The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-02-08 00:00:00

THE BANNER-CROgg MURDER.

At the Leeds Assizes, on Tuesday morning, Charles
Peace, described as a picture-frame dealer, forty-one
Years of age, was placed upon his trial, before Mr.
Justice Lopes, for the murder of Mr. Arthur Dyson,
alvil engineer, at Banner-cross, Sheffield, on the 29th
November, 1876.
In consequence of the excitement prevailing, and
the great desire to obtain admittance to the court, it
was decided that :nly a limited number of seats should
he thrown open to the .public, all other parts being
1-eserved for those in possession of tickets. The public
teats were taken possession of immediately on the
oPening of the court, at nine o'clock, and the other
Parts of the building were filled within the next hour.
At ten o'clock the judge took his seat, and as soon as
he had done so Peace was placed at the bar. His
appearance in court, of course, attracted considerable
attention. He partially walked and was partially
tarried up the steps leading into the dock, and then
Was placed in a chair in front. A warder occupied a
teat on either aide of him. Unless he was shamming,
his condition was almost pitiable; he appeared so
i 'teak that he could scarcely sit up n his chair; but
notwithstanding this he seemed to take the keenest
interest in the case as it proceeded.
Mr. gCampbell Foster, Q.C., and Mr. Hugh Shield
netructed by Messrs. Rodgers, Thomas, and Co., of
heffield, who acted as agents for the solicitor to the
Treasury) prosecuted;
_Mr. Lockwood and Mr. Stuart
Wortley defended.—We take the following report of
the trial from The Times :

Mr. Campbell Forster, Q.C., opened the case for the
Crown. He said he could not disguise from himself that
the case upon the investigation of which they were about to
enter had been so much commented on by the Press and by
the public that it would be a difficult matter for a jury to
enter upon the inquiry as though the matter were now for
the first time brought before them. It was, however, his
duty to call upon them to reject all preconceived ideas as
to the case, and to try the prisoner simply and fairly upon
the sworn testimony which should be given before them,
Without reference to any other information or belief they
raight base as to the prisoner or his life. He then passed to
the facts of the case, and detailed the history of the
aoqualaance of Mr. Dyson and his wife with Peace and the
aubseqhent facts, including the shooting of Mr. Dyson, as
they were afterwards given in evidence by the witnesses.
The first witness called .was Mr. Johnson, of Sheffield, a
enrveyor, who proved the accuracy of the plans of the
blsons' house at Banner-cross.
On cross-examination by Mr. Lockwood, he said he had
known the deceased wan, Mr. Dyson. He was a tall,
Muscular man, though perhaps a little delicate in health.
Mr% Dyson was a. civil engineer. He was 61t. 51n. or 6in. in
height,
The next witness, Catherine Dyson, the widow of the de-
ceased man, was examined by Mr. Hugh Shield.—She said
she now lived at 58, Harrington-road, Sheffield. In 1876 she
was living with her husband at Darnall, near Sheffield. She
there made the acquaintance of Charles Pease, the prisoner.
He then was making frames for pictures, and living only two
doors off where she and her husband lived. He frequently
came to their house, and at first her husband had no objec-
tion to his coming. there : but he used to keep coming at all
hours, and even when they were at their meals. Presently her
husband wrote on the back of one of nis cards, which was pro-
duced in court, " Cnaries Peace is requested not to interfere
With my family." This card, it seemed, was picked up with
a bundle of letters near Banner-cross on the night Mr.
Dyson was killed. She identified the card produced
ita her husband's writing After the writing of that
card Peace was not admitted to their house, but he was a
continual source of annoyance; he kept coming close to
their house and loitering about. In July, 1876, Peace one
day had met her husband in the road and had tried to trip
him up, and in the evening as she was talking to some
neighbours, about nine o'clock or half past, Peace came by and
Presented a revolver which he had in his hand at her face. It
was in front of her own house at Darnall, and in the pre.
Bence of Mrs. Padmore, Mr. and Mrs. Sykes, and Mrs. Eng-
land that this happened. He said he would blow her husband's
brains out, too, and that he had death for six if any one at-
tempted to interfere with him. In consequence of the conduct
of Peace a summons was taken out by her husband against
him. Peace did not appear to the summons and a warrant was
in consequence issued for his apprehension. On the 26th
of October, 1876, she and her husband went to Banner-cross
from Darnall. They moved to Banner-cross from Darnall
to avoid Peace. It was quite the other side of Sheffield.
They went together on the 26th ot October, 1876, to take
Possession of their new house. When they were near it
they saw Bolsover, an intimate friend of Peace : they
spoke to Bolsover, and saw that the waggon was at their
door taking the furniture to their house. Just as they got
up to the door Charles Peace, the prisoner, came out and
addressed the witness as follows :—" You see I am here to
annoy you wherever you go." He made some further dis-
agreeable remarks, which the witness said she would rather
not repeat. She replied she had a warrant (which was the fact)
out for him. He said he "did not care for a warrant or
for the police either." Ho then went away with Bolsover,
talking and muttering. The next time she saw Peace was on
the night her husband was killed. About ten minutes past
eight on the evening in question—the 29i,h of November, 1876
--she went out into the yard adjoining their house at
Banner-cross, with a lamp in her hand and wearing clogs on
her feet, and as she was opening the door of the out-
house, where she had been, Peace accosted her and said,
"Speak, or I'll fire." He had a revolver in his hand and
was standing close to the door. She screamed, went back
into the outhouse, and banged the door. This brought out
her husband. She heard his steps and came out again.
She saw Peace go down the passage towards the high road.
Her husband said nothing, but walked after him. When
Peace got outside an archway leading out of their yard he
fired at her husband, but missed him, the ball striking the
Wall on the opposite side. Peace got on to the steps leading
Into the high road and then fired again. The bullet took
effect in her husband's left temple. He fell, she said, and
never spoke again, dying about 10 30 the same night. Peace
Was but a few yards oft her husband when he tired. Her
husband had not said a word to him and there was no
struggle and no quarrel. He did not touch Peace; he was
not close enough to touch him, Peace then went over the
road, scaled the wall on the opposite side, and disappeared.
The neighbours then came up, and, though pursuit was in-
stituted, nothing was seen of Peace.

Mr, Lockwood then cross-examined Mrs, Dyson. She said
before she went out be the outhouse she hod been putting
her little boy, who was then five years old, to bed.
Mr. Lockwood said he might be some time, so perhaps she
would like to sit down.
Mrs. Dyson, however, said she preferred to stand.
The cross.examination was then continued. She left her
husband reading when she went out to the outhouse.
She had to pass through the room where he was to get
outside. When she heard Peace coming she was just
coming out of the outhouse. The passage was about
31t. or so broad, and she saw all that passed very
distinctly. Her husband was going after Peace at a
walking pace. She said that her husband never touched
Peace, but on being pressed said she would not swear
that he did not attempt to touch Peace. She might
have said at the coroner's inquest held on the body
of her husband that he attempted to get hold of
Peace and it she said so it was correct. Whatever she
said was correct. Her husband fell on his back. Peace did
not touch him with his fist. He did not strke her husband
In the face. She first knew Peace seen after she and her
husband went to live at Darnall, near Sheffield. His
acquaintance was made in a neighbourly way; she could not
Bay whether by her or her husband. She and Peace were
Photographed together at Sheffield fair. It was the summer
fair; she was not sure about dates, but thought it was the
summer of 1876. She might have known Peace for a year or
ten months before leaving Daruall for Banner-cross. She
had been travelling, and had been knocked about a good
deal and forgotten dates. She said it was ten years since
she was married. She was married at Cleveland, in Ohio,
to Mr. Dyson, and came over to England about three years
before Mr. Dyson was killed. Peace was asked by her to
frame a picture of Mr. Dyson's mother. She never wrote to
him about it She never wrote to Peace at all.
Some letters were put into her hands at this point by
Mr. Lockwood. She denied that any of them were in her
handwriting. She went, she said, to Mansfield in the
summer of 1876. She had not told Peace she was going, nor
written a letter about it which was handed to her by the
learned counsel. She went after dinner. She did not write
the words in the letter, "Do not go by train ; 'he ' will go
down to the train with me." She found Peace at Mansfield
that day 'she could not account for how he knew she was
going. He was a constant source of annoyance to her.
Peace gave her in the winter a ring. She could not re-
member when it was given her; she recollected that it was
too small for her. She could not remember whether it was
given to her before or after she was photographed with
him. She said that soon after she gat it she threw it
away • it was not worth keeping. She could not re-
memb'er whether she showed it to her husband or not.
She did not, "to her knowledge," write . to acknowledge
the gift of the ring. The learned counsel then made the
witness write. This she very calmly did, saying, when she
finished writing, "Will you allow me to blot Ii?" She did
on one loccarsion go to a publichouse with Peace, but she
Could not say when it was except that it WAS when they
were living at Darnall. She told her husband about the visit
to the publichouse ;he did not like it. She did not say that
he had been to a publichouse. She told her husband that
she had been with Peace to a picture gallery. The place she
went to was both a pcture gallery and a publichouse. She
had been to another publichouse with Peace; she had had a
bottle of "pop" or sodawater. She had been at Cragg's (a
Publican who came forward as she was questioned) on one or
two occasions with Peace, but would not be sure of being
there more than once with Peace. On being Dressed, she said
she would say she had not been there with Peace more than
twice "to her knowledge."
The witness was then cross-examined as to being at
dining-rooms and vaults with Peace, sad being pressed the
admitted that she had, but not alone: Either her little boy
or Mrs. Padmore's was with her. When the photograph
that she spoke of was taken she went to some dining-rooms
With Peace. There were some children with her. Her
husband was away from home. She knew the Star Music-
hall. She dented that Peace had there introduced her to
some men, who stepped forward in court for her to see
them at the request of Mr. Lockwood.
There was other cross-examination to the like effect.
Then a child wall brought into the court, and, in answer
to Mr. Lockwood, Mrs. Dyson said she never sent that child 41
With any note to Peace or gave her anything for taking any
note or notes to him. She said she had sent two receipts by
the child to Peace; they were not notes.
Another witness, a man named Kirkham, was next
brought forward, and Mrs. Dyson said she had never given
Mtn notes to take to Peace; she had given him two
receipts. The receipts, she said, were receipts written
for Peace by her husband, as Peace could not write
well. They were for Peace to give to his customers.
}Kirkham never "to her knowledge" brought her a note
from Peace; but she would not swear that he did not.
She never had drink, "to her knowledge," on Peace's
credit at a publichouse called the "Halfway House." The
day before her hinband was killed she was at the "Stag
Hotel" at Sharrow, near Sheffield, with Mrs. Padmore's
little boy. No one was there with her. (Some one, sup-
posed to be the landlady of this hotel, was here called for-
ward). The witness then, in answer to questions, continued
that she remembered a man followed her into. the " Stag "
and sat down by her side. She said she was almost reedy
to swear -it was rot Peace. It was not Peace "to her
knowledge." It was a young man apparently of 25 years of
age. Peace was in the habit of oisguising himself, and
that, she said, was the reason why she used the phrase,
"almost ready to swear." She "could almost swear" the
man was not Peace. The man said nothing in partioular.
He d:d not say he would come and see her the next night.
She was asked if she had not been turned out of the Half-
way-house for being drunk, to which she replied, "Not to
my knowledge." She had never, she said, on being pressed,
been drunk there. "No ; never drunk, only slightly ine-
briated."
Mary Ann Gregory, wife of John Gregory, grocer, Banner'
cross examined by Mr. Foster, said,—lhe borne where I
live Is next door to the one formerly occupied by Mr. and
Mrs. Dysen. They came to live there at the end of October,
1876, and the night they. arrived the prisoner came into our
shop. I called my husband into the shop, and he and the
inisoner conversed together for about ten minutes. I was
out of the shop part of the time, and I cannot tell what the
conversation was about. The prisoner bought half an ounce
of tobacco. Daring the time I was in the shop I had a goad
look at the prisoner. I next saw the prisoner on the 29th of
November, 1876. About seven o'clock in the evening I saw
him in the passaee of our house, and he asked me if my hus-
band was at home. My husband was not at home and he
went away. About fore or ten minutes afterWaids I looked
out of the door again.
Had you beard any noise at all 2—Kone.
Did you see anybody T—Yes, I saw the prisoner walking
down the steps from tee passage leading into the road. Re
went down the road towards Sheffield. I watched him until
he got to the second lamp.
Do you recollect any one passing your back window at
that time 2—Yes. Soon after eight I heard Mrs. Dyson go hy in
her clogs. When she had got by the closet door I heard ner
• scream loudly. I then opened nay back door. Mr. Dyson
was standing at his own dear. I safd, "Go to your
wife, me. Dyione' He then passed me and went directly
down the passage Cowards the clesen I then shut the
door of. my house and went Venda. Almost directly
baegs heard anther
Otero/Ardis I heard two 'loud'
thream. Before I, heard this screaming I heard no scenting.
I heard several fnosteltept In the past age. I. tin oPetted
olidbok sok to What it Was. I LW world phople