The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-11-12 00:00:00

pawnbroker's assistant, had stated. He was examined on
the 15th, and you on the 21st of July. You knew the im-
portance of what you have now stated (as to his being at
home on that day), and, as I understand, you deliberately
Withheld it, in order to produce it at the trial?
Witness: I was never asked the-question.
You told me, Sir, you withheld the information to produce
it at the trial !—My Lord, I was not asked.
Did you communicate it to any one who cpuld have
brought it out?—No, my Lord.
Why not?—lt did not occur to me.
You have admitted that you know its importance; why
did you not communicate it? (Witness was silent.)
Answer the questiln, Sir. (Witness was still silent.)
You cannot answer it ?—Mr. Lord, I cannot anqwf,r it
farther than I have.
Then you had better leave the box, sir.
The witness withdrew.

The Attrzney-General said he did not desire to put 11rs.
Clayton to the pain of calling her, unless his learned friend
desired. it.

Mr. M.Williams said he certainly should desire it all or
whP-.t had passed.
Mrs. Clayton was then called, and in answer to the
Attorney-General, said, being shown the notes written by
the prisoner in her name to the stationer (Ellis) that she
had not authorized them.
She was then examined by Mr. Williams, on inhalf of the
prisoner, and stated that on the 21st of Tune (the day of
the pawning of the pistol,, the prisoner was at home all
day. She WM very unwell, she said, and he offered to stay
at home or go for a doctor and she wished him to do ro.
She saw him, he said, from time to time, and WPB (Aro that
he was at home all that day.
Cross-examined by the Attorney-eentral, she said
she was not lying down that day, bat;_was attending to her
•
acthool. She then kept a school, she said, and was well
'enough to attend to it. She saw the prisoner again and
again. He came in at 11 o'clock to ask her how she was,
and she went out again and again to see him and speak
to him, "jest for the comfort of speaking to some
tone." There was a boy in the house about 12, and
-also a female servant. She had seen Mr. Dutton, the
Prisoner's solicitor, several times. She had never
discussed this matter with her husband. She had not
mentioned it, as she did not know its importance.
'de' me one mentioned it to her about two or three weeks ago.
Bhe could not say who it was who mentioned it to hot. It
was mentioned as having happened on the day on which the
pistol was pledged. She had taken a deep interest in the
.355 e of course—a painful interest. She had read the evi-
dence about it in the papers. She looked to see the day of
the pawning of the pistol, and then was quite confident that
it was the day the prisoner was at home all day with her.
Re-examined by Mr. M. Williams, she said he was with
her from four to seven on the 21st, and took tea with her.
Lord Coleridge: You knew the matter all along, you
say, but were not aware of its importance, and when it was
suggested to you, then you remembered it ?—Yes.
Lord Coleridge said he hoped witnesses who left the box
were not allowed tci communicate with those who were to
•be called.
Dr. Cressy, the doctor at Wallington, was called to prove
that the prisoner never came to him on the evening of the
27th of June.
The servant maid at Mr. Clayton's was called to prove
that the prisoner left the house while Ellis, the stationer,
Was waiting in consequence of the notes sent by the prisoner.
She saw the prisoner, she said, again in the evening, and he
said he had been "assaulted," that five or six persons had
been robbed and murdered (laughter), and then he said he
should go to Dr. Cressy's, and went out at the area.
That was the last she saw of him. He had no bandage on
then, (A bandage without any stain of blood on it was
found at the house and produced by one of the police who
went to the house.)
Asked by Mr. Williams whether the prisoner was at home
cus the 21st of June, she-said she could not recollect.
The Attorney-General said he must withdraw his state-
r:ilea that the prisoner went out at the back of the house.
juror said if he went out at the front he must have passed
nolmes, who was watching at the front.
Lord Coleridge: No, for Holmes went to the railway
station, and was away for five or six minutes, and the pri-
soner might have left during that time.
The girl being asked if she remembered when the prisoner
left said she could not.
Lord Coleridge then said, it being a quarter to six,
and there being still some important evidence to be
given for the prosecution, and as it would be best not
to hurry the ease, he would then adjourn. The trial
was accordingly adjourned to Monday.

THIRD DAY.
The trial was again resumed on Monday morning,
lit tell o'clock, when
ssUreek, the pawnbroker's assistant, who had spoken as to
Ist naysning of the pistol on the 21st of June, and its being
'redeemed on the 27th, as he believed, by the prisoner, was
recalled by the Attorney-General. He produced his books,
sa4,l said that entries were made of pledgings as they oc-
-"f_e_d• On the 21st of June there were about 40, and the
silts.)?at'','Y Of the pistol being the last in the book, it would
ss_ ve been about seven o'clock in the evening. Entries in
t"Ts book would give no proof as to the time of day the
aatosl was redeemed. As to the other pistol, about which he
a, oeen cross-examined, he said it was pledged on the 13th
r,-`sa_9lY (after the prisoner was in custody), and he knew the
1:29n by whom it was pledged—a youth named Watson.
f )71V,1, the police inspector in charge of the case, came in at
St? tune of pledging, and witness asked him if he knew any-
of it, and he said "No." Witness then asked the lad
znose it was, and he said his own. (The pistol was produced.)
nswas similar to that pledged on the 21st of June, and
Pbeaa Made the observation to Jarvis, who said, "Then
Cbg it with you and show it where you are going." It bad
'sea in his custody ever since.
as 34- Williams asked for the book and compared it with the
SSlllticate of the pistol, and pointed out that the entry was
se,S.Pa, Southampton-street,' not Peckham, as on the ticket.
stness said the pistol was pawned about seven o'clock in
the evening of the 21st (the day on which the Claytons said
the Prisoner was at home until seven o'clock.)
estae Attorney-General directed the witness to read his
\VI as to the flat of June, and he del so 55., No. 356.
ss_xet tulam Leigh, 9Pec,
b,ec. had a Southampton street.—Revolver." The
kham m
" and on the duplicate the nuns-
Was 9 ~lso "
Was omitted.
a,ar Attorney-General said he would, when Jarvis was
...sod, follow this out--as to the pledging of the other
'sista
Mr. Williams said he did not think it would be necessary.
lThe next witness was Mrs. Bickers, with whom the pri-
e.klier lodged after the 27th of June. She stated that on
Where the 30th of June, the prisoner called at her house,
vShere there was a bill, "Lodgings to let." He came about
Llleven o'clock in the morning and asked to see a bedroom,
e rent of which was Os. a week. She asked him where he
tame from, and he said from Liverpool. She asked him his
_nansve, and he said "Clarke," and that he was an en-
`i.l.Ler. Ile said he should like to take the room' and to
it that day, and that he Would go out till two o'clock
!Susi
ISlSthen return. She asked him if he had any lug-
slSe aud he said "Yes," but that it would come by a later
t'vZ•n She did not notice if he had then a moustache. At
rent. clock he returned. He paid 3s. 6cl. in advance for the
Jig went out in the evening for a short time. On
ueZt day (Friday) after breakfast he went out and was
until two o'clock. She did not think he went
list; on the Saturday (Friday was the Ist of July). She
sr'ssd /lot know of his going out after that day. She
7s,d oth"
lodgers in the house whose habit it was to dine
together on the Sunday, and she asked the prisoner if he
sw,
.0111 d dine with them. He said he preferred dining up-
sisSsalrs as he was rather busy, and he did so. On the Sunday
s, took part of a newsper out of her parlour—a copy of
ou-nday newspaper—and she asked him if he had taken
--•• Re said no, not that he knew of, but he had taken
Tsornething up and he would go and look. She told him she
Nrs °lad like to have it, as she had heard there had been a
r!eadful murder on the Brighton Railway and she wanted
,7 read it. She asked him if he thought the man was
iSallght, and he said he believed not. On the Tuesday night
``, e told her that he was going out early on the
Wednesday morning to have a bath. Next morning he
e4sked her if she had heard him go out early, and she said
be did not. On the morning of Thursday, the 7th of July,
a letter came for him, and she took it upstairs to him.
Another letter came next door, but went to the dead-
letter office. The prisoner had said to her on the
the that he had made a mistake in giving
'ne address to which it should be sent—" 33" in-
stead of "32 "—and so he did not get it. He said so
before he had the letter which came for him and which
rs'le took upstairs. That was on Thursday, •the 7th
" July, The next day he was arrested. After he
received the letter on the Thunday morning he brought
her a piece of paper and asked her to go in a cab on
an errand for same money for him, but she declined to
ssg°, asking him why he did not go himself ; to which he
Ilaswered that he could not, as he had sprained his ankle in
getting out of bed. He said if he knew a respectable young
"Eaari ho would send him and witness assisted him by fetch-
tag the son of a neighbOur named Doyle, to whom she saw
111111 give a paper. Next day the police came and arrested
to, and searched the room. There was a chest of drawers
el the room, all the drawers of which were emptisd before
l'e.haci come. After he went she picked up pieces of false
_alt and whiskers, which were not there before. She did
Fat herself see other articles found, as collars, &c. Hs
tZld her he was an engraver, but she saw no engravings.
"„Stse knew nothing about his spraining his ankle, except
"9at he told her.
/1-r- Williams asked no question of this witness.
Ile policemen who took the prisoner were then calledl
Ss,l'sanston, one of the inspectors of Metropolitan Police,
Isit'ated that on Friday, the Bth of July, at a quarter-past seven,
7;2 weal to Mrs. Bickers's house, 32, Smith-street, Stepney,
With Jarvis, another officer, and arrested the prisoner there,
s. him him as "Percy Lefroy Mapleton ? " He
is-vssou, " Yes', I expected you." I told him (con-
sssulled the witness). that I was a police Aker, and
?..,a_otild arrest him on the charge of murdering Mr.
'dd., on the Brighton Railway, on the 27th of June,
cautioning him at the same time that anything he might
6;3' would be taken down and used in evidence against him.
V'? said, "I am not compelled to make an reply, and
s
;Souk it better not to make any answer'." Inspector
l'arsis then came in, to whom I said, "This person admits
being Lefroy. I have told him the charge, and this is his
answer " (which I had written down and reasl over), and
the prisoner then said, "Well, I will qualify that, and
Will say I am not guilty." Jarvis then searched the room,
said I saw what was found. There was a drawer locked, and
Prisoner was asked for a key. He said the drawer could not
be Opened—that he had not the key. There was a key,
but it would not open it. The drawer was broken open,
and Jarvis took out a black cloth waistcoat, which was
Maimed with blood, and a black scarf (both produc d)
likewise blood-stained, and three shirt collars, one marked
'l4" and another "14i" (inches), then a third, with no
mark. (The collar picked up ou the line saturated with
blood was, by desire of the Attorne3 -Gen3ral, produced
to be compared as to size, and all the articles spoken
Of by the witness were produced). Some pieces of a shirt
stained with blood and cut out were also found (and pro-
duced), and two caps, new and little worn, and a pair of
false whiskers and moustache. There was fouLd, also, a
Pair of scissors. Jarvis asked priso !or whether the scissors
belonged to him, and he said, "Yes. I used them to cut my
Moustache and whiskers off." '1 he prisoner was then
"arched, and Is, found upon him. These things were taken
„P°Eeessicn of. and he was removed in custody. Ile had a
je°4bd: gray cloth hat. He was tat en away a cab, and in
i're 441 made statements, taken down by !aryls. At Lewes
°QS 3e cloth hat he wore was taken arid shown to a Mr.
llannom. a hatter, in Lewes, who measured it.
, The Attorney-General, taking the collars, observed that at
'-'rigbton, the prisoner having no collar, purchased one of
the size 14i inches.
The witness, comparing the four collars—the three found
IT the prisoner and the one picked up in the tunnel—said
s"°eY pretty well corresponded in size, the latter being, how-
Slightly smaller than the others.
sirjarl'is, the other inspector, was then called, and con-
Med the evidence of the other officer. Before the pri-
soner left he (witness) took possession of the things and
rtteiM over the list of there, and the prisoner said, " That is
On his way to the station the prisoner said, "I am
have found me ; I am sick of it. I should have given
al,self up in a day or two, but could not bear the expose
rass'afeared that certain matters in connexion with my
asa
7.-537 Should be made public. I have regretted it ever
ce that I ran away; it put such a different complexion
See e the case." He then said, "I suppose I shall be able to
eTida Tlawyer," and witness replied, Certainly." He then
frse am glad you did not bring any of coy so-called
nd s from Wallington." Ile was taken to. the station and
locked up.
he next witness called was Turpin, another inspector of
Police, who had gone with Howland and Tobett to the house
. ts.ss,sWallington on the evening of the 27th of June, about
„..',u -Past seven. He and Tobett went into the house and
Sseeht into Lefroy's room, and there found on a chair near the
(said_ a coat and trousers with blood on them, and a bandage
sreadY produced) without any blood upon it and downstairs
...:"°ate---a light overcoat—with blood stains over the right
;I-stains still damp. (Mr. Williams asked no question in
vr -exaraination.)
beYle sa
thatas aSn the Young man sent by the prisoner on a message,
the „.7.4.aalined by the Attorney-General. Ile stated
Ile had a!,',.`norler asked him to
an
take a telegram for bin?, as
PSnateeeith?srtpvaPc
attired his foot (he said), dhe then gave him a
(prodaeed and read):—" From G. Clarke, 32,
Gresh reet, Stepney, to S. Seale, at J. P. Hutchinson's. 56,as
am-street. Please bring me my wages this evening
ab°llt 8- I shall have the dour to-morrow. Not 83."
thyrt it Gold, the widow, was then recalled, and atated
swiveLer husband's watch was attached to the chain by a,
detach
Coleridge: So that it was easy at any moment to
easy, the chain and thrdw it away?—Mrs. Gold: Quitas
Lord Coleridge: Souse allusion was made to a person who