Newspaper: Agnes Bell, wife of William Bell May 8, 1830

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File contributed by: Clifton D. Cardin cliftondcardin@juno.com

NEWSPAPER: AGNES BELL, WIFE OF WILLIAM BELL MAY 8, 1830

Agitator, Wellsborough Pennsylvania USA May 8, 1830
AFFADAVIT - I, Agnes Bell, aged thirty three years last
August, a native of Belfast, in Ireland, wife  of William
Bell, now residing in the City of Boston, Massachusetts -
Testify and say, - "That Christopher Greenwood, kept a
public house, at said Belfast when I lived there, on the
wharf at Lime-kiln Dock in that place, and my dwelling was
so near, that I could see his house from my door. I was
acquainted with Mr. Greenwood and with his wife and
daughter, and have often been at his house. I always
understood that he was a Free Mason, and that the Mason's
met at his house. I will recollect the excitement abut the
death of Mr. Miller. I saw his dead body myself - It was
taken out of Limekiln Dock, the next day and after the
King's birth day, and I think in the afternon. Many persons
went to see it, I should think there might have been some
hundreds, the body was wet and muddy, and lay on the wharf,
as near as I can recollect, about opposite or nearly in
front of Christpher Greenwood's hall door. There was
considerable said about it at the time and there were
various opinions and conjectures. It was the common talk,
that Mister went to the Lodge the evening before, and that
the tavern keeper, Mr. Greenwood, said that, "Miller come
there and went away again." It was likewise the common talk,
that Mr. Miller had a wife and children, and that his wife
said, "that her husband went from home to go to the Lodge
meeting the evening before." It was also reported at the
time, or afterwards that, Mrs. Miller, was in the frequent
habit of praying to God, that she might not die, until she
knew who MURDERED her husband." Two persons were taken up on
suspicion, with whom it was said he had had some difficulty,
but were afterwards discharged for want of proof to convict
them.    The whole of this made a good deal of an impression
on my mind at the time. I was then almost seventeen years
old. I am sure of this from the circumstance, of my
marriage, which was previous to Miller's death. Mr. Miller
was buried by the Free Masons, who went in procesion in a
long train, and in great style, said to be the largest
funeral in Belfast for some time.    I first came to this
country near ten years ago - have visted Belfast once
since, was at Chrisopher Greewood's the day before I last
sailed for Boston, which was in July, 1825. Mr. Greenwood
was then living at the same place at Limekiln Dock, and I
have heard that he was living there last summer.    I have
conversed with a man from Belfast, now in Boston, who lately
told me that the account of Mr. Miller's death was published
in a Belfast Newspaper, and that he recollects seeing it
headed, "Another Murder,' in large letters. But I was not in
the habit of reading the Newspapers at that time, and of
course did not see it in the paper. I have no recollection
of seeing that Mr. Miller's throat was cut, or his body
mangled. There was a large crowd of people about and
considerable confusion at the time. AGNES BELL Boston, April
24, 1830.