Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-09
ESPECIAL rrLEenAn TO THE p1sp.rcz,

PRINCETON. ONT, March S.-The in
quest on the body of f. c. Benwell, we'll
connected young Englishman, whose corpse
was discovered few days since in one of the
most dreary and desolate parts of this prov
ince, was concluded tonight, and the fol-
lowing verdict rendered:
We find that the said F. c. Benwell came to
his death by two pistol shots fired into his
head from behind. one at or near the nape of
the neck and the other little behind above
the left ear either one OF which was sufficient
to cause death; and your jurors have
reason to believe, and do believe,
that said shots were fred by the hand of
Reginald Birchall alias Somerset. with de-
liberate purpose, willfully and feloniously to
commit murder, on or about the 18th of Febru-
airy, 1890 and we are of opinion that Caroline
Birchall the wife of said Reginald Birchal,
was accessory to the murder after the fact.
The story of the man held for the murder
is remarkable one.
A WILD YOUNG BLADE.
Birchall was born in Church, Lancashire,
England, 25 wears ago. His father was the
Rev. Joseph Birchall, who was for years
whalley, and died in 1878, having lived at
Church since 1910. The Rev. Joseph
Birchall was man of some wealth and was
one of the best known clegymen in East
Lancashire.
Reginald, the youngest son, was educated
at Harrow and Oxford, though he did not
graduate from Oxford. Among his papers
are found certificates of term examinations
at Lincoln College there. he seems to have
led pretty wild life, never doing anything
exactly criminal, but to have spent money
continually beyond his means, and to have
mingled with the ''fast set' about all the
while He was known as a liar by his
chums, and his particular foible used to be
to tell falsehoods to strangers about his
lerdly connections and intimate acquaintance
with the high ariStocracy.
MAsoUERADING AS A LORD.
In the summer of 'S8 a young English
man with his wife came to Woodstock, and
said they were Lord and Lady Somerset, OF
England. They told, in fact, different
stories. Several times the young man said
that he was not Lord Somerset, but the son
of Lord Somerset, and again that his name
was Brchall. He was a dashing likely
young fellow, who cut big figure in Wood
stock. He boarded at the best place in
town, drove tn = best horses be could hire and
drank great deal of champagne. His wife
was pretty and refined woman of charm
ing manners. 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
Dlow while he was here. In May of 1889
Lord and Lady Somerset disappeared very
suddenly, leaving something over 81, 900 of
unpaid debts.
As early as July last Birchall began to
practice drawing up advertisements such as
these:
Canada-University man having farm wishes
to meet gentleman's son to live with him and
learn the business with view to partnership.
Must have $500 to extend stock. Board, lodg-
ing and B per cent interest till partnership ar
ranged. Highest references.
TRAPPING HIS VICTIM.
The contents of Birchall's letter-bo1 prove
that he had MANY answers to his advertise
ment, but with only two of his correspond
ents did he do any business. These were
Douglas Raymond Pelly, OF Essex, and
Frederick c. Benwell, son of Lieutenant
Colonel Benwell, of IseuItdene, Cheltenham.
Birchall went TO see both the Pelly and
Benwell families. He impressed all those
he met with his candor and business respoa-
sibility.
He told u.s." said Pelly, in his testi-
mony before the Magistrate at Birchall's
examination in Clifton. that be had, one
mile and a hall from Niagara Falls, large
farm. After hearing his story came to the
conclusion 1 would like the business. and
entered into an agreement with him. This
agreement was that l should paw
him 4170, and have in return nv
expenses, board and lodging at the stock
farm, and 221I per cent of the profits of the
business. 1 sent him a check for the e17O |
The agreement made with Lieutenant
Colonel Benwell was that his son Frederick
should 90 out with Birchall and see how he
liked the stock farm, and that if he was sat-
isfed he would pay $500 for a half interest
in the farm.
GOING TO HIS DEATH.
The party-Mr and Mrs. Birchall and
Benwell and Pelly-sailed from Liverpool
on the Brittania for this port on February
O. arriving here on Friday, February IA
They spent Saturday here in transacting a
little business. Birchall in arranging for |
the trip TO Canada and Pellv and Benwell |
in visiting people to whom they had
letters of introduction. At 5:55 P.
II. on Saturday they left on the |
Erie Railroad for Buffalo, and ar |
irving there on Sunday morning stopped |
at the Stafford House. All had baggage |
with them save Benwell, and be had for |
warded In bond two big packages to Clifton.
Ontario. by express. Birchall did not own
q dollars worth of property in Canada. He
was merely lying out of whole cloth from
day to day.
On Tuesday, February IS, the whole party
went 10 Clifton, Ont, Just across the Mac
ara river from Suspension Bridge BircbaiI
and Pelly went to q boarding house and
Mrs. Birchall stopped at the I'm perial II otel.
They lounged around for a week, up to
Friday, February %. Brchall told PeIly
that he had received a letter from London
from Benwell, sending the receipt for BEN
wells bonded luggage, and requesting that
this might be sent TO him whenever re-
quested.
THE MURDER DISCOVERED.
Finally on February 26 Birchall came to
Pelly with paper in his hand containing
an account of the finding of the murdered
man at Princeton on February "a, with the |
cigar case near him marked f. c. Benwell. |
Pellv was Mortified. Birchall said he |
would 90 at once to Princeton and look at
the body. Pelly said he would 90, too.
Pelly and said that he had received |
telegram from the clerk of the Stafford |
House at Buffalo saying that Benwell had
gone to New York and desired that all his
luggage be sent to the Fifth Avenue Hotel
there. Pelly posted off to New York to see
IT Benwell was there and returned without
finding him. Firchall visited Princeton,
identified Benwell and was arrested. Mrs
Birchall was arrested day or so after her
husband.
After Birchalrs arrest came the welding
of the chain of circumstantIal evidence con-
Meeting him with the murder. First Pellv
told his story of Blrchall's continual lies