The sun., 1908-09-19
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BRITISH GENERALS WIFE WAS
STRANGELY MURDERED.

Goaded by "Dreadfui Accusations" He
Threw Himself in Front or Train
Act Adds TO Mystery or sevenoaks
Trascdy-He Established an Alibi.
Special Gable Dtspafeh 10 TEE SUM-
LONDON, Sept. 1s-The mysterious
murder Of Mrs. Luard, wife Of Major-Gen.
Charles e. Luard, in the woods at Seven
oaks, in Kent, near London, On August ~,
had sensational sequel to-day, for Gen.
Luard himself was found dead this morn
ing on the railway few miles from the
scene Of the former tragedy.
Since the murder Gen. Luard had been
a guest Of Charles Edward Warde. NJ. p.
He Is said to have been fairly cheerful
last night. He planned to 60 to South~
ampton this morning to meet his sonthere.
He appears to have slept comfortably,
and he was still in bed when he was called,
as usual, at 8 o'clock.
Gen. Luard dressed quickly and left the
house secretly. He left letter addressed
to Mr.. Warde, in which he said that on
account Of the dreadful accusations that
had been made against him he could bear
the strain no longer and that his body
would be found ON the railroad. The
letter read:
"You will find my body at the Teston
crossing. am sick of soandalous and
lying reports and cannot face my son,
whom had. decided to meet to-day. 1
have decided to end my life
There seemed to be little doubt that
Gen. Luard deliberately committed sui
eide. The engineer of the train which
killed him said Luard stepped upon
the track in front of the locomotive and he
was unable to stop the train in time to
avoid running over him.
Mr.. Warde,' whose guest he was, be-
lieves that the suicide was the result
of sudden impulse. ...
On August "a Gen. Luard and his wife
were walking in the afternoon near
their residence at Sevenoaks when the
General decided to 90 back to his house
and get his golf sticks, and Mrs. Luard
awaited his return In the summer house
Of temporarily vacant villa belonging
to friends OF theirs. When Gen. Lizard
returned to the summer house he found
the dead body Of his wife there. She
had been murdered and valuable rings
that she had had upon her fingers were
missing.
Since that time the police in spite Of
every effort. including the use Of blood
hounds, have been unable to find the
slightest clue to the murderer Gen.
Luard said he was not aware that he or his
wife had an enemy in the world and the
only theories that could be entertained as
to the murder were that 1t was committed
by lunatic from a neighboring asylum
or by one Of the tramps who have in
tested the Sevenoaks woods. The case
aroused the widest popular interest and
enlisted the services Of crowd Of ana
teur detectives. but to no avail.
For time a minority Of the public
was strongly Of the opinion that Luard
himself was responsible for his wife's
death. The evidence. however. utterly
failed to bear out this theory. for an alibi
that apparently was perfect was estab-
lished by reliable witnesses.
He was met by two or three persons
a mile from the scene Of the crime. FIJI
teen minutes later according to witnesses.
testimony, the pistol shots fired by the
murderer were heard by persons. who
were in the vicinity Of the summer house.
To-day's tragedy was in some quarters
considered as strengthening the theory
that Luard was guilty Of the murder.
But not hint OF any motive has been
discovered 1t was argued by some that
the alibi might have been explained away
by faulty timepieces. The present de-
velopment caused a greater sensation In
London than any crime or accident in
many years.
In their investigation Of the murder
the police were the victims Of many fool
ish hoaxes and Of spurious confessions
by weakminded persons. They were
to-day inquiring into the discovery Of a
coat and pair Of boots on the bank Of
a lake in Regents Park. In pocket Of
the coat was a letter stating that the
writer was alb out to commit suicide be-
cause 'the Ightham affair has preyed Non
my mind. fired the shots while the devil
was in me-"
The police had the lake dragged. but
no body was found.
Gen. Luard. who was 60 years old.
was a retired officer Of the Royal Engi-
neera He entered the army in 1857
and was engaged during his long term
Of service in much important work. in
cluding the supervision OF the rearma-
ment OF Gibraltar. He fodnded In 1901
the Society of Miniature Rife Clubs and
in 1907 the Patriotic Society. Mrs. Luard
was 6s years old.