The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-16 00:00:00

THE CHELSEA MURDERS.

The details of the remarkable double crime just perpe-
trated in Chelsea are so far complete as to furnish some-
thing like a connected narrative of the affair. Up to
Monday last an aged gentleman named Huelin, said to be
a clergyman, lived at 15, Paulton's-square, King's-road,
Chelsea, and with him lived Anne Goss, a woman a little
over 40, who had for many years acted as his housekeeper.
The murdered man had friends in Lincolnshire, and of
late had told many persons that he should go down to
a farm he possessed there for the benefit of his health.
He was the owner of a house, which has of late been un-
let, in Wellington-square, Chelsea, a place some little
distance from Paulton's-square, and, it appears, em-
ployed Millar, as a plasterer, without the interven-
tion of a tradesman, t i do the work requisite
in maintaining the house in a habitable condi-
tion. The old man was not seen after Monday, and it
was thought that he had gone to Lincolnshire.
On Monday night the house in Paulton's-square was dis-
covered to be insecurely fastened, and the police entered.
They found nothing disturbed in the house ; a large box was
in the kitchen, locked, and a neighbour having said that
it was " All right," the matter was only reported at the
station. The house being found secure the next day, it
was taken for granted that there was nothing wrong. The
housekeeper was seen no more, but this appears to have
occasioned no inquiry, and caused no surprise. The mur-
der, in fact, was discovered by an accident, and through
the prompt action of one man. A van proprietor was
asked to remove some goods from Mr. Huelin's
residence, and on coming into the house,
ino which he was led by Millar, he found a
young woman, or one who appeared to be such. He
was taken into the kitchen to remove a box, and on cord-
ing it he found beneath it a pool of blood. The woman
escaped, but Piper was not to be thrown off his guard by
Millar, whom he followed upstairs, and, with the aid of
the police, captured. The box,as has been already
stated, was found to contain the body of the housekeeper,
Ann Goss.
Such a discovery as this led to the suspicion that the
old mad had been murdered, and a search was com-
menced. An inspector was sent off to Lincolnshire
to see if the looked-for visit had been so hurriedly
undertaken ; but, at the same time, a search
was commenced about the two properties--that in
Paulton's square and that at 24, Wellington-square. A token
which confirmed the fear of foul play, was soon found be-
neath the kitchen floor of the Wellington-square house in
a hat, battered, smeared with blood and mud, and bearing
a mark as if the owner's head had been cut through from
behind with a blow from the edge of a heavy shovel. The
walking stick, too, of the deceased was in the same place.
Men were at once employed in turning over the ground in
all directions, but without avail. All sorts of likely and
unlikely spots were turned over with the spade and pick,
but no trace could be found of the body. Then intelligence
came that Mr. Huelin had not gone to Lincolnshire, and
the Inspector returned, bringing with him friends of the
old man, whose death was now taken for granted. The
labours of the men were, however, in vain, until Friday
afternoon, when the terrible truth was discovered. A
labouring man, who had heard of the crime,
came to the police, and informed them that on
Monday last he was engaged by Millar to dig a hole in the
premises in Wellington-square, Millar saying that he
wanted to lay some drain pipes down. The man was taken
to point out the spot, and as soon as this knowledge was
gained the work was soon completed. The body was
found pressed down a hole near the drain, lying on the
back, and the coat torn off from all parts but the wrist.
It seemed as if the murdered man had been struck from
behind with a heavy shovel, then strangled, if any life
remained after the blow, and then dragged by
the coat to the hole and thrust in, the gar-
ment thus, being beneath his head. The man who was
employed to dig this grave states that Millar, on giving
him instructions, made him burrow, as it were, beneath
some paving stones, saying that he did not want the
stones disturbed, and accordingly the grave was actually
beneath some paving-stones, which bore every trace on the
surface of not having been moved. Thus , the
police were led to dig everywhere but be-
neath these stones. The body was removed
to the Chelsea Workhouse on Friday evening. The
grave was prepared some hour or two before the old man
visited the house. It is suggested and believed that .the
deceased man was induced to come to the house on some
pretence, and that the murderer, having a knowledge of
the intended visit had prepared accordingly. It is be-
lieved that the oh man's murder was compassed first, and
the purpose being robbery, the housekeeper's death was
then considered necessary, and undertaken for security by
the murderer or murderers ; for it is believed the prisoner
in custody has a confederate, if not confederates. Of this
there is more than a suspicion. Property belonging to the
deceased man was found upon the prisoner. The police
have likewise examined Millars's house, and there they
have found Mr. Huelin's will as well as several title
deeds relating to his property.
Some further particulars may be added. The murders
seem to have been first planned on the 4th of April, when
Mr. Huelin went to one of his untenanted houses, No.
24, Wellington-square, which was then being
newly plastered and painted for re-letting. He
there unwisely pulled out a handful of sovereigns
in the presence of his workmen, as already
reported. Monday morning last appears to have been the
last morning Mr. Huelin was seen alive. He was then
noticed going down the King's-road, from his residence
at Paulton-square, towards his untenanted house in
Wellington-square. He had, as usual, a favourite dog,
and was also seen to turn into Wellington-square. In
the course of the afternoon the dog was seen running
home by itself, and at night was howling so piteously
outside the door that the attention of the neighbours was
attracted to it, and as no one opened the door to let it in
they rang the bell, but could obtain no answer. On
Friday night, at a very late hour, a woman, who has
given the name of Elizabeth Green, was apprehended in
St. Ann's-street, Westminster, on a charge of being con-
cerned with Millar in the murder.. She admits being in
the house at the time Millar was taken into custody.
One of the London journals says that the police have
information which leads them- to believe that at least two
other persons besides the man now in custody were con-
cerned in the murder, and that it was not merely a
brutal murder for simple robbery. Startling revelations
may, we are told, be anticipated ; but this extension of
the story as yet rests upon no sufficient basis.

FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE PRISONER.
On Saturday the prisoner Miller was charged at the
Westminster Police Court with the double murder.

The court and approaches were densely crowded
by a large, and at times turbulent, mob. The
prisoner was brought in the middle of the day from the
House of Detention in a cab, still heavily ironed, as the
authorities fear that, unless under considerable restraint,
he will again attempt to destroy his own life, as he did
when taken into custody on Wednesday night. He pre-
sented the dogged, unprepossessing appearance of Friday,
combined with an excessively sallow complexion, sunken
eyes and death-like hue of countenance, and looked per-
fectly hideous at some points of the examination, when
the reminiscences of the crime were vividly placed before
him in the evidence. He was allowed to be seated during
part of the examination, and was excessively agitated on
more than one occasion at the recital of the finding of the
bodies.

The woman who had been seen with the prisoner having
been discovered by the police, was brought to the court at
one o'clock to identify him, but fainted at the first glance
she took of him.

The first witness called by Mr. Superintendent Fisker
was

Joseph Coales, 194 T Division, proved the apprehension
of the prisoner. He said : About ten o'clock on Wednes-
day evening last I was on duty in Paulton-square, when
Piper, accompanied by the prisoner, came to the top of
the square where I was standing. Piper said he had been
employed by the prisoner to take a box away, and he
believed there was something wrong ; he wished me to go
down to the house with him. We walked down to the
house, the prisoner in the middle. When we got to the
house the prisoner would not come in ; when I found he
would not come in I told Piper to send for another con-
stable. He sent his man for one. About three minutes after
the man had gone, prisoner became very restless, and could
not be quiet, and he began to walk backwards and forwards
past the houses, and I kept close to him all the time. I
told him he could stand still, and when another man came
to go about his business. I said that to make him quiet.
About three minutes afterwards, as we walked to Dawers-
street, he suddenly made a a bolt, pulled off his hat, and
threw it away. I pursued him in company with Piper,
and called " Murder " and " Stop thief," both of us as
loud as we could. He ran to the bottom of Dawer's-
street to Lombard-street, where he was re-taken. I then
saw him to the station. I had nothing to do in the
house. I kept by the prisoner with orders of the inspe-c-
-tors. I searched him at the station, found £lO in gold,
9s. 9d. in silver, and sid. in bronze ; corkscrew, 2 knives,
pipe, pencil, spectacles, and case, three gloves and a
common ring, an abstract of a title deed for 24, \Veiling-
ton-square Chelsea, rent-book, silk handkerchief, two
envelopes, to Miss Goss. The title deed was
produced, and was covered with coadulated blood.
Mr. John Carter identified the body of the deceased,
Ann B. Goss, also her spectacles found. He said : I'm not
clear when I last saw her alive ; about four or five days
previous to this. The kitchen was the room she occu-
pied. I saw the woman in the box. I never saw the
box before.

Prisoner replied to the magistrate, on asking if he would
put a question, in a husky voice, and said "No " with a
broad Scotch accent.

Sidney Ball, sworn : I am a baker, and live at 200,
Fulhum-road, at Mr. Sinfield's, the baker. Was in the
habit of serving the house, and was there on Monday
morning last ; I did not see the old housekeeper. I saw
her last this day week at half-past one. I was there on
the Monday between twelve and one ; I did not see her
then. I rang but nobody answered. I saw Mr. Huelin,
too, on the Saturday.
Sergeant John Large detailed the finding of the body
of Mrs. Goss in the box as stated in his evidence before
the Coroner.

James Smith was called to prove a threat against the
deceased by the prisoner having regard to the rev. gentle-
man's and the old lady's money, and his desire to possess it.
Inspector Dareton, 7th division, said the prisoner was
brought to the station and put in the dock. He was
searched and the articles produced taken. The blood was
on this deed in the left hand coat pocket. The constable said
he had run away, and he had some trouble in catching
him. The money and keys, and a bottle were found
in his pocket broken to pieces. A cork was in the neck,
and the moment I said it ,vas a poison bottle
the prisoner fell over the front of the dock,
and I sent for Dr. Goderich directly. I had him
laid on his back in the receiving room, and the doctor
stayed some time with him, and then he was taken to the
hespital.
Air. Fisher said that was all the evidence in that charge,
and he would now proceed with the murder of Mr.
Huelin.