading to a belief that the door had been opened to throw the unfoitunate gentleman out on to the line, and then closed. On the step beneath the door weie fouud a poition of the hair guaid attached to the massive gold glasses, and on the floor of the coinpai tmenfc was discovered one of the biokeu huLs of the watch chaiu. The spot where Mr. JJiiggs was thiown out of the tiaiu is, singular to say, about the same place where a similar outrage was committed somo four oi five years since, but not with such deploi able results, when the thief jumped out of the caring-* and endeavoured to esc ipe through the maishes, but was ciptuied and tianspoited for life. The police have discovered that the gold Albeit; cmb chain, with laige gold key and tnivel leal, stolen fiom the mnrdeied man, had been exchanged on Monday, the 11th, at a watchmakei's shop in the city for a square oval seciet-hnk gold Albert chain, with knob pattern twisted key, swivel seal, and a plain gold finger ling, white comel-an (tone, oblong shape, engraved head, by a man of the following desoriptioa :— "Age, 30; height, 5 fe«t 0 or 7 inches;

. ■ ' .. ■ I II 1 complexion, sallow; thin, features; a foieignev — • supposed German ; speaks good English; diess, black fiock coat and \est, dailc tiousers, black hat." The hat found m the compaitment wheio the riime was committed wa3 of foi eign shape, though beat ing the name of an English maker, and it is thoiofmo, surmised that the mmdeiei was not a native of this countiy. The ba<; wh-chMt. Bu^gs had with him is of the laudgeneially Used by banket-.' clciKs in lemoMiig bullion, aid U Ins been thought that the deceived hid been w itc'ied fot some time by his assailant, un ler the supposition tint it contuned a lngo quintity of money ; that lie wis followed into the caimge, and tlie muidoier wuted his oppoifcnmty to obtain possession of the tioasuie. It i> stated that the big was empty, but the bi iss lock boie bloody ii lcrci-maiks, which would seem to indicate that it hid been opened by some one aftei the attvek hid been made. The npir approach of the tiam to Hickney Wick station, however, would account foi the mnideier not possessing himself of tho othci property which the deceised Ind, if plundei wa-. his object, Eveiy moment als,o wis of the gtoitost importance in enabling him to escape. Tue oidmiiy time allowed for the pis-icnc;oj* ti.ams to inn fiom Bow to Hickney Wick i-> foui minutes, but wkci a tnm is lie, as wis the ease with tie tiam m ques tion thodmei oftt-n puts on e\tia speed to ni.kj up for lost inme. 'Lho curiage window is guaided with tin cp shong bi.ass lods to pte\ent possonireis fiom leaning out. It is theiefoio clear that the dc ceased must have been thiust out of the open dooi. It is a very singular fact that two of the gentlemen who diseoveied the state of the oiuiyc 11111113 datoly aftot the mmder had be<M committed wci'e fellow cloiks of Mr. Briggs. They had bee.i lowui" on the Hi\ei Lea during the OMmmg, md ari^cd at Hackney st ition on tluir ictu- 1 home to Ilighbmy, ■when on entering the cairiagethey discovered it's seats were besmeaied with blond. The pos 1 ; moi tern c\ limitation ot the body wa» made by Messrs. Totnliiison, Breteton, and Cooper .assisted by t\\ o othei medical gentlemen, fnends of the family. From the sue and shape of the wounds on the head tuey appeal to have been mf] cted by a life preserver, and the deep incised wound ovpr the oir wis, no doubt, cuised by the two-edge I dicrrroi with which many of these mis named nistiumeuts Ma provided. The blow on tho ear was a most seveie oie, dn ill net t l io lobe anil cinching it feaiinlly Tlie stib above tho ear must Inve G'ltJied the bise of the brain at lea=t tlneo inches. The other w ounds ueic also most se\oie. and the medical men in attendance e\pie3>ed then suipuse tint the deceased lived so long after th.Piuilu.tiou of sach injunes. UIsCOVFUY O p THE MUI!T>j:RrR, On Moudw mouiing, July IS, a cabman, named Jonathan MUthew*, was taken to the ITanow-ioad police station, wlvio ho made the following com mumeation • — a Matthews said' I live at Fo. 6S, Earl-sieott, LiSson-gro\e, and am a cabman Last night, and for the hist time, I saw a pla^aid in the JEdg'waieioa 1 ha\ in? lofeipnce to .a miudei committed on the Noith London Railway. I communicated ceitam information to a witeimm na ne I Amos The fo'lowiiijj is the communication made by tlie cabmin befoie~Mi. Heniy, the chief mngisttate at B iw-stieet, on tho ?bo\c aft 21 twin — He said I know Fiunc s Mulki Ife 15 a natue of Cologne Hl3 ago, as ho told m-> is 2", a id foi some time pa«t Jl3 ha, been emploj cd a - a tailoi 111 tie establishment of Mes-is ilndg'ansoM, hos.ers, ot 'rineadnsedlestie«.t, 111 the ci l \ Re\en 01 eight months a«o lie cunmenced to keep company withmj si-tei, ami, a-. her suitoi, he wai 1.1 tlie habit ot'commg to my hjus". I lemun'ier one Sunday 111 OcTobei oi X'lyembei la-t b.- tame ti mv lnn,e and said to me " You ha\e p nice Il.lt, wheie did you cjffc it fioiu' 1 ' I fold him I had bought it fiom a niM named NWkei. a liattei in Ci aw ford st.cc!- Mule- said, 'Well, I s'lou'd like to have one like it ' [ sad " Will, tty this on " And he did so, but fni'id it too tight foi his heal. I then said, "I know youi size now, and I will get one foi JO'i " I did s\ and on the following Sunday he eam 3 and t ole it away Some time afteinaids he c ime to my house vain, when I said, "How well tint hat wd-ms , I ha\c had tlneo h.ts since then ' I 1 u I h il 1 ot the h ie and rotic -d on the inside bum a picuhar thum'n-maik, caused b\ the hat being pub en aiid tvUcn oii by tho hind at one partie,ihv°s,pofc 'J he hat pi ldncod (the oiie fo uid lv the laihvivcunaLje) it the Mm 1 , and \ could swen to it. List Monday we-k Mtillci visited mv hoasc, and s\u my •wife Aftei j.»\ uij; hoi tlu nsiul comp'imcnts, he to ik a box on 1 .if In; pocket, and pidle 1 out ot it a gold c'iiip, v\h't!i 1p s U | ho hid pud £3 10s foi tint muiiing , he thon h-ced the chun on a watch, and ga\e tlu hot tj my chill to play with' (The l>">\ in- jHolnoed, md 1 leuti/ie I bj Mi Death, who was piesent, as the one * !nJi he hi I plied tliH chain m ) 3lu'lerth/n c\'iib't«d a ring which ho had on hi, ft 'g»r, and which w 1* similar to the one desenbed hy Mr De- h Mmiei then began to complain, ' ing he h A been ye y unfoitu-i ite ,hs liad been down to the eit<% aid 1 cut haMiig passed neai his foot, ne ha I spi ained ln-i ankle He then said, ' I am o'nig t-> Cunda, be imejou see Jonithan,' m^'ii ignie 'in 1 tell him not to go out to m nioi vi >, mug until I co.ne, fot [ paifcietil uly want to s CG )nm ' For f'\ i or tines moimiigi I waited for him, baS he ii2\er ci ns and I lw c ne^ ci seen him since Yesteulav I co.u.imnicatsil tho a'.O'o fictsto lnh net 5- of the D division, and I handed o\ei to bun the bo\ ] lodured The pihce also obtuned fio.n the cxbmaii a slip of papsr upon v,h on was written " Fianz Mallei, 16 Pukten.c-, Oil Foul Bo \ " Matthews said Mulle hul!e f t 1: with his wife somo days bef 01 c, ar> 1 aKo a phoinji iph which Mullet had gnci to hi-, sistet w.ien I'iuv were com tmg. Tnsp»ct >r Si 1.1 ga-o liifmniition of the abo\e at Sj itlan i-\aul 1 1 ' i'ie O'ommissi.ui-13 of Police immd.liately gaia ri-'m-t'oiis to Siineimtendent Tnldy and Inspect t to thoioughly lin estimate tlu> nnttcr rii"-e tv ■> at once we.it to Xo. 16, Pxrktdiaee, Oil lord B >»-, a house kept by'a man n nned Blytli, v li > «,-ul ho was 111 be 1 011 the mwht of the c'a_> ths ni der »?! oonmittei -w-l<en lluller came home, b ibseqa^ntly Mr. Blyth gave Inspectoi Sto^ra kfe- h- ha I received fiom Mullsr, posted at wo-tluug on July 1C and wh'ch ha I been brought from the ah' p • Vic'-ona' by the mlot v.hen ho left thit \es e 1 Tuc contents oi tbs lette. were to the effect that he shou'd " never touch on England's shot a igun " 'Ihe lettei was addies,ed to a foimer fellow -lodger, do idv.in, to whom he bade a fond and affectionate f uewell foi e\ei. The officvM ne\6 lnteiro^itod Goodwin, a Geiman, who said thai on the night nvnfoned Muller came home about 11 o'clock, and appealed very much confused, which lie (Mulloi) acaonnted for bj' saying he had mci wit 1 ) a severe injury in the city, and had spumed Ins ankle Tii? lodger produced a pawn t'okit which he said he had 'bought from Mullei. The ticket lelafctd to the gold chain Muller had re cue I from Mi Detth, and winch he had pledged at a pawnshop in Bow. It fuither tian>pired that M>illpi vailed from the Loiulou-douks on July 14, in the sailing vessal 'Tictoua,' bound for Ne.v Yoik Ths offic >r then proceeded to s ea ich the room 111 winch Muller hid lived when lodging m tli3 hou-,c. In a vet y shott time Ip-, loctoi Steei found a silk sleeie lining w Inch had beea cunningly hid up the c iimney. On evamiinnij t!ie lining ib was found to hive belonged to the sleu\ eof a mm-, co it. The b >tto.ti part: of the lining wis ovpied with laigo spots of blood, whioh have smce Veen inictoscopically examined and p onouncel to be human blood. The lodger Good am handed to the police a photograph of Muller, similar to the one obtained fiotn the cabman. On July 20, Inspector Tanner, of theMetiopohtan pohcj force , Mi. Death, the jewellei ; and the cab mm sailed from Lner 1001 in the steamship ' City of Manchester,' foi New York. > A reward of £300 has been offered for the capture of the lnmdeter.