The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-10-02 00:00:00

THE STEPNEY MURDER,

Within Us last f.. days the detective officers from
Scotland-yard charged with the endeavour to discover
the tour ierer of are. Einaley hare elicited some new
circumstances having an apparent bearing upon the
matter. These we state in their naked simplicity, just
lii they hare been rommuniciated by persons preowned
to be elmve all others well itif.ineed on the suhject.
Feeling, however, all the responsibility which attache.
to the publication of statements affecting it may be,
however re 1111 l tely, • man now charged on suspicion with
concerned in a capital offence, it is necessary to
suggest caution in deiliocing infereitces, inasmuch as the
circumstances to which anus is made may possibly
l. hereafter related in different terms. miner the obli-
gations of an oath, before a judicial tribunal, MA with
all the usual safeguaids for testing their truth.
First of all, a man named Mitchell, living at Hoxton.
and employed as a workman in the docks, has quite
recently volunteered the mention of a circumstance to
the police authorities which, lie says, made a strong im-
pression 411 his mind at lb.. moment, and a
still stronger one after the discovery of the
murder. he is understood to have stated
that about 5 o'clock on Tuesday morning, the 14th of
August—the murder being presumed on all hands to
have been committed on the previous evening,—as he
was on hi* way from Boston to the docks he met a man,
a stranger to him, near Stepney-green, going towards
thi• Bow-road, whose appearance arid nismier attracted
1.1 . Ruddier!. This stranger as be appear :hell seemed
I'. him—hut that WM only his first impression—to be
slightly Mitchell had his bawls in the side
prise:, of a woollen jailed lie wore. The stranger as
lie came sear him stopped suddenly right in front of him
for a ment, and stanid at him in en extraordinary
manner, an iiirch so that Mitchell instinctively pulled
both his !Wilds out I.f his 'wickets for the purpose iif self-
defetic,, if it -houltl be necessary. But they passed melt
other without exchanging words, the strangergiving him
the notion, by his manner, that he could have wished to
avoid him. A day or two ago Mitchell was taken to the
Clerkenwell House of Detention, where Mullins is con.
unit, to we if he could recognize among the prisoners
there the Wan WhOM lie hel met under such circum-
stances jost states'. Most stringent precautions
were taken that the examination on his part should be
pletely from • all external bias. Sergeants
Tanner and Thomes, who acconipanied
were charged to remain outside the prison while
I,e went inside upon hi* errand. He was attended by a
gaoler, an utter stranger to titus, who, without speaking
to him, "rimed the separate cells of unite 20 or :10 pri-
soners, and thus allowed him to have a careful look at
each—the result being that, after scrutinizing some 18
or 20 prisoners, lie identified Mullins as the loan whom
he met near Stepney-green, although the prisoner was
dreasel in different clothes from those which Mitchell
sail the stranger wore on the morning in question.
Another circ 1111 l stance is that a silver or German
silver pencil-male has recently leen delivered up to the
lie a poem)! at • publichome in Chelsea. near
where Mullins lived, which lie eaid was sold to him by
Mrs. Mullins ; and this pencil-case Mr. Biggs, the
amanuensis of Mrs. Einsley, is said to be prepared to
prove belonged to her.
For the moment a document is missing to which some
importance is attributed. On the essinination of the
house of the deceased on the day On which the murder
was discovered • receipt was found bearing what pur-
ported to he the signature, written in pencil, of
Mullins, to a bill for some work lie had done for her.
This document, which is said to hays been dated
on the day on the evening of which the murder was
committed, and to have been found on • table
in some part of the house. was sealed up in an envelope
by Mr. Rose, the decereaeil's solicitor, who was prevent
at the examination, addressed to Inepector Thornton,
or to Scothind-yard, and battled for safe custody to
Inspector Herresey, of the local divisional police. It is
w !sting for the present, hid it is not suppemed to be
absolutely lost,—hopes being entertained that it may yet
be found in is collection of papers belonging to the
ileceatied, If which it is said the police, or the authorities
at the Treasury, have the possession.
Again, a man's Med has been found in • dmithole con.
neete.l with a house in which Mullins and hie family
lived in Oxford-street, Chelsea, at and a short time
after the murder, and this is reported to correspond
with the impression of • footmark found in blood on the
.tairs of the deceased on the day on which the murder
was dkooier,.d.

A melancholy incident happened at the house of Mrs.
Einsley on Friday morning. A police constable named
Watson has been living there with his family in charge
.d the hosse since the murder. His little boy, four years
.d ~ge, fell out f a window at the buck of the house.and
gustained injuries so serious that he died in a few
minutes afterwarls. An inquest was held on &turtle,'
.in the unfurtunato child, resulting in a verdict of
" Accidental death."

On Wedneolay Walter Thomas Emma, a boot and
shoe maker, shout 45 years of age, and dwelling as the
time of his arrest in Einsley's brick field. Drove-street,
llethn•Jgreen, and James NUMMI. aged aka plasterer,
were brought up on remand before Mr. Self* at the
Theme. police-court, charged with the wilful murder of
Mrs. Mary Emsley, a widow lady, on or about the
15th of August last, at No. 9, Drove-rove, Mile-end-
road. Stepney.
The legal gentlenten engaged in the case were—Mr.
Wnutner, for the prosecution ; Mr.Uharles Young, on
the part of EllOllll. ; and Mr. Hubert Wood, for Mullins.
Mr. T. W. Itateliff, of Dean Uolet House, Stepney, and
solicitor for tLe executors and relatives of the demand,
and Mr. Rose, • solicitor, were also in attendance,
and assisted Mr. Woutner in the conduct of this
important inquiry.
liullinimappesriml to he ill, care-worn, and agitated
when he was placed in the felons' dock. He paid great
•ttenti ~,, to the evidence, and was in frequent com•
munication with Mr. Wood, his so,iritor, throughout
the day. Ens tis, who was iti good health and spirits,
snil who had been out on boil, surrendered.

Mr. Wootuer *aid that before calling any witnesses he
would direct the attention of the magistrate to what
was brought before him in evidence on the last °emission
reference to the charge against Ellthle. lie was now
prepare.; to ray that, from all the inquiries he had made,
and from information that had been communicated to
him, there was no fonnilation for the charges that had
teen in Me againat hint by Mullina, and that in his (Mr.
Wontrieee) opinion he was entirely inuoceut.
. . .

Mr. Selfe.lla Emma in court?
Mr. Young.—He is, Sir, and he attends upon Si,
hail. (Mr. Young here called to Ewa to come for-
ward.
_Vllliereupon Emma haying dour an).

Mr. Seife addremed him and raid,--It ii.as been inti-
mated to me by the gentleman who conducts the prose-
cution that there is no ground for detaining you any
longer in custody. You are, therefore, discharged,
there being no imputation upon you as to any implica-
tion in the murder of Mrs. Einsloy.
. . .

lie was then discharged (roil; his bail, and was
.lirected to remain in court in case his evidence should
. . . . . .

, --
Mr. Wontner then said that he believed he should
be able to bring such evidence before the Court A.
would tend to bring home to the pri.iner the charge of
having murdered the unfortunate old Lily Mrs. Emsley.
It wsu necessary that should cuter into minute
details of all the circumstances connected with this
horrible murder. There was no doubt that the uitfor-
tnitate old lady hail been brutally murdered, and it WAS
well known not °Lily to the prisoner, but inane persons
in the neighbourhood, that she WWI possessed of con-
siderable property. There was no doubt that a know•
ledge of these facto led the person, whoever lie may be,
to commit the murder. It wee also known that she was
unattended by any domestic servant. and that ahe
resided alone in the boil.. It will appear in the course
of the inquiry that deceased watched with considerable
scrutiny every person who called upon her, and that she
refused admierion altogether to any person who WAS •
%tr.liger to her ; !Uhl when A person who Was A stranger
to her called, that she MIS in the habit of •peaking to
the person either from a window in the area, in order
to know what was the business the person came on.
'llia he considered was an important feature in the
chain of inquiry, as it would lead to thiii inference,
that as there had not been found any forcible entry,
the person who had obtained admission into the
home, whoever he MAAI, was no stranger to her, and
tore was little doubt but that tie WAS the guilty person.
The trot bran, h of the inquiry bearing on the CSUIe WOUlti
11110 W that there was hut little doubt that the murder
tsok place on the 1311 i of August, after which deceased
wail 'lever inure seen alive. Mer death was discovered
on Friday, the 17th. It would be neceasary now to trace
Chic moeementa of Mrs. Enoiley. On the day of the
murder the deceased lady, as was her custom, went out
among her tenants to collect her rent. The prisoner
knew that that was her custom, and that she WAS in the
habit of collecting a considerable sum with which she
would return home. On the evening of that day, it
would he stated by a witness—a young lady who lived
~ppse.ite the house in which the docessed resided, that
she saw her at the window, seated on the chair,
.spparently counting her iii,, ney. She would also state
Clint it .as alwav• her habit to close her shutters at
duck, mid that on the night in question, at the usual
till]. of the blinds being 110 c n, they were not no, and
that the windows were partly open. She woulil also
show that when she got up the next morning she found
the blinds and windows in the Caine state. This would
tend to establish the fact that the ilereASell was niur-
dered on the evening of that day, the 1:511 ult. Then
the question was, was the Ironer the peewit' who imm-
'Meted the murder, and was there any circumstance
i,aolving him? On the following Friday her tartly Was
discovered. Whether the murderer found any Moller
Wan not certain, but the probability was that if he did
it Was flint Much, LW only shout £4O was found among
mine coals And WOO,l in the cellar. Upon the discovery
of the murder, the police exerted themselves very
energetically to discover the murderer, •nd nearly a
month elapsed before any clue could be obtained. On
Sunday, the t/th of September, a communication WAS
10.010 to C 1,,, police, leading to the suspicion that El•OIA
was the person implicated. This charge was made by
Mullins, who alleged that about ti o'clock in the niorri•
ing of the previous day, lie saw him (E I place what
he considered a parcel laMind A stone in • shml, • churl
distacuce from Ilia (Einins) house, and he further stated
that he thought it colitained liroperty taken from the
11111 lady's house. Mr. It-outlier here entered iiito
letails of the evidence an given by lospector Thornton,
Sergeant Tanner, and SPIVOillt Thomas an, to the COn.
&let of Mullins on that occasion, and observed that, a,
if by some intervoition of Providence the police, who
viewml with suspicion the conduct of Mullins,
then and there took him into custody. Then
the lernel was observed to be tied up
with • piece of Won end, another piece similar to it
having been found on the inantlealtelf at the prisoner's
lodging, a hile a hammer was also dincovered there, it
being state.l that the injuries the deceased received
were inflicted with such an instrument. All theare
cumatances lie tltought would Ire conclusive as to the
priatiner's participation Imu the murder. He WOUI.I Ito
Able to show that Ellin!, could not be the guilty person,
us lie should be able to bring forward evidence that on
the !light of the murder lie was in the country on •
'demure excursion, and did not return home till past 12
that night, whereas on that occasion there was no evi-
dence to show where Mullins was. What was known
liilll that day WAS, that on the afternoon of that day
lie wits engaged in Ids occupation as a plaaterer, that he
left that job unfioialied, promoting to return the follow'
tug morning, but that he dhl sot do so, Anti he WAS not
acts WI about the nOddle of the following day. He did
not account for where he had been, and the only infer,
'tic,' to he drawn WAS that he was at the old lady's
'Hat this was the case seem., intiet probable from a Lir..
cumstative that occurred on the Tue.day woruing.
which wagNl stoat almost dramatic in its character

and which he would state. About 5 o'clock that MOM
mg a man who WaS going to his enajdoyment at the
docks happened to we Mullins. Ile (Mullins) aPluari,l
pale and in an excited state. The man gazed on Mullins
intently, and stated that lie judged from him IMullitos'.)
manner that he thought him an utbcer in plain clothes.
Ile, neon hearing of the murder, co 'wed with
the police. Sines the last rzatniustiou this man had
been to the Home of Detention, where he went into
every cell, in each of which were wow prisoners. In
one of them was Mullins, who, upon being seen by the
man, war instantly identified by hint, though he was
dr,,,0el in different clothes from what lie hail on on the
Tuesday morning in question. There were two other
circumstances it was his iluty to allude to, %lila would
ion,' to prove the prisoner's coommoion with tlw
murder. One was that a silver pe cd-casor which was
known to have been in the posatosion of the ilocew.e.l,
and which hail some spots f blood oil it, had been odd
by the prisoner's (Mullins) wife to a person in Chelrea,
and another was that at the hoter in which the iinsoner
lived with his wife and family a Illueber bout Wad 10111111
by Inspector Thornton in a duathole there. This bad
large nails in the sole of it, each of which corresponded
with nailouarks to which lie had alluded ma having been
observed on the land. Ile then called his witnesses,
whose testimony went far to hear the foregoing state
went.
After s-ane consultation in an undertone between Mr.
Woottsee and Mr. Sells an adjournment was agreed to
until the following Tuesday afternoon, and the poiaoner
Was formally remand.. I until th..t