The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-11-22 00:00:00

THE BRICH TON RAILWAY MURDER.

The Colter nf I..sfroy wai thi lata C tptsia Henry NI %pie-
t .n, It N., ae,l Lis mother wee the risotto., of Mr. Henry
Stale, Inca Co'oniel So ratory of SL Helens. Hie god-
father. oft r whom he his named. is SirJ. H. Lefroy, late
Goein nor of the Bariondaa..

Du, nt bit ineareerathu in L•wea gaol, the Owner. kw,
...ilea• term, utlair of lett :r4 relativca aud humus.
a,l of a 11. mi are cove ed • n the erwt . ft,cto-nate
in a e onmuriettion to his cousto, Mre. Clayton. dated
July 10i. tyro (ley.. alter h'a capturs. he exprewes dtm
c...neletion that ti. 3.1 wou.d yet exti,cata him from hie
tetrads position, and this was kw one thought that kept
blab up.

Oa August 101. b, the ;neuter, wriliog his cowl°, Mrs.
Uiytw, sid:—" In spite id the tereiwe charge against
I ien h sppy h,ra, .ind were G.1%1 Land t stasis me
do on now I enuuld feel OG fear. My min lis at red; rest
that c nu.' from innocenci, .cd from that alone." Oa
kaguet 11th., in • letter to his c Just°, be says :—" Shall I
ever sea the silver lining of the cloud again In any as.
however, I must be, nay, I sin, fax happier than the
wretched man who hes escaped the hands ot justice, and
left an i aced fellow-nvature to suffer in hie stead. Al
howeer, One ludiri has already acquitted me of
the awful criuH • :tit which I have been charged." The
last letier is dstid Lewes prison, October "ith, in which
he tell. Mrs. Cisme that ne is hapoier then he has been
nag to I wens, epochs of his life. He thanks God that his
health as qtd to up to the averav, and he is ready, boastful,
and trust, for the combat. Tue chaplain of the prison,
the Rev. T. EL. Gale, in a lettir dated Saturday last,
chem.,' Aires the condemned wah's demeanour as gentle
and •übmissivo.

L:fr iy was in the habit of walltiog out with a young
RH. The young girl knew of Mr. Geld.' visits periodically
t Linden, ant Ms goieg away with a tab. busty large gum
of gold, waica trew larger by degrees and wonderfully big
as she told the story dui lug the amatory process of "wadi.
ing out." Taat event produced the crime, and here is the
meting link in the testimony of how Mr. Gold became
the person selecte I as 'he victim, as otherwise he pre-
sent od no indication, of • moneyed man.
Toe relatives aad friends of the prieoner believe that the
itbe once of is Itnene. for the defeece at the trial at Mud-
stone
caused surplice to the Lord Clef Justice himself
ourl to the putlic g-perey, who took so mucto in' Teat in
the evidence • thee :d by roe pr eiscutiou. The following
facts a-e meutioned as being sorrily capable of oroof, and
ea directly b,arieg upon the points at issue :—Thers were
in the C ,urt frow S denier iliOrnial WSW lion lay night,
sum ironed by Mr. DuXon, at le sit three respectable end
trut'iful witnesses. One wee the sen of the South Berl-
din, tou postmaster, another • nurse named Mrs. Johnson,
of 12, Francieroal, South B ddinston, and the Laird a
gentleman engaged on the Svek E wisps& Both the
former are well town to D. C:essy. • granges for the
pr.seculoo, and ware able so state on oath thet L 'troy
wee seen tt iamb an h ,ur on Mouday morning, June VI th,
art' render it inmeei•ile that he c have been a,. the
paw ohrokeee shop until nearly one in lb. if moon. The
nurse also we., in ettendaacs on Mr.. C.ayton at her coo-
dertnent on June 23. end could testify that L !troy actually
• did then what he would have done on Jana 21st or nod,
lit I occael it requ,red it, namely, he went to fetch Dr.
C ; thst he mot • telegram to Mr. Clayton, and tnat
he thi-n teeth d at home until Mr. Clayton's trate cane
in. filet cboo wituesses was not called is mattar of
intense surprise, indignstior, and grief to the friends of
L:lroy. Many of those acq u doted with him would gladly
leave come foreard to testify to the amiable, kind, even
tenner,•,l, mai loveable disposition he displayed f cim •
chili. Proof of the birth of a child taking place in the
Ceti' -ari-road on the 214 June, whom parents are known
to Mrs. Clayton, can be given.
Writing on September let, he says, "You cannot
imegin bow often I think co you all. Two lams in pert.-
guts r —sours and another's—are ever before my Gym, tell.
ing me hope on and hope ever. I am susttined here by
two ein gs—• Cialr COMICIOOCO and trust to God, who made
we, I feel assured, for something else than to (suffer for)
an uncommitted and Strati /US offence." On September
6th occurs the following: "You say, dear, that public
opinion, that thing of treacaety, is beginning to imagine
there may be two sides to any question, even mine. All!
can ray us that if iucti he the cuss, it shows that the priori-
pie of zair eke has not yet become such a Wooster to English
a. I imagined it to be. Gaon when the stillness of the
night is aroused me! think of you all, and abed many a
b•tt-r tear ot sorrow, and strange anomaly, of joy. Sorrow
at the thought of what I eight have teen to you all, and
tear. rf gleluess that at least my Creator and myself know
that 1 eat not that wlatth moot men believe an I say.
Around us ell is gloom. dearest, but "be not afraid," for
"joy cemeth in the moraine'
On Sept. 13,h he esks for a Brighton Company's time
table for the current month t o be sent him, which request
is reiterate 1 in several subsequent letters.
The chaplaiu of L :wee mime, the Rev. T. H. Cole, in
• letter to Mrs. Clayton, dated 8 tturday last, says that he
does her cousin daily, and that the way in which tie
receives his ministrations cove, nothing to be desired In
the way of gentleness and lubmiseiou. He mentions that
Ire had on hear day nee red smelt kind letter from SUR-
Commender 11. A. Banton, who knew and highly
esteeiuid his fLefroy's, permit, in St. Helena
Prepirations ere now being made at the LSlrail gaol
for the erectiun of the gallows and digging the usual pit
which le reqoired for the large drop. loqu'-iee are
being inatituted by the friends of toe convict to &scar-
Wei the part.culars of an alleged attack of sunstroke be
tied at Epsom in IS"0 on Deny Dry, that being the year
Bend Or woo. It well be recollected the day was • very
warm one, . tri IL seems Leroy succumbed to the effects
of the heat prior to the groat event of Use day. Mr.
Clayt ,n sod Mr. Seale were in company with Lefroy On
the oc,asion, arid it seems the occurrence took place in
the vicinity of Tettenhaue Corner. Since thea his friends
ail tar have n Weed he has been more eccentric than
over in ale ori.d...ct. Acnordine to Letroy's own arc mot
1,., locahue uncenociou, and had no recollection of any-
thing Until 1.. found weasel( lying on the g,rrui.d au,
rouhd -d br • crow I of pe rola, some or wbour were
battling his head and fcc wino wetly Oa recovering
seine • at he was mai •ted to hi, feet and taken into a
ca-t ,or wedeln hy a p erteno who Ira. 'tool( in the direction
or Welli,,g,oh, :rut conveyed the greater pot ,f to way
there. Unf etunetely tee 'ism., ot the driver is unkeo•o
! to L fry's iii s i Taey hp', however, that some of
the • .ple who sew the tor. uui-timos or the delver way
yet cons, for.v.rd arid corieho.ate the •lateusent in
W nsiew, the amiss:it mental ',ethologist,
wale, as foliose la Ole Jaily Nem :—" Haviva been
h ii.our d w. h e e_rst oa the bonen ou tuelsst day but one uf
L'frois tria'. n I has i m wstibeti the prisoner durine rho
sp mien far the °shrine arid also tor the uroe-cult n I hid
every °pent mite, from sitting immediately opy oite to
him, of carefully oberr•ing his general dreneanoer red
hearing tic biro Ths priMMOr doting the whole an was
unto vii sh I indider-ni, as if uncoils ',hue of the fact th
ve!y li.- depend el ripen the ii cisme of the court.
Alta M station' William,' had hoieuel his eloquent
aldres-, wiiico Putted tear. tee llrw from the eyes of wore
,han one of the jury, end she Attorney-Genmal bat
replied, la 'troy did sp,t even tare Mil eyes •arsy train his
, advoc die who heel just set down tuefteds the burned
c ninssl (urine preemni to , or anpirently flx hit attention
lean? w,y. I wets am St at Cue extraordinary beam,
of the accused. No statement eves of tee most painful
detcret on or of vital i p ince to tho lame in question
Cala d eVeti a frown vet.,, wont mance He Mote of all
present cot uniteurwl and unconcerned. If he bed been a
trd•Med CFl:mild mature in year. atd vies, one would
net hay: I, iii surprised but bare war • youth icarcely
Leyoud Lis ta eus us the f i.ii fate. The Cu-, Irian
the first aroused public indignation to an unusual extent,
from the poutilile likeiiho clot any one being pLicei an •
similar situation to , Mr. Grid. Opinion has beau rather
too openly expres, el previous to .he trial. Hid tatty hue
been ex ailoted in wax•worke and various meal' of
a.niusemen', and doubtless nis name has been men-
tions, 1 by most persons with horror and repugnance.
The vs, nal generaliy are always anxious to cry out
for revenge in most may. wil;toes of the nature of the
present one. They are tote to a :cep t an sesplauatioa whimi
might in any way MCC /Oat ter the crime. Winn the
verdict wee pronounted in the Stsunton caws no use wauld
entertain the exp.auation that dealt nitwit have been
duet, starvation, but yet worm toe theory was 'tined,
and supp 'nal be evidence, laze ruse, meetings were held
to petition the Crown for • reprieve. Other eases intent
be in entioneri of • similar nature. Having read the
history of Leroy, an I c 'sundered the case carefully, I
must entree' that I was surprised that the question of Use
✓rspouritril,ty of th r prisoner was not rata. There pine
glotVit to; that Liffey has a Wong heieditery
positiou to insanity, his father and grandfather boeing b-Ya
Icing Milan. HIS behaviour in court cc., all I have
Mentioned, • must strings and unnatural one, the i
tion to we being eittier th it he was in 1111,ieut to woe.
wee g-cint on, r tori he ea•, (mine-ewe rleama not SOS
explamryf, nhower, of the p S.tion. I do
not in •Oy Way iltpreill an ulsiaiml, or. demi... to due., on
his Condition, se laze. meet,' respeashility SO COlMarna
but at the s .Jlll dine having seine teat the solicitor tor
the defence is prepaeng a petition pray tag for an Mesita-
gation int , ble mental state, that. troubled you with this
copimtmication.
_ . . _ _ .

Mr. If I word Ledger, of the Erg, writes to say thtt
Is :troy had no connexion whatever with that paper. He
had merely sent to it &letter having reference to an un-
known work by Offenbach.
One who knew Lsfroy," in a long letter which
appeared in • London paper on Saturday, says t—l was
introdocel some months ago to the condemned mao at tie
house of a mutual friend, who, having beeo attracted to
the miserable •PPearallotte presented by Lefroy, had thrown
eons alio:time work in his way and was dim oiled further
t, asost him. My attention hod been c oiled to some
netes which L -troy was then ceotributing to •
new•PoPer. and boons in want of siosiiu ertielee for
publications and struck with the originality of the
writers style and information, I, through my friend,
popes.! an interview that preliminaries might be
arranged with • view to Lefroy's engagement. On meet-
ing my friend, be requested me ti form an actuate of
L .fry, inasmuch as he himself could not wholly under-
stood him, and, though inclined to mistrust him,
at trt touted his suspicious appearance and doubtful manner
to the effeche of a recent il!ness and highly-developed
senetiveneu Thus forearmed, I made acquaintance with
L droy, and from first to lut it was my habit to watch
him closely, and subject his statements and behaviour to
rigid IN trsopective examination. On the evening when
first 1 East this curious human muse—for such he ever
MOO t MO—II VIZOO Of cards WOO proposed. Throughout
the rubbers Letroy was manifestly ill at ease, and proved
himmlf by no means a quick band. Of wine he drank
sporiuglY, ands on qui iitios COO house, oaths walk t the
tailway at etion he reamed a proffered cigar. By this time
I was so much intere.tel in too man, and hie extremely
gentlem only ways having ma le sue more...ion —almi tot
JAB itlentl "rem to overcome the feeling of misirust his
apoearanse. end especially the uncertaol wavering look in
Li. eree, engoriered—that I invited him to dine with rue,
In ord..: to talk over business nutter.. He consented.
and to my surmise threw off Lis cold, reserved manner
which is habitual to him when In the company of
at •angt rs, and candidly declared that temple were prone to
hold aloof from hins, and he felt the need of sytopatol
very redly. He wide I that his real name was lo -troy,
and not Miniature, which was an alias assumed for
temporary reasons, and which be d-atred to oiscard.
Having trona the out•et become very intimate With LogreY,
at our next and subsequent meeting we indulged in •
, certain degree of c entiosnor, tempered on his part, by •
I skilfully-concealed amine oily, and on mine with • desire
to be just to too num, but • disinclination to be imposed
upon. Not very much later than the commenouneut of
this strange scqleintanceMM, L ofroy announced to we
that he would have no occasion to accept my over and
s ontribute theatrical notices, inasmuch as a great friend
of his in Australia—a man who bad always helped hi,—
was on the point of leaving Melbourne with the intention
of proceeding to London, where he intended to ptoduce •
navor-loefore-played opera by Offenbecto, purchased of the
composer ingot years ago. Mr. Coppid—this friend—was
represented as an lilt rota mita, ot fabulous wealth, and
as Lefroy had, during hie sojourn in Australia, ever been
:tie right hand It WWI now proposed t place him in the
position ht manager to a L union theatre, Mr. Coppid wish-
ing boo to superintend the representation of the treasure-
trove L 'troy at this period grew mrognanimous ; referred
In grateful terms to the assistance I had offered Aka, and
dictate Lit deserved sem, return. Finally, he undertook
to rent • coma:Botta I had in hand, us at tomato after •
decent interval, in which numerous telegrams were
supp seed to pus. announced, in • letter which 1.111 bold,
• that my piece was "accepted by the Australian capital-
ist. From that time forward he held out a variety of
delusive hopes whica I considerably dim euntoi, but he
never male them • reason of asking money of Ins. Some-
time., but very rarely, Mcousistencies appeared in nil
statements, but never so great as to forfeit all confidence,
aid yet so slenderly conetructed sore the whole of his
pans that on the day 01 his disarm issaope, subsequent to
the tragedy, a shert, hurried comparing of notes was 1111111-
Ciout to show how empty and vain they all were. I may add
that, in the course in whiCa even." wore developing.
Lafroy would bare been powerless to avert • denouement,
which might sit only have exposed his pretensions but
possibly have rendered him liable to more sesions conse-
quence.. Had Lefroy returned with money, I, for certain,
should have believed his Melbourne story, and held aloof
from qoastioning those who were capable of giving me
inf promotion ; but, as a matter of fact, it was Lair:ie..'
signs of impecunimity—revealed to motor the first time a
toW days begun the murder—which demised my distrust,

and disposed me to have nothing snore to do with kin.
Ile did not borrow straightforwardly, but on inch tran-
sparent exouses as to give the is to his representation,.
In fact, he appeared to is. deep/irate, and his Wee lacked
that coherence which had formerly distinguished them.
When asking toe loon of • few shilling', be stated Mg
he had been piayine cards, forgetting that when first I
met him he pro!ess-d so almost entire ignorance of every
game, and on many following occasions a deep-rooted
repugnance ti such divereions. I had never had reason to
suspect Lel roy's acute sensibility on some point', but
when he disappeared from London a few dais Previous to
his journey to Brighton, I was at no loss to attribute it
to the meaner in which 1 had treated him on the last
occasion I sew him. That he should be guilty of so awful
• crime as murder I find it difficult to believe, though I
must admit him an accomplished schemer. And, more-
over, looking at the chsracter ot his schemes—the daring
with which they were presented, and the almost certainty
of the detection of the fraud—incline me to • belief that
they were due to some phase of mind which cannot be
termed asses condition.
Lefroy's cousin, Annie Clayton, has Written as follows
to the Daily New :—" With a heart almost breaking,
with an agony too great for words, I Write to anneal
space in your columns for • few words on the subject of
my unhappy but tenderly loved cousin, Percy Lefroy
Mapleton. Almost every newspaper has teemed with
accounts of his errors and crimes, until the public can
scarcely help believing that t his character and disposi-
tion there is not—what is generally allowed to all others
—an "angel side." How bitter this is to those who love
' him can be imagined, and all I seek to do is to Mate la •
few words what his house life and disposition have been
during sill his twenty-one years. From quite a child
reading has been his favourite amusement, both his
natural temperament and delicacy of constitution render-
ing more active pastimes undesirable. Gentle, even-
tempered, sad affectionate, be has always been truly
loved by his immediate family, and from his having lived
ever lanai his birth With me. 110 One is better able to
speak soot him. I can honestly smart that in his whole
lii. I have never known him to harm an animal or speak
angrily to • lie.n4 soul, although his extraordinary delu-
sions were always a source of distress to us. My little
children love him deerly, and have always looked to him
tor amusement and enjoyment; while to ma he has been
as • kind attentive younger brother. Oily this time last
year he was • patient nurse to my aged and dying mother,
and to believe him minable of the frightful deed imputed
to him is to us, who know him so well, an utter impossi-
bility. Losing him at all would be an intense grief, but
to lose him in this most awful of awful ways means home
desolation and misery, which can end only with our lives.
The convict Labor had • prolonged interview on Thurs-
day wito Mr. Dutton, his solicitor, in the tresence of the
prison officials. He was perfectly calm, and referred to
the murder as if to • matter which concerned him but
slightly. He persisted in desiring that the plea of
Insanity shall not be raised in his bsbali. Mr. Dutton
questioned him minutely as to the lio• of defence raised
at the tr. al nod, r his instructions, and on each point be
adhered to the statements he originally made, using Is
Many CUM the exact words tormeriy_ ern p'oyed. aid
persistently asserting his innocence. Mr Dation asked
Lefroy whether he was satisfied with the way in which
the definer hid been conducted. The culprit replied
that he was more than satisfied, and believed that every-
thing possible had been dons on his beludf. Her., again,
he introduced the subject of ths third piny is the
carriage, and it is the belief of his friends that he will
cling ti this idea as his last hope. Being asked why,
after so patient a trial, he should have told the jury as be
did that they had murdered him, he replied be could not
help it. The same differsoce has marked his conduct
since his imprisonment, aid it may be said he appears
resigned to his fate; but, although he has little soar
on the subject of his guilt, it is conlident4 believed that
before the fatal day he will make a deer confession.
Since his conviction he has been almost constantly em-
ployed in writing letters. On Wednesday he wrote to
his cousin, Mrs. Clayton. He makes no reference what-
ever to his crime, but writes in the most affectionate
terms of his friends, expressing • hove that they vu see
him before the day at execution. It is understood that
• final Interview between him and his friends will take
piece about the middle of next week. His si.tas and
Mrs. Clayton retain the fullest confidence in his
Innocence, their knowlsides of his usually gentle char-
acter rendering it impossible for them to believe him
capable of such a crime. The memorial for a respite le
very numerously signed in Wallington, • number al
ladies having made bouse-to-houss visits for the
pur-
pose MM. Clayton has received numerous expressions
of sympathy and offer' of assistance.
ALLIOID CONVERSION lif I Wan lialallT•lai

At Barnstable on Friday, • man gave himself up to the
police as the murderer at Mr. Gold. He ears he cams
from Amerira some years ago, and has been in Lewes
gaol for theft, and is known to the chaplain. Hs further
satd be murdered Mr. Gold, and got out of the oarless
With the holy. keying cut Unmet, about the bead.
He first gave tits name of Robert Fisk, chemist and
lithographer. Four hours al t-rwards he gay. the name
of Mackay, and repeated that be had been in gaol, but
seemed surprised on bemg questioeed as to the other
statement The police beim. he is ander the Mamma of
drink.

Lefroy continues to employ himself busily in writing,
and it is believed tome lengthened communication from
him will be made public. The petition to the Home
Secretary is based on the ground of insanity only, and
will be presented early next week. Lefroy's relations re-
siding at St Helena hare been communicated with, and
have furnished information in support of the plea. He
maintain the sans. immovable demeanour, but hes
repeatedly expreeeed his thanks for the ministrations of
the chaplain. His Wellickstm friends Sr. still hopeful
that the evidence they have collected will be deemed sum.
Meet to support the plea for mercy.

ANOTHER RAILWAY MYSTERY.
The body of a young in. besting marks of brutal
si Armco. was discoirsie I on cue line of the Midland Rail-
way. at Beeston, on Tueedsy m tnioL and there is reaeon
to behave that he has nem ins •Irtiin of •101• Del. The
body has been identified as that of mail named Bennett,
in tug employ of ottani the largest firms of lam raerchanta
to Nottingham. Tom polio@ are investigating the ailaq,
which ii surrounded with mystery.