The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-04-14 00:00:00

HOW NORMAN WAR TRACKED.

Detective-sergeant Reece, who tracked Norman from
Whitehead's shop in Birmingham to London, has given
a detailed account of his proceedings in connection with
the movements of Wilson and Norman. The former,
he states, arrived at Whitehead's shop, on Wed-
nesday in last week, at 9.30 a.m., in a cab, bring-
ing with him a large black portmanteau, and a thin
walking stick. At 10.40 he came out again, and
fetched a four-wheel cab, closely followed in another
by the detectives. Unfortunately, the officer dismissed
the vehicle too hastily on seeing Wilson re-enter
Whitehead's shop, and when the latter presently re-
appeared with the portmanteau, carried by two men,
and a small brown paper parcel, borne by Wilson him-
self, and drove away, the detective was unable to keep
pace with him. He met the cabman returning from the
railway station, and having ascertained that Wilson
had booked to London, telegraphed a description of
him not only to London, but to every town in the
kingdom to which a train was despatched between
10.40 and 11.30. In the meantime another officer who
was on the watch had seen Norman enter Whitehead's
shop, whence he issued about 5 p.m. with a large
wooden box with which he drove off in a cab to the
railway station. Detective Reece and the other officer
followed the cab to New-street Station, and the box,
which Reece marked with his knife in passing, was
deposited in the luggage van and booked second
class to London. Norman, who had manifested
great anxiety about the careful handling of the
box, rode in a compartment next the van, and
both at Coventry and Rugby he got out and looked
into the van to see that all was right. At Huston he
~nt and hailed a cab, into which the box was
lifted by three men, and he drove off. 1.. company
with some London detectives And some officers of the
Royal Irish Constabulary statiorA in London, Reece
followed the cab to the Beaufort Hotel, Southampton-
street, where they allowed Norman to take his bux in
and remain for a time. Reece then drove to Scotland-
yard, in company with detectives, to explain the cir-
cumstances to the Superintendent, who ordered two
of his officers to accompany Reece to the hotel. The
box, which weighed about 2i cwt., took them nearly
half an hour to get down the stairs, but until it was
opened in the centre of the yard at Bow-street they
had no precise idea of its contents. On receiving the
news of Norman's arrest the Birmingham chief of
police ordered the arrest of Whitehead. Wilson who
had left Birmingham by the 11.30 train on Wednes-
day, was captured 24 hours after his arrival in London
at the address telegraphed from Birmingham.

The Daily News of Monday said :—The position o
the detective officers engaged at Scotland-yard in
hunting out the members of the supposed dynamite
conspiracy is at present by no means an enviable one.
Every person who has had any dealings with an Irish
orAmericanstranger during the past few weeks appears
to imagine it his duty to inform the police of the fact.
The number of chemists from whom persona giving
Irish names, and speaking with a strong Irish
accent have purchased suspicious acids and
other ingredients of explosives is remarkable ;
and the householders who have given or refused
shelter, as the case may be, to mysterious lodgers is
even greater. Each of these reports to the authorities
has to be carefully investigated, and the trouble thus
given to the police is sufficient to engage the time di
two or three men. As an example of the false scents
on which the police are put by such informants may
be mentioned the consignment of dynamite to London,
reported in Saturday's Daily News. As stated,
new was received from Liverpool by Inspector
Turpin, of the 0 division, to the etfeet that a
parcel of explosives was expected to arrive at a
place which is within the area over which the
constables of that divisions have control. The news
was at once communicated to Mr. Howard Vincent,
who was witnessing a performance at Drury-lane
Theatre, and steps were taken to secure the suspected
parcel falling into the hands of the police. The
parcel duly arrived, but on its being seized and
examined it was found to contain nothing more
dangerous than candles. The police have naturally
since this discovery tried to make light of the matter,
but there is no doubt that great importance was
attached to it on Friday night—before its rather
tame denouement.