The Northern Guardian. — 1896-06-04 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

MUSWELL HILL MURDERERS.  REMARKABLE LETTER FROM MILSOM. It is stated that the man Albert Milsom, who lies under sentence of death, with the convict Fowler, for the Muswell Hill murder, has sent the following letter to his mother :—H.M. Prison, Newgate, June Ist, 1896--My dear Mother,—l hope you won't take this dreadful calamity to heart , much, and think of what is in front of you. lam bearing up, under the circumstances, very well, as I ' have no guilty conscience to prick me. I have I sinned against God and man, and to a great extreme, but, thank God, I have not to answer for anyone's life. I am innocent of the blood of Mr i Smith. lam a miserable sinner about to appear before God, and cannot face Him with a lie upon my tongue. I can solemnly declare before God and man that I am innocent of this dreadful crime of murder. I have made a true confession to man, and God Almighty knows that the police have used it for my own destruction. But I forgive them, and I hope my Heavenly Father will forgive I me, a miserable sinner. Mr dear mother, remem- ' her Jesus on the Cross. There were malefactors on each side, and one said unto Jesus, "Lord, I remember me when Thou cement into Thy kingdom." Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Para- ' dise." There ; God is willing to save me, and I can only watch and pray, and hope for His mercy after death. I have not forgotten the happy night I spent with my wife and child at Sister Ruth's Chapel in the Bosworth Road, NW., and the kindness we have received from her and from other ladies and gentlemen, and the advice as to the way W'3 should go. I had food for the body and soul at that blessed chapel. I daresay people will wonder why I have sunk so low and the cause of it. I often ask the question myself, and the answer comes at once, "Bad company." I can't see why, if a man puts his finger in the fire, that I should do the same. We should pray to God for strength. iMy dear mother, when I came home four years ago, I was fortunate as regards work. I then settled down, got married, and was very happy. The Almighty bleed me with a darling son to keep me company when I came home after work to my tea. Then I was not afraid of being tapped on the shoulder by the police. But my happiness was not to last. Work got scarce, and it was hard for a man to come home and hear his child asking for bread. This is what I have suffered this last nine months. I have always tried to get an honest living since I have been married to Emily. I have struggled hard to get sufficient for us to live upon, but what has been the result? Since I lost my home I have sunk further and further into the mire. I was fool enough to go and live at Miller's instead of taking my wife and child into the workhouse. It would have been more to my credit if I had done so, for poverty is no disgrace. Then I should not have met the other man and got into this scrape. It does seem sad that a young man should be cut off so soon, and leave my dear wife and children to the mercy of the world. If I was guilty of this crime of murder I should deserve it, hut I am as innocent I of it as my darling little boy, who is only six months old, is. nod knows that he is an :innocent little dear. My dear mother, I must now bid you , my last good-. in this world, and hope you will I try to hear up under this dreadful load.—l am,,] yours truly, A. MiLsom.