The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-07-16 00:00:00

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

After his examination on Saturday Lefroy had a
very fair meal, which he seemed to enjoy—one served
to him out of the prison dietary. He was lodged in
the east wing of the goal, where prisoners awaiting
trial are usually located, and betrayed no inclination
to make any admissions. He, however, exhibited
every wish to converse with the warders in attendance
upon him, but they, of course, under the prison regula-
tions, were unable to hold long conversations with him.
Lefroy was informed by the chief warder, Captain
Crickit, the governor of the gaol being absent, that he
could he supplied with any extra food which he or his
friends might be able t 9 pay for, and he immediately
communicated by letter this fact to several of his most
intimate acquaintances. After that he sat quietly
down in his cell, and read for a short time the books
which had been placed at his 'disposal, exhibiting the
utmost composure. He was visited by Mr. Richard
Turner, the surgeon of the prison, with whom he con-
versed freely, and in such a manner as altogether to
negative the theory of insanity. The prisoner slept
well throughout the night, and exhibited no signs
of restlessness. The only difference made in the
usual regulations for the night-watch was that an
extra warder was placed in the corridor in which
the cell occupied by Lefroy is situate. On Sunday
morning the prisoner woke early, and partook
of a hearty breakfast. He appeared to be in
good spirits, and attended the usual service in the
chapel of the pris,:n. The service was conducted by
the chaplain, the Rev. H. Cole, and at its conclusion
Lefroy was conducted back to his cell, where the ordi-
nary midday meal was supplied to him. He has made
no allusion to the crime with which he is charged, ex-
cept to repeat the story that there was a third person
in the train, who was the assailant The wounds upon
his head, which were of a superficial nature, have
healed, and no traces of rough handling are now
apparent. After his midday meal, be again devoted
himself to reading, and seemed quite unconcerned as
to the charge preferred against him.

The Daily Telegraph of Monday published a narrative of
the landlady, in the course of which Mrs. Bickers says that
she had heard of the murder from her lodgers casually, but
had not seen the Daily Telegraph portrait. She asked her
lodgers about the matter now and then,, but she did not
know authentic particulars, not having for'some time seen
a daily newspaper. On Sunday, however, a weekly
paper was left as usual, and in the afternoon her daughter
commenced reading the account to her, but did not
finish it. The paper was laid down, and it was missed from
that time until Saturday morning last, when it was found in
the front room, with the page containin g an account of the
tragedy torn out. On Friday morning she asked Lefroy
whether he had taken it, and he replied no, but he had
carried upstairs with him a piece of the Daily Telegraph,
which he would fetch. He accordingly brought it back. Mrs.
Bickers confesses to having looked at her lodger, thinking that
he might be Lefroy, but she failed to detect any scratches
on his neck or wounds on his head, although she saw
him without a hat and had frequent opportunities of observ-
ing him closely, especially on one day when she was left
alone in the house with him, aild he followed her about in
an unsettled mood from room to`toom. His general manner
and quiet behaviour, coupled with the smoothness of his
voice and the absence of wounds, entirely disarmed sus-
picion; but, had she seen the sketch portraits, she says she
would have immediately recognised him.
The room in which Lefroy was arrested is an apartment
measuring about 15ft. by 131 t., well and tastefully furnished.
On the right is a mahogany old-fashioned set of dra were, the
right hand top drawer of which Lefroy always kept locked.
Yellow roller blinds are fitted to each window, and these
Lefroy always kept down, thereby excluding the view of the
'opposite houses. Between the windows is a muslin flounced
dressing-table, covered with scattered newspapers and books.
ihe general aspect of the room was decidedly cheerful. The
floor is carpeted, and the walls are hung with pictures. In
the right hand corner an inviting arm chair, with a red
cover, is placed. In this Lefroy sat when the detectives
entered the room. Some enterprising novelty-hunter has
already attempted to negotiate a purchase of this article.

We take the following from the Standard of Satur-
day :
"The house in Smith-street—a quiet street at the back of
Mile-end-road—is a very small one, and is kept by a widow
of the name of Bickers. Mrs. Bickers states that Lefroy,
who gave the name of George Clark, came to her house on
Thursday, the 30th June, in consequence of seeing a bill in
the window, stating that there was a bed to let. She replied
that she could accommodate him ; and he stated that he had
been recommended to her by a neighbour on the other side
of the road. He had just come up from Liverpool, and would
like to take possession of the room at once. Mrs. Bickers re-
plied that the room was not quite ready, and
Lefroy answered that he would be back again in
about two hours. In about that time he returned. He
asked what the rent would be, and she said six shillings per
week. He said he should like to have given her a week's
rent in advance, but he only handed her at that time 3s. 6d.,
paying her, however, the extra 2s. 6d. on the Sunday morn-
ing. She did not ask him for references as he appeared a
gentlemanly young man, and she believed his statement
that he was recommended by a neighbour whose name,
however, he said he had forgotten, and he could not re-
member from which house he had been recommended.
She arranged to supply him with his meals, except
dinners, from the commencement. He represented
that he was an engraver. For the first few days
her suspicions were not aroused that he was other than he
represented himself to be; but latterly she noticed that he
was somewhat strange in his conduct, and kept himself as
secluded from observation as possible. Although he stated
that he had a box which was to be sent on, it never arrived.
The day after he first came to her house he went out, and
did not return for about an hour and a half. Sinea that time
he had never left the house, and was in the habit of keep-
ing himself as much in the room allotted to him as
possible. She noticed that he always kept the blinds
closely drawn, and when he came downstairs in the morn-
ing to have his breakfast, which he did about ten o'clock,
he would draw down the blinds in that room
This was another circurns!ance which made her sus-
picious of him, although she had not the slightest idea that
he was the man who was wanted for the Brighton murder.
She also observed that he never took dinners, and although
he would take a little bread and cheese at noon, and again in
the evening, he only had meat once, and that was on Sunday,
when she asked him whether he would not like some dinner,
and he said he would. This she accordingly took him.
The circumstance which had the effect of inducing her
to communicate with the police was that in the first place
when he came down on Friday morning he told her ho
had no money, and asked her whether she would mind get-
ting into a cab and going into the City to draw his wages.
She, however, was afraid to leave the house alone, and
asked him why he could not go himself. He replied that he
had sprained his ankle, and suggested that she might find a
young man who would go for him. Subsequently, however,
he decided to send a telegram for his wages, and Mrs.
Bickers got a friend of hers to take the copy of it to the
telegraph office. The copy was written by Lefroy in a feigned
hand (being somewhat bold and round), and was as follows

'From G. Clark, 32, Smith-street, Stepney, to S. Seele, at
G. T. Hutchinson's, 56, Gresham-street, London, E.C. Please
bring me my wages this evening, about eight, without fail.
Flour to-morrow, not 33.'

"Mrs. Bickers also noticed on this occasion that he was
wearing a coat belonging to another young man who lodged
with her, and which he must have got from: this young
gentleman's bedroom. She did not, however, like to mention
the matter to him, but resolved upon communicating
with the police."
Mrs. Bickers then sent her daughter to make inquiries at
the address mentioned in the telegram, when she learnt
that no such persen as "G. Clark" worked there.

" Mrs. Bickers then went to the Thames Police Station
and related the above facts to the authorities Her
suspicions were all he more strongly aroused by the fact
that the telegram in question was sent to a Mr. Seele, and
that a gentleman of that name, only somewhat differently
spelt, had given evidence before the Coroner with reference
to Lefroy. She heard nothing from the police as to how
they meant to act in the matter, but about eight o'clock at
night two detectives called and saw her, and said they
wanted to see the gentleman lodging with her. They im-
mediately proceeded upstairs, and shortly afterwards
one of them came down for a chisel to force open some
drawers that were locked in Lefroy's room. He had the keys
of these drawers when he came to her, and either refused to
give them up or had thrown them away. The police were
not at her house very long, and left with Lefroy in custody.
Subsequently she went into his room and found a quantity of
crape hair, which is generally used for stage make-ups and
disguises. This she still has in her possession, as well as the
draft telegram referred to. As an evidence of the manner in
which he kept himself concealed, a young man who has
lodged in the house dining the week never saw him. He
explained some of this extraordinary conduct by saying it
was too hot to go out of doors or to eat much. For this
reason he preferred bread and cheese to anything else."

It was ebout two o'clock on Friday afternoon that
Mrs. Bickers had an interview with the inspector in
charge at the Thames Police-station, and gave a de-
scription of her lodger. All this time, however,
neither the landlady nor her tradesman friend,
whom she had consulted, had the least suspicion that
" Clarke" was the missing Lefroy, and therefore no
indication was given at the Police-court of the im-
mediate proximity of the man they wanted.—The
Daily News on Monday said : "it now turns
out that on Friday afternoon a man presented
himself at Scotland-yard, and after exacting a
strict promise from the authorities there that
his name should never be brought forward in
connection with the matter, gave them infor-
mation of such an important character that two
detectives were at once sent off to Stepney with the,
by this time, well-known result of capturing Lefroy."

The Daily News of Tuesday says that Lefroy wrote a long
letter on Saturday to his sister, from Lewes Prison, detailing
his circumstances and asking for assistance to enable him to
make a defence to the charge made against him. Ile also
informed her that he was in need of many articles for per-
sonal comfort. Ms sister communicated with several of the
relations of the prisoner, informing them what she pro-
posed doing and asking their advice and co-operation.
As is usual in cases of sensational interest, the house in
which Lefroy was captured has become a centre of attrac-
tion to large crowds of persons, who throughout the day
throng Smith-street, and gaze at No. 32.
The Daily Telegraph of Wednesday, said :—" The relatives
and friends of Percy Lefroy Mapleton have decided that
Mr. T. Dutton, soliitor, who attended at the inquest on
Mr. Gold's remains, shall undertake the prisoner's defence.
A clerk from Mr. Dutton's office has, it is stated, visited
Lewes Prison since Lefroy's incarceration, and had an inter-
view with the accused. It is added that Lefroy was calm,
and collected, and persisted in affirming that he was guilt-
lPss of the murder of Mr. Gold and gave the clerk his nar-
rative of what took place 'ln that terrible ride on the
Brighton railway, revealing, as alleged, some new and start-
ling circumstances which are to throw a different lightlon
the prisoner's conduct,'"
In compliance with a request of Lefroy, his friends have
forwarded him a bundle of clothes, including changes of
linen. Arrangements have also been made so that he will
not require to depend solely on prison fare.
It is said that Lefroy has expressed a wish, should he be
committed for trial, to be brought before the Central
Criminal Court, and that, in all probability, an application
with this object will, at the proper time, be made.