The Bermondsey murder : a full report of the trial of Frederick George Manning and Maria Manning, for the murder of Patrick O'Connor, at Minver-place, Bermondsey, on the 9th of August, 1849. Including memoirs of Patrick O'Connor, Frederick George Manning, and Maria Manning. With their portraits, and several other engravings.

Date:: 1849

Credit: The Bermondsey murder : a full report of the trial of Frederick George Manning and Maria Manning, for the murder of Patrick O'Connor, at Minver-place, Bermondsey, on the 9th of August, 1849. Including memoirs of Patrick O'Connor, Frederick George Manning, and Maria Manning. With their portraits, and several other engravings. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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$an improbable supposition, though the idea that stupefaction was caused by steeping his tobacco in laudanum is much more probable, seeing that the post mortem examination did not indicate the presence of opium in the stomach by the smell; but, at all events, it is nearly certain that be was insensible when he was murdered, that he was in a recumbent position, very likely lying a-bed, and that he lay on his left side, with his face rather downwards. All the wounds on his head—which were sufficient to cause death, without going beyond them to look for another cause—were at the right side; and the bullet, which may have been fired at him to finish the work begun with the blunt cutting instrument wherewith these fractures were effected, was found over the right eye, as if driven through the head from the rear. That this was the case, and that the projectile in question was propelled by an insufficient power, is obvious from the fact that the bullet lodged in the skin over the right eye. This would lead in some sort to the conclusion that it was fired from a badly-loaded air- gun, or with a small charge of gun-cotton from a common pistol or other fire-arm. The course of this wound, however, shows that it was not fatal; and, thei efore, the murder must have been consummated with a heavy hammer or some similar instrument, for the back part of the skull was found entirely beaten in fragments into the brain by the violence of successive blows. From circumstances that have since transpired, very little doubt exists that the murder ■of O’Connor was premeditated for some time, and that the house in Minver-place was .actually taken for that purpose. The Mannings, through their extravagance and dissipation, had got rid of nearly all their property, with the exception of the furniture, and their circum- stances became critical; scarcely had they been a week in the house than suspicion was 'excited amongst the inhabitants of the neighbourhood by their extraordinary conduct They appeared, to use the words of the person who resides next door, “ to be up all night; there was nearly always a light burning; and there always appeared to be something m3’sterious going on.”—Mr. O’Connor, the deceased, was frequenth’ at the house, and his jocularity with Mrs. Manning was markedh' observed by the persons residing in the houses on either side. He was almost always to be seen smoking, in the company of Marming, at the back-parlour window, and also in the small garden at the rear of the house. That a liaison had for some time existed between the deceased and Mrs. Manning, as quite certain; and that Manning was aware of the fact is equally apparent, for as late ;as Thursday, the 9th of August, the day on which he was supposed to have been murdered. Manning and O’Connor were in the garden smoking together. The deceased seems to have ’been frequently cautioned by his friends to discontinue his visits to Mrs. Manning; but he alwa^'s observed in reply, that he did not fear any harm, as they were on the best terms, : and he did not like to abandon an old companion. In order to show that the act was long premeditated, as far back as the 11th of July Manning went to the shop of Mr. Evans, ironmonger, in King William-steeet, City, to purchase a crow-bar, about 111b. weight, for, as he said, to lift heavy things up, “ such as stones.” It is pretty clear, from the appearance of the place where the body was concealed, that it had been some time before prepared, and an instrument of the land would be necessary to raise up the stones, .which are large Yorkshire flags. INQUEST ON THE BODY. The inquisition was taken, August 18, at the New Leather-market Tavern, New Weston street, Bermondse}-, by Mr. Carter, one of the Coroners for Surrey, and a jury of thirteen ■of the most respectable tradesmen in the neighbourhood. Fourteen jurymen had been sworn, but Mr. J. Meade, a friend of deceased’s, objected to one of them, viz. Mr. Coleman, builder and owner of the house in which the murdered body was found, on the ground that he would be required as a witness. The Coroner allowed the objection, and the name of Mr. Coleman was struck off the jury-list. The jury having been sworn. The Coroner said: Gentlemen, the first thing I shall have to call upon you to do is, to see the body, and then I shall call witnesses to identify it. When the body is identified I can give an order for interment, to be carried into effect, of course, only after the body has been ■ e.xamined by the medical gentleman that may be appointed to do so by this Court. The jury then went and took a view of the body. It was still naked as it was found, the legs and thighs having been tied up to the body with a new rope. Though but partiaUy cwered with lime, decomposition had rapidly set in, or, at any rate, there was extensive dis- colouration cf the face, neck, and thorax; and it was only by the chin (deceased had a re- markably thin and projecting one), and a set of false teeth, that those best acquamted with deceased could identify the body. The first witness called and sworn was Mr. Pierce Walshe, who said: I have seen the body of a man at No. 3, Minver-place, ^ew Weston-street, in the parish of Bermond.sey, and 1 have not the slightest reasonable doubt as to the identity of that body. I recognise it by its features; and the pe^n to whom it be- longed was named Patrick O’Connor, who was a gauger in the London Docks. 1 thmk his$

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