The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-03-31

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Lance and BlackmaiI Are Very Easy.
The latest crime committed in an Eng
fish railway carriage was murder, and the
1,;o+iro was a woman. On the evening of
Fph II the body of Elizabeth Kemp was
fornd in the corner of a second class COM
nortment of the suburban train from
fTonnslow 1t was horribly battered and
.,7+ilated. presumably with an apothe-
oorv's pestle, which was afterward found
near the track The girl was 20, and the
manager of a small hotel at Walworth 1t
is thought that the murderer's motive was
robherv, the circumstances precluding any
other reasonable theory.
In these circumstances lay the distinctive
horror of the crime. The Hounslow train
belonged to a suburban line and made the
rln with stops at every station. The great
oct interval between stations is five min
rtes In that small space of time-since
the compartments are opened at all sta
lions by the guard-the murderer must
have killed his victim, forced her body I'M
dpr the seat, where it was found, and made
his escape. The body was still warm when
the Guard found it, so that the murder
must have been done within ten miles of
the heart of London city and far within
fine metropolitan district.
Railway murders have been common
enough in England, but none of them
eoualed this in audacity and swiftness of
execution. Of course it could not have
been committed in an American car, but
how could it have been committed in an
English carriage, though the latter vehicle
be built seemingly for the express accom-
mediation of murderers?
The question carries us back to the struc-
tural peculiarities of the English railway
carriages They are known to many Amer
leans by experience, but to most of us are
strange The distinctive feature of the
vehicle is that It's doors are cut in the sides
instead of the ends, and that the doors
open to separate rooms, or compartments,
crossing the carriage laterally
There are thus, according to the size of
the carriage, three, four, five or more
rooms, separated by partitions, which cut
across the carriage. There is no aisle or
passageway running through the length of
the carriage. TIE compartments seat from
four to ten persons when they are filled,
but very oft l one person has an entire
compartment to himself or finds himself
with one companion. 1t is in the latter
case that most of the railway crimes are
committed.
These side doors are opened at each sta
ton, kept open until the train is ready to
start and then locked again by the guard.
Thus when the train is at full speed be-
tween stations the occupants of each COM
partment are about as completely shut off
from the rest of the world as the most ex-
elusive could well desire. 1t is possible to
open the windows at either side of the
doors and unlock the doors from the out
side. This arrangement has often been
found convenient by the criminal If he
was daring enough to jump from the train
While it is in motion and escape the scru-
tiny of the guards at the next station. A
1ootboard runs along below the level of the
threshold. 1t serves as a step to enter or
leave the carriage Criminals of unusual
daring have occasionally used it to climb
from one compartment to another for the
purpose of escaping detection.
This fOotboard played an important part
IN the most celebrated railway crime ever
committed in England This was the case
OF Colonel Baker. 1t occurred nearly %
years ago, but 1t is remembered and always
Will be as one of the most remarkable &C.
cQrrences in criminal history. Colonel
valentine Baker, friend of the Prince of
wales, acting colonel of the Tenth hussars,
0he crackest Of crack regiments, was &C.
counted at once the most daring and the
CleVerest cavalry officer in the service. He
nau served with distinction in the Ashanti
war and elsewhere, and long after his dis
grace continued to astonish the world with
Ills talents and audacity.
naker one afternoon in July, 1878, was
sung py train from Aldershot to partake
90 Ine guest of honor in regimental din
nef OF the Ninth lancers. At Liphook he
1u'7reu a nrst class compartment, which
was occupied solely by a good looking
goung woman. Her name, as it proved
was hllzaseth Dickinson, and she, too,
was gong up to London to Join her sister,
VII" WIN whom she was to make a tour in
MlOzerIand. These and other facts came
Az aG bakers trial, which occurred in
a ,usuSC following at Croydon. Miss Dick
a loon UoIa The story and maintained it I'M
Az, vile nercest examination bv MIR. (now
Pergeant Ballantine anu Inc famous MI
ai i5''A A TOOK seat opposite hon tho civil
Gnu maintained silence fo 800 FL,
H. - GU FaIlesmere he ca1Iod 30, o++a-.-
~ an open window ana nsi- n9l ;e 49, ~
eon oI,lleu TO have it closed Tbis lad 70
learned that ~ 30 one course of which Baker
respectable f sne glrI was of thoroughly
was lawvor 'llIy; One of her brothers
: third a caG St,; another a physician and a
dersbot vrTe- OF artillery stationed at AL
master oe mmcr9 Baker himself was quarter
girl cor 9ghgral' This disclosure gave the
]. Der com lr"snce, and she talked freely with
Wokinn1 lpa al In until the rai1 r'achcd
Bat dow P p' arose, closed the window,
and J,iSsn. beside the girl took her hand
1 Tb USED e her on the cheek i'' manu-
sano r,e startled girl repelIed Rakor,s od