The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-26 00:00:00

THAMES POLICE COURT.-THIS DAY.

Walter Thomas Emms, boot and shoe maker and rent
collector, aged 45, dwelling at the time of his apprehension
in Elmsley's brick field, Grove-street, Bethnal-green, and
James Mullins, aged 50, a plaisterer, and formerly a ser-
geant in the K division of the Metropolitan police, after-
wards an inspector in the Irish constabulary, again a ser-
geant in the K division, subsequently employed on the
South Eastern Railway, and lastly a convict under sen-
tence of six years' penal servitude for a robbery on that
railway, were brought before Mr. Selfe, charged with the
wilful murder of Mrs. May Elmsley, a widow, at No. 9,
Grove-road, Mile End, on or about the 16th of August last.
Mr. Wontner, solicitor, conducted the prosecution; Mr
Rose, the deceased's late solicitor, and Mr. Ratcliff, solicitor,
of Dean Colet House, and acting for the relatives and exe-
cutors of the deceased lady, were also in attendance. Mr.
Charles Young, solicitor, of Arbour-square, again attended
for Emms ; Mr. Herbert Wood, solicitor, watched the case
for Mullins.

Soon after ten o'clock people began to assemble in Ar •
bour-street, near the court, and the multitude continued to
increase until the arrival of the police-van containing the
prisoner Mullins soon after eleven o'clock. The van was
driven into the station-house yard behind the court, and
no one was able to catch a glimpse of the prisoner except
the gaoler and the officers in charge of the van until ho was
arraigned in the dock.
Emus, who had been out on bail, sirrendered at eleven
o'clock. He appeared in good health and spirits, and was
attended by a host of friends. A general impression that
he is entirely innocent of the foul crime laid to his charge
is entertained. Mullins appeared ill and careworn.
The investigation is expected to last for many days. All
the witnesses examined before the coroner's jury will have
to give their evidence over again before the magistrate. On
Monday Sergeant Tanner, a detective officer, applied to Mr.
Yardley and obtained summonses against seventeen addi-

tional witnesses, who were all in attendance this morning
At twelve o'clock, after the disposal of the night charges,
the accused parties were arraigned. The court was then
crowded to excess, and hundreds sought admission in vain.
There was a large force of police in attendance to preserve
order, both inside and outside of the court, under the direce
tien of Superintendent Howie and Inspectors Griffin, Tier-
ressy, Allison, and Beard, of the K division. There has
not been so much excitement and interest created by any
criminal investigation since Captain Johnston, of the ship
Tory, was charged at this court with several murders on
the high seas, 15 years ago.
For the better understanding of the evidence given this
day, it may be only necessary to state that the deceased
was collecting rents of her tenants on the 13th of August
last, which was the last day she was seen alive, and that on
the following Friday, the 17th, her mutilated remains were
found at the entrance of her own bedroom. It is supposed
that she was murdered on the 13th, and that the money she
collected on that day was: stolen at the same time. Both pri-
soners were employed by deceased. The circumstances which
led to their apprehension were shortly these. Mullins waited
on the officers, Tanner and Thornton, engaged in the
case, and gave information which induced them to go to a
shed adjoining the dwelling occupied by Emma, and pointed
out a place where ho said Emms had deposited a parcel con-
taining property belonging to the deceased ; and Mullins
on arriving at the shed with the detectives, after some
parleying, said to Sergeant Thomas, " Pull down that
slab, and turn up those bricks." Thomas did pull down
the stone, and behind it found a parcel containing a cheque
for £lO, paid to Mrs. Emsley on the 13th, a plated spoon,
and other articles belonging to the deceased. Emma at
once said it was a wicked and cruel plot to implicate him ;
and the theory of the prosecution is that Mullins is the
murderer, and deposited the parcel in the spot where it was
found for the purpose of committing Emms and obtaining
the reward of £3OO.
After a short consultation, in an under tone, between
Mr. Selfe, Mr. Wontner, and Mr. Pyn, the chief clerk,
Mr. Wontner said that, since the last examination, he
had received information which led him to suppose
that Emma ought no longer to be detained in custody. In
his judgment the informati, n given by Mullins against
Emms was totally devoid of foundation, and he should,
therefore, request that he should be discharged.
Mr. Selfe—ls Emma here.
Mr. Young—Yes, sir ; he surrenders upon bail.
Emma was called, and Mr. Selfe addressed him, and said
that the solicitor for the prosecution, in his judgment, was
of opinion there was no evidence to criminate him. He
was therefore discharged from custody. Emma had better
remain in court, for he might be required as a witness.
Mr. Wontner—Yes, I intend to call him as a witness.
Mr. Wontner said he now intended to put before the
magistrate a chain of evidence which he believed would
justify the magistrate in committing the prisoner Mullins
for wilful' murder. The solicitor then went into all the
particulars of the disappearance of the deceased, her habits
of seclusion, the discovery of the murder, the efforts
made by the detective officers, and the extraordi-
nary conduct of the prisoner, who accused the unfor-
nate shoemaker, Emma, of placing a parcel in the
shed, to which any one had access, and said it was what
was vulgarly called a plant, on the part of Mullins. All the
leading points adverted to by Mr. Wontner have already
been published in detail. He should be enabled to establish
the perfect innocence of Emms, and the utter improba-
bility of Mrs. Eans's story respecting them. He would
make it manifest that the prisoner was in possession of the
articles contained in the parcel, and that he alone was the
murderer. Mr. Wontner then reviewed the conduct of Mul-
lins before and after the murder, and said part of his
conduct was inexplicable. There was one circumstance in
the case almost dramatic—the meeting of Mullins with a
man on the morning of the day the murder was supposed to
have been committed, when the prisoner wa,s startled and
acted as if he believed the man ho met with was an
officer in disguise. When the man identified Mullins in
Clerkenwell prison the latter quailed before his glance.
This was a grave circumstance in the case, and
greatly aided the other circumstances connected with
this horrible affair. The magistrate would find that the
prisoner was employed by the deceased, that he was
one of the few persons allowed to enter her house,
and that he was well acquainted with her
habits. He particularly dwelt on the circumstance of the
prisoner's wife selling a pencil-case of a peculiar descrip-
tion to a I)arman at a public-house, two days before he was
given into custody. That pencil-case would be identified
as having belonged to the deceased.
Police-sergeant Edmund Dillon, No. 10 K, proved being
celled by Emma on the 17th of August last to the house of
the deceased, where he found her body. Mr. Faith, the de-
ceased's son-in •law, went for a surgeon. The left hand
window of the bedroom was partially open, the right band
window was closed. The blinds were up. Outside the
door of the room where the deceased was lying he found a
bloody mark of a foot, with nails on the boot. That mark
was on the landing. The nails appeared to have been on
one side of the boot only.
Cross-examined by Mr. H. Wood—l discovered the
bloody foot-print before I entered the room. '
By Mr. Selfs—The direction of the foot-print appeared
to be that of a man coming from the room.
Mr. John Joshua Carryer said—l am one of the firm of
Pickering and Carryer, and reside at No. 4, Suffolk-street,
Cambridge-road, Beam:pi-green, Part o our Imigoo