Tragedy of Hunted Woman

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6667, 21 July 1928, Page 1 (Supplement)

Tragedy of Hunted Woman

FORTY YEARS OF CRIME Finger-Print Clue Solves Mystery ONCE again; the marvellous system of finger-print records at Scotland Yard has been in; light.on a tragedy that seemed to be wrapped in mystery. ; A woman who died of gas poisoning.in a London hotel, has been revealed through her finger-prints as a criminal of ' numerous aliases and many convictions. 77'“?'*

■p EM ARK ABLE letters, telling a -*-* story of distress, and mentioning a number of well-known names, were left by the dead woman, on whom an inquest was held at Paddington by Mr; H. R. Oswald, the coroner. Both the woman and a young man, who w as also In the room, were unconscious when they ‘ were found. The room was filled with gas, and the two were taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, where the woman died without recovering consciousness/ Miss Evelyn Roddick, manageress of the Embassy Hotel, Bayswater, W., said that the woman and a young man, whom she described as her son, arrived at the hotel on March-14. They registered in ; the name of Nowell. i Miss Roddick added that she had seen the young man suffering from fits. The woman said that she must have the same room as her boy because he had to be watched on account of the fits. . After a time she had two rooms, each of which had a- gasstove with a shilling-in-the-slot meter. ’ Detective-Sergeant Butler, of Scotland Yard’s finger-print department, said the woman,- who was about 53 years old, was well known to the C.I.D. At various times she had passed under the following names:— Millicent Phillips. Millicent ‘ Moxon. 1 Millicent 'Margulas. Millicent Howard. Millicent Edwards. Emily Martineau. Margaret' Howard. Mary Margulas. Helen Dennis. Scotland Yard had no knowledge of her parentage, nor if she were married. V Wanted on Five Warrants Her first offence was one of larceny at Jarrow, in 1887, When she was

registered as a waitress. Since then she had been convicted many; times for fraud and larceny, the last time being in 1914. . v On the day of her death she,-was. wanted on five warrants for offence's committed in this country: since. 1914. These facts he was able to giye; from • having compared the ..dead' woman's finger-prints ‘ with those at the Finger Print Bureau. ' V Police-Sergeant Upperton said he found-, two passports; in the room’.la the names of Mrs. Millicenfc . Mpxoh and Edward Alexander Moxdn. v , ' 7 Reading from - these, the coroner said that-the woman described herpelf ;tas a widow and a British subject.; She gave her place of birth as haven, Cumberland, and the date 'as 18S0. {: The second passport was that. of Edward Aetxander Moxou, stated . to have been born at Winchester in'1902.“This’ is the alleged son or a portrait of him,” said the coroner. Giving evidence with regard to the young man, Dr. ,N. R- Pooler, of St, Mary’s Hospital, said he was not id a fit mental state to give any information as to the tragedy. He was mentally deficient. ; H ‘ 7.: “Led Me Terrible Life” A detective said that in the bedroom he found four letters, one addressed to Captain Nowell, one to Mr. Nowell;; and two unaddressed. One,;. .sighed “M.M.,” began “Harry,” and said:-/ “I only wish to tell you that-'as you have taken away all that made my life sweet and good, I am going to end it. I will not live to spe this awful dishonour come to me.. \-,: y “You have" caused me nothing but awful suffering: I cannot-face life. You are an adventurer only, put after money. My God! Howl-thqso vile Grand Hotel people ought to

b* -made to keep away' such as yoa : who coma to molest a weak woman: owhvroom.:-Till I met you ! I ’ . loved "Ufe, andrall ; it gave.. 'NoVj'; gbodrbyeratfd may ’God : judge you.?'; Before reading a letter, written; froa|;| Nice, the coroner asked Sergeant Nunn / whether he;knew; anything about the man described ■as NowelL ■ ‘'‘Mo/ddubt they-had been /livtog,-t(S&| gether fori some -time,” replied the 011 - ■ ; cet::' ?‘The wbtoan'-ia v wanted on flyd:. different warrants, r and' the man ’J* ' wanted hn the same.warrants, as welL" - TWifletter^trom;Nice read:— ‘ ‘■‘Whatever., happens to me, that : terrible man Nowell has driven me ■' says he is a bosomfriend ,;'ofvSlr./ and the.. Duke• of ; I only, know he . camo tb tis In the i clothes he stands in, and with a suitl| v- case; full ; of empty/ bottles ;Vaa®| papers. ... has led me i a teirible life, honestly believe he has tried to drive. mo to suicide. All he is out for te money., /■ :-7 : /• Was ah honest and greatly re*/ , spected woman until Captain Nowellj| ab'he' called himself,, forced his afci'l ~v tqntionss. on me and told me lies, m “He said he was a. bachelor, and/ that we would be married as soon : as possible.” N / A verdict of suicide while of unsound ; mind/whs returned. /|S