A murder was discovered in Bermondsey yesterday, which appears to
have been planned and executed with a treachery singularly base and cold-blooded. The victim is Mr. Patrick O'Connor, a Customhouse-officer, who lived at No. 21 Greenwood Strad, Mile-end Road ; and was acquainted with one Manning, a person recently discharged from the service of the Great Western Railway, for sup- posed connexion with the late robberies on that line by Moore and Nightingale. Manning resided at the hoase No.3 Minerva Place, near the Leather Market, New Bermondsey; and with him lived a female of great personal beauty—said to be a Swede—who called him her "guardian," Mr. O'Connor was frequently at Minerva Place, and was often seen with this "Swedish lady." On Thursday the 9th in- stant, Mr. O'Connor left his house near Mile-end Road early in the morning; in the afternoon of that day, be was seen by a friend, who spoke to him, near Manning's house in Minerva Place, and he said be was then going to Manning's: he was not seen alive again. By Monday his continued absence caused alarm at his lodgings, and the Police were called in: it was found that his boxes had been unlocked and rifled; and that Foreign RailwayBonds and other securities for money, to the amount of 4,0001, with 3001 in cash, had been carriedOIE Towards the end of the week, it was remembered that the Swedish lady had been to his rooms late on Sunday evening, and had access to his drawers and boxes, as had been her practice, with his permission, many times before. Manning had also been heard to use threats against Mr. O'Connor. The Police repaired to Mi- nerva Place, and found Manning's house locked up. On forcing their way in, they found the place bare of furniture and deserted; and they discovered that Manning had left the neighbourhood on Tuesday last, having sold all his goods to a broker and manifested a desire to be off as soon as possible. The house and garden at Minerva Place were searched for evidences of guilt; and at last, in the back kitchen, it was noted that one of the flag-stones of the floor appeared to have been recently lifted. On removing the pavement, the soil was found loose ; and on digging, the body of the murdered man was found. "It was lying on the face, with the legs doubled up and tied to the haunches." A quantity of lime had been buried with the body, which was already corroded and decomposing. A surgeon who was brought in examined the body, and found that Mr. O'Connor had been shot: "two slugs were discovered near the temple." No report of fire- arms had been heard, and therefore it is suspected that an air-gun had been used. A number of the Detective Police have been despatched to the seaport towns; but no traces of Manning or his female companion have yet been discovered. Rebecca Smith, who was convicted last week at Devizes of the murder of her infant by poison, has confessed to having killed seven other of her infant children in the same way—" fearing that they would come to want." Out of eleven chil- -dren that she has had, only one is at present alive.
Mary Ann Guestling' who was convicted at Lewes Assizes of murdering her husband, has confessed her crime.
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