The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-12-03 00:00:00

THE CONVICT LEFROT

Great excitement was caused on Monday through
out the country, on a report that Lefroy had made
a abatement as to his being the murderer of Lieutenant
Roper, Rovsl Rnaineers, at Chatham, on the night of
the 11th of Feuru.ry uu tkval not
generally believed, the prevailing impression being
that the convict only made it with the object of
getting his execution delayed.

The Times of Tuesday said :—" The prison officials
treat the detailed confessions he is reported in some
quarters to have made as for the most put fictitious.
It is however, true that on Saturday he made some
statements to the chaplain of the prison, which that
gentleman deemed of sufficient importance to take
to the Home Office in person. What these were
the chaplain and the other officials of the prison
decline to state. They are under strict orders to
divulge nothing to the public, but to transmit every
statement of importance to the Home Secretary,
who, since the prisons were taken over by the Govern-
ment, has been their official superior. The reported
confessions of Lefroy, therefore, rest on no authentic
basis. What has occurred between the cenvie.t and
those of his friends who have been allowed to visit him
may be very shortly stated. Mr. Dutton, the solicitor,
saw him on Friday night. and, it is said, repeated to
him a suggestion which had been made in a weekly
journal that afternoon that he might be the murderer
of Lieutenant Roper at Chatham Barracks in Feb-
ruary last. This suggestion seems to have made a
strong impression on Lefroy's excitable mind. Both
before and since his conviction he had always protested
his innocence, but seeing his prospects of a reprieve
fade away, it occurred to him—so it is thought
by those who are best in a position to know—to try a
change of tactics and to affect homicidal mania.
Accordingly, he let fall certain expressions which
led Mr. Dutton to think that he was in fact the mur-
derer of Lieutenant Roper, and that gentleman, re-
turning to London at once, communicated his sus-
picions to the Home Secretary and to other persons
With whom he has been in relation in connexion with
the ease. Mrs. Brickwood, the convict's sister, and
her husband, who live at Gravesend, paid their List
visit to Lefroy on Saturday afternoon, and referred to
the report that he was the murderer of Lieutenantßoper,
asking him whether it were true. He replied, "What
made you think of that ? " Then he added, "I surprised
the chaplain this morning, and perhaps there may be
some truth in it." As to the murder of Mr. Gold,
Lefroy, according to the positive statement of Mrs.
iirickwood, said not a word. It is, of course, open to
any one to suppose from the vague expressions Lefroy
wed to his sister, and from the action of the chap.
lain oommunicating so promptly with the Home
Office after his interview with him on Saturday, that
a full and complete confession of his guilt has been
made, bat if there has been such a confession it is a
secret which is at the discretion of the Home Office
alone. The chaplain of the prison, to whom alone it
appears Lefroy confided any secret of importance, de-
clines either to confirm or deny the rumours in cir-
culation, but states that too much reliance is not to be
Placed upon unofficial accounts. Even if it were as-
sumed that a full confession of guilt in the cases of
both Mr. Gold and Lieutenant Roper has been made
.t.O the chaplain, it would be rash to attach any great
importance to it. Lefroy has long been given to
lying, and any confession he may have made is pro-
bably no more than an affectation of homicidal mania
designed to save him from the gallows. . . .
"From what can be learnt it would seem to be
very doubtful indeed whether he has made any
explicit confession of guilt. Certainly he has made
no detailed confession of the kind imputed to him."

The Times of Tuesday also said :—" Another corre-
spondent, telegraphing from Lewes, says it is re-
ported that Lefroy has made three confessions, of
which he has committed one to writing; but it
is not stated whether it includes an account of
his career or not. Mr. Dutton, the convict's
solicitor, is of opinion that Lefroy is of un-
sound mind. The memorial to the Home Secre-
tary which was prepared by Mr. Dutton was signed
by between 1,500 and 2,000 persons, including many
clergymen arid over 100 medical men. It is stated
that since the alleged confession of his participation
in the murder of Lieutenant Roper the prisoner
has retracted the statement, asserting that it was
made ia a fit of hallucination, and that there is no
foundation for the story. It is further stated that
the chaplain has caused this denial to be forwarded
to the Home Secretary. Yesterday Dr. Forbes
Winslow had an interview with the Home Office au-
thorities recpeeting the state of Lefroy's mind. It is
reported that, notwithstanding the doubts entertained
regarding the more important statements of the con-
demned man, Mr. Dutton has expressed his firm con-
victon of the truth of Lefroy's supposed confession of
the murder of Lieutenant Roper, and that his belief is
not at all shaken by the later disavowal of the crime.
Mr. Dutton, it is said, has further stated that his
suspicion of Lefroy's connection with the Chatham
murder was aroused on Friday week, when ques-
tioning Mrs. Clayton as to traces of her cousin's
insanity. She then told him of Lefroy's alleged
Journey to Sittingbourne, of his mysterious visit to
his sister at Southend, and of other circumstances
which induced Mr. Dutton to telegraph to Mrs.
Brickwood at Southend. Mrs. Brickwood next day
gave him such an account of her brother's extra-
ordinary conduct on the evening after the murder of
Lieutenant Roper that his suspicims were confirmed.
Tt was only on the subsequent Friday evening, how-
ever, during a long interview with his client, that Mr.
Dutton questioned him with regard to his alleged visit
to Sittingbourne, when Lefroy instantly replied,
fixing the date on February 11, the day of the
Chatham murder.' This circumstance made a very
strong impression upon the mind of the solicitor. The
account alleged to have been given by the convict of
the murder of Lieutenant Roper represents that he
purchased the pistol in the Strand. The unfortunate
officer was, however, shot with his own pistol."

The Daily Telegraph of Monday said :—" Lefroy
has made five different confessions as to the manner
in which he murdered Mr. Gold. These statements
vary considerably, and it is quite clear they
cannot all be correct, but there is some reason to be-
lieve that the following account is the true one. He
denies altogether that he entered the compartment
in which he killed Mr. Gold at the London bridge
Station. According to Lefroy, he took a seat
in a carriage in which, curiously enough, there
was another passenger sitting by himself, and
that he was strongly tempted to murder him, but
owing to some strange fancy, he refrained from car-
rying out his intention. On the arrival of the train at
Croydon he left this compartment and got into ano-
ther—the one in which Mr. Gold had taken a place.
11 e had a short conversation with his victim, when
Mr. Gold put down the newspaper he had been read-
ing and reposed himself in his seat as if to dose. While
stretching himself out for this purpose he took a hand-
kerchief from his pocket. In doing this Lefroy noticed
that accidentally he pulled out his purse, which fell on
the floor of the carriage. Mr. Gold did not hear the
purse fall, and, placing the covering over his face,
Prepared for sleep. It instantly occurred to Lefroy
to take out his own pockethandkerchief, throw it
over the purse, and then, under pretence of picking
IV the handkerchief to steal it. Before this he had
Pretended to follow the example of his fellow-
Passenger, and recline as if for sleep. The noise,
slight as it was, which he made in throwing down
his handkerchief and taking the purse, aroused Mr.
Gokl. He instantly started up, and exclaiming,
You scoundrel, do you want to rob me?' hit
straight out at Lefroy, and struck such a severe
blow that the thief was fairly hurled from one
side of the carriage to the othet. One effect of the
blow was to open Lefroy's coat, and while he was
getting up Mr. Gold saw the butt end of the pistol
trojecting out of the inside breast coat pocket.
Directly he discovered Lefroy was armed Mr. Gold
Shouted out 'You villain, is it murder as well robbery
that you mean?' or words much. to that effect.
auenpmg to his feet—or rather rushing at Lefroy—he
snatched the pistol out of his coat pocket and fired
at him twice. Neither shot struck Lefroy, who
managed to close with his assailant and regain
the weapon. He immediately fired two shots at
Mr. Gold. He believes the first of these struck
the carriage near the bell-pull, and the second
inflicted the wound in Mr. Gold's neck. At this
point the convict's confession is rather confused,
out, as nearly as can be ascertained they both
fell to the bottom of the carriage, and then com-
menced the desperate struggle for life which was seen
by the witness at Horley. It is declared by Lefroy—
extraordinary as it must appear—that directly after
he had shot Mr. Gold that gentleman did not fall to
the ground insensible. On the contrary, he had
strength enough to seize the pistol and deal his mur-
derer a blow or two on the head, causing the wounds
which were afterwards dressed by the Brighton sur-
geon. While the struggle was going on the two men
had rolled up to the door of the carriage. With such
vigour did the old man fight for his life that he
pressed Lefroy against the door with one band at
nia throat while he pulled out a pocket-knife with
the other. He even opened the blade with his teeth.
This effort, however, and the loss of blood from his
wound, had exhausted him, and Lefroy succeeded in
taking the knife away, and then cutting and hacking
his neck and face. Lefroy tries to make out that he
hardly knows who it was that opened the door—in fact,
he thinks it was Mr. Gold himself. He fancies, so he
Pays, that his victim had a hope he would be able to push
him out of the carriage, Lefrov, however, was now the
stronger of the two, and pitched the unfcrtunate man
on to the rails where his body wes found. A eording
to one of his confessions he took a razor with him when
he left home, and it was while he was fumbling with
it in his pocket that Mr Gold became alarmed,
and et once imagining • that Lefroy was a thief
and meant mischief, called out, You scoundrel, do
You want to rob or murder me? " Lefroy instantly
drew his pistol, and fired three or four times, one
bullet taking effect. A struggle of a desperate cha-
racter followed, in which he admits that he nearly had
the worst of it, but the fatal end was the same—Mr.
Gold was thrown from the carriage. He varies this
part of the story, and even gives a third description.
After the shot was fir e& the struggle followed, but he
had so far the worst tM4 he was on the ground and
Mr. Gold was standing leaning against the door, which
happened to be unlocked when he fell out. It is pretty
certain that he did shoot Mr. Gold, that a struggle
followed, that—either with Mr. Gold's knife or his
13,vn—he gashed his neck and face, and that at last,
When the old gentleman's strength failed he delibe-
rately unlocked the door and three, him out. Lefroy
confirms the evidence given by the pawnbroker that
he redeemed the pistol on the morning of the murder,
Uut he denies that the one which was found last week
Was the weapon he used. With regard to the spot
'Where be tried to hide one evidence of his crime he
he says: I threw it out by the second arch on the
right-hand side of the line going to Brighton. It was
either past the Balcombe Tunnel or Balcombe Station.
I don't know which. It was not a high bank, but
there was some kind of rush on a low bank."

"One Who Knows," in a letter to the Daily Tele-
graph, gives some particulars of the convict's con-
tvpsion, which, he says, have "perhaps never been
siuTaased in the thrilling history of murder. Lefroy

says that the whole of the day on which the crime
was perpetrated, from the time he left Wallington,
the Devil was with him. The Devil helped him to
rush across the fields to Waddon Station; and when
he got to London-bridge assisted him to run down
the steps to the pawnbroker's shop, where he
redeemed the pistol. Before the train started,
loading the weapoo, he was, he says, in con-
stant argument with the Evil One. He put the
to' to the Devil, which it was to be, 'Poverty and
honour, or ' Wealth and dishonour; and while he was
debating this choice the Devil suggested the latter—
whereupon he walked up the platform, still accompanied
by the fiend, and got into a carriage. This was not
the compartment in which Mr. Gold was sitting,
but in another first-class carriage, in which there
happened to be a passenger alone. It was into this
Lefroy entered, and not, as was stated by the rail-
way witness, that in which Mr. Gold was sitting. He
actually intended to take this gentleman's life, but
every time Lefroy looked up from his paper he found
his companion, to use his own words, "staring at him
as much as to say, 'I know what you are about.'
So near was this traveller to being a victim in the
place of Mr. Gold! It is not yet certainly known who
he was, but Lefroy believes it was Air. Woods, of
Hassock's Gate, who was one of the witnesses for the
prosecution. And now, continues the convict, there en-
sued another colloquy with Satan.. Lefroy told the Evil
Spirit that ` he could not do it : ' and then the Devil
replied, 'But how are you going to get back from
Brighton.' This decided him, and at that moment the
train drew into Croydon Station. As it did so, 'I
argued with myself,' says the convict, 'whether I
should get out or continue in the same carriage. The
Devil advised me to get out. I did so, and got into
the carriage where Mr. Gold was seated alone."

[The Daily Telegraph of Tuesday said :—"ln reference to
the account given by Lefroy of his journey to Brighton on
the day that he murdered Mr. Gold, a correspondent tele-
graphs that Mr. Wood, of Hassock's-gate, denies that he
rode as far as Croydon with the convict."]

On Monday Lefroy sunk into a state of the deepest
despondency, from which it was impossible for even
the ministrations of the chaplain to arouse him. It
was with difficulty he was induced to take an airing
in the prison yard in the afternoon, and before the
short period of exercise was over his strength failed
him to such an extent that he had to be helped back
to his cell.