The inquest on the body of the woman Mary Miller was resumed to-day at the Railway Hotel, Dean Lane, Newton Heath, before Mr. F. Price, district coroner. Mr. Charles E. R. Davy, solicitor, appeared on behalf of the prisoner.
Benjamin Royston said: I live at Chadderton's Buildings, St. Mary's Road, and am an iron-moulder by trade. I knew the deceased quite well, and I also know a man named John Alfred Gell. I have known him seven or eight weeks. He is said to have resided with Mrs. Miller. On Tuesday night, the 28th ult. he came to my house about half-past eight o'clock. He had been in the habit of coming occasionally to pass an hour. On the night of the 28th, as soon as he came in, he began to talk about Mrs. Miller. He said, as near as I can remember :- "Now, Mr. Royston, I have something to tell you to-night about Mrs. Miller. I have never spoken to you about her before, but I have been telling lies about her, and I wish I had not done so. She will very likely turn against me now, and I want you to speak a good word for me. A party has been up to-day and has told her what I have said. I love the woman, and am very fond of her. I will have her. If I don't no one else shall, for I will finish her before anyone else shall have her." He stayed at our house about an hour that night. He also stated while he was there that he had been jealous of Mrs. Miller, but he had found out he was mistaken. The following morning I saw Mrs. Miller and spoke to her. On Wednesday night, about eight o'clock, Gell again came to my house. He said he had been to Hyde that day, had walked there and back, and that he had seen Mrs. Miller, who advised him to call at my house before going to hers. He then lay down on the sofa and closed his eyes. He lay there till about a quarter to eleven o'clock. A minute or two afterwards Mrs. Miller came in, and he woke up. "Good evening, Mrs. Miller," he said, "how are you?" She told him to shut up as she did not want anything to do with him -- she had done with him. Then turning to me she said "Now Mr. Royston I will tell you all about it." He then went over to her and tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away and said "Go away from me. I hate you, I hate you: you must never enter my door any more, Alfred Gell." He scowled at her then, and she said, "Now, that is your right name." He then said to her, "Now, you must go home: I will make you go home. Where you go I shall go." He then got hold of her round the neck and dragged her out of the house, right down to the garden gate. He let her go at the gate, and she came into the house again with her bonnet off and her hair down. He stopped talking to me at the front door while my wife let Mrs. Miller out by the back. He afterwards came inside the house and asked where she was. My wife told him she had gone home, and that he was to go down in a few minutes. He then left our house by the back door. It would be near upon twelve o'clock when he left. I did not see him again till I saw him at the police station the next day. (Shown a brown felt hat.) That is Alfred Gell's hat. I can swear to it. I have seen him wearing it many a time.
A Juryman: Did she give you any reason for asking your wife to tell Gell to follow him to the house?
Witness: My idea is that when she said that she knew I was talking to Gell at the front door, and she only said it to get time to get home and get the door locked.
Mr. Davy, for the prisoner, objected to the answer being taken, saying that witness's idea was not evidence against the prisoner.
A Juryman: I am satisfied in my own mind she simply wanted time to lock the door. (To witness): In what condition did Gell seem that night?
Witness: His faculties were all right.
The Coroner: Was he sober?
Witness: Yes. I never remember seeing him the worse of drink. I do not know of my own knowledge whether Gell lodged with Mrs. Miller that night.
Police-constable Arthur Barker said: I am stationed at Buckley-street, Moston. About twelve o'clock noon on Thursday, 1st inst., from information I received from the witness Clydesdale, I went to the house of the deceased. It was not in uniform. I wore a billycock hat like that now shown to me. On entering the house by the front door I met a woman in an excited state and she accidentally knocked my hat off. I went in without my hat. I found Mrs. Miller lying bleeding from wounds on the head. She was unconscious. The doctor was attending to her. I went into the back yard and found lying on the ground the axe produced. At the same time I found the hat now produced. I was present at the Police Court on the 2nd inst., when the prisoner claimed that hat as his.
A juryman: Have you seen any other men going to Mrs. Miller's house besides Gell?
Another juryman: Oh, that won't make any difference.
The Coroner: I don't see what difference that will make. To witness: Did you see any other man there that morning?
Witness: No.
Richard Robinson, a police-constable stationed at Chain Bar, Moston, said :- On Thursday, 1st instant about noon, I was on duty in St. Mary's Road, Moston, when I saw a man without a hat running across some fields in the direction of Moston Cemetery, and from what was told to me I went in pursuit of him. I lost sight of him, but after running about a quarter of a mile I got up to him again. When I got within about fifty yards of him he turned round and came towards me. He said, "Put the handcuffs on me." I asked him what he had done, and he said "I don't know." Then I put the handcuffs on him, and told him he must go with me. I took him to the police station at Barnes Green. Later in the day I charged him with the wilful murder of Mary Miller, of 6, St Mary's Road, Moston, by striking her on the head with an axe. He made no reply. I afterwards examined the prisoner's clothing and found blood stains on the left sleeve of his jacket, which I now produce.
A Juryman: When you caught him did he look like a man in his right mind, or like one who had just escaped from an asylum?
Witness: I do not know anything about the man, so far as regards his mind.
Another Juryman: He was naturally excited.
Witness: He seemed bad enough.
In reply to Mr. Davy, witness said that about five minutes before he was watching another man. He did not know where the other man went.
The Coroner: That is all the evidence we can lay before you to-day, and so far as I know there is no other evidence beyond that of the daughter, who, I understand from Sergeant Thompson, is not so well to-day as she has been. Whether she will recover or not it is impossible for me to say. The doctors are not desirous of giving any definite opinion on that point. I think it is desirable, seeing the assizes are so far away, that we should adjourn again to some future day.
The inquest was adjourned for a fortnight.
The following letter was received this morning by an intimate friend of Mrs. Miller's (the murdered woman) addressed from the Strangeways Prison :-
"Since Mrs. Miller and me left you at Moston Station seems a long time. I think a deal over now I'm in a Prison Cell, my best friend is dead Bless her i hope she's in heaven she was all in this world to me my only hope, how i Loved her, how I enjoyed her Company and she loved her Alf. the night Mrs. --- and yourself was at the theatre with her I sat 2 seats behind you and we had a sharp run to catch the train home from Victoria Station she has been kind to me bought me stockings Pair Drawers and several little things the Collar I shall wear around my neck at the trial She Bought I hope you are well as this Leaves me heard Broken somebody sent me a dinner last Sunday I was pleased Im allowed 2 visitors a day for ¼ of an hour excuse this letter without stamps I have none. towards Bell I Bear no malice but loves her child as if it were my own God Bless you may you prosper in future life as mine Looks dark. in my Breast Pocket is one of her white handkerchiefs that she once wiped the burning tears from my face when I stood at the foot of my poor wifes grave she was my only comforter in that severe trouble. How could i ever forget her in this life."