The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-31
Inquiry into the Mystery of
Miss McLean's Death.
SPIRITED" AWAY.
Numbering the Victim by
Means Of Rum.
STARTLING REVELATIONS.

the labyrinths of its multitudinous life there
are sad mysteries and dark secrets constantly
taking place. it were. under peoples
eyes and in their very presence, and yet
the terrihIeness of which
known to them. About the middle of No
vember a lady in almost PROSTATE condition
was taken by gentleman and young woman to
coffee house and dining room in Seymour place,
Marylebone. She i'll that she had to be car
red up into bedroom by the owner. Edward
Powell This lady was Miss Annie Jane Fanny Nc
Lean aged thirty-four daughter OF the late Colonel
Mclean. G. B.. of Broadway Worcestershire. and
the gentleman who brought her to this obscure cof
fec house was Lewis James Paine, man of about
fifty years of age and remarkable parsonage in his
way as will be seen. The third person Of the
party-and in the tragedy, as 1t appears-was the
young woman. Fanny Matthews, whose age is var-
ously given from eighteen to twenty-five. Miss
Mclean was left pretty much in the charge OF the
coffee house keeper and his wife. who appear to be
Of more human and considerate sort
than London coffee house people generally
are Paine and went and Matthews
did the same, though it said at first that she
was adys maid to the invalid. They always left her
peared to be the only thing not begrudged her
raw spirits. The poor lady fingered on until
the 18th ,s of November. and then ,s died 3D.
with Miss McLean's relatives. and the funeral
Paine had ordered was stopped by them en- route and
accordingly took place. and such were the mys-
terious circumstances surrounding, the case that
every warrant given for the initial suspicious.
THE CAUSE OF DEATH.
At the opening OF the irquest-held by DR.. Hard
wcke, coroner for Central Middlesex. at the Butalos
Head. Marylebone road--medical evidence was adj
duccd to the effect that death resulted from
exhaustion consequent upon diseased liver.
with weak heart, accelerated by drink
ing habits. Subsequent proceedings pointed
more and more strongly to the suspicion that this
state of the deceased was due foul play. and as
Matthews
care OF her, and they therefore fell under sus-
picon it was necessary that the inquest should If
possible, lay bare the motive if motive there
were. for a crime. Miss McLeans father, who was
q retired Indian officer. died many years ago. She
and her brother. DR.. Norman Collyer Nc
Lean. at Eastbourne terrace. Her mother had
to her native place, Broadway in Worcestershire.
ana she had actually taken lease OF q house called
the Shrubbery, and furnished it. She, however.
died, and her and his wife went to live for
short time ut this house. Mrs. Mclean had made
her daughter sole executrix OF her Will. and
had left her some property which. together with an
annuity payable as long as she remained single,
yielded her income of upward of ESQ
year. Miss Mclean had made the acquaintance
of Paine several years previously. This gentle
man had been married three times and
according to the who still calls him
husband he has always been noted for his fondness
for the gentler In his appearance he has some
thing of the "gay Lothario." He has gray hair.
dark piercing eyes, prominent nose. grayish mus
tache and long whskers. the chin being close shaven.
At the inquest he wore a velvet coat under
HIS manner before the Coroner was off-hand and
careless in the extreme and his answers provoked
to his own solicitor Mr.. Sampson. about his various
marriages will do as specimen OF his sangfroid.
Mr.. Sampson-You are said TO have three wives.
When you first married? A. When was nine
Q. What became of that2 A. OF that lady? After
lived some years together we disagreed; took up
with another lady, and my wife got divorce from
me- she is still alive.
@. What became OF the second lady? A. She was
Q. Is she alive or dead2 A. No, she is dead, poor
Q. No. Tho third lady is present in Court?
This latter marriage took place in 1874. but Paine
seems to have concealed 1t from Miss McLeans
friends. and to have persuaded them that he was
married to her.
The two were invited rs husband and wife to the
shrubbery, they passed as such. and cards were
ISSUED i0r the use Ms Mss Me pa,n ear
brother afterward left England for America.
Paine and she seem to have lived on Broadway;
and according to his own account he was the osten-
sble owner of everything in the house. In one of
his journeys with her he got into trouble at STRAIT
ford and locked up. His own account of the
affair as foows:-
Tho CoroncrYou say that the falling Off in her conduct
s ali she r
hor brother Norman went away in very uncomfortable
for drive to srs and nnfartunatelS
had Little bit Of popgan in my pocket . Two men
the very tired and had driven il long
them and they endeavored to drag tho cart
ny hs ad s
night mp to London 500 II coud counsel
little of the lady that particular time
believe the mischief done then by those three events
This was how Paine accounted for Miss McIcan's
alleged drinking habits: AT the end OF last August
they came London he stated, for tho purpose
of getting medical advice for her. and lived until
the 10th of September Alexandra street, West
bourne Park. The landady, who gave evidence at
the inquest. stated that Paine attended to
her, and that her chief food fish dried
nj ehe oil fish bit md 10 M "A
Prior TO her appearance at the inquest the second
time Paine called on her and put her on her guard
of something that appeared tantamount to a
bribc. About the date of the visit to
London will which Miss Mclean executed
was drawn up in favor OF Paine.
deed of gift in his favor also executed by hor.
successfully. to effect an insurance for $3.50 ON her
life. 1t is fair to say that he also made will III her
favor. leaving to her all his property, which con-
sisted OF policy OF insurance-but no premium
had been paid-on his life.
BECOMES POSSESSED OF ALL HER PROPERTY.
There is no doubt Paine succeeded in so
ingratiating himself with the deceased that
shortly previous to her death he had pos
that cannot be ignored in considering his conduct
in regard to Miss Mclean. While in London
he paid frequent visits to the deceased q
solicitors. and also to another solicitor. with regard
to certain transactions which ultimately gave him
the control of her property spoken OF. Having
thus secured her properly, the allegation against
Paino is that he failed to procure proper noursh-
ment hcr plIeu ncr with she ulcu
This alleged neglect began at broadway. when but
little food appe red in the house, but great
deal of spirits. Paine, too dismissed tho servants
there. and put her under the sole charge of certain
Fanny Matthews. A certain Mrs. Powell and other
witnesses swore TO having seen Paine not only refuse
10 let the deceased have proper food but TO having
him pour neat spirits down her throat against
| her will.
pArvE's INFLUENCE OVER DECEASED.
| Mrs. Powell also gave the following evidenced
On Thursday uhcy arrived the house the Monday
Paine brought gentleman, medical man. and said TO
him. II will show you whore her weakness is:' nd.
dressing the deceased he said, Look here, my dear,
have some nice here: sho answered. No,
don't IT, Lewis" which he said to her. 'iou
are arfu devil: IL tue doctor not present you
would have it being pressed By him she took little,
bat did finish It: the doctor continued TO at
tend hut he never ordered her ANYTHING: | was
not satisfied and my husband called In DR. Waller who
saw her. but ocned attend tho case without Mr..
Paines permission lie said she was suffering from tho
of drink. On the Friday night had got her In n
chair by the fire while made the bed. Paine
and the doctor came In. Paine brought bottle
of whiskey and sent for corkscrew He