Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) (1253 page)

COURT.
Q.
When did you last sleep in Barnsley-street?
A.
On Wednesday night — I never went there any more after — I came up to look after work — I last slept in Barnsley-street on the Wednesday after 13th August — there was a Mrs. Musick, the mother of these children, who slept there — I had slept there before the Monday — I was in the habit of sleeping then sometimes.

MR. SERJEANT PARRY.
Q.
Did you sleep there on the Saturday nigh before the Monday?
A.
No — Mrs. Emsley did not turn Mrs. Musiek out — she ordered her to go — she stayed there by my father’s permission while he was away — when my father was up at Brompton she used to sleep in the same room — that is what I have been told — I have never slept in the same room when she has been sleeping there — I do not know where she slept on the night of 13th August — I believe she was in the house — when my father was there she used to sleep in the back kitchen, and her children used sometimes to sleep in my father’s room.

Q.
I will again ask you how you came to know, on the Saturday following the murder, that the murder was committed on Monday, 13th August; how was your attention called to the date?
A.
Well, hearing of the row, in Barnsley-street on the Monday when I was there — I did not know that the murder was committed on the Monday night; I did not say it had been committed on the Monday night — no one asked me on the Saturday whether I remembered having slept there on the Monday — I understood by the papers that the murder was committed on the 13th — I heard that on the Saturday evening; I heard that it was committed on the Monday or Tuesday.

MR. BEST.
Q.
When you heard of this murder having been committed did you remember the row in Barnsley-street?
A.
Yes — it was from that that I remembered being in Barnsley-street on the Monday — the bed of rushes was not a very comfortable bed; I could not go to sleep because it was so hard.

JOHN MULLINS. I am the son of the prisoner, and live at No. 1, Rose- court, East Smithfield — I am a labourer — at present I am out of employ — when I am employed it is at the docks — I remember my father living at 33, Barnsley-street, right well; I lived there with him — I was there on Monday, 13th August last — my father was there on that day, and my brother, the last witness — my father went out at his regular time in the morning, a little after 8, after breakfast — he came home again about 12, I should say, and had his dinner; he then went to work again — I next saw him at 7 o’clock; it might want a few minutes to 7 — he came into the room where I was — he had his supper at 8 o’clock and went to bed at 9 — I went to bed there — I slept in that room — my father slept in the bed — I did not go to sleep for some time after I went to bed; it is not every time you can go to sleep when you lie down — I got up in the morning about the same time, half-past 7 — my father got up, he had his breakfast a little after 8 o’clock, and then he water washed the passage and stopped the nail-holes — at 12 o’clock he came in to his dinner, and at half-past 12 he told me he was going to Cambridge-road to work there; he then left — I never saw this boot in all my life — I know right well what a billy-cock hat is — it is what they wear in Ireland — my father never wore one of those.

Cross-examined by
MR. SERJEANT PARRY.
Q.
Did you ever wear one?
A.
At times, in Ireland, I might have one for about a month — I am not at work now — I was not at work at the time I spoke of in August — I have not been at work since — I should say it was about four months since I was at work in the docks; during that time I have done nothing, because my health would not allow me — I have lived with my father during that time in Barnsley-street, and at Brompton, in Orford-street — I went there once or twice — my father slept at home on the night of the murder — I mean in Little Orford-street.

Q.
You said just now that he got up about 8, his usual time, on the Monday morning, is that so?
A.
You speak a little too fast for me; I recollect my father getting up on Monday morning, 13th August — if you speak a little easier I shall understand you.

COURT.
Q.
Where did you sleep on Monday night, 13th August?
A.
At 33, Barnsley-street.

MR. SERJEANT PARRY.
Q.
You are quite sure of that?
A.
On Monday night I slept in Barnsley-street; and on Sunday night, with my father — he had his breakfast on Monday morning, I recollect that.

Q.
Who slept with your father on the Sunday night besides yourself?

A.
On Sunday night? he used to go home of a Saturday night.

Q.
Never mind what he used to do; you say you slept with your father on the Sunday night, at Barnsley-street, who slept with you?
A.
On Sunday night? you are mistaken, you spoke too fast; I did not understand what you said.

Q.
You said distinctly that you slept with your father in Barnsley- street, and that your father got up to breakfast at 8 o’clock in the morning, is that true or false?
A.
You say, where he had his breakfast on Monday morning, don’t you? well, he had it in Oakum-street, no, not in Oakum-street, at 33, Barnsley-street.

COURT.
Q.
On Monday morning he had his breakfast in Barnsley- street, is that so?
A.
On Monday morning had he his breakfast in Barnsley-street? he used to go away on Monday morning from Oakum-steeet.

MR. SERJEANT PARRY.
Q.
Were you at home all day on the Monday, it seems to puzzle you about the breakfast?
A.
No, it does not puzzle me — I cannot say whether he did breakfast in Barnsley-street on the Monday morning — he used to come home on Saturday night to his own place — to the best of my knowledge I was at 33, Barnsley-street on the Sunday night — I did not sleep there on the Tuesday night; I went up to Little Orford-street — I can’t say how long I stayed there; my father was out at work on the Monday and I was in the room along with my brother Thomas — on Sunday night I think I slept with myself — if I said I slept with my father I was mistaken — I did not do any work on Monday — I did not go out the whole of the day — I sat in the little room all day reading an almanack, that was all that there was there — there was a little bedstead in the room, only one — my brother Thomas slept with me on the Monday night — I know three little children of the name of Musick — they used to sleep in the kitchen — they have; slept in my father’s room — on Monday night they slept in the kitchen — I won’t swear that they did; they must either have slept in the room or in the kitchen — I swear they slept in the house, I used to hear them asking their mother for a good many things — I did not leave the house till Tuesday evening — I remained in the house all day doing nothing — there were other persons in the house at 33, Barnsley-street — I know a young woman named Brimson — I think Mrs. Musick saw my father water-washing the passage and stopping the nail-holes; she was in and out — I don’t know where she is now; we can’t find her; she is put out of the way, there is no doubt about it — I remember right well when my brother went to sea, it was in July — I cannot tell where these children slept on the night in question, except that they slept in the house.

MR. BEST.
Q.
Have you tried to find Mrs. Musick?
A.
Yes, we have made inquiries about her and cannot find her out — I had no billy-cock hat on this Monday.

CAROLINE BARNES. I live at Laurestine-cottage, Grove-road — I know No. 9, Grove-road, where Mrs. Emsley lived — my house is nearly opposite to that house — I remember Monday, 13th August last — I saw Mrs. Einsley, on that day — I saw the house on the Tuesday morning — I saw some one moving the paper on the Tuesday morning — the paper was very white outside, paper-hangings — it was in the top room — it was about twenty minutes to 10 o’clock when I saw this — I saw the right hand window of the top room open a little way, which attracted my attention — I saw the window move; it attracted me being opened; I saw it opening — I could not tell who the person was that was in the room.

Cross-examined by
MR. SERJEANT PARRY.
Q.
When was your attention first called to this matter; when did you hear of the murder?
A.
On the Friday — I told Mr. Rose about this; I said I supposed it to be Mrs. Emsley, but I did not see the old lady — I said I had not seen her since I saw her moving the paper — I supposed it to be her; I did not take any notice — I was very busy at the time — it was about twenty minutes to 10 on the Tuesday.

MR. BEST.
Q.
I believe you gave evidence of this before the coroner?
A.
I did.

JAMES STEVENSON. I am a builder, and reside at 3, Library-road, Oldford — I had occasion to go to Grove-road on Tuesday morning, 14th August last — I called at 3, Grove-road, at the house of a man named Piper — I did not see him, but I saw his family, and left a message for him — that was just turned half-past 10 o’clock — since I heard of the circumstance I have noticed the house where Mrs. Emsley used to live, No. 9, Grove-road — I had not noticed it previously — I passed by that house about half-past 9 o’clock, or a few minutes later that morning — I went round into the Grove-road, and left a message for Mr. Piper, the plasterer, and after leaving there I walked on the other side of the way towards Bow station, undecided whether I should go home by bus or not — after I had walked a few paces towards the Bow-railway station I looked down the Bow-road, and in looking down the Bow-road I saw a tall man coming out of a garden there with some paper under his arm — whether it was three or four pieces I cannot be positive — he was coming out of a garden apparently about the number of the house, No. 9 — I then returned, and walked a few paces towards the city of London, and as I was walking I looked down the Grove-road again, and saw the person coming towards the Mile-end-road or Bow-road, some people call it one and some the other — after that I crossed over the road, one door from the Grove- road, and then I made up my mind to go home — I was walking towards home, and had just turned the corner to go down the Grove-road when I met the party face to face, nearly in each other’s arms — I said, “Hallo, what, are you in the paper line?” — he said, “Yes, “in a flurried manner (
speaking in a faltering tone
) — I thought it might be from my coming on him all of a sudden — he said, “Yes, didn’t you know that?” — I said, “No, I didn’t know it; had I known it I could have given you a job, for I have got about 180 pieces of paper being hung” — he said, “Oh, yes, I have served my time at it”—”Well,” I said, “I shall want some more done by and by, and the first job I have I know where you live, in Barnsley-street, Bethnal-green.”

COURT.
Q.
Then you knew the man?
A.
Yes, I knew him well, it was Mr. Rowland.

MR. BEST.
Q.
Did you give any information of this to any one?
A.
Not till some days afterwards — I told my sister-in-law — on the Saturday afternoon I went to Mr. Rose, the solicitor of Mrs. Emsley, and made him acquainted with it — that was the day after the murder was made known — I heard of it on the Friday, and on the Saturday I went and made him acquainted with it — he recommended me to go to Scotland-yard — I did not go that evening, but I went next morning, Monday; and gave information to Sergeant Tanner, and from that Sergeant Tanner and Inspector Thornton came to my house, and after that Inspector Kerrison, and I was summoned on the inquest, but was not examined. I gave in a written statement at the time to Sergeant Tanner.

Cross-examined by
MR. SERJEANT PARRY.
Q.
I don’t know whether you were aware that there was a house being papered next door to the deceased’s?
A.
No, I did not know anything about that — I did not even know that she lived there until after the affair — I do not know whether that was so or not — this was on the Tuesday morning, 14th August — I did not recognize Mr. Rowland until I came upon him as I have described — I did not know previously that he was a paper-hanger by trade — I only knew it from what he stated.

MICHAEL GAFFNET. I live at 7, Queen’s-row, Cambridge-road, Bethnalgreen — I know the prisoner — he was doing work for me in August — I remember Tuesday, 14th August — he came to work for me on that day — he came about 1 o’clock — I had never seen him before the Monday when he came to look at the work.

Cross-examined by
MR. SERJEANT PARRY.
Q.
What time do you say he was working for you?
A.
It was about 1 o’clock on the Tuesday when he came — he had not been at work on the Monday for me — he only came to look at the work — I asked him when he would be there, so as I might clear the things out of the way for him, and he said he would be there on the Tuesday morning — he did not name the time, but he came about 1 o’clock in the day.

MR. SERJEANT PARRY in reply re-called

WILLIAM ROWLAND. I know James Stevenson the builder; I see him in Court — I did not see him in Grove-road on 14th August last — I was not near the place — several witnesses can prove that I was some two miles from there at the time, and the whole of the day — I did not come out of any house there — perhaps it may be necessary to explain that I saw Mr. Stevenson some time previous, nearly a week before, and I then had some paper under my arm — I have known him for some years, and I know he is a man labouring under some impressions, in fact, I have the impression that he was not quite right in his mind.

CAROLINE BRIMSON. I am single — I work in a laundry — I have an aunt who lodged at 33, Barnsley-street — Mrs. Musick used sometimes to attend upon her, she is an invalid — she is not bed ridden, but she was so for nine months — Mrs. Musick used to attend upon her — in consequence of Mrs. Musick going away, I went to Barnsley-street to attend upon my aunt — I had just left service — I went on the Tuesday — I do not know the day of the month, but it was on the Tuesday as Mrs. Emsley was supposed to be murdered on the Monday — I am quite sure of that — I went there at 10 o’clock in the morning — I was there the whole of that day and the next, and have been there ever since — I know the two young men, the Mullins, I saw them there — I saw one on the Tuesday, the shortest one (
Thomas
) — the other one was not there at all on the Tuesday — he was there on the Tuesday’week; the following Tuesday — I remember the place being waterI washed — I was there at the time, because the prisoner borrowed my aunt’s pail to do it with — the prisoner water-washed the place on the Thursday, not on the Tuesday, but Thursday — that was not the first time I had seen the prisoner there — I saw him on the Tuesday morning between 9 and 10 o’clock — I am quite sure the water-washing was on the Thursday.