Another female murdered

Another Female Murdered. - At an early hour on Tuesday morning, the neighbourhood of Frederick-street, Regent's Park, was thrown into the greatest state of excitation, in consequence of Anna Davis, a fine young woman, 21 years of age, barmaid in the service of Mr. Wadley, the proprietor of the King's-arms wine Vaults, situate at the corner of Laxton-place, in the above street, having been found with her throat cut, in a dreadful manner, and under circumstances which prove, beyond doubt, that she must have been murdered.

It appears, that the unfortunate victim was a native of Wales, and was much esteemed for her steadiness and attention to business. It was customary for her to rise early, and on the morning in question, she rose about six o'clock, and having procured the keys from her master, she went down stairs, and proceeded to unlock the place, before any one else in the house was stirring. About twenty minutes afterwards, a mechanic named Hall, residing in the same street, passed by, and seeing the door open, went in for the purpose of procuring a glass of beer. He called out, but could make nobody hear; he then looked over the counter, and was horrified at perceiving the floor of the bar deluged with blood. He ran to the staircase and gave an alarm, and in a few seconds, the pot boy, Jones, came running down half dressed, and in his progress, he stumbled over the body of the deceased, which was lying on a mat, on the landing, at the top of the first flight.

Lights having been procured, the deceased was examined, when a fearful gash was perceived on the right side of her throat, which had completely severed the windpipe, the carotid and other arteries.

In a few minutes afterwards, Sergeants Moody and Gladman, of the S division, arrived; the body was then carried into the front room first floor, and placed on a table. Surgical aid was sought for, when Drs. Swain and Johnson, of Albany Street, promptly attended, but of course could be of no service in restoring vitality, the unfortunate young creature being quite dead, though the body was warm.

The shutters, which to this time were up, were now taken down, when a strict examination of the premises took place. The counter was found sprinkled with blood, which was traced along the bar floor up the stairs, to the place where the body was found. Attention was next directed to the door leading into the street, where the bloody print of apparently a man's fingers, was distinctly seen on it; but no blood could be traced along the floor leading in that direction, which, had the deceased cut her own throat, would not have been the case.

A bloody table knife was found near the spot, with which the deed was no doubt perpetrated, and it is the opinion of the medical gentlemen alluded to, and other persons capable of forming an opinion, that the illfated young woman had been suddenly seized by the murderer, while her back was turned on him behind the counter, and that while in this situation he forcibly drew her head towards him, and committed the horrid deed, after which he hastily withdrew. The object which the ruffian had in view does not appear, as she had no sweet-heart or followers, and the motive could not have been plunder, as a quantity of money and other property remained in the bar untouched.

We are induced to give the results of Dr. Swain's examination of the wound, as stated almost immediately after the occurrence. After a minute examination of the wound, and of the place where the event occurred, he said, on being asked his opinion, that he had no doubt the poor girl had been murdered. That at the moment the act was committed, she must have been standing with her back to the bar, which is very narrow, across which her head had been drawn by the clump of hair behind, and the wound inflicted suddenly, with great force, and by one single action, which had separated the integuments, muscles, windpipe, and right carotid artery, down to the vertebrae of the neck. Some one present having expressed surprise that she should be found on the little landing place, about six steps up, and wondering how, with such a wound in her throat, she could have got there, he said that from appearances on her right hand and arm, and on the clothes about her bosom, she had evidently, the moment the deed was perpetrated, placed her hand over the wound to check the effusion of blood; and not being enabled, of course to use her voice, she had, in order to alarm the family, naturally sought the stair-case, which in her terror she appears to have mistaken, turning the wrong way, as was evident from the trace of blood on the floor; but on ascending which, becoming exhausted, she had fallen on the first landing place, where she bled to death. The putting the hand to the wound accounted for so little blood being found on the floor about the bar, as what oozed through the fingers ran down the bosom, and was absorbed by the clothes, until she fell. On being asked whether she might not have committed the act herself, he said it was impossible.