The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-02-24

- crime bore aresemblanee,
byFuo means remote, to
- that committed by DR..
,crippen. OF course the
part played in the detec'
ton by wireless teleg-
raphy could notibe duplicated, nor, in.
deed did the murderer seek to escape
from England. But the same dimcults
was experienced in securing the idenu-
acation OF the victim and, as in the re.
cent example with which the world
has been famlllarized, the evidence
though complete was entirely circum'
stantial.
IA remarkable feature of this crime
was what many considered TO be d.
vine Intervention that led to the dis
coyery Of the murderer. But for an
extraordinary circumstance the muir
der would never have been discovered
and the murderer would have gone
scot free.
Wainwright, Ike the notorious
Charles Peace, was a man OF much
apparent respectability. Though ne
was shown during the course OF the
trial to have been man Of VIGOROUSLY
immoral life, for years he had passed
as prominent member OF the Christ
Church Institute in the East End OF
London. He was very popular In the
district on account Of his ability and
energy in getting up charitable per-
formances and in giving recitations.
He was local politician Of repute.
Yet all the while he lived life totally
different from that which was known
| to his friends and co-workers.
Although a woman with whom Vain
wright had been on intimate terms
had disappeared for about year, her
disappearance had been explained
without his being implicated. No sus'
picion appears to have arisen that the
victim had actually been murdered,
The deed was so deliberately planned
and SO successfully executed that it
was only the incomprehensible stupid
ity of the murderer at the crucial mo-
tnent, aided by the providential cpl
| sode referred to- that led to the dis
:oyery.
Wainwright was brushmaker and
had small shop on the ground floor OF
No. 215, Whitechapel road, London
One morning he accosted youth
named Stokes, who lived near by and
performed small tasks fer his neigh
bors.
DO you want to do little errand
for me, Stokes?" asked Wainwright
"You see those two parcels on the
tioor?" He Indicated couple OF
heavy packages wrapped in black
American cloth and corded with strong
rope that lay In one corner Of the
workshop. "PIck them up, VIII you
and take them out to cab"
Stokes tried to lift the parcels, but
found that the task lay beyond his
strength. So Wainwright assisted him
| with each by laying hold of the oppo'
site end, and the pair Of them carried
their burdens into the street TO the
church in the Whitechapel road, in
front of which cabs usually piled for
hire.
They looked up and down the street
but no cab was in sight
You stay here and mind them while
| look for one" said Wainwright and
leaving the youth with the packages
he disappeared in search OF a public
vehicle.
Stokes, left alone, began to expert
ence a most curious sensation. While
Wainwright lay In prison awaiting ex
ecution for his crime, Stokes wrote
him a remarkable letter describing
this sensation. Something within him
he declared, some hidden but impera
tive voice, urged him 10 open the pack
ages.
Stokes remained upon the pavement
waiting for his companion to return
and all the while the voice grew more
insistent. "open the parcels!" 1t kept
declaiming. open that one! Open It!
Open it,"
At last Stokes could not resist the
command longer. He pulled the wrap
pings aside and saw-a human head!
stokes was SO terrified by this spec
tacle that, as he afterward declared
his hair stood on end and his hat Eel
| of. He replaced the wrappings hast
lily.
"open 1T and look again!" the voice
persisted.
Stokes obeyed. Inside the parcel he
found the remains of a human body.
Whether this voice was really from
without or arose from Stokes own In
ner consciousness it is impossible tc
say. He had, as he declared. felt IN
satisfied with the declaration Of Vain
wright that the packages contained
hair and brlstles for brushmaking
Wainwright had cautioned him not t.
let them drop for feat OF breaking the
contents. But bristles do not break.
Furthermore, before they left the
workshop In the Whitechapel roat
Wainwright had given Stokes a spade
hammer and chopper to sell for what
they would bring. They were stained
with peculiar substance that excited
Stokes suspicious. 1t might once
have been blood.