The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1890-05-31
Thomas Kimber Believed to
Have Been Murdered i'm
Montreal for His Money.
All Appearances Indicate Another
Benwell Mystery A Queer
Verdict Rendered.
The Astors TO Erect a Magnificent
Hotel in Philadelphia---Sparks
from the Wires


Who disappeared from Montreal in the
middle Of April, was solved by the dis
covsry OF his body In the city reservoir.
The case, which is believed 10 be another
Benweil 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 mp his quar-
tars with three companions whom IL 10
supposed he had met on the voyage, at the
Grand Central hotel, . second class house
kept by Thomas Styles on st. James street,
near the Grand Trunk depot. After O
heavy spree he suddenly disappeared from
the hotel. When the door OF his room
was forced opeD the floor aud furniture
were found TO be spattered with blood. A
razor, covered with blood, aud number of
bloody handkerchiefs we're also discovered.
For some unexplained reason bis disap-
pearanee was kept q secret by the propri
etor of the hotel for q couple Of weeks.
When IL became known the whole detective
force In the city was employed in the case
Kimber's father, who Is o prosperous
merchant at Topsham, England, eommunl-
Gated with, the dominion government
through Sir Charles Tupper, the canadian
high commissioner, and Mai. Sherwood,
chief OF the secret service, was also en-
ployed on the case. The efforts OF the de-
tectives to discover 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 it's water supply
from two large reservoirs, one known az
the high level reservoir, being situated al
the base of Mt. Royal. Passing to his
work at an early hour In the morning,
Antoine Berrichon, stonemason, crossed
over the mountain park by the side of the
high-level reservoir. suddenly his notice
was attracted by something white aud un-
usnal fn the water, and the nexs Instant (
human head came into vlew. Berriehon,
who knew nothing of the Kimbas mystery,
called TO park policeman and they re-
moved the body from the reservoir.
The body was in an advanced state of
decomposition, but marks of violence we're
plainly discovered. There we're three cuts
in the left side OF the neck, besides long
and deep cut across the throat. towel
marked IT. Styles" was wrapped tightly
around the neck and furnished the clue to
the mystery. On the body being examined
at the morgue three large stones weighing
from six to eight poundssach we're found
In the coat pockets. Kimber is supposed
to have had considerable money when he
disappeared, but all that was found on his
person was Is cents In change. On his
flannel undsrshirt was worked It. y. Kim
ber."
A fragrant instance of the loose manner
Ia which Investigations are conducted in
such cases was supplied after the inding
of the body. No sooner had the remains
been removed TO the morgue than jury
was sworn in. and after few witnesses
had been examined verdict thatl deceased
had committed suicide was returned with
ont an autopsy being held ON the remains.
DIR. Mount, the only medical man exam
ined. said be thought 1t was q case of sui
eide, but could not say positively until he
had made an autopsy. Notwithstanding
this the jury returned verdict at once,
There Is little or no doubt that there has
been foul play In the case, aud that it may
turn out repetition Of the case of Ben
well, the young Englishman whose muir
der near Woodstock, Ont, coupled with
the subsequent arrest of Hurciell, caused
such tremendous sensation In both
hemispheres. The features Of
the case that oil bat settles the question
whether deceased vas murdered Is how q
man could possibly eut bis own throat TO
the extent Of Eve inches, quietly leave the
hotel i'm the lower portion of the city In
broad light Of II o'clock in the morning.
and with bloody towel wrapped around
his neck, weak with loss of blood, walk
through the public streets that lead to the
which mast have been crowded
with people at that hour of the day, climb
q steep hill TO the reservoir, surmount the
high iron railing that surrounds IL, and
plunge into the water. The fact of heavy
stones being found in the pockets of tho
deceased, and only rs cents In money be-
ing discovered on his person, also adds 20
tho strong evidence Of murder.
A detective who has been employed by
the dominion government in the case says
IL Is q straight murder case, aud be had
made report to that effect to the domin-
ion government. He In Of the opinion that
Kimber was murdered by some Of bis ac-
quaintanoes who came out ON the ship.
either for bis money or In q row, and that
after ths killing they took his body by cab
to the reservoir, put the stones In his
pocket and then threw II i'm. The blood
stains In she room were probably placed
there after the killing. According 70 the
statements of peple who came ont DO this
country on the Rarnia and saw Kimber, be
did not look like man who would commit
suicide. lie associated with several rather
suspicious characters while on board ship
and il IL feared they may have had aoEe-
thing to do with bis death. Styles, the
hotel keeper, persists in saying that he saw
Kimber leave the hotel on the morning cf
April IL, and that he was walking quickly
IA the time and did not seem 60 have any
thing the matter with him. Maj. shsr
wood. chief Of tbs dominion secret service,