Beverley and East Riding Telegraph. — 1896-05-23 (Beverley, Humberside, England)

THE MUSWELL HILL MURDER.  TRIAL OF MILSOM AND FOWLER.  At the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday, before Mr. Justice Hawkins, Albert Milsom, 33, and Henry Fowler, 31, labourers, were indicted for the wilful murder of Mr. Henry Smith, at Muswell Lodge, Muswell Hill, on the night of February 13.—The prisoners who were strongly guarded by wariers, and kept apart, pleaded " Not guilty." Mr. Woodfall, who, with Mr. Lever, defended Fowler, having regard to the statement that Milson' had made since arrest, applied that the men should be tried separately.—Mr. Justice Hawkins declined the application. Mr. C. F. Gill, who, with Mr. Horace Avory, prosecuted on behalf of the Treasury, then gave in detail, the story of the crime. Counsel then went on to describe the steps which the police took and the eventual arrest of the prisoners. When they were charged with the murder they said they knew nothing about the case. Following the first magisterial investigation, Milsom, who apparently began to realise what evidence the police had against him, made a statement. It amounted to a confession of the murder, but to save himself, he put all the blame on Fowler, alleging that the latter did the murder single-handed. Having regard, however, to the circumstances under which Milsom made his statement, the prosecution did not suggest that it was true, further than that it went to show that he must have been present when the murder was committed, and assisted in the crime. When this statement was given in court and Fowler heard it, he himself made a statement about the manner in which he and Milsom perpetrated the crime. He said that he took £ll2 from a bag found in Mr. Smith's safe, which they opened, and gave Milsom 1.:50 of that sum. Plans of Muswell Lodge were put M and explained for the guidance of the jury.—Charles John Webber, gardener at Muswell Lodge, who had been 10 years in the service of the late Mr. Smith, related the circumstances of finding the dead body of his master on the morning of February 14, and to summoning the police, when an examination was made, and the lantern found.— Mr. Challon, a retired major of volunteers, spoke to being called to Muswell Lodge on the morning of February 14, and to finding the body of Mr. Smith lying in the kitchen. The witness described the position of the body, the limbs of which were bound tightly with twisted strips of cloth. A cloth was tied over the mouth, into which a gag had been inserted. He noticed the wounds on the head.—Dr. Webster described the injuries which he found on the body of Mr. Smith, and which accounted for death.—The testimony of the police was adduced with respect to the foot-prints about the grounds of Muswell Lodge, and the manner in which an entrance was effected.—Mrs. Bland, a niece of Mr. Smith, said that he was a widower, and 79 years of age. He was in the habit of keeping his money in a safe in his bedroom.—Miss Good, residing at Muswell Hill, proved that the two prisoners were in the neighbourhood of Muswell Lodge two days before the murder.—Henry Miller, a lad of 15 years of age, was called next to speak to the ownership of the lantern which was left at Muswell Lodge, and to the fact that Millsom was not at home on the night of the murder.—The trial was then adjourned.