, 1881-07-20
From the Spectator of 2 July.)

the two O'clock express train from London
Bridge to Brighton last Monday. Mr., GOLD,
a retired stockbroker living at Preston
Park near Brighton, haying been murdered
between the Merstham 6and, Baicombe
tunnels, and bis body ,thI6wn< out of tie
carriage in the latter tunnel where it vas
discovered about four o'clotk on the same
day. TIE train never. stopped between
Croydon and Preston Park (the ticket sta
ton for Brighton). bat som cottagers at
Horley, which lies between the two tun-
nels, saw two men struggling 10 q railway
carriage which was attached to the train; and
a man 10 the next carriage heard four or five
shots in quick succession, just on entering
Merstham tunnel. but mistOok them tor
fog-signals. The shots, 1t was evident
from the condition of the body, had taken
little or no effect, and the murder had
been chiefly effected by a knife, the
fracture of the skull, due to the fall from the
carriage, probably completing the work.
When the train reached Preston Pa rk,
a man covered wi tn blood, who gave his
name as LEROY, stepped from the train,
and then returned to the smoking carriage
telling the ticket collector that at Croydon
he had had two companions, IAN old
gentleman, and a man IN the dress oil q
" countrynan,''- both of whom had
disappeared. He heard the sound OF a
shot on entering Merstham tunnel, he said,
and had Immediately lost consciousness,
and had not recovered it ill close upon
Preston Park. The Inspector called atten-
tion to bit Of gold chain projecting from
the toe of his boot, on which he appeared
confused, but almost Immediately recover
ed himself. and said that he had placed his
watch there for safety. LEROY was
without a collar and a necktie, which he
was permitted to pure base in Brighton
but he would not allow a search Of his
pocket-book, and the Brighton police
appear not to have insisted. After having
his slight wounds, apparently inflicted by
the butt-end Of a revolver, dressed at
Brighton, he was taken back TO his
residence at Wellington near Croydon, by
q policeman, who stayed at the door
while he changed his dress and escaped
by the back entrnnce,-such was the
vigilance or innocence of the police. 1t
appears to be thought that Lefloy, Glias
Mapleton, who gave himself out as a
Journalist, can hardly escspe.-at all events
now that the reward for bis apprehension
has been offered. The ministers IF Retrl-
button are lame OF foot. till the tonic OF
self-interest spurs on the hating limb.
The difficulties of France in consequence
of the subiugation OF Tunis are becoming
grave. A new leader, o Marabout or
Dervish, called Bou Amema, has called the
tribes to arms 10 Algeria and has ravaged
Orau, deluding the French troops, killing
the settlers, including 1900 Spauiards,
and calling on his countrymep to make an
end of white rule. He has assistance from
the halt-independeut tribes in Morocco
and can retreat across the border ut will.
In Tunis, the tribes round Sphax require
the presence OF o irOnclad, and possibly
OF a division while in Tripoli the gather
iogs round the camps ordered by the Sultan
are so formidable that NJ. st. Hilaire has
addressed o menscing Note to the Porte,
which has greatly irritated Constantinople.
AT the same time, the Italians avowedly
only desist from meetings against France
because ''the hour is not yet and the
Spanish Government has sent 10 a formal
demand for reparation for It's subjects
massacred in Oran. and expelled by the
Arabs from the province. We have else
where stated the course which ii is more
----.sLlz ~ Es.--l NoUnrnnnnnf m oO