Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-07-14
HISTORY in HALIFAX
Notorious Career Of Crime. In
conccivably Base Actions to-
ward Miss Holland
DEVOTION OF A WON AN

LONDON, July 14.-Samuel Herbert
Dougal, known as the "Moat House
murderer, was hanged today in
Chelmsford prison.
The execution closes a career of
crime that was surrounded by as many
circumstances of mystery and sensa-
ton as the brain of a novelist ever
invented. The deed for which he paid
the death penalty was the murder of
Miss Camille Cecile Holland, woman
of independent means who not only
gave him her affection, but trusted
him SO far as to buy the lonely Moat
Farm, where they might live together
in peace. He betrayed her trust, and
with scarcely conceivable baseness,
drove her out into the stiffness of the
night to blow out her brains, that he
might become possessed of her prop
erty, which he succeeded in doing by
forging her name to her checks.
Douglas was decidedly wise ca
reer, and one full of incident. He was
a man of smart military appearance,
pleasant of speech and polite Of man
ner, attractions which enabled him to
win the affection of undiscerning la
dies both in America and England,
whom he lured to their ruin. OF his
early life, prior to his joining the ar
my, little Is known. AS member of
the Royal Engineers he was stationed
for considerable time in Nova Scotia.
When he first landed in Halifax he
was accompanied by wire. who sud-
denly became i'll and died. She was
buried the following day. Three weeks
after the death Of his wife, Dougal
sailed for England, and returned five
weeks later with another woman,
whom he introduced as his wife,
1t was stated in Halifax that this
woman had a considerable fortune.
She seemed on arrival to be in excel
lent health, but shortly afterward she
had fits with vomiting and coughing.
In two weeks the woman was dead,
and on this occasion also the remains
were buried the following day. When
Dougal finally left Halifax he pursuad-
ed a young woman to accompany him
a., che oftarmordc wnfvrraa ~ that
city with story Of betrayal. The man
was next heard of at Aldershot and
In various other parts Of England.
Later he went to Ireland and there
married again.
Shortly afterward he was appointed
to some minor office at Dublin Castle,
and among his duties was that of
banking money. While employed in
Ireland he forged checks Of two well
known members Of the aristocracy.
For this crime he served twelve
months in prison. In 1894 he again
turned up with young woman whom
he had met through the agency Of a
matrimonial advertisement. The two
lived together for a considerable time.
In country house on the outskirts of
the village Of Watlington, in Bucking-
hamshire. Dougal devoted his time to
farming and all went well until an
other woman arrived on the scene
and caused breaking up Of the estab-
lishment.
Ultimately in 1898 he. made the ac-
quaintance Of Miss Holland, daughter
Of a Liverpool merchant, who, as the
evidence at the trial disclosed. was
possessed Of considerable means in
her own right. How precisely Dougal
first secured an introduction to Miss
Holland is not known. II is said to
have been effected through matrimo-
nial agency. Certain 1t is that Miss
Holland conceived genuine affection
for Dougal, and by mutual consent
they agreed to live together as man
and wife. Miss Holland at the same
time carefully concealing from her rel.
atives all knowledge Of ner acquairt-
ance with Dougal, and, indeed, Of his
mere existence.
Together they went to live at Moat
Farm, an exceedingly lonely spot at
Clavering. Soon after commencing
their tenancy Dougal began to fill up
the ditch leading from the farm yard
to the moat. This work was not com.
pleted on the day when he determined