The Sun. — 1860-10-25 (London, England)

THE STEPNEY MURDER.  The trial of James Mullins, the man charged with the wilful murder of Mrs. Mary Ernsley, having been fixed for this morning, fee attendance in court was very great. Although some additional seats had been provided in the court for visitors, yet the accommodation was inadequate. Immediately after the Lord ,Chief Baron had taken his seat on the bend, The prisoner, James Mullins, was placed in the dock, and charged with having wilfully murdered a female named Mary Emsley, residing at No. 9, Grove-road, Mile-end. He pleaded Not Guilty. Mr. Sergeant Parry, Mr. Clarke, and Mr. Orridge, appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Best, of the Oxford Circuit, defended the prisoner. From the copious reports that have already appeared in The Sun of the examination of the prisoner at the coroner's inquest, and before the magistrate at the Thames Police Court, it will be unnecessary, on the present occasion, to republish the whole of the evidence. It will be recollected that the barbarous murder of Mrs. Emsley was committed on or about Monday, the 13th day of August last. She was last seen alive on that day, collectinei, rents of the tenants of sundry small houses, and she is supposed to have received about £4O on that day, and it is believed that this money was the object of the murderer's cupidity. The prisoner was formerly attached to the Irish constabulary, and acted on many occasions as a spy and informer in the prosecution of Ribbonmen and others in Ireland. He was afterwards a sergeant in the K division of Metropolitan police, and was superannuated on a pension of £35 per annum. He subsequently obtained employment on the South-Eastern Railway, and committed a serious robbery, for which: he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to six years' penal servitude. After the exOration of his sentence he sought employment of Mrs. Emsley, to whose late husband he was known, and she not knowing his antecedents employed him occasionally is the repairs of the numerous tenements belonging to her. He became well acquainted with her habits, and although she was very cautious with strangers, and would not admit any one without first looking through the window, or going into the area and inquiring their business, Mullins would have no difficulty in procuring admittance, as he was well known to her, and in the practice of calling at hetet-welling on business and to receive payment for hiS services. As a great deal of mystery surrounded the horrible deed, a largo reward was offered by the authorities for the discovery of the murderer. 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 a man named Emma, and pointed out a place where he said Emms had deposited a parcel containing property belonging to the deceased ; and Mullins en 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. Emms was also in the employ of the deceased, and was well known to the prisoner as a person likely to be admitted into her house, as it was looked upon by the police that some one well acquainted with the habits of the unfortunate woman must have inflicted the wounds which caused her death. On the discovery of the parcel Emms was token into custody, but very shortly after liberated, and the suspicion which had from the first attached to Muffles as the murderer became much stronger. The police having once got a clue to the discovery of the murderer, set to work meat vigorously and succeeded in obtaining a strong chain of circumstantial evidence against .Mullins. 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 Emma and obtaing the reward of £3OO. The examination of witnesses, of which there are about 50, was proceeding when we went to press.  Best has intimated that he does not intend to address the jury to-day; consequently, the trial cannot conclude ;.;,fQI,