audience made a hostile demonstration at the
conclusion of the performance of _I Puritani_. An explanation
made by Laporte only made matters worse, and eventually the
Tamburinists took possession of the stage.]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

_6th May 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He has just
received this from Lord John Russell--a most shocking event,[15] which
your Majesty has probably by this time heard of. The persons who did
it came for the purpose of robbing the house; they entered by the back
of the house and went out at the front door.[16] The servants in the
house, only a man and a maid, never heard anything, and the maid, when
she came down to her master's door in the morning, found the horrid
deed perpetrated....

[Footnote 15: The murder of Lord William Russell by his valet,
Courvoisier, in Norfolk Street, Park Lane.]

[Footnote 16: This was the original theory.]

[Pageheading: MURDER OF LORD WILLIAM RUSSELL]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

_6th May 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. Since he
wrote to your Majesty, he has seen Mr Fox Maule,[17] who had been
at the house in Norfolk Street. He says that it is a most mysterious
affair. Lord William Russell was found in his bed, quite dead, cold
and stiff, showing that the act had been perpetrated some time. The
bed was of course deluged with blood, but there were no marks of blood
in any other part of the room; so that he had been killed in his bed
and by one blow, upon the throat, which had nearly divided his head
from his body. The back door of the house was broken open, but there
were no traces of persons having approached the door from without.
His writing-desk was also broken open and the money taken out, but
otherwise little or nothing had been taken away. The police upon duty
in the streets had neither heard nor seen anything during the night.
In these circumstances strong suspicion lights upon the persons in
the house, two maids and a man, the latter a foreigner[18] and who had
only been with Lord William about five weeks. These persons are now
separately confined, and the Commissioners of Police are actively
employed in enquiring into the affair. An inquest will of course be
held upon the body without delay.

Lord Melbourne has just received your Majesty's letter, and will
immediately convey to Lord John your Majesty'