The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-02-09
CHAPTER III.

All the end or 1898 this perSecu-
ton ceased. Letters and hoaxes
were suddenly switched off. From
that date till 1903 peace reigned in
Wyrley. But George Edalji was
resident at the vicarage all the
time. Had he been the culprit
there was no reason for change.
But in 1903 the trouble broke out
in far more dangerous form than
ever.
1t was on Feb. 2, 1908, that the
first serious outrage occurred at
Wyrley. On that date a valuable
horse belonging to Mr.. Jos. Holmes
was found to have been ripped up
during the night. Two months
later. on April 2, cob belonging
to Mr.. Thomas was treated in a
similar fashion, and a month after
that a COW of Mrs. Bungay's was
killed in the same way. Within a
fortnight a horse of Mr.. Badgers
was terribly mutilated, and on the
same day some sheep were killed.
On June 6 two cows suffered the
same fate. and three weeks later
two valuable horses belonging tC'
the Quinton Colliery Co. were also
destroyed. Next in order in this
monstrous series of barbarities was
the killing of a pony at Great Wyr-
ley coliery, for which George
Edalji was arrested and convicted.
His disappearance from the scene
made no difference at all to the Sc
quences of Outrages, for on Sept.
81, betwixt his arrest and his trial.
another horse was disembOweled
and, as If expressly to confute the
views of those who might say that
this outrage was committed by
COnfederateS in order to affect the
trial, the most diabolical deed of all
was committed after Edaljis con-
viction, upon Nov. 3, when horse
and mare were found multilated in
the same field. an additional touch
of horror being added by the dis
covery of newly born foal some
little distance from the mare. Three
months later, on Feb. s, 1904, an
other horse was found to be in
jured, and finally, on March "a, two
sheep and lamb were found multi
ated, and rough miner named
Harrington was convicted, upon en-
tirely circumstantial evidence, and
condemned to three years. Now
here the results of the police are
absolutely illogical and incom-
patible. Their theory was that of
moonlighting gang. Edalji is con-
demned as one member of 1t, Far
rington as another. But no possible
connection can be proved or was
ever suggested between Edalji and
Farrington, the one rude, Hitter
ate miner, the other the son of the
vicar and rising professional
man. the one a loafer at public
houses, the other total abStainer
1t is certainly suggestive, presum-
ing that harrington did do the
/ deed for which he was convicted,
that he was employed at the Wyr-
ley colliery and may have had to
pass in going to his work that very
pony which Edalji was supposed to
have injured. 1t is also. it must be
admitted, suggestive that while
Edalji's Imprisonment had no eff
feet upon the outrageS, Earring.
tons was at once followed by their
complete cessation. How monstrous
then, to contend, as the home office
has done, that no new facts have
arisen to justify revision of Edal-
ji's case. At the same time, do
not mean to imply Farrington's
guilt, of which ! have grave doubts,
but merely that, as compared with
Edalji, strong case could be
made out against him.
Now. let me, before examining
the outrage of Aug. II. 1903. which
proved so fatal to Edalji, give some
account of the fresh epidemic of
letters which broke out in the dis
trict. They were synchronous with
the actual outrages, and there were
details in them which made it pos
Sible, though by no means certain,