The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-06-06
A RESERVOIR
DARK FATE of A YOUNG ENGLISH.
MAN IN MONTREAL.


MAN IN MONTREAL.
Thomas kilnber Believed to Have lseem
Murdered for His M~oney-All Appear
ancex Indicate Another l3emwell Case-
Loose Manner in Which Investigations
Are nducte
The mystery surrounding the fate of
Thomas kimber. the young E%nglishman
who disappeared from Montreal in tie
middle Of April, was solved by the dis
covery of his body in the city reservoir.
The case, which is believed to be another
Benwell affair, has been the talk of this
section for months. Kimber arrived in
Canada from Topsham, Exeter, England,
where his parents, well-to-do people, re-
side, by the Dominion Line steamer Sar-
MIA ON April IL last. He took up his quar-
tiers with three companions whom it is
supposed he had met on the voyage, at the
Grand Central hotel, o second class house
kept by Thomas Styles on st. James street,
near the Grand Trunk depot. After u
heavy spree he suddenly disappeared from
the hotel. When the door Of his room
Was forced open the floor and furniture
We're found to DO spattered with blood. A
razor, covered with blood, and a numbered
bloody handke rchiefs were also discovered.
70 some unexplained reason his disap-
pearance was kept n secret by the rropli.
etor of the hotel for a c ,uple of weeks.
When it became known the whole detective
force in the city was employed in the case.
kimber's father, who is a prosperous
merchant at Topsham, England, commune
Gated with the dominion government
through Sir Charles Topper, the Canadian
high commissioner, aud Mai. Sherwood,
Chief of the secret service, was also en-
ployed on the case. Tho efforts Of the de-
t~ectives to discover a clue to the mystery
proved utterly futile, and Kimber's fate
would probably have continued to be q
mystery for some time longer had not
an accident resulted in the discovery of his
body. Montreal draws its water supply
fromtwo large reservoirs. one known US
the high level reservoir, being situated at
the base of Nit. Royal. Passing to his
work at an early hour in the morning.
Antoine Berrichon, a stonemasou, crossed
over the mountain park by the side of the
high-level reservoir. Suddenly his notice
was attracted by something white and UNI
uoAut Al MutSt, 0tQ tuG utAL lIlStuul u
human head came into view. Berrishon,
who knew nothing of the Kimber mystery,
called to n park policeman and they re-
moved the body from the reservoir.
The body was in an advanced state of
decomposition, but marks of violence were
plainly discovered. There were thee cuts
in the left side of the neck, besides a long
and deep cut across the throat. A towel
marked IT Styles" was wrapped tightly
around the neck and furnished the clue to
the mystery. On the body being examined
atthe morgue three large stones weighing
from six to eight pounds each were found
in the coat pockets. Kimber is supposed
to have had considerable money when he
disappeared, but all that was found OH his
person was Is cents in change. On his
flannel undcrshirt was worked" 1T. S. Kim.
ber."
A fragrant instance of the loose manner
i'll which investigations are conducted in
such cases was supplied after the finding
of the body. No sooner had the remains
been removed to the morsue than n jury
was sworn i'll, and after u few witnesses
had been examined o verdict that deceased
had committed suicide was returned with
out an autopsy being held on the remains.
DIR. Mount, the only medical man exam
ined. said he thought it was n case of sui
eide, but could not say positively until he
had made IN autopsy. Notwithstanding
this the jury returned Il verdict at once.
There is little or no doubt that there has
been foul play in the case, aud that il may
turn out q repetition of the case of Ben
wall tho as 1y,,-,;,l-.ou .to.. ..
der near Woodstock, Ont, coupled with
the subsequent arrest of Burchell, caused
such n tremendous sensation in both
hemispheres. The features of
the case that all but settles the question
whether deceased was murdered is how q
man could possibly cut his own throat to
the extent of five inches, quietly leave tho
hotel in the lower portion of the city in
broad light at II o'clock in the morning,
and with q bloody towel wrapped around
his neck, weak with loss Of blood, walk
through the public streets that lead to the
mountain, which must have been crowded
with people at that hour of the day, climb
n steep hill to the reservoir, surmount the
high iron railing that surrounds it, and
plunge into the water. The fact of heavy
eeoucS Dc1AS lOulu Ill tuo pockets Oh Tue
licensed, and only Is cents in money be-
ing discovered on his person, also adds to
the strong evidence of murder.
A detective who has been employed by
the dominion government in the case says
it is o straight murder case, aud he had
made q report to that effect to the domin-
ion government. He is of the opinion that
Kimber was murdered by some of his &C.
quaintances who came out on the ship,
either for his money or in u row, and that
after the killing they took his body by cab
to the reservoir, put the STOKES in his
pocket and then threw it in. The blood
stains III the room were probably placed
there after the killing. According to the
statements of peple who came out to this
country on the Sarnia and saw Kimber, he
did not look like a mar who would commit
suicide. He associated with several rather
suspicious characters while on board ship
and it is feared they may have had some
thing to 90 with his death. Styles, the
hotel keeper, persists in saying that he saw
Kimber leave the hotel on the morning OF
April IL. aud that he was walking quickly
at tho time and did not seem to have any.
thing the matter with him. Maj. Sher-
wood, chief of the dominion secret service,
who was acting at the request Of Kimber's
people in England through the colonial
| office. is also of the ~oniniop thof this 10 m.