New-York tribune., 1920-07-04
Sold His Watch

A'VLI2 SAtN w EI1A
How hard pressed he was toward
the end of the chase is indicated ty
his diary on June 4, at Edinburgh
when he wrote, "Poor old watch -
1t was afterward discovered that he
had pawned his wrist watch for a
very small sum of money. Then
came the last entry, Carlisle, June S,
when he must fearfully have felt the
net closing around him, "Some
hunt"
From then until the following
evening Topiis was apparently in
TOO desperate haste to escape to add
another line to his record of fight.
The first definite clew as to Top
ISIS wherea bouts was discovered
June 8. A farmer, walking across
the lonely Moor of Lech, near Aber-
deem, saw smoke coming from the
chimney Of a shooting lodge which
he knew should have been unoccu-
pied. He Immediately got the aid of
police constable, and the two men,
going to the lodge, challenged the
unknown occupant. The policeman
asked his name. and the man, after
mumbling sclNething that sounded
like "John Williamson" Civilians is
known to have been one of Top.is's S
aliases), opened fire on them with a
revolver, wounding both and caus-
ing them to drop to the ground. He
then jumped on a bicycle, to which
was strapped a soldiers kit bag
similar to one Toplis was known to
be carrying, and dashed OF, with the
shout of "Checrio, goodby." to his
victims.
This incident Immediately started
a search through northeast Scotland,
particularly as the wounded mems
description OF their assailant Tailed
very definitely with that of Toplis
identified by His Picture
Then, a few days before Toplis
was finally cornered, his presence in
Scotland was definitely established
when the police showed his picture
to a hotelkeeper in Inverness. The
latter identified the photograph as
that of man named "Waters" who
stayed at his hotel four days This
is the story he tells:
'"Toplis arrived in Inverness on
May II. He was carrying small
parcel wrapped in brown paper,
about which he displayed no small
amount Of concern. He stayed in the
hotel that night and mixed freely
with the other occupants. | was
struck by his handsome appearance.
He was nearly six feet. and acted the
perfect gentleman. He was not the
sort of person to arouse suspicion.
To cut long story short, he was
here till Friday, off and on. We had
known, on his own confession, that
ne hau been out having drinks. When
asked about the parcel he said he
had left it in we'll known Inver-
ness public house. | didn't pat ques-
tons to him, but he made remark
that he was a piano tuner. He was
never done playing the piano. He Of
fered 500 for it. He used to play
hymns. He wore ring on his lit
tie finger; can't remember which
hand. One day member of the
staff referred to the ring. He
smiled and said: That's from the
dear girl, bless her" He asked me
20 keep him over the week end. Then
| put it to him quite bluntly: 1T
strikes me there's mystery about
you, young man. | think he was
pres sed for money. He wanted to get
his coat to sell. He said he had
brought capman with him and that
he was outside I saw the man whom
he had brought. He was certainly
not an Inverness cabman. | refused
to give up the coat and said that
would give it over to the police
At the mention Of this both men fled
| was really surprised at the cool
ness which he displayed when l re
fused the coat. Immediately the cou
pie fled, one of the girls in tie hote
said: I believe it's Toplis.'
The hue ar cry caused by Toplis
(as it aiterward proved to be)
shooting the farmer and the police
man at the hunting lodge was the
Immediate cause of his capture anc
death. The best story Of the enc
is that told by Constable Alfred
Isaac Fulton, the policeman who
first discovered him near Pcnrith
Scotland, and Who was one of those
in at the death. Here is his tale:
The Com tables Story
II was makn ng my way home
about ( y. ~. on Sunday and mid
way hvtyeen l.ign Heskit and Low