In the 1890s Edward Moyse ran a bookstall in Mann Island, which was near to his home at 26 Redcross Street where he lived with 15 year old John Needham, a boy who did chores for him.
On the night of 18-19th February 1895 Moyse was battered in his bed by his ex-lodger William Miller, who was looking for the elderly mans rumoured stash of money. After killing Moyse, Miller, who had just returned from sea, turned his attentions to Needham, raining blows on him with a poker.
It was his failure to finish off the boy however that was to lead Miller to the gallows. Needham managed to crawl into the street to raise the alarm and was taken to hospital. When police searched the house they found the only money there, £8, was under Moyse's pillow.
When Needham gave a description to the police, he was able to recall a nervous twitch that Miller possessed. A woman told police that a man who only ventured out at night and fitted his description lived in Edgeware Street. Miller was arrested and a bloodstained shirt was found in his room. He tried to account for this by saying he worked in a slaughterhouse, but when he was taken there and pointed to the spot where he claimed to have killed the animals, the superintendent of the abbatoir said none had been slaughtered there for months.
Miller was then taken to the bedside of John Needham, who had already eliminated various other suspects in identity parades. This time however Miller started to twitch and Needham was hysterical. Miller was found guilty of the murder and hanged at Walton Jail.
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