The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-12 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

THE MURDER OF A GENTLEMAN AT
STOKE NEWINGTON.

On Friday in last week Sir John Humphreys, the
Coroner for East Middlesex, opened an inquest at the
Vestry Hall, Stoke Newington, upon the body of Mr.
John Broome Tower, a clerk, aged 20, lately residing
at 109, Dynevor.road, Stoke Newington, whose body
was found on Wednesday morning in last week in the
reservoir of the New River Company, in Lordship.
road. During the forenoon the Coroner and jury
visited the spot, and afterwards viewed the body. A
portrait of the deceased shown in court represented a
good.looking young fellow, with an intellectual face
His commercial character was excellent.
Superintendent Green, of the N Division, with
In..pector Glass, of the same division, Inspector
Chapman, and Irspector Moore, of the Detective
Department, watched the proceedings for the police.

The first witness called was the mother of the de-
ceased, who described herself as Mrs. Eliza Broome,
living at No. 4, Raglan-terrace, Stockton-on-Tees,
wife of John Broome, schoolmaster, and who identified
the body as that of her sou,

Miss Alice Goodwin Drage, of 109, Dynevor-road,
Stoke Newington, the adopted daughter of the land-
lady of the house where the deceased lodged, deposed
that the deceweci had lodged at the house of Mrs.
Drage about five or six years. The family had known
him since his birth, and his mother lodged with them
some years ago. Witness was no relation to the
deceased man or to the mother. The deceased left
home on Monday, the 31st, at his usual time of half.
past nine to ten o'clock in the morning, and she saw
him no more alive. He wore a watch and chain, the
watch being that of Mr. Drage. The salary of de-
ceased was £8 6s, Bd. each month, and she learnt that
he received his last month's salary on the 31st. He
paid £3 a month for his lodgings. He owed no
arrears, and he was always very punctual in his pay-
ments, paying always the day after he received his
salary. He was engaged to Miss Earle, of Waltham.
house, Green-lanes. Witness was sure he had had no
difference with that young lady. No letters from any
other lady were received by him that she knew of, and
he was not at enmity with anyone. He was of ex-
ceedingly temperate habits. Witness and the deceased
were brought up tnether. She knew nothing of the
circumstances of his death.

There was some interest attached to the evidence of
the next witneass, who was the last person known to
have seen the deceased alive. This was Ernest Sidney
Oesden, of No, 9, rortlaud-road, FiLusbury-park. He
deposed,—l am a traveller and assistant to Julius
Byfue and Company, general merchants. I knew the
deceased well. On Monday last I saw him several
times. The first time on that day I saw him in the
building where he was employed, Great Winchesteo•
street. City, at half-past ten in the morning. After
that I saw him at a quarter-past one, at luncheon
time, and. thirdly, at a quarter to four, when I met
him in Moorgate street. These meetings were not
by appointment. Then he called at my office at
half-past biz or a quirter to seven, by appointment,
the same evening. We then took the tramcar from
Moorgate to the end of Portland-road, Finsbury,
together, He went home with me, and we left
the house tozether about eight o'clock to go to Mrs,
Earle's, Waltham-house. We both went into the
house, where we stopped about two hours and a
half. We left together with three other persons.
We all five went to St. John's Church, in Highbury-
vale. The three persons with us were Mrs. Earle and
her two daughters. We remained at the church for
the "Watch Service." It was, I think, exactly at
twenty. five minutes past twelve o'clock when we left
the church, and then we walked back to Mrs. Earle's,
where we left the ladies. The deceased and myself
then went to eortland road. We parted there, and I
went up my own road. We parted, the deceased and
myself, at the end of that road where it enters the
Green-lanes. It was about five minutes to one o'clock
in the morning when we separated. We parted the
best of friends, and shook hands. The deceased did
not say that be was going anywhere, and I did not
ask him where he was going. He had on a watch and
chain when be left me. He had money—l cannot
say how much; but I should think he had about
He spent about 10s. in the morning while with me.
He was quite sober when wfl parted.
Tha Ooronk, : -Do you think he was corresponding
with any one besides Miss Earle?

Witness: I think he was corresponding with a young
person named Maggie Waller, who lives in the north
of England. Ido not know when he last heard from
her. Ido not know how far this had gone, nor any-
thing of it, more than that he corresponded with
this person. He bad shown me the envelopes—not the
let:ers—from Miss Earle, and he has shown me—a
long time it is since he did so—letters from Maggie
Waller. I should know the hand writing of those
letters. (Inspector Glass produced letters which the
witness said were in the handwriting of Maggie
Waller.) The deceased used to dress " fashionably '—
after the style of respectable young men in the City.
I know nothing of any other correspondence. When
we parted we agreed to meet next day—New Yeses
Day—at the usual luncheon time. The deceased said
nothing about not going back to the office. I do not
know that he had any pecuniary or other difficulties.
I went to his office on Tuesday, the Ist inst., at about
twenty minutes past one. I used to whistle and he
used to come out. I whistled that day, and a gentleman
came out to say that the deceased had not "turned
up." On Wednesday I heard that the body had been
found in the reservoir, and at half-past four in the
afternoon I went to his office to ask for his umbrella,
which I knew he had left there, as he had told me so.
When we left on Tuesday morning he was in excellent
spirits. Ido not know of the deceased spending any
money in the evening of the 31st. We did not go into
Mrs. Earle'a after the "Watch Service." Between
the time the two of us met in the evening in the City
and the time we parted the deceased had nothing to
drink except some claret or whisky at supper at Mrs.
Earle'a. The money he spent in the day was wholly
on New Year's cards; none of it was on alcohol in
any form. When he left me he seemed to be going
down the Green-lanes towards Highbury—his way
home ; but the spot where the clump of trees is (by
the palisading ot the reservoir where the struzgle
occurred) was altogether out of his way. To get
there he must have gone to the left instead of to the
right. The way he usually went home after leaving
me was down the Green-lanes towards Highbury to
the Manor (or Lordship) Park to Queen Elizabeth's
walk on the right.
The spot was then examined on a plan, and it was
shown that the clump of trees, the spot where the
struggle °enured, was altogether out of the way of the
deceased. Teere was no thoroughfare that way.
Mr. R. C. White, of Stoke Newingt , M. R.C.S.
deposed,—l was called by the police to see the body
of the deceased, which was then on the reservoir
bank, at half-past nine on the 2nd inst. The deceased
was lying on his back, with his legs drawn up towards
his stomach, and his right forearm was flexed on his
chest. He was fully dressed—boots, trousers, waist-
coat, and morning coat, all but his collar and tie,
He had no great coat on (this *vas found on the
sward). His gloves were buttoned on his hands, but
the back part of each glove was sIAL lengthways. He
had waistcoat pockets turned inside out, and otber
pockets as well were in a similiar condition. On
examining the body on the reservoir bank I saw that
the deceased had a small lacerated wound on the nose
and an abrasion on the left ear. In my opinion those
wounds were caused in life. He had a handkerchief
tied tightly round his neck, it being tied in three knots,
which were tied in the nape of the neck. I helped the
polieemanp untie them. They were very tightly tied.
The body was then removed to the mortuary, and I saw
the body when it was stripped, and there was a mark
upon the throat.
The witness Drage was recalled, and identified the
handkerchief tied round the deceased's throat thus
tightly as belonging to the deceased himself. The
witness Cogden was recalled, and said that the de-
ceased frequently, on going out at night, took out his
white pocket handkerchief and put it round his throat.
Witness could not recall whether the deceased did this
on the night after coming from the church.
Mr, Bond, F.R.C.S., and late lecturer on Forensic
Medicine at Westminster Hospital, of the Sanctuary,
Westminster, was then called, and gave the details of
the post-mortem examination. In the course of his
evidence the witness said :—My opinion is that death
was caused by homicidal strangulation. The intense
congestion of the brain and lungs indicates violent
struggling. The crepitant condition of the lungs was
in the opinion both of Dr. White and myself quite
different to the appearances found after death by
drowning. There was no sign of any blow which
could account for death or even insensibility. Dr,
White agrees with me that two or more persons must
have been engaged in causing the death. I should
think from the condition of the heart that he would
probably faint after a struggle, He might then be
easily robbed and a handkerchief applied to the neck. I
am not able to swear that the mark on the neck indicated
that the pressure of the handkerchief was alone sufficient
to cause death, but I am sure that the constriction of the
neck alone, or combined with pressure over the mouth
and chest, would produced prolonged insensibility, and
if thrown into the water in this condition he would,
without doubt, die of suffocation without the usual
symptoms of drowning, I do not think it possible
that the death could have been suicidal, There was
no sign ef any drug having been used. The immediate
cause of death was strangulation or suffocation. I
think strangulation.
Dr. White was re-examined, and said he was pre-
sent at the post mortem examination, and having heard
Dr. Bond's evidence he agreed with it entirely.
Miss Drage, recalled, stated that the deceased was
subject to fainting fits when excited, and this bore out
Dr. Bond's evidence.

The Coroner said that the jury need not hasten to
give a verdict in order to give the Government cause
for offering a reward, as one was already offered, The
inquiry was then adjourned,

The inquiry was resumed on Monday, when the fol.
lowing evidence was taken:

William Parker, an engineer's assistant, 28 years in
the employment of the New River Company, deposed
that on the morning of Tuesday, the Ist cf January,
at a quarter to six o'clock, he was on duty at the
reservoir at the front path. About eight o'clock he
went to his breakfast, and at 8,10 he passed the elm
trees in Queen Elizabeth's-walk, when he saw a hat
and coat between two elm trees, about lOyds. from
the company's fence. Having Peen old clothes lying
there before, he did not take any notice, but
went to his breakfast, His house was about 200yds.
or 310yds. from the place where he saw the
clothes. Was not at work on the night of Tuesday.
From the bank of :he reservoir on the site near -he
elm tree the atones extended ab-mt 14!t. c r 15ft., and
the deoth of the water at that pint was about, 6ft. or
7it. The stones from big f,uhmerg,ed In water were
die :looted, but only very ilightly slippery.
several I ttle boys, between t'ne ages of from nine to
eleven, g,ve evidecc3 ae ro ihe finding under the elm
trees, in an enclosed piece of waste ground, between
t wets.° and one o'clock on Tuesay in last week, of
several articles which belonged to the deceased.
William Prowse Jobson found a hat, a linen collar,
a 'cuff, two fingers of a glove, half a key-ring, a bit
of a sleeve link, and also portions of an eye-glass,

Edmund G. Long picked up a pearl pin, an earring, a
watch key, and the bar of a gold watch chain. David
Brace found five keys, a ticket purse, a scarf pin, and
a cigar cutter. He also found 1.1. d., 6d. of which was
in silver, William Lambert found a coat, which he
brought to his mother, who gave it to the police.
Another witness, William George Newton, an ap-
prentice to the engineer of the New River Company,
deposed to having found about ten minutes to two
o'clock on Tuesday 2s. between a heap of manure and
the break in the hedge lea6ing to the reservoir. He
marked the shillings which were produced.
Miss Drage, the daughter of the landlady where
deceased resided, identified the scarf pins, the keys,
cigar-cutter, and bar of the watch chain, as having
belonged to him. She also identified the coat and
bat, and said the two fingers of the glove were like
those of the gloves worn by Mr. Tower.

George Jacquers, a labourer in the employment of
the New River Company, stated that on Wednesday,
the 2nd of January, he dragged the reservoir, and at
five o'clock found tr,e deceased's body It was in the
watt exactly opposite to the break in the quickset
hedge, and about lOyds. from the edge or the water.
It was beyond the stones on the shelf, which extended
about 6ft.
The Coroner: Were the stones slippery?

Witness : The stones of the shelf were laid rough,
but became slippery. Ido not think it possible for a
body placed on the stones to roll off into the deep
water.

The Coroner: What is the incline of the shelf?

Witness: About 21t. 6in.
The Coroner: Do you think it possible that if a body
was placed on the shelf and pushed it would roll into
deep water.

Witness: Yes, I think it would, to the place where
it was found. I noticed that some of the settlement
on the stones was disturbed, but whether by the
dragging or not I cannot say. I have examined the
place since, but have not found anything else.
The Coroner: Was it possible for the body to have
been put into the water sufficiently to conceal it
without the persons doing so themselves going into the
water?

Witness: I think not. The body after I recovered
it was taken possession of by the police, and was in
the same condition as that in which I found it.

Police•constable Nicholas Michael M'Ellistrim,
"352 N, deposed that he saw the body of the de-
ceased when it was taken out of the reservoir.
He had on his boots and trousers, no collar or
tie, and a white linen h.ndkorchief was tied tightly
rutwil his neok In three knots. His three waistcoat
pockets and the left trousers pocket were turned
out. The two lower buttons of the waistcoat were
buttoned, bat some of the others were torn off. The
coat pockets were not turned out. The coal-tail was
torn, and two of the breast buttons seemed to have
been torn off. The gloves were on his hands. They
were buttoned but were torn, and the inside of the
left glove appeared to have been cut or scratched.

William Charles Waterman, the summoning officer's
assistant, said he was present at the stripping of the
body. The boots were very tight fitting, and the
waistband of the trousers indented the waitt.
Constable Frederick Davie, 83 N, stated that on
Tuesday at one o'clock he was called by the witness
Jobson, who gave him the hat and coat, and showed
him the place where they were found. He went to
the spot and saw marks of footsteps. He traced the
foot marks after he got over the first fence, through
the quickset hedge, and up the embonkment of the
reservoir, and subsequently pointed them out to In-
spector Glass. He thought the footmarks were of more
than one person.

Police constable William Mousey, 5P4 N, stated
that on the night of the 31st of December he was on
duty in Queen Elizabeth's•walk, and did not hear
anything or see anybody about of a suspicious appear-
ance. He doubled the front of the spot in question
about every hour, passing up one side and down the
other. Was on duty from ten p.m, to six a.m.

Police-constable Seth Lewis, 632 N, who was on
duty on the night in question, patrolling the road
skirting the banks of the reservoir, stated that he
passed Queen Elizabeth's-walk every half huiir. He
did not see or !war Any persons on the banks of the
voir that night.

Inspector Thomas Glass, of the Criminal Investiga-
tion Department, said: I was placed in charge of this
case, and proceeded to examine the locality. I saw a
fence 4ft. 61n. high, and two of the palings 6ft. apart,
broken away at the bottom. The tops of the palings
were sharp. I went around the other side of the fence
on thb embankment, which is 361 t. long, and at an
angle of 45. deg. I saw some footprints which
bad been already rnped in on the embankment,
and examined them carefully. They were very
Ldiitinct. I saw marks about 6in. to Sin. apart
made by a sharp-pointed-toe boot. It appeared as
if some ,me had been pulled at to prevent him from
going up the embankment. At the right of those
footmarks I saw the imprint of a t road foot at right
angles with the embankment. The toe of that boot
had made very little impression on the sll. Further
on, 16ft. distant from the quickset Ir•dge near the
water, I saw the imprint of a sharp-pointed-toe boot,
and 61n. further I saw another of the same kind.
Some distance in front I saw marks of knees not
quite touching. Still fulther on, in a direct line' the
ground had been beaten down ; it might have been
by hands or elbows. To the right of these marks the
ground had been trodden down considerably. The
distance from the quickset hedge to the reservoir is
21ft. 6in. The hedge seemed to have been broken
through by more than one person.
Inspector Henry Moore stated that he had modelled
three of the footprints referred to, of which he put in
four casts, one being a copy. Two of them cone-
sponded with the sharp-pointed-toe boot worn by the
deceased.

Inspector Glass, in reply to the coroner, stated that
in addition to dragging, divers were employed all day
on Saturday, but tailed to discover anything material
to the case.

The °voile; in summing up the evidence, referred
to the fact that the spot under the elm tree, where the
first struggle took place, was out of the direct route
which the deceased should have taken on his way
home after parting with his friend at Portland-roan,
but observed that whether he was allured to the spot
by any one or not was altogether a matter of theory.
However, the deceased was at that place; and there,
where his hat and great coat, and other articles were
found, no doubt the first struggle occurred. The theory
was (and to a certain extent it was borne ontby the facts
given in evidence) that the deceased made his escape
from that spot, ran through the fields, and got over the
fence. He appeared to have been overtaken, and, as
he was struggling up the side of the embankment, an
attempt seemed to have been made to pull him back
by the coat tails, which accounted for the splitting of
the coat tails. That he was alive when on the embank.
merit the imprint of his boots on the soil showed. He
appeared to have been subjected when on the embank-
ment to some injury. The lips were bruised in,ide, as if
from pressure agailist the teeth, and subject, as he
was, to fainting fits from disease of the heart, it was
reasonable to suppose that a violent struggle or the
pressure of the hand over the mouth would have
caused him to faint and fall. The probability was
that the last strugg,e took place on the top of the,
embankment, and that the body was then thrown into
the water. It was evident that if the body were
carried in some distance and then placed in the deep
water the person or persons doing that must have had
a knowledge of the length to which the stones or shelf
extended. Being virtually dead from strangulation,
it was possible that the body if thrown in would have
floated until it-sank in the deep water. The evidence
of the medical men left no doubt that death had re-
sulted' from violence, but there was not a tittle of
evidence to show by whom that violence had been
committed. He therefore recommended the jury to
leave that portion of their verdict open.

In reply to a juror, -
Inspector Glass said that the imprints of the
pointed•toe boot on the embankment were 6in. apart.
They appeared to be short steps, such as a man would
make if going up the embankment.

After a short deliberation the jury returned a
verdict to the effect that the deceased had been wil-
fully killed and murdered by some person or per-
sons unknown.

The proceedings then terminated.

The Home Office authorities, in consequence of re-
ports of the investigations made by Inspector Glass,
of the N Division of Police, and by Inspector Moore,
of the Criminal Invostigation Department of Scotland-
yard, have offered a reward of £2OO for information
which will lead to the conviction of those who
feloniously caused the death of John Broome Tower.

The western reservoir of the New River Company
was diligently searched on Saturday by a skilled diver
at the spot where the deceased's body was found.
The reservoir is of considerable extent, and what it
may or may not contain cannot be ascertained by a
mere examination by a diver on a brief day in mid-
winter. The result was merely negative, but, as no
other body was found, it is inferred that the person
or persons who were associated with the death of
young Tower were well acquainted with the shelving
character of the reservoir and its shallowness within
eight or ten feet of the bank, and, while disposing of
he body, were able, by their previous knowledge, to
keep out of danger.

The funeral of the murdered man took place at
Abney park Cemetery at ten o'clock on Saturday
morninz, Mr. and Mrs. Broome, Mr. Cogden, Mrs.
and Miss Alice Dradge being among those who
followed The deceased to his grave. Only a few per.
sons were present, but the deceased's late schoolmaster
and some of his old schoolfellows attended. Several
wreaths were placed upon the 94:an.

measure directed to prevent the spread of the fire. Opp°.
site the building destroyed is a tenement of dwelling
houses, and so dangerously near was the fire that the
occupants were obliged to leave their homes. The loss
is estimated at about £lO,OOO.