The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-27 00:00:00

• or the office on that occasion, he turned round and
remarked that the ceiling was still a little damp,
and he thought the boiler was not fairly repaired.
That was the only complaint he ever made before
the explosion. I never instructed him how to pre-
vent the water running into the kitchen by turning
the vvater tap. No such conversation ever took place
between us. I did not understand the arrangement
of the pipes in the house. After the serend cum-
-plaint I believe our clerk saw there was no neces-
sity for further repairs, but that the ceiling weanot
faiTly dried out. The clerk's name is Francis Edgar
He saw the place; I never did. I swear distinctly
that up to the time of the explosion I never
award any complaints from anybody respecting
the nipes to the boiler except the two complaints
I have mentioned. Shortly before the first rent
became .lue, the prisoner came to say ho was sorry
he must
,ave the place because his health was
giving WAY,
and that we need not trouble our-
selves, as L`e find a respectable tenant, and
first arrange
with him as to his fixtures, &c., and
then bring him
down to us. We consented to accept
tenant. It was sometime about
any respectable
Christmas. The rtant was to be payable on quarter
day. The rent due
in December was not a full quar-
ter. He came, I think, with a new tenant before
the new year, but we li;d :tot accept him as a tenant,
because he could not settle with Mr. Taylor about
the fixtures. I will swear the' was the reason. I
believe an agreement had been mule about the fix_
tures with Taylor, and a deposit pa..4d. Taylor had
asked .£35 for the fixtures from Godulln, the pro-
posed new tenant, but when Godden found what
Taylor had paid us he would not have them. My
father wanted a list of the fixtures in order to be
sure that the prisoner, however unintentionally, did
not dispose of anything that would have to be
claimed as landlord's fixtures; and he told Godden
that Taylor might be including some of the land-
lord's fixtures. We laid out £lO in beautifying
the house when Taylor went in. I don't know
whether Taylor himself laid out anything.
It was upon hearing from my father that
the bargain went off. On February 3,
1862, we distrained for the rent due on the pre-
vious 25th of December. That was the .first dis-
traint. We had sent down twice for the rent: The
explosion was on the 19th of January, between the
time of producing the tenant and the time of the
distraint. It was previous to the explosion that we
sent down twice for the rent. After the explosion
we could get no attention at the door ; the place
was kept closed. Robert and Charles Garnett were
the owners of the property. We communicated
with Mr. Robert Garnett, on the Thursday after
the inquest, as to the explosion at Taylor's house ;
he was made acquainted with the circumstances,
and we gave him two newspaper reports which had
been previously addressed to him. It was not by
his instructions that we distrained after the acci-
dent; he allowed my father to use his own discre-
tion. My father and the-clerk attended the inquest.
I was not there. I was in Cheshire on business.
I went as my father's substitute, and he went to the
inquest. When I went, however, I did not know
the child had died. We knew of the accident. I
had inquired of Taylor in Strangeways on the
Monday how the child was. After the inquest the
prisoner frequently complained that nothing was
done in the way of compensation. He sent in a
claim at our request, and we said we would answer
it. We did answer it, and denied all liability. It
was his own fault that the accident occurred.
Mr. Pope—The jury did not think so.
_ _

Mr. Meller—l was not at the inqueSt to contra-
dict their opinion. We did not tell him it was his
own fault. When I went down to see the place he
told me my father had told him to turn off the tap.
I could not contradict it then. He told me how the
accident had occurred, and I made some inquiries,
and, not fully satisfied, I returned again to Taylor,
and questioned him as to where the children were
during the explosion. Then he told me that the
three children were in the kitchen and the eldest
had gone into the scullery. Previously he had said
the eldest child had gone upstairs, I was not surprised
at the statement varying, as the man was under great
excitement. I said it was very strange. He said he
turned the water off upstairs about 3 o'clock, accord-
ing to Mr. Meller's instructions. I could not contra-
dict it, and made no reply to him. During the time he
was claiming compensation he made no offer to
pay the rent. I never heard from my father that he
made any offer. In each case the instructions to
the bailiff were,—" We want possession, and if Tay-
lor will go with his furniture, pay your costs, and
leave the fixtures, let him." Before the second dis-
traint Taylor had removed the fixtures. I cannot
say whether my brother is correct or not in saying
the offer was made before the first distress that we
would forego the rent if Taylor would give up
possession. The first distraint was for £lO lls. 6d.,
a quarter's rent, less two weeks allowed. The re-
sult of the first distress was that the bailiff handed
to us £lO Bs, Bd., leaving a balance of 2s. 10d.
against Taylor. In the second distress, on the
30th ult., we included the 2s. 10d. The goods
were sold on the 7th of May. The bailiff paid
over, I think, L 7 6s. 6d. last week or the week be-
fore to my clerk. Taylor called first on the day of
the sale for an account of the last sale, and I re-
ferred him to the sheriff's officer. He said there
had been some pilfering. He called several times
up to the 16th, and on those occasions we had heard
his mutterings outside. We had asked the sheriff's
officer frequently for an account of the sale.

John Webster, porkbutcher, 165, Strangeways,
said—l recollect going to Mr. Neill's shop in
Strangeways on the 15th of this month, between
2 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon, to grind this knife,
which I produce. I had asked the permission of
Mr. John Neill. I saw Chas. Paddon there at the
time, but I did not speak to him. [This witness did
nut at all resemble the prisoner in appearance.]

Mr. Pope (to witness)—You don't seem to me to
be much• like the prisoner. I don't think I should
mistake you.
Chas. Paddon, recalled, said—Having heard the
evidence of the last witness, I don't believe that the
prisoner Taylor was the man who ground his knife
at our shop on the afternoon of the 15th inst. lam
convinced, gentlemen, I was mistaken in the man.
Cross-examined—l can't say how I was mistaken.
Mr. Pope—And you mistook a man with gray
hair and whiskers for the prisoner ?
Witness—Yes.

Mr. Pope—l hope, at all events, you will be more
careful in future of swearing to the identity of a
man in a case of murder.

Mr. Ellison (to the witness)—l should recommend
you to be very careful ag to any assertion you make
for the future. You ought to be ashamed of your-
self for swearing so rashly and so lightly to a state-
ment that might have imperilled the life of a fellow
creature. I recommend you to remember the expo-
sure you have this day sustained in consequence of
your own folly. Stand down.
Mrs. Hannah Heglin said—l live opposite the
back of the house in which the prisoners lived in
Strangeways. The last time I saw the prisoners
was on Thursday evening, the 15th inst., about 2.5
minutes to 6 o'clock. I was in my house, looking
through the window, and I saw Mr. and Mrs.
Taylor going into their own house. I did not see
them again. Mr. Taylor unlocked the door. It
was the yard door. 1 don't know whether they
were in the habit of locking the yard door. I knew
the children by sight when I saw them at the back
of the house. I cannot say when I saw them last.
In the week before the murder I saw them, but
cannot recollect the day. I think it was the Fri-
day or Saturday. I saw no one else but the prisoner
go into the house on the Thursday. I saw the
children after they were dead, and recognised them
as Mr. Taylor's children.
Some other witnesses were called to prove that
the prisoners had sold the children's clothing and
oefninterest the child-
renwas
some of their own a few days previous to the mur
dersw, aelrseo
lastwi sethae
nNiaelvviveo! but sh
owingwh
nothing
elicited.
The prisoners were then further remanded till
Friday, when it is understood that Professor Taylor,
of London, will be present to show the result of his
analysis of the contents of the children's stomachs.

A new green for confectionery, which may be
substituted for the poisonous colouring now much used, is
noticed by the Journal de Pharmacie. It is composed of
saffron and indigo, and in the proportion necesssarily used
may be conaidered in.uocuous.