The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-03-10
REMARKABLE CAREER
OF BirchalI, the Murderer Of
Benwell- Romantic Story.
MAsQUERADlNG. AS A LORD,

----- ---'..'
MASQUERADlNGs AS A LORI
} Blrohall Worked His Victims-.
, shrcwd Advertising Scheme.
How Dcnwcll Went to His
Dcath-A Slick Game.
PRINcEroN, ONr., March 0.-The II
qcest on the body Of +. @. Denwel
q well.connected young Eugllshmau
whose corpse was discovered few day
since in one Of theTmost dreary m,
desolate parts OF this province, was con
cluded last night, and the following
verdict rendered:
I'VE find that the said F. o. Benwel
came to his death by two pistol shot
fred into his head from behind, Que a
or. hear tho nape ;of tho neck and th,
other little behind above tho left ear
either ono Of which was sufficient Il
cause death; and your jurors have rea
Son to believe, and do believe, that sac
shoh were fired by tho hand Of Reginalt
Birchalt alias Somerset, with deliberate
purpose, willfully and feloniously tt
commit murder, on or about the 17th O.
February, 1890. and we are OF opinio,
that Caroline Birchall, the wife Of SAID
Reginald Dirchall, was accessory to The
murder after the fact.
The story OF the man held for The
murder is a remarkable one. n
Birchall was born in Church, Ian
cashire, England, 25 years ago. Els
father was the Rev. Joseph Birchall, who
was for years rector Of Church Kirk and
Rural Dean OF Whalley, and died in 1875
having lived at Church since 1910. Tic
Rev. Joseph Birchall was man OF aolue
wealth anu was one OF the best known
clergymen in East Lancashire,
Reginald, the youngest son, was edu.
Gated at Harrow and Oxford, though he
did not graduate from Oxford. He seelns
TO have led pretty wild life, never
doing anything exactly criminal, but to
nave spent money continually beyond
MS means, and to have mingled with
the "fast set" about all the while.
MAsoUERADINo AS A LORD.
In the summer Of 'ss a young English
man with his wife came to Woodstock
and said they were Lord and Lady Som.
erset, Of England. They told, in fact
different stories. Several times the
young man said he was not Lord Somsr.
set, but the son Of Lord Somerset, and
again that his name was Birchall. Both
Somerset" and his wife were, received
IN the best society. Somerset Said that
he came to Woodstock to follow farming,
but he never touched a plow while he
was here. In May Of 1889, Lord and
Lady Sumerset disappeared very sud.
denly, leaving something over 81 LOCO oi
unpaid debts.
As early as July last Birchall began to
practice drawing up alvertisementss such
as these: H..
Canada-Uniyersity man having farm
wishes to meet gentlcman's son to live
With him and learn the business with
view to partnership. Must have s5OO to
extend stock. Board, lodging and 5 per
cent interest till partnership arranged.
Highest references. r
The contents Of Birchall's letter-box
prove that he had many answers to his
advertisement, but with only two Of bis
correspondents did he do any business.
These were Douglas Raymond Pelly. OF
Essex, and Frederick G. Benwell, son OF
Lieutenant Colonel Benwell, of Iscule-
denc, Chelteuham. Birchali went 10 see
both the Pelly aud Benwell families. 4
"He told u.s." said Pelly, in his testi-
mony before the Magistrate at Birchall's
examination in Clifton, "that he had
one mile and q half from Niagara Falls,
large farm. After hearing his story
came to the conclusion I would like the
business, and entered into an agreement
with him. I sent him check for sl7D.
The agreement made with Lieutenant
Colonel Benwell was that his son Fred.
erick should 20 out with Birchall and
see how he liked tho stock farm. and
that II be was satisfied he would pay
to0O for half interest in the farm.
GOING TO HIS DEATH.
The party-Mr. and Mrs. Birchall and
Benwell and Pelly-sailed from Liver.
poo! on the Britannia for this port OF
February S, arriving here on Friday
February Il. They spent Saturday here
IN transactiDg little busines. Birchal
IN arranging for the trip to Canada and
Pelly and Benwell in visiting people to
whom they had letters Of introduction
At $500 p. IN. on Saturday they left or
the Erie Railroad for Buffalo, and arriv.
ing there on Sunday morning stopped at
the Stafford House. All had baggage
with them save Benwell, and had for
Tarded in bondItwo big packages t.
Clifton, Ontario, by exprees. BirchaI
did not own dollars worth OF property
in Canada. He was merely lying out q
whole cloth from day to-day. p. =
| On Tuesday, February is. the whole
party went TO Clifton, Ont, just acrosE
the Niagara river from Suspeusior
Bridge. Birchall and Pelly went to
boarding house aud Mrs. Birchall
ssePpSa az LuG 4AupellHl 11OLcl. Iue1
!ounged around for. a week, up to Friday
February %. n - ~ =,
Finally, on February 20, Birchall cam.
to Pelly with paper in his hand con
tanning an account OF the finding OF tht
murdered man at Princeton on Febru
ary "a, with the. cigar case near hin
marked F. @. Benwell. Ill Pelly was horri
fled. Blrchall said fhe would 90 at ono,
to Princeton and look at the body. PeII,
said he would 60, too. In an hour or 81
Bitchall came to Pelly and said that h,
had received telegram from the clerl
Of the Stafford House at Buffalo, saying
that Benwell had gone to New York ant
desired that all his luggage be sent t.
the Filth Avenue Hotel there. Pell!
posted of 10 New York to SEQ if Ben
we'll was there and returned withou
dnding him. Birchall visited Princeton
Identified Benweli and was arrested
Mrs. Birchall was arrested day or 8,
after her husband. EIl:''-. = e
i. Alter Birchall's arrest came the weld
ing Of the chain Of circumstantial evi
dence connecting him with the murde,
25 CLEANED OUT TILE OFFICE. " v
/ .rf-'.r- gal.. r. 30 g7,tN N,. ~