The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-08-27 00:00:00

JURORS AND HER MAJESTY.

When the friends of Lipski were informed on
Sa,urriay evening as to the probable nature of the
final decision of the Home Secretary, a telegram was
despatched to her Majesty the Queen at Osborne, by
three of seven jurors whose addresses were known,
and who expressed themselves in favour of a commu-
tation of the sentence. A copy of the message was
sent to Mr. Matthews as follows: "To Queen
Viet oria.—We, jurors on the trial of Lipski, pray your
Majesty mercifully to commute the sentence into
penal servitude."
THE MURDERER'S CAREER.

Israel Lipski—as he was popularly known—was a
Polish Jew, and was born in Warsaw in 1805. His
father gave him a good Hebrew education, not in a
national school, but in a chida, &small room generally
on the basement. Lipski is not the name by which
his family is known. Their proper name is Lobulski,'
but when Israel came to London, about two years ago,
the name being rather difficult to Englishmen to re-
peat, that of Lipski was suggested, and accepted by
him. Israel's father is a respectable man who met his
commercial misfortunes bravely. Many years ago he
kept a distillery in Warsaw, but, owing to adverse cir-
cumstances, he failed in business, and was obliged to
go out to work as a journeyman. Israel Lipssi had
three sisters and two brothers. One of the latter
is in the army, and the other is a traveller.
Israel, when young, was fond of aquatic
sports. One afternoon, whilst he and one of
his brothers were bathing, he heard cries for help,
and swimming to the spot whence they proceeded,
he found a young lad Ftra pain g for life. He saved
him. This was not the first life he had rescued; he
bad previously saved a young girl who had fallen over
a bridge. When his parents became reduced in cir-
cumstances Israel was apprenticed to a turner. He
soon became a favourite in the workshop. When his
term of apprenticeship was over his master employed
him as a journeyman at a decent wage, and he was
then able to assist his parents, whose circumstances
had become more distressing. At 20 be determined to
get to London. The difficulty was how to make his
escape. The Granetz—the territory between Russia
and Germany—was guarded, and the gendarmes
would not allow anyone to pass unless, of course, ho
was supplied with a passport. This Israel did not
have. Had he applied for ene he would have been
asked questions which would have led to his deten-
tion. He was near the age when he would be com-
pelled to become a soldier, and the authorities would
have arrested him at once. The difficulty was, as
the result proved, easily got over. In evefy town
there are smugglers, some of whom make a special
business of this sort of thing, only they have to be
well paid for it, and Israel Lipski's escape was
thus effected. A miller had occasion to pass
the guards; he had a van-load of flour, and Israel,
who had become on friendly terms with him, was
placed among the sacks and taken over to German
territory. He at once took the train to Hamburg,
where he was compelled to remain from want of
money. Whilst waiting, in the hope of meeting a
countryman of his—for there are plenty of Polish
Jews in Hamburg—he engaged in conversation with
a man, who agreed to employ him in a cattle ship
bound for the English metropolis. Israel came here
penniless; but he was early taken to the premises of
Mr. Mark Katz, his late employer. Lodgings were
obtained for him, and in a few days he was seen
in the workshop. Having been taught the trade
of a turner in Warsaw, it was not very difficult
for him to turn to stick-making. He was parti-
cularly useful in making handles for sticks. Mr.
Katz found him an energetic workman, and gra-
dually his position in the workshop improved. His
employer, seeing that he was a prudent and respect-
able young man, eventually consented to his engage-
ment with his sister-in-law, Miss Kate Lyons. Mr.
Katz again increased his wages, in the belief that he
would be enabled to save more money. The engage-
ment was broken off for a time, b It it was renewed
and continued—the lovers anticiparng marriage—.
until he was arrested on the charge of murder. When
Mr. Mark Katz became slack, and Israel did not earn
sufficient to keep himsel,, he was obliged to withdraw
money from the wings bank. Thie little fund mild

not long supply his necessities, so Mn. Lyons, the
mother of Lipski's sweetheart, advised him to work
for himself. The advice was taken, and Israel with-
drew the remainder of his savings to invest in neces-
sary tools. It was only on the second day of his new
venture—Jane 28—that the murder of Miriam Angel
was committed.