Maud Minnie Mills

Maud Minnie Mills was shot 4 times but survived for six days before dying.

She told police that she had fallen on some railings.

She had been separated from her husband for 18 months under a magistrates' order and for which he had to pay her 10s weekly.

When the husband heard that Maud Mills was injured, he went to see and said he saw his 13 year old son who lived with his mother and asked him what had happened. He said that his son said that she had fallen and injured herself. He then asked his son whether it was not a fact that she had been set about by someone and said that his son hesitated as though he was keeping something back by his mother's instructions.

The husband said that Maud Mills had been addicted to excessive drinking for about six years but that he knew nothing of her habits since they had been separated.

He said that he last saw her on the previous Saturday when she was drunk and abusive and said he eventually had to complain to the police to get rid of her.

He also said that he thought it was unlikely that his wife would have taken her own life but added that she had once stabbed him and it was for that reason that he had obtained a separation order.

The son said that his mother had left the house on the Monday night saying that she was going to the theatre but had not returned by 10pm when he went to bed. He said he heard nothing during the night but was woken up by his mother at 6am asking for water. He said that she was in bed but only partially undressed and that she had three holes in her face. He said that she he asked her what the matter was she told him that it was nothing and that she had fallen down in the yard.

A friend that had been at Maud Mills's house on the Monday afternoon said that she had gone to see her but that she had been drinking and was asleep on the sofa and so she went away. She said that when she was called for the next day, she saw Maud Mills in bed and said that she presented a shocking appearance and had several wounds to her face, a scar on her temple and a discoloured eye. She said that when she asked what had happened Maud Mills replied, 'I've done it myself' and when she told her that it was impossible, she replied, 'I'm sure I did' adding that she had fallen down and must have had some kind of fit. When she suggested that she ought to have a doctor Maud Mills said that she must not bring anyone to see her or she would do something desperate but when she became worse and on the Friday she consented to a doctor being called.

When the doctor was called Maud Mills took him into the yard to show her where she had fallen.

The friend said that she attended Maud Mills for several days and said that throughout she had always persisted that she had injured herself although she had made various statements as to how she did it.

Maud Mills was taken to hospital on the Saturday night and said that she had fallen over some lead and ashes. The doctor said that he observed the wounds which consisted of round holes all similar in appearance, one on the forehead and one on either cheek. He told her that he had formed the opinion that she had been shot but said that she denied it. The next day he took an x-ray of her and said that it supported his opinion and he then performed an operation and removed a bullet from her forehead but said that the other bullets could not be found. Maud Mills died three hours after the operation.

The doctor said that after Maud Mills died and he carried out the autopsy he found the other two bullets which had entered her cheeks and had made deep, downward and backward, wounds.