The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-12-01


ing of events in my own past life, and you
will then understand and forgive me-
l.
When was a young man of five-and-
twenty became a member of the London
police force After nearly two years. ordi-
nary experience of the responsible and i'll
paid duties Of that vocation, found myself
employed on my first serious and terrible
case of crine-being nothing less than the
crime Of murder.
The circumstances were these:
was then attached to station in the
northern district of London, which | beg
permission not to mention more particularly.
On certain Monday in the week took my
turn of night duty. Up 20 in the morning
nothing occurred at the station house out of
the ordinary way. 1t was then spring time,
and. between the gas and the fire, the room
became rather hot. went to the door TO
geta breath Of fresh air, much to the sur
prise of our inspector on duty, who was con-
stitutionally chilly man There was fine
rain falling, and nasty damp in the air
soon sent me back to the fireside. don't
suppose had sat down more than minute
when the swinging door was violently pushed
open. A frantic woman ran in with
scream, and said, sis this the station houseF
Our inspector otherwise an excellent Off
cerl had, by some perversity of nature, hot
temper in his chilly constitution. ''Why,
bless the woman, can't you see it is7n he says.
"What's the matter nowf'
Murders the matter - she burst out "For
Gods sake come back with me. It's at Mrs.
Crosscapers lodging house, No. IA LEROY
street. young woman has murdered her
husband in the night-wth knife, sirl She
s~vs she thinks she did it in her sleep"
Iconfess was startled by this, and the
third man on duty Ia sergeantl seemed to feel
It, too. She was nice looking young wo-
man. even in her terrified condition, just out
of bed, with her clothes huddled on anyhow
I was partial in those days to tall figure,
and she was, as they say, my style. l put a
chair for her, and the sergeant poked the
fire As for the inspector, nothing ever up
set him. He questioned her as coolly as if it
had been a case of petty larceny,
Have you seen the murdered mana" he
asked.
s.No, SIR
s'Or the wifef"
.sNo, sir. | didn't dare go into the room;
only heard about it.
''Ohi And who are you one of the
iodgersTn
mo, SIT; I'm Inc COOK. :" s-
'sIsn't there a master in the housep'
Eyes, sir He's frightened out Of his wits
And the hotsernaids gone for the doctor 1t
all falls on the poor servants, of course Oh,
why did ! ever set foot in that horrible
housed"
The poor soul burst out crying and shiv-
cred from head to foot The inspector made
a note of her statement, and then asked her
<ot nd cicr q xxrith ha ~
object of this proceeding was to get her to
come near enough to give him the eoppor-
tunity of smelling her breath
when people make extraordinary state
ments," he afterwards said to me, sit some
times saves trouble TO satisfy yourselves; that
they are not drunk. I've known them to be
mad, but not often. You will generally find
that in their eyes" @
She reused herself and signed her name:
s'Priscilla Varley" The inspectors own
test proved her to be sober; and her eyes--a
nice, light blue color, mild and pleasant, no
doubt, when they were not staring with fear,
and red with crying-apd her eyes satisfied
him that she was not mad. He turned the
case over to me in the first instance saw
that he didn't believe i'll it, even yet
go back with her to the house, !" he says
ssThis may b. stupid hoax, or a quarrel ex-.
aggerated. See to it yourself and hear what
the doctor says. If it is serious, send word
back here directly, and let nobody enter the
place or leave it till we come Stopl You
know the form, il any statement is volun-
teereda'
eyes, sir. ! am to caution the persons that
whatever they say will be taken down, and
may be used against them"
"Quite right You'll be an inspector your
NrrsA
that he dismissed her, under my care
LEROY street was not very far off-about
twenty minutes walk from the station /
confess l thought the inspector had been
rather hard on Priscilla She was herself
naturally angry with him sWhat does he
mean she says, '.by talking of hoaxl |
wish he was as frightened as | am This is
the first time l have been out at service, sir
and did think | had found a respectable
place.
said very little to her, feeling, II the
truth must be told rather anxious about the
duty committed TO me. On reaching the
house, the door was opened from within be-
fore could knock A gentleman stepped
out, who proved to be the doctor. He stopped
the moment he saw me.
''You must be careful, policeman, he says.
t'The man is dead, and there is a knife wound
through his heart"
Hearing this, felt the necessity of send
ing at once to the station. Where could l
find a Trustworthy messenger7 took the
liberty OF asking the doctor if he would re-
peat at the station what he had already said
to me. 1t was not much out of his way
home. He kindly granted my request.
The landlady MRS. CrosscapeD opened the
door for him. She was still q young woman;
not easily frightened as far as could see,
even by a murder iii the house. Her hus-
band was in the passage behind her He
looked old enough to be her father, and he
SO trembled with terror that somo people
might have taken him for the guilty person.
removed the key from the street door, after
locking it, and said to the landlady, mo
body must leave the house or enter the house
until the inspector comes. | must examine
the premises to see if any one has broken in"
There is the key of the area gate" she
said, in answer to me. Its always kept
locked. Come downstairs and see for your
self" Priscilla went with US Her mistress
set her to work to light the kitchen fire.
''Some of us" says Mrs Crosscapel. may
be the better for cup of tea" l remarked
that she took things easy under the eircum-
stances She added that the landlaGy of a
London lodging house cos,ld not afford to
lose her wits, no matter what might happen.
found the gate locked and the Kitchen