The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-07-14
D0UGAL HANGED
Today for the Famous
Moal House Murder
CECILE HOLLAND THE VICTIM
After Getting Her Property and Be-
traying Her He BaseIy Muir
dered Her.

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
sensation as the brain Of a novelist
ever invented. The deed for which
he paid the death penalty was the
murder of Miss Cecile Holland, a
woman Of Independent means who no
tiOnally gave him her Affection but
trusted him so far as to buy the lone
~ MOat Farm, where they might live
together in peace. He betrayed her
trust, and with scarcely conceivable
baseness, drove her out into the still
ness of the night to blow out her
brains. that he might become pos
sessed Of her property. which he sue
ceeded in doing by forging her name
to her checks
Douglas was a decidedly varied ca
reer, one full of incident He was a
man of smart military appearance, of
fluent speech. and polite of manner, at
fractions which enabled him to Win
the affections Of undiscerning ladies
both in America and England. whom
he lured to their ruin. OF his early
life prior to his joining the army, lit
tie is known. AS a member of the
Royal Engineers he was stationed
for a considerable time in Nova
Scotia. When he first landed in Hal
flax he was accompanied by a wife,
who suddenly 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 afterwards
she had fits Of vomiting and coughing.
In two weeks the woman was dead.
ana on this occasion also the remains
were buried the following day. When
Dougal finally left Halifax he persuad-
ed a young woman to accompany him
and she afterwards returned to that
city with a story of betrayal. The
man was next heard of at AldarshOt
/.
Later ne went to Ireland and there
married again.
Shortly afterWard he was appointed
20 some minor office at Dublin Castle.
and among his duties was that of
banking money While employed in
ireland he forged the checks of two
well-knOwn members Of the aristo-
cracy. For this crime he served
twelve months in prison. In 1894
he again turned up with young wO-
man whom ne had met through the
agency of a matrimonial ADVERTISE
ment. The two lived together for a
considerable time in country house
n the outskirts of the village
Of Warrington. in Bucking
DOugal devoted his time to chicken
arming and all went we'll until an
ether woman arrived on the scene and
aused a breaking UP Of the establish
,1ent
Ultimate in 1898 he made the
Jcquaintance Of Miss Holland. daugh-
-er of a Liverpool merchant, who. as
he evidence at the trial disclosed,
vas possessed of considerable means
her own right. How precisely
>ougal first secured an Introduction
Miss Holland is not known. 1t is
aid to have been effected through
matrimonial agency. Certain it is
nat Miss Holland conceived a genu-
Re affectiCl for Dougal. and by mu-
Qal consent they agreed to live to-
ether as man and wife. Miss Holland
the same time carefully cOncealing
cOm her relatives all knowledge of
ar acquaintance with Dougal, and.
Gdeed. of his mere existence.
Together they went to live at Moat
arm. an exceedingly lonely spot at
1lavering. Soon after commencing