Nothing much has been discovered in relation to the Hoxton
murder this week, but it appears from the three days' inquest that no valuable property at all was taken out of the house by the murderer. The great point to be decided is whether the murder was a murder for plunder or not. That the most careful search was made for something is obvious. Was it for the will? If so, why should it have been put in a paper-bag under the sofa,—as we have been told, though not yet on the inquest? Or was it for some other document, and did the murderer succeed or not in his search ? It would seem that he had at least an hour and a half for his operations. The clock in the parlour which he had disturbed in his search had stopped, one report of the inquest says at a quarter to twelve, and another report says at twelve,— the reporters being by no means in perfect accordance on several points,—and the little boy who was the first to rouse the neigh- bourhood did not enter the shop till a quarter-past one. It is not likely that the murderer disturbed the clock till after he had ransacked the more probable receptacles for whatever he was searching after, so that he must have had full an hour and a half for his bloody work and his subsequent search. No foot- steps have been traced in the house, though there were several pools of blood. The criminal must have been exceedingly col- lected and cautious, so completely to avoid carrying about the house any traces of himself.
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