Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-02-16
FAMOUS TRIALS
GEORGE MULLINS

In lSbD there was no better known
parsonage II the neighborhood of Step
ney, England, than Mrs. Emsley, a
widow of 70 years of age who pos
sessed considerable property in that
vicinity. Being misery and suspicious
she never admitted and stranger to
her house. and never answered a
knock at the door until she had look
ed from an upstairs window to see
who the caller was
Every Monday the Widow Emsley
sallier forth to collect her rents. and
it was believed that she never return
ed at night without a large sum Of
money in her possession. The only
person employed to assist her in her
rent collecting was Walter Emms. In
his way he was as much an object of
interest to his neighbors as Mrs. Ems
ley.
The only other person Mrs. Emsley
was known to trust besides Emns
was George Mullins. He was a ma
50 years of age, and had been nire,
by the widow to keep in repair tn
many houses she owned. Mullins j.
consequence had, ready access to the
old lady.
On Monday, Aug. 10. 1860, Mrs. Ems
ley went out on her usual rent-col-
lecting round. She came back about
) p. m. She was seen by several of
the heighbors early in the evening.
Soon after clock the next morning
boy employed by draper in the
ueighborhood called at Mrs Emsley S
house with some goods she had order
ed on her way home the night before
There was no answer when he knocked
at the door. Several persons called on
two successive mornings but never
were able to gain admission.
Finally the police were appealed to
and they forced the door and in the
front room on the second floor they
found the dead body of the widow
frightfully mutilated Investigation of
the case was placed in the hands Of
Detective Sergeant Tanner, a man
who had gained wonderful reputa-
ton as a tracker of criminals.
Nothing occurred in the inyestiga-
ton until Sept. s, when Mullins call
ed on Tanner and told him a story of
| how he had discovered evidence
| against Emms, and insisted that the
! detective should go with him to ENNIS
| house for an Investigation Tanner
agreed and as they were going about
/ the detective was amazed at the skill
| Mullins displayed in locating articles
about the place that belonged to the
widow. Finally Mullins turned to Tan
ner and said: Are you satisfied 2
Quite, was the laconic reply fol
| lowed by dramatic utterance: Il ar
rest you. George Mullins, on suspicion
| of having murdered Mrs. Emsley
The next moment the handouts click.
ed. on the astounded mans wrists
Mullins clustered and protested, bu
oil
when no clew seemed Forthcoming
Tanner had not been idle. He had beer
gradually, but surely working up
case against Mullins, and the act o
the latter In attempting to implicit,
Emms finished the detectives work
| Tanner had discovered that on tn
). morning of the Monday on which oc
Cured the murder, Emms went t
Stratford TO collect rent for Mrs. Ems
ley, and did not return until afte
midnight On the other hand Georg
Mullins was at work doing up a hous
belonging to Mrs. EmsIey close t
Grove Road. When he left his wor
! at o clock, he carried with him
, heavy hammer, which he had used I
knock away a ceiling. This fatal ham
mer was found in Mullins lodging!
On it DR.. Gill, who was called to Sc
the remains of the murdered woma
found bloodstains, and its edge exact
ly fitted a terrible wound over tn
: eyebrow and another on the back c
the head.
Moreover, Tanner found blood nea
the murdered woman which contain
ed the partial imprint OF a naile
: boot. He had a piece of the floorin
: on which 1t appeared, carefully CT
z out. He also found that Mullins gay
0 up his lodgings at IL Little Orfor
Street, Chilsea, 13 days after the mu1
der and before he went threw DO,
: into the dust hole. where the pole
o found 1t. The imprint in the blood COZ
J. responded exactly with the nails
the boot.
The trial of Mullins occupied tv
q days Oct, rs and &c, 1850. and aft
half an hours elaboration the jul
returned verdict of guilty on VIII
e the Lord Chief Baron described
IS some Of the most convincing ey
dence' ever given in a court Of la,
Is Mullins, callous to the last, was du
executed at Newgate. on Nov !
1860.