The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-01-25 00:00:00

THE BANNER CROSS MURDER.

ESCAPE AND RECAPTURE OF PEACE.
DARING LEAP FROM A TRAIN.

The charge against Charles Peace, for the murder of
Arthur Dyson, was to have been gone into on Wed
nesday morning before the Sheffield stipendiary, but
the case was again sajourned under the moat unforeseen
and extraordinary eircumstancee.
31uch excitement was caused at the various
approaches to the central police-offices, when the prison
van arrived from the Victoria StAtion without the
prisoner. A rumour, which spread like wildfire, although
it was scare- ly credited at the time, stated that Peace had
again eluled the vigilance of the police and escaped
from the railway carriage (,n his way from London some-
where near Peteiborough, and, as imparting an addi-
tional feature to the daring of this incredibly audacious
character, it was stated that the train, at the time of
this extraordinary incident, was travelling at the rate
of between 30 and 40 miles an hour. On inquiry at
the oentral polio-offices, the rumour was found to be
substantially correct, Charles Peace, had, indeed, made
his escape whilst in charge of two wa-ders from
Pentonville. lie watched his chance as the train was
approaching Shireoaks, and suddenly, as if by some
mad i .pulee, he made a desperate leap through the
carliage window.

The following particulars are given by the Globs of.
Wednesday evening : _

. -
"The prisoner Peace left King's.cross this morning by
the 5.15 Great Northern train. He was accompanied
by two-warders from the prison where he is confined,
and ought to have arrived at Victoria Station,
Sheffield, at 8 64. The prison van was sent to the
station to meet him, when to the surprise and dis-
appointment of the officers no prisoner and no
warders appeared. Inspector Bird was in charge
of the van, and he was soon informed that
Peace had escaped on the journey. The convict's
escape was ef a most daring character, When pre-
viously in Stieffield he gave the offioers much trouble,
constantly requiring to leave the train and when they
urged him to return he replied, "What have I to
do with caring for trains ? " Warned by the trouble
they had had on the previous occasion, the warders hit
upon an expedient by which they would obviate the
necessity of giving Peace any excuse for leaving the
compartment. When the train was running between
Kmeton Park and Worksop the window was .pened.
Peace took advantage of the opportunity to throw him-
self head first out of the window, and would have un-
doubtedly escaped had not one of the warders clutched
him by the left leg and clung to him for nearly two
miles, Peace kicking and struggling most determinedly
to release himkelf from the warder's grasp. The other
warder at once seized the rope communicating with the
guard's van, in order to to signal the train to stop. Two
gentlemen in an aojoining compartment beoame aware
that all was not right, and assisted in the same endea-
vour. The window was so narrow that only one officer
could hold on to Peace's leg,and Peace knowing this be-
came ferocious in his efforts to liberate himself. The officer
however, clung to him with great tenacity in the hope
that the guard, having ascertained that something was
wrong, would cause the train to slacken speed. The
convict increased his exertions to free himself from his
grasp, and the warder suddenly felt the boot -slip off,
Peace having succeeded in getting rid of his left boot.
He then dropped with his head on the fobtboard of the
carriage, from which he rebounded on to the ends of the
sleepers. The train was still travelling, but the war en
got out as rapidly as possible and ran up the line for
nearly a mile, where they found Peace lying as he had
fallen, having evidently received considerable injuries.
He was conscious, however, and looked at the warders
with a smile of recognition as they came up to him.
They lifted him' and found that he was bleeding con-
siderably about the head. A • eldw train came
up almost immediately, and the convict was placed
in the guard's van and brought to Sheffield.
Meanwhile the news of the escape had arrived, and
caused the most intense excitement. Thousands of
persons assembled in the vicinity of the Town Hall,
and every movement was watched with the greatest
interest. The prison van went to meet the 9.20
train, and conveyed the convict and his keepers to
the Police-court office, where they had great difficulty
in forcing their way through the crowd. Peace was at
once seen by Mr. Hallam, surgeon to the police force,
and Dr. Stewart, of the Walkley Division. He was
found to be suffering from a scalp wound, from which
blood was flowing, and also from concussion of the
brain, doubtless caused by the fall from the carriage.
He appeared at eleven o'clock to be trying to sleep,
and s-3emed dazed. One of the warders, acting upon
medical orders, raised him up, and poured some
brandy down his throat. Peace seemed to under-
stand, and swallowed the brandy, and then let him-
se,f down again gently on the bench, and resumed
his efforts to sleep. He never raised his eyes to re-
cognise any one, and as he lay apparently unconscious,
his face haggard and dirty, and his body huddled to-
gether, be . resented a most repulsive spectacle.
There was an immense crowd outside the police-court,
and -it required- great tact and determination on the
part of the police to keep the people quiet.
" Inside the court every arrangement had been
made for the further hearingeof the case, and Mr.
Pollard, of the Treasury, who prosecuted, and Mr.
W. E. Clegg, who defended the prisoner, were ready
to proceed. The stipendiary was communicated with
at this juncture by the chief constable, and after
a consultation he said :—' As to this case, in con-
sequence of the injuries the man Peace has re-
ceived this morning, it is necessary to remand
him for eight days, therefore the case is ad-
journed for that period. There will be nothing further
ti..ne this morning.' The court was then speedily
cleared
"Just before eleven o'clock Mr. Jackson, the chief
,nstable' addressed the crowd from a window of the
Town Hall. The assemblage outside was enormous.
When he announced that Peace had escaped there
were loud cries of Oh, oh,' and symptoms ef disgust,
but when he added that the convict had been recap-
tured there was loud cheering."

The following explanation of Peace's escape is
given :—The conviA pretended to be ill, and the
warder to whom he was handcuffed went with him to
the window. Peace immediately spring through the
window, and the force of his fall tore the handcuffs
from the officer. The warder's hand. was terribly
mutilated.