The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-11

NicnlnoHu fHhTnlacy, corner lZtn SIs ar by Sir James Murray to his personal friends and to other scholars with whom he came in contact. The marvel is that it has not been published long before. How the facts came into my possession need not be stated. but it may be said the greatest urging was required before Sir James could be induced to supply certain essential details. He added the informa- tion that Dr. Minor was Still alive in America, where his friends succeeded in taking him sometime ago." and that he Sir James, stili corrsponded with the doc tor. A few weeks after this correspond ence, and before my article could be pub lished came the news that Sir James himself had passed away.
 Edward Clarke. K. C., the barrister who defended pr. Minor at his trial. eventually became one of the most famous of Brit ish advocates. He retired. almost exactly year ago. with a knighthood, a fortune and great reputation. Anticipating that a sensation would be caused, at least In this country by the publication of my article, I sought an interview with Sir Edward with a view to discovering what. if anything. he could add to the story.
 It proved that Sir Edward could add a good deal. Among other things he told me that Dr. Minor at least after the murder, was haunted by terrible fear of the devil and Sir Edward said that while in jail awaiting his trial the Amer 'oq sner most of the night on his knees in the middle of his cell, keeping watch on the keyhole through fear lest the evil one should come through it and carry him off. To my surprise it also proved that tors work for Sir James Murray and the dictionary. Sir Edward told me, in fact, that after some -25 years in Broadmoor, Dr. Minor was removed to Q famous pri- vate sanatorium at Virginia Water, not far from Windsord, largely In order that he might carry on his work for the dic- tionary among more congeniai surround ings. This and the fact that Sir Edward happened to have first hand evidence to the effect that the doctor never com pletely recovered his mental balance, was at variance with Sir James Murrays s belief that the American had become quite sane and a statement on the part of Sir James that Dr. Minor remained at Broadmoor through choice. long after he could have had his liberty. partly be- cause he had become used. and even at tached, to his surroundings there, and partly to the assurance of privacy which 1t gave him. Another point of curious contradiction which I discovered on re- ferring to the original newspaper account of Dr. Minors trial existed as to the cir cumstances under which he lost his mem tai balance Dr. Murray evidently under sood from Dr. Minor that he was upset originally by having to preside in his pro-
 fessional capacity at an execution, whereas in giving their evidence, Dr.. Minors wife and his brother, to enable whom to reach England the trial was postponed. stated that the original cause of Minors breakdown was being called 4- .I ~x.k1 Cd. army. and by subsequent sunstroke.
 Received Many Letters
 One of the many results of the recent publication of "The Strange Case of Dr. Minor" in England, has been the descent of something like an avalanche of cor respondence upon it's author. Many of these letters are merely from persons of more or less prominence who write to ex- press their interest in what they one and all describe as an astonishing narrative but the authors of certain percentage of them are persons of standing who, owing to one circumstance or another. are able to contribute additional facts to those given in my article. One of the most in- teresting of these letters, tho writer of which is clergyman, resident in Hamp- stead, reads as follows:
 Tt may interest you to know that I became acquainted with this strange story as far back as 15 or 20 years ago. did not hear of 1t from Sir James Mur- ray himself, though I have known him for something like 30 years, have been with him in his Scriptorium at Mill HI. school and also at oxford and have cor responded with him concerning certain obsolete words in book was editing for the press. My informant was MT. c. w. T. Russell, formerly M P. for North Red fordshire, and when I was intimately as- socated with him in his electoral cam aign.
 During MT. Gladstone's administration. Ar. Russell was under-secretary for the home department. and as such the Crimi- nal Lunatlc asylum at Broadmoor was under his surveillance. In this way Dr. Minor was, so to speak. under his care. and he told me circumstance about him which pr. Murray would not be likely to know
 'It apepars that 'Bearwood, the theu residence of MT. Walter, the proprietor of the Times, was near to Broadmoor. which place he sometimes visited. Dur- ing these visits MT Walter became ac- quainted with and much interested in Dr.. Minor, especially with his taste in art and his knowledge of pictures. So much so that at length he ventured to ask the governor to allow Minor to spend part of day at Bearwood to see the pictures there. After much hesitation and not without misgiving the governor consented
 "The day of the visit passed pleasantly enough and Mir. Walter was much ifn- pressed with Minors observations on what he saw. But towards the end of the day a change came over the man. It ap- pears that when the .homicidal mania to which Minor was subject came over him he became positively dangerous. And 1t was always towards evening that 1t came; it was towards evening he shot the workman at Lambeth, who he thought was following him with evil intent And towards evening he became wild and .,nmanageable at Bearwood. Getting him back to Broadmoor proved dreadful business and MT. Walter had cause to regret that his request had led to a breach of the rules"
 The Right Hon. George William Erskine