The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-11-06 00:00:00

COCOA

A MYSTERIOUS DEFENDANT.

At the Westminster Police-conrt on Monday, a tall.
stylishly-dressed young woman, who gave the false
name of Annie Hills, and do=cribed herself as a
nursery governess, was charged on remand with at-
tempting to commit suicide. Mr. Bernard G. Wilson,
solicitor, appeared for the defendant. The case has
excited considerable interest. Since she has been
under remand a number of personal inquiries have
been made at the court respecting missing girls, and
letters have been recieved from different parts of
the country, and even from the Continent, photo-
graphs of young women who had left their friends
being in more than one instance enclosed. The ac-
cused, it may be recollected, was seen reclining against
a lamp-post in the neighbourhood of Belgrave-square
by Lord Norreye, while on his way home on the night
of the 21st ult. She was groaning, and told Lord
Norreys that she had taken poison. Ile informed a
constable, and the young woman was conveyed to
the station. Although the doctor could find no
evidence of it she asserted that she had swallowed
laudanum, and, furthermore, she stated to a police
officer that she took it because she was friendless
and destitute. In court she refused to give her
correct name, and would only state that she was last
employed in Paris. On Thursday last, when
again brought up, it was stated that the result
of inquiry had been to ascertain the fact that her
real name was Alice Somers, and that she had been
educated in a Roman Catholic convent school. A
gentleman, who then appeared on behalf of her
solicitor, said that she was known to the Rev. Father
Bowden, of the Brompton Oratory, and also at Ful-
ham. In court she still adhered to her determina-
tion not to disclose her antecedents, and she was in-
terrogated privately before the magistrate in his room.
1 She was then again remanded until Monday. when
Mr. Bernard Wilson attended, and stated that she
was willing to leave with a lady in court who would
look after her. She was then dismissed in the name
of Hills.

The Land Commission met at Armagh on Monday,
Earl Cowper presiding. Borne witnesses were examined,
but very few farmers attended, the local branch of the
National League having met on Sunday night and
resolved to boycott the Commission.
The members of the Surrey Sessions Bar Mess enter-
tained Sir E. Clarke, Q 0., M.P , at a complimentary
dinner at Willis's Rooms on Monday evening, in
celobration of his recent appointment as Solicitor-
General. The chair was occupied by Mr. Serjeant
Robinson.

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