Suffolk County MA Archives News.....Agnes Bell, wife of William Bell May 8, 1830
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Clifton D. Cardin cliftondcardin@juno.com December 16, 2009, 4:15 pm

Agitator, Wells 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.

Additional Comments:
Best for her genealogy.

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