Mr. Poland: Did she say anything in your presence as to whether she was Peace’s wife?
Witness: I have a slight recollection of asking her for her marriage certificate and of her saying that she was married at St. George’s Church, Sheffield. I said, “Have you got a marriage certificate to show me?” She said, “No I have not; the old man burned it.”
Mr. Samuel Smith, builder, said: I live at 68, Rhyde Villas, St. Mary’s-road, Peckham. About the latter end of May I was at East-terrace, Evelina-road, Peckham. I remember a party of four persons calling there. The prisoner was one of them. I knew her as Mrs. Ward. She gave that name. Two of the other persons were known as Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, and the other one of the party was a young man they called Willie. The man known as Mr. Thompson spoke to me, and asked to look over the house, but it was too late in the evening for that. He asked me the rent, which I told him was £30 a year; and subsequently I let the premises to him. The woman I knew as Mrs. Thompson was a younger woman than the prisoner; a little over thirty I should think.
I believe you asked Mr. Thompson on that occasion for some reference?
I did, and he then asked me to go and see where he was living in Greenwich, which I did.
Where was he living at Greenwich? Do you recollect?
I do not recollect the name of the street. The house at Greenwich was a respectable house, and I saw prisoner there. The place was respectably furnished, and that satisfied me. I went to the house many times afterwards, and I know from having visited at the place that the man and woman known as Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, and the woman known as Mrs. Ward, and the boy Willie, were living there. Rent was paid me up to Michaelmas. I have got possession of the house now. I heard some time after Thompson had disappeared that a man, who was believed to be him, had been taken into custody.
Thomas Pickering, a porter employed at the Nunhead station on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, said: On the 11th October, in consequence of a message I received from another porter, I went to No. 5, East-terrace, Evelina-road, which is about three minutes’ walk from the Nunhead station. When I got to the house I saw an old lady. I could not swear that the prisoner was the lady. It would be a person of about the same age. She asked me to take three boxes to the Nunhead station and label them for King’s Cross. I went into the house, got the boxes and put them on my barrow. The old lady told me to send the boxes by the five minutes to six train and she would be there. I took them to the station and labelled them for the Great Northern Railway terminus at King’s Cross. I did not notice any name or address upon the boxes. After I had taken them to the station the old lady came. She went away by the five minutes to six train that evening.
Examination continued: I have seen a box at the Bow-street Police-station. It resembles the box I brought from the house in the Evelina-road, to the Nunhead station. The other two boxes were similar. I did not know the old lady before, and have not seen her since until to-day.
Selina Karcher said: I am housekeeper and lady’s maid to Mrs. Wood, Sunnyside, Leigham Court-road, Streatham. I was so engaged on the 20th August. When I went to bed on that date the house was all safe, but next morning, when I came down, I found that the house had been broken into. From the house I missed a number of things, including a plate basket, a silk dress trimmed with velvet, belonging to my mistress, Mrs. Kathleen, the wife of Mr. Mark Wood. The value of the silver missed was about £30, and the silk and velvet dress, which was a very valuable one, was also worth £30.