The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-20 00:00:00

THE SIIN, LONDON, TUESDAAY EVENING 7'-;MAY 20, 1862.

behaviour of the officers has been gentlemanly
throughout, and Lieut. Abbott, who brought the
vessel to this port, has done everything to make our
time pass pleasantly.
" Yesterday (Sunday), being permitted to go on
shore, I called on Mr. Kortright, her Majesty's
Consul, to whom I related the circumstances con-
nected with the seizure of the vessel. He requested
me, as soon as we had given our depositions to the
Prize Commissioners, to call at his office and note a
protest, when he would communicate immediately
with Lord Lyons. Having been engaged the whole
of to-day before the Commissioners, I have not been
enabled to see the Consul, but shall do so early to-
morrow.

"You will please write to me by return mail, and
if you do not send an agent out, be kind enough to
instruct me how I am to obtain funds wherewith to
defray expenses for legal advice, &c.—l am, dear
sir, respectfully, &c.,

" C. W. WESTENDORFF.''

711 E QUADRUPLE MURDER AT MAN.

CHESTER.

The examination of William Robert Taylor, and
Martha Ann Taylor, his wife, charged with the
murder of Evan Meller, was taken before a very
full bench of magistrates at Manchester yester-
day. The prisoners were called to the dock at half
past ten. The male prisoner stood on the left, facing
the bench ; his wife on the right side. They both
appeared cool an I collected. The male prisoner is of
a brownish complexion, and a close examination of
his face, his restless eye and compressed lips, gave
indications of considerable emotion, which he ap-
peared to be struggling to repress. The female
prisoner was pale, but the study of her face gave
less indication of feeling than was traceable in her
husband's. Her heart seemed to beat violently for
a moment. She wore a black velvet hat with fea-
ther, and a lace fall, a bead collar, brown mantle,
and black kid glove After* -
al--7
yr su be Sl the
ae, male prisoner spoke to his
wife in a whisper, and she then sat down on a seat
in the dock. Once or twice in the course of the
examination he spoke to her, holding at the time a
paper in his hand, and he appeared as though he
was consulting her upon its contents.
Mr. Ellison, the chairman, said to the male pri-
soner—Prisoner, have you any professional assist-
ance, or do you wish to have any ? He replied—
No; I can manage my own business. Mrs. Taylor
also made a negative reply to the same question.
The first witness was
Mr. William Meller, the younger son of Evan
Meller, the deceased, who said he had arrived at
the office before his father on Friday morning last.
Soon afterwards the prisoners came, and inquired
for witness's father, who had not arrived. They
seated themselves in the ante-room into which the
door opens by which his father would enter. Soon
afterwards he heard his father enter and speak to
them. Witness could partly see his father as he
entered, and saw that Taylor laid hold of him.
Witness rushed towards them as they went back
on the landing struggling. The female prisoner
stood opposite the door as he entered the ante-room
and presented a pistol at him. The male prisoner
and witness's father were then on the landing, and
the former appeared to be striking with something
at the latter. He retired from the female prisoner
into the office, and threw open a window, but hear-
ing the discharge of a pistol he ran to the staircase,
and on the landing below he saw his father lying.
There was a gentleman with his father, and he then
saw that he had passed the male prisoner on the
stairs. The prisoner had a revolver in his hand,
and was looking down over the rail. Did not see
the female prisoner at that time. He then went to
the police-office, and on his return met the female
prisoner leaving the building. After this ho as-
sisted to carry his father's body to the infirmary.
He appeared to be dead. There had been a dis-
pute between the male prisoner and the father of
witness. His father was agent for the house and
shop which the prisoners occupied. There had been
an explosion in the kitchen about six months ago,
and the male prisoner said the place had been all
blown to pieces through their neglect and his child
killed, and he wanted compensation for the damage
and the loss of his child. He also wanted the place
repaired, which was done. The male prisoner had
wanted to leave the place, but they could not agree
about the value of fixtures. After Christmas they
had offered to forego the rent if the prisoners would
leave the premises. This was before sending in an
execution. The bailiffs were sent in about six
weeks after Christmas, which was soon after the
explosion. Nearly all the goods were sold under
that execution, but the proceeds did not meet the
rent and expenses of execution. The prisoners still
continued in possession, and another distraint was
put in for the rent to 25th March. The prisoners
called at their offices in St. James's-chambers on the
Wednesday and Thursday previous, and told Mr.
Meller they wanted the account or bill of sale. There
was no altercation, but the male prisoner camplained
that some of the men had pocketed things at the
sale. They told him he must look to Mapleston,
the auctioneer, for that; but that if, in the mean-
time, they saw him first, they would tell him of the
complaint. The male prisoner further complained
that the goods had been sold by Mapleston, who
made the execution, under their value, being knocked
down too soon to purchasers. He did not then ap-
pear angry, nor did he make any threat.
Mr. Ellison (to the prisoner)—The depositions
will now be read over, and afterwards you will be
at liberty to ask the witness any questions.
The male Prisoner—May I be allowed to ask the
questions as the reader advances, or must I wait
until the whole has been gone through ?
Mr. Ellison—Certainly, you may stop the clerk,
and ask any question that suggests itself.
The Prisoner—Thank you.
The reading of the depositions then commenced.
The first series of questions and answers were :
The Prisoner—What was the object of my visit
last Friday morning ?
Witness--You were to come after you got
Mapleston's account.
Prisoner—That is not an answer to my question.
What arrangement had been previously made for
mo to call that morning ?
Witness—None that I am aware of, except when
you got that account.

What time had elapsed from the day of the sale
until Friday morning? [lt was observed that the
only peculiarity in the accent of the prisoner, who
has Dees, I,,vrt.a E., 11, a foreigner, was his usual,
though not invariable pronunciation of the woLa
"sale" in the Somersetshire style, as if it were
" zale."]—The answer to this question was—About
a fortnight, I think:

The Prisoner—l want you to act honestly, young
man, and not on the principle of your father and
brother, of answering only those questions which
answer your purpose. Let us be honest to-day.
How many times had I called for that object of
getting the account of the proceeds of the sale
itness—l don't know.
Had I called twice P—l think you had.
Had I called six times ?—I don't know.
Had I not called every day from the time of the
sale until the fatal Friday morning? And with
what treatment was I received ? Every day, gen-
tlemen.

Mr. Ellison—You are only to ask questions--you
will have the opportunity of saying anything after-

wards.

The Prisoner—Oh, very well ; please proceed.
The witness added to the deposition that when
Taylor spoke to him before the arrival of Mr.
Atelier, the prisoner said, " he hoped he would not
ho long."

The Prisoner—How long had the pipes connect-
ing the cistern at the top of the house with the
boiler at the buck of the grate been in a leaky state ?
Witness— We had just repaired them before
then.

Haw long was it after the repair the first time
before nay
second visit to complain that they were
far worse than previously, and that the kitchen was
altogether rendered useless by the flooding of the
water from the pipes into the ashpit under the
grate ?

tVitness—l don't know.
At a subsequent point in the depositions,
The Prisoner asked—NV he came first to the pre-

c. ,

wises after my note about the explosion had been

received ?
Witness—l think it was my brother and our
repair clerk.
I suppose you never heard your brother refer to
the conversation that then took place between him
and me on that awful occurrence ? Neither at
home, by your own fireside, nor at the dinner table,
nor anything of the sort when you were by your-
selves, and nobody overhearing ?
Witness—The conversation that took place at
the shop ?
Prisoner—No, at tie house, when ho came with a
clerk on the Monday after the accident.
Witness—l do mot recollect hearing anything in
particular.
The Prisoner—Of course it was a matter of too
little importance to occupy his attention or your
father's. It was not worth referring to or thinking
about, was it ?
Witness—Oh yes, it was.
The Prisoner—lt did not concern you very much.
Witness— Oh, it did, at the office, very much.
What was the conversation that took place be-
tween him and me P—l don't know.
You don't recollect a word ?—No.
Indeed ! Every word has escaped your memory,
you think ?—Yes.
The Prisoner—Very strange, gentlemen, that
every word should have escaped; very strange.
After hearing a further portion of the deposition,
The Prisoner asked—You say " We repaired the
place." Has it been thoroughly repaired ?
Witness—l never went up; I was told so.
Who told you ?—I have heard it said in the office.
Who said so P—l have heard them tell you so.
Who told me ?—Either my brother or our clerk.
But you don't know that ever any one took the
matter so warm that he came and saw whether the
men had done their duty or not ?—After our trades-
men have done their work we always go and in-
steel,
U.
It was after that. that you came down
aAnd that has been inspected, has it ? Who in-
spected it P—l cannot say; most likely our repair
clerk.
By the explosion the massive stones about the
chimney-place were shivered to atoms P—A great
portion of the fire-place was destroyed by the ex-
plosion.

• These stones were certainly replaced, but were
• they ever painted P—l don't know.
The Prisoner—Any gentleman who wishes to go
can easily know.—Wes anything done except a
bricklayer roughly putting in the grate and leaving
it ?—lt was properly done.
The Prisoner—lt is not properly done yet, gen-
tlemen. Are not the walls of the kitchen covered
. with the dirt and water which was poured forth
from the exploded boiler ?
-Witness—l cannot say.
The Prisoner—l can ; and any gentleman who
wishes can go and look at it. But these are little
matters, which do not concern Mr. Meller.
The next questions were the following:—
You say all the rent and taxes were not quite paid
at the time of the first distress; what was the
amount of balance, do you remember ?—I think
about 2s.
The Prisoner—What a great balance, gentlemen,
after taking £4O or £5O worth of goods for a quar-
ter's rent.
The prisoner subsequently asked—What time
did you send in your demand for the rent of the
March quarter ?
Witness—Probably it would be the day after.
The Prisoner—No, it was on the 25th of March,
at 12 o'clock; a demand for "rent and arrears of
rent." After you sent in your demand for rent and
arrears of rent on the 25th of March, at 12, did I
not call and inquire of your father what demand
he had of me ?
Witness—You did.
And what did your father say ?—He told you it
was for the quarter's rent and the balance.
Did I not ask your father what a kitchen was to
a family ?—You said something about a kitchen,
but I don't know what he said.
Did I not say, " Mr. Meller, what is a kitchen to
your family; is it not the spring of all domestic
comfort P"—l don't remember that.
Not a word of it ?—No.
The Prisoner—l have been deprived of that
spring of comfort, gentlemen, since 19th January.
The next questions were—Did I call at your
office on the same day as the sale took place ?—You
complained about it on the Wednesday or Thursday.
That is not answering my question. Did you
not hear any one tell your father that I had called
on the afternoon of the day of the sale to complain
of the manner in which the business had been tran-
sacted ?—I don't recollect the day on which you
called.
Do you recollect my calling the day after the
sale ?—I think you did.
What was my business then P—Respecting the
sale.

And to know if my complaints had been attended
to F—l don't remembr anything about that.
Do you recollect my asking those parties that
were in the office whether they had told Mr. Mellor,
senior, of the manner in which the business had been
transacted at the saleroom P—l do.
Do you recollect my asking you what Mr. Meller's
feelings and manner were on hearing of the infor-
mation ?—I do.
Did I not ask whether Mr. Meller felt indignant
at such proceedings ?—You did.
What was the reply I had to that question ?—I
think it was to the effect that ho had no occasion
to feel indignant.
The Prisoner— Certainly not ; there was no occa-
sion for Mr. Meller to feel indignant at my being
robbed. Who from your office attended the inquest
of the slaughtered child P---Witness—Myfather
and our late clerk.

Anyone else P—Two or three workmen, I think.
What had they to do with the matter P—The
plumber had been repairing the pipes there pre-
viously,

suppose P—No, he
had Beforel
repaired went to
the
pipes
house, I u
ese
before
eyesu went, and when
you afterwards made the complaint about them.
Was your elder brother, your father's partner, at
the inquest P—No, he was out of town.
Where was he gone P—l don't know.
Do you know the business that called him out of
the town on that day; not very important business,
was it ?—IIe went on pleasure.
Was the object, then, of his leaving town that
day to go to take pleasure, when ho knew there was
g•ir.h nn imnortant matter coming off that day con-
cerning him P—He had nano an arrangement to go
out of town previously.
The Prisoner—l suppose with his young lady, or
something of that kind. (The female prisoner
smiled, and laughed, to herself.) Did you ever hear
him refer to the decisions of the jury and coroner
at the inquest P—l did.

You have frequently talked the matter over at
the dinner table, and by your fireside in the even-
ing ?—At the office frequently.
Did you ever hear your brother say—" I am very
sorry I ever gay. Mr. Taylor the advice I did re-
specting the apparatus ?"—No.

You don't recollect ever marling use of words
similar to that wien he was talking of the conver-
sation between h m and me on the Monday after
the accident.--I do not.

The female Prisoner laughed silently at this
statement.

The male Priscner said—l have-nothing more to
ask him.

[While giving his evidence, the witness was at
times affected to tears. He was accommodated with
a seat in the w
the male prisoner were, together with the com-
flyless-box. The questions put by
ments made upor the answers, in a tone of severe
irony.]

The female prisoner, in answer to the magistrate,
signified that she had no question to ask the wit-
ness.

[The
male priEoner sat down in the dock during
the evidence of the next witness. lie had stood
listening intently to Mr. Meller, jun.]
Mr. J. I'. I_4-thorbrow, wine-merchant,
said—l
have an office on the ground floor of St. James's-
chambers, below that of Meller and Son. I arrived
there at nine on the morning of the murder. I
afterwards stood at the front door, and heard some

one fall on the stairs. I ran up, and found Mr.
Meller on the floor of the first landing, and
no one with him. I called up my porter, and we
raised Mr. Meller into a sitting position. At that
moment some one came down stairs and fired a pis-
tol at Meller, but the charge missed him and
wounded Hooley. On looking up I saw the male
prisoner with a revolver in his hand. I said, "My
God, what does this scan P" The male prisoner
replied, " Oh, he has murdered my children." The
male prisoner walked about the passage after the
murder till the police came, and did not attempt to
escape. The prisoners looked very composed. Dur-
ing the last week had seen them going up stairs four
or five times.

The prisoner thanked the witness for the last
statement, which he said was more than Mr. Meller,
jun., would admit.

Mr. H. F. Pankhurst said he was an auctioneer
and appraiser. About ten minutes past nine on
Friday morning he observed, on entering South
King-street, something which induced him to go
into St. James's-chambers. He wentthere and found
Mr. Meller on the floor, his clothes saturated with
blood, and he died soon afterwards. Saw the pri-
soner, whilst witness was there, present the pistol
at young Meller, but in consequence of an exclama-
tion and interference from the witness, the prisoner
did not fire. Heard him say, "He has ruined me
and my family."
Mr. Wm. Heald, house-surgeon to the Infirmary,
described the wounds received by the deceased Mr.
Meller, and which had caused his death. He was
dead when witness saw him. The knife produced
by Sergeant Bramall would have made such
wounds as caused death.

By the Prisoner—Hooley's wound was serious,
but he thought his life was not in danger, and that
he might soon recover.
Police-sergeant Bramall stated the circumstances
under which he and Sergeant Bateman took the
male prisoner into custody, at St. James's-chambers.
Ihe other prisoner came LU we Yuucc wucv, aLIU yvao
there detained in custody, making no objection.
He found the knife in the ante-room of Meller's
office, and there was blood on the blade. A sheath
which the knife filled was found upon the male
prisoner,

Charles Paddon, joiner, stated that on the day
before the murder he saw the male prisoner come
into the shop where he worked, and grind a knife
like that proposed at their grindstone. He had
first obtained leave to do it, but the knife produced
did not look as if it had been fresh ground.
The prisoner said he never applied a knife to a
grindstone in his life.

Mr. T. G. Tones said the male prisoner came to his
shop on Tuesday last and wished to buy a revolver.
He chose one, and gave a silver watch in exchange
for it. It was the revolver produced. Sold him a
bullet mould with it.

Sergeant Bateman said he accompanied Bramall
to apprehend Taylor, and found the pistol upon
him. He also described the finding of the prisoners'
dead children at the house in Strangeways. He
afterwards told the male prisoner what he had
found there, and asked him if they were his child-
ren, and he said they were. He told him he was
charged with the murder of Meller and the children.
He then took the female prisoner into another room,
and told her she was charged with being an accom-
plice in the murder of Mellen. He then told her
she was further charged with the murder of the
three children. She made no reply, but said she
had left a basket at Mr. Meller's office, containing
sponges and hair brush—will you be kind enough
to fetch it ? He went and found the basket pro-
duced, which she identified as her own.

By the prisoner—Some of the injuries done to
the house appeared to result from the doors being
forced open.

Sergeant Hodson said the female prisoner told
him that she came to give herself up. She said,
" It's me that committed the murder, and not the
man they have taken." This was said on the way
from the A police station to the detective office.

Mr. Maybery, chief superintendent of police, said
he did not propose to go into the case of murdering
the children till there had been time for further
inquiry.

Mr. John Neale, builder, said he gave a man
leave to grind a knife last Thursday, but it was not
the prisoner.

The male prisoner said he wished to have the
assistance of his wife before the day to which he
was remanded, believing that her memory would
assist his own as to what had taken place before
the court.

Mr. Ellison said they would consider the appli.
cation.

The prisoners were then removed.

The adjourned inquest was also held yesterday,
when the jury found a verdict of " Wilful Murder"
against the male prisoner, and that his wife was an
accessory.