The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-05-21 00:00:00

mi STOLIIIIRTDGE OBSERVER-

cork remained in the neck of it, and emelt of poison. I said
I thought it was poison, and the moment I said so the
prisoner, who was standing in the dock with a very high
raU in front of him, suddenly fell head foremost over
the front. I had him carried to the reserve room and laid
on the table, and sent for Dr. Godrich. Ile speedily arrived,
and was with the prisoner about two hours, during which
time he showed no slime of conscimumess I kept him in the
station till the following morning, and then by the advice of
Dr. Godrich sent him to St. George's Hospital in a cab. We
gave him an emetic. I think he understood what was said
to him.

Prisoner declined to ask this witness & question.
After some further evidence bad been given relative to
the morder of Mr Lieulin, the prisoner was again remanded.
ihe prisoner's wife wee in the reserve room but did not see
her husband.

TIIE INQUEST ON MR. lILTELIN.

On Monday the circumstances attending the atro-
cious murders were further elucidated before the
coroner's juries, for two separate inquests Were held,
and at one a verdict was delivered.
The first inquiry was held by Dr. Diplock, the
NVest Middleseiccoronr, at the theaea Workhouse,
on the body of Mr. Fluelin, when some of the evidence
which had previously been given in the police-court
wAs taiterated.

After the jury had been sworn, they went to see the body,
which lay in the mortuary of the workhouse; and they then
went to view the house, 24, Wellington-square, where the
murder was committed. The house is an eight or ten
roomed one, narrowly bnilt, and letting probably at some-
thing between £3O and .C4O a year. The workmen's tools
which had been used in repairing the rooms were still
lying about. In the front lutchen, a good.sigad room at
the basement, marks of blood are visible on the boards,
and a single stain may be seen on the window which looks
into the street area. The eqmsre is, however, so quiet that
a Crime such as this might be committed in an untenanted
house at midday without arresting the attention of any
one outside, It seems to be highly probable that the
murderer, after the deed was done, and before he called
in the man to dig the hole, stowed away the body
in a small dark closet or cupboard under the stairs
immediately behind the water-closet. The so-called
garden, at the back of the house, is a email in.
closure or yard about twenty-four feet square, sur-
rounded by high walls and effectually shut out from being
overlooked from the neighbouring houses. Here the hole
was dug under the wall of the closet. The head of the de.
ceased was lying inside, and his legs outside, the closet. A
large quantity of earth must then have been filled in, for
there is quite a considerable mound of gravel le the back
yard._ . . .

On the jury returning to the board.room—
William Watts, a detective gave evidence as to finding the
body of Mr. fluelin in the house No. t, Wellingtomsqusre.
He stated that several constables had been searching for the
body unavailingly until they received information from a
labourer named Payne, when, on searching a particular spot
near the basement water-closet, they found the body, which
was without a coat, and a rope was about the neck. There
was no drain where the body was, and the only implements
found in the house were a pickaxe and shovel. Edward
Clough, • second detective of the seine division, confirmed
this evidence, and deposed to discovering in the same house
the hat of deceased, crushed, and with blood Inside. The
hat was struck in such a manner as to lead to the belief that
a sharp blow had been given to the wearer from behind.

Fresh evidence was given by a labourer named Edward
James Payne, who gave the information to the police as to
the spot in which decessed was buried. He stated that on
Monday, the 9th, Miller, whom he had known for some two
or three years, come to him and asked him to "do a job."
He went at about half-past twelve o'clock to 24, Wellington-
square, and Miller, who had the key, opened the door and
admitted him. saying that he wanted a drain dug. He
pointed out the spot to be dug as near the basement water.
closet and witness remarked that was a "rem place'
fora drain: to which Miller rejoined that he was going to
shift another. The work occupied abort an hour and a half,
at the end of which time the prisoner, who had lain on some
straw smoking a pipe and looking on, said, " 'too had better
go now, as the old gentleman may come in." Miller then
walked upstairs with witness, and going into the front
parlour, took a notice of the "house to let" eat of the
window, remarking, " This house Is let." Miller went out
witb witness and told him to come at eight the nest morn.
tee to finish the work. \Vanesn went, but there was no one
in the house.

Mr. Turner, a member of the Royal College of Surgeons,
who had been called to one the body, said he found a piece
of cord tied tightly round the neck, but that would not
account for death, for he should say it had been put on after-
wards. On making a peat martens etamination he found a
bruise on the left side of the head, the temple, as If from a
heavy blow. At the hada of Lisa neck, or rather the base
of the skull, there were two holes scarcely as large as
peas, and on pressing the parts the brain protruded.
There were no other external marks of violence. The holes
mentioned were sufficient to account for death, the cause of
which was fracture of the base of the skull. fie did not
think such an instrument as the pickaxe would have pro-
ducA the holes. They were so excessively small that it
moat have been a very sharp instrument, much sharper than
the pick. The holes broke into the cells at the back of the
ear.

A juror suggested that perhaps the old gentleman was
ntruck down by 9 shovel, an the condition 01 the hat indi-
cated, and that. nail had been struck into the brain.

The witness further expressed himself as of opinion that
the r,pe was tied round the neck after death, and that by it
the body had been dragged along.
- - - -

James Smith, the man whose evidence has been reported
in the police-court evidence, was re-called. He appeared
much excited, and wanted to have persons called and
questioned as to facts relating to himself. The evidence he
had given before the magistrate respecting the prisoner
coveting the money possessed by the two deceased persons
and some other matters was then read by the Coroner and
attested as the evidence of the witness, who said he bore the
prisoner no ILI-will, only he did think the prisoner might
have got him charged as well.
Sir. Edward Iluelin, a yonng man, the nephew of the de-
ceased gentleman, stated that he formerly lived at 15,
Paulton's-square, with his uncle, and of late had been at a
farm in Lincolnshire, where he expected to see his uncle
last week. Elts Identified some of the articles found on the
prisoner, as spectacles and case, penknife, pencil, rent-hook,
an odd glove the fellow of this glove was found on the body
of the deceased, to be the property of the deceased, anti
generally carried about with him. The prisoner lived in a
house be lonizing tube deceased, and witness had "en sent in
March ast for arrears of rent.

Mr. Jaynes Ray, an Inspector of the Scotlandlard detec-
tive police, stated that en Thursday he was at Chelsea
police station, when it woman named Margaret Ann Miller
came and identified as her husband Walter Miller, who
then etoed charged with the murder of Ann Boss. The
prisoner was then insensible, or appeared to he so and the
woman gave as her address 24. s.ymour place. At that
house witness, who was accompanied by superintendent
Fisher, found in a boo papers ac-dressed to Mr. Muelin,
such as abstracts of title., and other psyche relating to
property papers of some lOut, and a bunch of keys, and
trousers with bloodstalps on the thigh. Ile then described
the steps which were taken by the police in tracing out the
dead body at Welllngtonsimare. The hat and stick of
deceased wore toned under boards which had been screwed
down, anti at the place where a 13,dy was found a drain stone
had been let in to give the appearance that there was a drain
there. Some surprise was created by the witnese saying that
to all appearance the old man was killed In the Morning, and
his body was concealed in a cupboard In the back kitchen
until after the hole was dug,

31re. Middleton, the enmesh who, with het daughter, had
been put in possession if the house by the prisoner under
the guise 01 a feline:Jur, wan then re-ealihd, and she said
that, though she had no doubt how that the prisoner and
the "French foreigner" egehe one and the same, yet so
Well was the dlegnise &Shamed that she was deceived. Ile
brought her the key at a' out twelve or half-past on Monday,
the 9th, told her he was Mr. Huelin's nephew, with a request
to take care of the house, she having been employed there
before, and the next morning, when Miller came In his
working dress, she told him a Frenchman had given her
the key.
*The witness was cross.examined at great length by another
witness, and he questioned her with s..ine bananas. auto her
not finding out that the prisoner and the 'Frenchman" were
one and when, lb the course of his own testimony, he made
the mistake of confounding the woman with her daughter he
raised a laugh against himself which eveu the serious nature
of the Inquiry could not suppress. The woman's (laughter
was then called, and she gave her evidence in a clear :Ind
straightforward manner, supporting the testimony her
mother had given. From this evidence it appeared that
Miller treated the house as his own, and actually went after
rent which snnie tenants were ready to pay. He alternately
appeared in his disguise, with spectaeles and a beard, and in
his working dress.
Evidence was then given With testeket to the house being
found unmoved on Monday eight, atid it appeared from this
that a neighbour saw the btek door open of the Faulton's-
square house and told the police, with whom he effected an
entry. They found In one room a pail and the room half
scrubbed, but nothing more, and it was thought the old
gentleman had gone into the country, and that some accident
had overtaken the housekeeper.
Harriett Sibley, a widow, living in Brompton, Mated that
she was at tea with the Millers on Sunday, the sth, at 26,
Seymour place, Fulham.road, Millet Was at home when
she went, at shout 5 o'c'ock In the afternoon, and she left
him there when (he Went away, at about 9 o'clock at
night. The witness recounted the conversation between
the old Mrs_ Middleton, who was also there and the
Millers, In which there was no point. lin Monday witness
welsh again at about 4 o'clock (afterwards she said half an
hour later and hillier was having tea AM( dinner together.
He hail on a pair of light trousers; he pet on a 'clean shirt
and a paper collar while she was there; to fact. he changed
h 4 things. When witness went In Mrs. Stiller was ironing a
shirt for Miller, and he seemed in good spirits. Mrs. Miller
did not wash the shirt out.

The wittesa Piper was recalled : Ile stated that Miller,
when he called for a van on Wednesday night, was attired,
and spoke with a lonia-a accent, saying, " VIII yen," and
such like ; but when wane. detected the blood, and re-
fused to leave his hold of his prisoner, Miller staWiped, and
then spoke in broad Scotch-Engliab.

Farther evidence was then given touching the death of
Mrs. Ann Boss, and after the Coroner had briefly summed
up, the Jury returned a verdict that the deceased, Ann
Boss, was feloniously slain by Walter Miller, who had there-
by committed murder, and they sppendel to their verdict
an expression of opinion that the witness riper deserved a
reward at the hands of the county magistrates.

Throughout the whole of Sunday, Pennon's and Welling
ton squares were visited by crowde of people, although in
one case nothing was to be seen but an empty house, and on
the other an ordinary dwelling house with the blinds all
drawn down. The gaping crowd had not even the satisfac
tion of knowing that the dead bodies were inside the houses,
as they had both been removed to the workhouse to await
the inquest. The steamboats and omnibuses to Chelsea were
crowded from an early hour in the morning with visitors to
the scene; and the King's-road presented all the appearance
of a gala day. A body of police were ['tattooed at each house
to keep off intruders.

The prisoner has been well known throughout the district
for the last two or three years as a jobbing plasterer, paper-
hanger, and bricklayer, and bore but an indifferent character,
but was not considered at all a violent or quarrelsome man.
Hula. licotchman, and came from Glasgow with his wife and
one child, leaving another with a relative In Scotland. The
wife, who is a steady and respectable young woman, is an
oiled of much commiseration amongst her neighbours
owing to the distressing circumstances in which she is
placed.

and pay some rent, and when he coins home would we tell
him she had been, as he had made an appointment to come
himself in the afternoon to transfer the house to an in-coming
tenant. At ten o'clock on Monday night I felt Bo anxious
about them, and no convinced they never would have
gone out without saying something, that I went to the
pollee-station and saw the inspector. He thought what
I told him wait very strange, and sent a policeman with
me with orders to see the other man on the beat, and go
into the house. The two policemen came through my
house, and we all three got over the wall and went into Mr.
Heulin's by the door that was open. We went all over the
house, and what confirmed my suspicions was that the carpets
of the first floor back bedroom were up; only one-hall of the
floor was damp, as though some one had been scrubbing it
and fetched away Just as it was half done; the pail stood in
the middle of the room, and the scrubbing-brush close by
We shut the back windows and bolted the back doors, and
thinking that nothing was disturbei we let ourselves out at
the front door. At five o'clock on Tuesday morning we
heard some one knocking at Mr. Iluelin's dom. Ateight o'clock
there was the same kind of knock at his door, and a woman
who is now in my home u a monthly nurse went outside, an
seeing hillier there with two zinc pails and dressed in his
plasterer's dress told him that it was no use knocking, to
which he stumbled, "Oh, I suppose they are out,"and turned
off. About a quarter to nine Mrs. Mycldleton and her
daughter came, and after standing in front let themselves
into the house. I then went to Mr. Carter's house, who I
knew to be a great confidant of Mr. Ituelin's. He came
down and very closely questioned Mrs. Myildleton es to
their right to be In the house, but on their telling him they
were there by Mr. E twin's orders he came away. I was
out the whole of Tuesday, but on my return my wife and
the monthly nurse, who was upstairs witn her, told me
there had been such an altercation going on—each a ter-
rible noise, banging of doors, and running up and down-
stairs, as though persons were quarrelling. About a quarter
to eleven o'clock a cab that had been to Mr. Muslin's house
before drove up again, and we again went out to see who it
was, and what was going on. The monthly nurse also went,
out, anti on seeing the man get out, she immediately said,
"Why, that man that has just got out of the cab is the very
man that I saw there this morning with the plasterer's pails."
He then asked the woman at the door something inn hurried
manner, and without any affectation then of French
accent, said to the cabman, "49, Park-walk." Ile came
back about a quarter-past eleven, alit then paid to the
woman, "Give the cabman a g'ass of wine." The cabman
then went into the house to drink it, and meantime we
took the number of the cab, "7th." When the cabman
went away he left Miller in the house, and be then said,
" Niniro'clock to-morrow." Precisely at nine on Wednesday
night the cab drove out. Then afterwards the van was
brought by Piper as narrated in the evidence. I then went
across to fetch Mr. Carter, who had more right to interfere
than I, and on returning found Miller affecting a French
accent, endeavouring to get away from Piper, and saying,
"Me vetch von police, me vetch von pollee."

A BISHOP'S OPINIONS ON THE
EDUCATIONAL QUESTION.
_ .

The Bishop of Manchester, preaching on Sunday in
his cathedral on behalf of the National Society, again
expressed his opinion that the religious difficulty in
education is only theoretically formidable. He had
never yet met with a clever thinker who had been able
to solve it upon paper. He had read statement after
statement, scheme after scheme and bill after bill,
but upon the face of all there haff stood out, in theory,
that so-called difficulty; while in every day practice,
search where they might, it had almost no existence.
So microscopic was it, that any bold statesman, in
framing a great national Measure, might safely pass it
by. The theoretical bads of the difficulty, formidable
as it might be dressed out by argument, was not sound.
HMIS assumed that the English nation was composed of
sects differing almost as widely as Mabometans, Hin-
' doom, and Christians, whom it was impossible to fuse
, into one common system of religious belief. First,
their religious differences were exaggerated ; and then
it was said, "see what difficulties the differences be-
tween Christians produce ! Differences there un-
doubtedly were upon such matters as the wder and
government of the Church, the number of the orders
of the clergy, and the independence or dependence of
individual congregations; but where they to be told
that because it was difficult, with their miner dif-
ferences, to arrange a satisfactory theory, therefore
they must get rid of all their religion, and secularize
their schools?