The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-17 00:00:00

THE CHELSEA MURDER.

THE INQUEST.-(YESTERDAY.)

This afternoon Dr. Diplock opened an inquiry at
the Chelsea Workhouse respecting the murder of the
Rev. Frederick Heulin, aged 86 years, who was found
buried under a water-closet at No. 24, Wellington_
square, Chelsea.
The jury having been sworn, proceeded to view the
body of the deceased, which lay in a shell in the
dead-house.
After an absence of about half an hour the jury
returned to the court. The first witness called was
Mr. John Carter, King's-road, Chelsea, who stated
that be knew the deceased well. His real name was
the Rev. Elias'lleulin. He was a Protestant clergy-
roan of the French Church.
The Coroner said that some of the clothing of the •
deceased gentleman had been found upon a man
named Miller, but before he went into that he
should take the evidence of the detective who had
found the body.
Detective William 'Watts then said that he had on
Friday afternoon found the body of the deceased in
the hole underneath the water-closet.
In answer to the Coroner the witness said that pre-
' !Lolls to the discovery of the body he had been
searching for the body of the gentleman who had
°een missing. In consequence of a statement made
by a man named Payne the underneath part of the •
Watercloset was searched. Upon lifting up a large
stone and digging away the earth which bad not been
Previously disturbed witness found first the arm,
then the head, and last of all the body of the deceased.
Re was in his shirt sleeves, and the rope '
Produced was found tied round his neck. It took .
three men to drag the body out of the bole, and be-
fore it could be done several rows of bricks had to be
removed frono the bottom of the foundation of the
house. The hole in which the deceased was found
• baud have been purposely dug for the purpose of
Placing it in it. 'There was no watch or money or
anything found in the pockets of the deceased. In .
the hole was found a coat, which had been folded up,
Placed under the head of the deceased.
By a Juror—All that I found in the house was a
battered hat. I produce it, and a spade and a stick.
A Juror—Did you find a long sharp nail ? Wit-
ness—No ; I found the hat underneath the flooring
of the back kitchen.
Edward Clough, detective, proved that in the back
kitchen he found a pickaxe, which he produced.
adder the boards in the back kitchen he found the
. There was blood on the brim, and also on the
inside of it.
The hat, which was produced, was terribly bat-
tered, and it had large patches upon it. The de-
ceased's coat was also put in evidence, and there
were stains of bloo 1 upon the in,ide of the sleeves.
he spade produced belonged to the witness Payne.
Edward James Payne, a labourer, living at 7,
44ener-street, Chelsea, stated that he knew a man
named Miller. The first time that he had ever em-
Ployed witness was on Monday, at half-past twelve
o'clock. Witness was in the Admiral Kepple
public-house, and Miller came to him and asked
borrowed a pickaxe, and Miller said to
f;,!41) " I want you to do a drain for me."
Yvitness said Miller then went to 24, Wel-
Tgton-square. Miller took him into the back gar-
en. Miller then said, "I am going to do away with
one drain." Witness said to him, " It's a rum place
({3 make a drain, under a water-closet." At half
Past 2 o'clock he told witness that would do. Witness
then walked into the back kitchen, and then into the
front one.
A Juror—Had you any purpose, in going into the
kitchens ?—done at all ; I went into them without
a purpose.
Coroner—Did you notice anything unusual ?—No.
A Juror—Did Miller tremble or look pale ?—No.
A Juror—Then the murder had not been corn-
Mitted then.
Coroner—Did Miller work at all ?—No ; he sat
on a heap of earth smoking his pipe while I was
digging the hole.
A Juror—And when it was deep enough he Said,
- That will do."—Yes ; he said, '' The old gentle-
islilan will soon be here; you can go." After Miller
been in the kitchen with me he went upstairs into
the parlour and took the " House to let," bill out of
the window and said, " This house is let."
Mr. William 11. Sanson, a house decorator, who
was on the jury, was then called as a witness, and said
spat, at eleven o'clock last Monday morning, he saw
Thulin go down Wellington-square to a house.
Witues.s never saw the deceased come out of the
%quare. He spoke to a gentleman and then went
into the house.
It tray be mentioned that the Coroner during his
visit to the house discovered in a cupboard under-
neath the stair two patches of blood on the wall, and
it is Apposed that the deceased was murdered shortly
after 11 o'clock, and then placed in the cupboard
While the hole was being dug.
Air- Robert Cox, a gentleman, said that about 11
On Monday he met the deceased in Wellington-
f2lllare and he had a long conversation with him.
They
then parted, and the deceased went in the
Idrection of the King's-road. He did not see him go ,
111%,0 the house No. 24.
c 1)r. Thomas S. Turner proved that he saw the de-
qkased at half-past 3 o'clock on Friday afternoon.
were was a good deal of blood at the back part of
Under
head, and there was a rope tied round the neck.
the right ear there were two small holes,
through which brain matter was exuding. There
Was the mark of a blow on the head, and that blow
48,, quite sufficient to have caused death.
-1.15' the Coroner—The holes in the head must have
been done with a sharp point, for they were very,
~,early cut. There was a hole in the brain corre-
CT:ling with the hole in the skull. I think that
I think that
might have been caused with a hammer.
itink that the rope was tied round the neck after
death, for the purpose of dragging the body along
e floor. Ido not think that the murder was corn-
. 114.,tted with a shovel.
last March,
Smith, a painter and glazier, deposed that,
march Miller said to him, " The old man,
(rne • '
alung Mr. Heulin) has got a good lump. I
should like to have the old man's purse." He also
madei the same remark about the murdered house-
eibeller, Mrs. Anne Boss.
ei"rolice-constable Cole said that last Wednesday
pight he was on duty in Paulton-square when Mr.
by t, a carman, told him that he had been employed
that' he ne prisoner Miller to remove some furniture, aud
did not like the look of affairs. Witness then
kwent and found Miller outside the door, and he asked
r.f.,riper to could another constable. became
atiese and not stand still, and witness said,
cgv-
D.„4"er) quiet, when the other officer comes you can
'eas-" Miller suddenly made a bolt, and witness
Q.,7llght him. He was removed to the station, where
ep 10s. in gold and silver, three gloves and a pair of
two envelopes addressed to Mrs Boss, of
ail4r aulton-square, a corkscrew, two knives, a pipe,
Niv.'„the abstract of thetitle deedof the house, No. 24,
eilln t
Of th g on-squure, were found on him. The name
rev! prisoner is Walter Miller. Witness found a
Al book on the prisoner.
statedr. Edward Heuline, 15, Paulton-square,
ti.aea tbat deceased was his uncle. He iden-
of h. the spectacles produced as being those
131...4 18 uncle. A pencil case found on the
iive2nd .er Miller also belonged to his uncle. Miller
a house belonging to Mr. Heulin at 26, Sey-
leg tPlace. Witness was on Thursday night wait-
railway station in Lincolnshire when the last
eett, from London came in, and then Inspector Pres.
and of the London Police, stepped out of the train
told That
him that his uncle had been murdered.
was the first that he had heard of the occurrence.
far: abc; been expecting
ecting his uncle to come down to his
that
Aolic
_Carter recalled, said that he identified at the
Miller ::• station)-
Miller the over-coat worn by Mr. Heulin.
police
on
n had thrown it away when pursued by the
Wednesday night. The boots worn by
Keßeulin.n. the night of his capture belonged to Mr.
beteev,
..e-Inspector James Pay, 7, Vincent-square,
at the that on Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock he was
Ktee Chelsea Police-station, when a woman
oed Margaret Anne Miller entered the station.
and
sem.,Superintendent Fisher went with her to 26,
the4-4nr-place. They found in a box in a room on
114 ound floor several title-deeds belonging to Mr.
I..,4l:uldeualiniad, a bunch of keys, one of which unlocks
s wardrobe. Witness also found a pair
of
grey trousers,upon which were the stains of blood.
Afternu thathe went to the house No. 24, Wellington-
sgre, and in the front kitchen, near the window,
~ observed
a patch of blood, which appearcd to
ual. been rubbed over by pumice stone.
the cupboard say
In
noter to the Cortmer, Inspector Pay said that
whether the patches on the wall of
r under the stairs was blood or not.
UQ Coroner said that the woman had taken