The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-03 00:00:00

not far from the place where her body now lies. A woman
named Ann Scoones was there. No man was there. Ido
not think she was living with any man. I had seen her more
latterly than for some years before. I saw her frequently in
the month of October last.

Mr. MILL s—Did she tell you that any one had threatened
her life ? Witness—She told me that a man whom she had
lived with a short time before, but whom she had left, owing
to some quarrel they had had, had threatened her, arid that
she was afraid to go out for him. She said she had been very
uncomfortable with him. I said, " I wonder,.Mary you can

content yourself to live in the-way you do."
Mr. MILLS—Do you know the name of that man. Wit-
ness—She said his name was Mellen. I am not certain
of his Christian name, but I think it was William. I
did not know what he then was, but I have since heard
that he was a smith. . . . . . .

--
Inspector Haynes said that person was taken into custody,
but, on examination, he was found not to be the man sus-

pected of murdering the woman. The witnesses who saw
the man with the woman on the night of the murder had

positively stated that he, was not the man.
The witne,;s said she had seen Mellen at Marylebone

Police-office on Tuesday.
Mr. WAKLEY inquired if the whole of the other witnesses
who bad seen the Iran suspected of committing the murder
had seen Mellen ?
Inspector hawley said Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Palmer, Mr. Old-
ham, the cutler, who sold the knife with which the murder
was committed, and the police-constable, had seen him.
Mr. WAKLEY desired Mrs. Palmer to be recalled.
In answer to questions from the Coroner, she said that she
went to Marylebone Police court on Tuesday, and a man was
shown to her, but he was not all like the man whom she let
into the house on Monday night.
Mr. WaKLEy—That man was Mellen ?

Inspector Haynes said he was.
The examination of the deceased's sister was then resumed.
—When I saw my sister on Saturday, she did not say she was
living with auy man, and, as I have sail, I do not believe she
was. Mellen was the man whom she was afraid of. I be-
lieve she had done something which she ought not to have
done, and they had quarrelled.
Mr. WAKLEY said (with respect to the descriptions which
had been given of the suspected individual, and of the pub-
licity which would be given to them in the newspapers) the
less said about him the better, as they would be merely an
advertisement to him, advising him how to escape.
Henry Oldham was next examined. Ile said he was a
cutler, at No. 10, High-street, directly opposite the house in
which the inquest was held. The knife lying on the table
I sold on Monday night, about ten minutes to ten o'clock, as
near as I can recollect. To a man who came into the shop and
said " What is the cheapest small carving-knife you have ?"
I said, " I will serve you directly." I took out three knives
and he purchased one of them,for which he paid one shilling.
Not another word was uttered by him. He did not remain
longer than three minutes. As he passed down the shop he was
proceeding towards the door with the knife in his hand, which I
thought somewhat extraordinary. I have no doubt the knife be-
Log the one I sold. I ground the edge of the knife, and wrapped
itin paper, and he left theshop I did not notice him particu-
larly, but he was about :5 feet 4or 5 inches in height. He
had on a dark coat, dirty trousers, and a hat. I think the
coat was cloth, but I am not positive about it. His age I
should think from 19 to 21, and he spoke Ike a youth.
The CORONER said these different descriptions did the
greatest mischief in the world.
Witness continued—l did not notice whether he had any
whiskers. He was of a rather sallow complexion, and his
features were large. He had no gloves on. I think I should
know him again. He was sober, and did not appear at all excited.
I never saw the man before. He looked a low character, as
if he lived in the low part of St. Giles's. He had a dirty
appearance altogether. It struck me as extraordinary when
he wanted to take the knife out without anything on it. I
have the corresponding piece of paper that the knife was
wrapped in. It was brown, paper, with some writing on it.
The man had on dark trousers. My daughter was standing
beside me at the time, and took particular notice of him also.
She is ten years of age.
Mr. WAKLEY—I think it will be better to give this infor-
mation privately to the police.
Witne-s continued—l do not know the woman.
The witness who had been examined, and those also who
had been summoned, were ordered to go into the next room.
Witness continued—l saw the man who had been in ens-
toly, but he was not the man who purchased the knife. He
was much stouter.
John James Allen, 159 E, examined—l am a constable at
the George-street station. On Monday night I was in the
gateway in George-street, three doors below the house where
the murder was committed. It was then a quarter to eleven
o'clock, and I heard the door open, and saw a man run
down past me towards Broad-street, but on the opposite
side of the street. There was light enough from the lamp to
see him. He was about 5 feet 6 inches in height. He
had a cap on with a peak, but I would not say whether it
was a cloth cap or no. He had on lightish coloured trousers.
I should know him again, but would not like to say what his
features were. I think I have seen him before in this neigh-
bourhood. I am positive it was a cap, but will not say
whether it was a seal-skin cap or a cloth one. About five or
six minutes after the woman Palmer came to me, and said—
" Come here, policeman ; here's a woman been struck at Mrs.
Hall's." I heard no alarm, and the woman Palmer came very
quietly indeed. Palmer said the woman was bleeding very
much. I told Mr. Inspector Ilaseley that there was some-
thing wrong below, and Willis and I went there In the
passage there were three or four women, and on entering
the room we found the woman on the floor with the knife
sticking in the wound at the back of the neck. It was in
about five inches. I tried to pull it out lightly, but found
it sticking fast, and I was obliged to pull it out with a jerk.
She was not deal then, for she gave a sort of smile, and I
ran for the surgeon. Mr. Simpson was not at home, and I
ran for Mr. Fitzgerald.
By a Juror—lt was five or six minutes after the man had
ran passed before the woman came to me, but no person came
out of the house in the interval.
By the CORONER—From the slight glance I got of the
man, I should say he was about thirty.
The COItONER here stopped the inquiry by observing that
all the witnesses had been examined, and that nothing fur-
ther would be done this day. He should not fix an hour for
resuming the inquest, in order to avoid the difficulties which
had arisen in former instances from the interference of the
magistrates' courts. For this reason only it was that he ad-
journed the inquest without naming a time for its future sit-
ting, so that if the prisoner were taken into custody, he would
at once be ordered before that Court. This would do away
with the difficulty, and at the same time give the Commis-
sioners of Police no excuse for interfering with the proceed-
ings of the Coroners' Courts.
I'he inquest was then formally declared adjourned, and
the room was cleared of strangers.
The inquiry did not seem to cause that excitement which
might naturally have been expected, but this might probably
arise from the fact of the hour for holding the inquest being
only fixed on yesterday. In George-street and its vicinity
the same intense desire to gaze upon the scene of the murder
still prevails, and thousands of persons succeed each other
throughout the day. Many rumours are current as to the
murderer having been seen in various places, but of course
they are not entitled to the slightest credit. The station-
houses are also besieged with curious inquirers, but the in-
formation distilled in driblets from the police is of the most
unsatisfactory character.