The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-10
A TRAP FOR WEALTHY ENGLlSHMEN.
Scotland Yard VIII Send a Detective
to Look Into II.
BenwelI's Murder Brings to lIgh.
Several Strange Disappearances.
The London Authorities Share the
Belief In an Extensive Plot.

NIAGARA FALLS, n. Y, March 9.-The
murder of the young Englishman, Benwell
and the arrest Of Birchell, the man who In
duced the victim to come to America, by
promising him chance for investment, bid
fair to become a chapter In remarkable his
tory of crime. Pelly. who accompanied
Benwell to this country has testified that
he believed they were lured here to be
murdered for their money and this
theory of the case has caused the
Scotland Yard authorities in London
to detail an officer to come to America and
investigate. The London police
have reason to believe In the existence OF a
gang Of desparadoes, whose object is to In
veigle rich young men to Canada and murder
them. There have been two mysterious dis
appearances in Canada in the past nine
months, the first that Of young man from
Cheshire, who went to Montreal, and the
other that Of the son Of a rich farmer living
near Shrewsbury, who went to take farm
near the spot where Bsnwell was murdered.
In addition there is reported from Wood
stock, Ont, the case Of Young Englshman,
Neville 81. Pickthall. About year ago he
months ago he married a daughter of his
minister, and Feb. 10th last Pickthall raised
$1,000 on mortgage saying to his wife he was
going to double this money before he came
back. He was seen at Niagara Falls that
night and then said he was going to- New
examination Of Birchell, arrested for he
murder Of Benwel. showed that Pickthall
reached New York, and there met Bircnell,
but since then no trace OF him has been
found. The theory now Is that he was en-
ticed to New York by Birchell with the ex-
pectation of making large sum of money
and put cut OF the way for the money he
carried with him.
In the Benwell case, the coroner's jury at
Princeton, Ont, yesterday rendered a YER
hands of Reginald Birchell, and they impli-
cate his wife as having guilty know ed 90 OF
the crime after its commission.
1t has been proved that the scheme by
which Birchell In England induced Benwell
to CONS out here-that Of sharing in the care
and profits OF stock farm near Niagara
Falls-was nothing more than a swindle.
Birchell not owning foot Of land In this
country, or having any interests here.
II has, has been proved that BiIcheil
is, rs really ,t,,, g man OF no. no fnan.
life has been largely that Of dead beat. 1t
has been proved that early one morning Bir-
chell and Ben well left the party at the Staf-
ford House In Buffalo to visit the ''stock
farm" and that Birchell returned the same
absence that was wholly fictitious. 1t has
been proved that on the afternoon of the
same day on which Birchell and Benwell
left Buffalo a man resembling Birchell
boarded a return train at Eastwood, a sta
tion on the Grand Trunk Railway In Canada,
near to the supposed "stock farm" and but
a few miles from where BenwelPs body was
found. Then comes the positive identified
tion Of Birchell as this man, and the still
more important testimony of witnesses who,
In the forenoon Of tho day Of the murder,
saw Birchell and Benwell leave the Grand
Trunk railway at Eastwood together and
walk off In the direction of the spot where
the body Of Benwell was afterward found.
Princeton Is on the main line of the Grand
Trunk railway and Is about ffty-fve miles
west OF Niagara Falls. Several sessions of
the coroner's jury have been held. The main
street OF Princeton Is narrow, with small
and meanly constructed buildings on both
sides. The village Is typical Canadian
small town, very odd-seeming to an Ameri-
can. with Its air of quaintness and provin-
ciality. The little main street was fairly
lined and crowded with horses and wagons
of the farmers who came to attend the In
quest. Some Of the farmers drove twenty
miles to be present, and they rode into town
wearing great fur caps and overcoats and
wrapped up In enormous buffalo robes.