Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-03
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| hours the jury brought in its verdict.
| Not guilty for John Habron.
| Guilty of the murder of Policeman
Cock for William Habron.
With the verdict went a recommends
| ton for a degree of clemency for the
guilty man on account of his youth.
Although the verdict was expected a
| thrill. of horror ran through the court
room. Stormy as was William Habrons
| temper at times, it was q shock to
think of that robust young life ending
so soon on the bigget. John and Frank
| eyes was stunned look.
| The judge put on black cap.
Gravely he repeated the verdict of the
| jury Then he went on:
ut Is not in my power to act on the
recommendation for clemency for you,
| William Habron. That Is the preroga-
tive Of the crown. am compelled by
the verdict to sentence you to be hang
ed by the neck until you die for the
murder of Policeman P. G. Cock"
THE murder had attracted attention
l. widely, and seats at the trial were
| to be had only by early corners and
those with influence. The former had
to come early indeed to be assured of a
| place at the spectacle, particularly on
| the day of sentence. Even then there
was many tussle for places.
On this, the day OF the verdict and
sentence, there was nearly a fight in
the gallery. Spectators were already
wedged tightly when an aggressive little
4 man showed his way forward. His
clothes bore the stamp of responsibility,
| but neither his face nor his manners
were preposseSsing.
He had skull on the lines of a
monkeys, with a shallow underShot
jaw, eye sockets far back and reced-
ing forehead with the hair line in a
deep oval.
His manner had the aggression of a
man whose whole nature fights for
ward to the edge OF the courtroom
gallery as If no one had right there
but he. Some one protested there was
no room for him.
IT came all the way from Sheffield to
see this trial." the newcomer snapped
as If that settled all arguments. The
court had not yet opened and the mans
words did not settle the argument; but
he won his place by the very tenacity
of his will to have it.
His eyes glittered as the foreman Of
the jury pronounced the verdict and
the Judge the sentence. Only then did
he give up his seat and leave the
court room.
The jury's recommendation OF Glenn
ency for William Habron was accepted
by the crown. His sentence was COM
muted from hanging to life imprison-
ment. :,
And William Habron went to work at
Portland Prison with no prospect that
there was any other fate for him left
| in his life.
MEANWHILE the country had been
AVA discussing an epidemic of burglary
that had been going on for years. IT it
was not the work of highly organized
band then It must be the work, people
decided, of lone genius working un-
aided.
No matter what precautions against
burglary were taken, no matter now
strong and intricate the locks, houses
were broken into and valuables stolen
and not a clue left as to VINO olo H.
Then. as police vigilance increased,
tragedy was added to the crimes OF the
unknown burglar or burglars. Here ana
there a householder was killed IN the
course of the burglary.
What had really happened was that
Charles Peace was at work.
In the history of crime he must be
recorded as an eccentric genius. his
most lasting love was the fiddle. lie
made his first money by flddiing on q
single string with virtuoslty tnat 4aIer
earned for him the nickname OF LlCtie
Paganini." But all the money 1t orougnt
| him was pennies cast at MIN In tne
| inns where he played.
| That was in his adolescence; but al
ready he found livelihood on so petty
a scale beneath his dignity. His fatner
was a toolrnaker, and from him young
! Charles learned to make tools designed
| for purposes that would have appalled,
his honest father.
That sure and sensitive touch he
brought to bear on the fiddle ne also
showed when he used the tools OF MS
chosen trade, tools he had made NM
self. Sturdy locks on the doors OF tne
rich Welded to Charlie PeaceS toucn
Bolt and door chains parted from their
fast rings, Cabinet drawers and wall
mar lis gave up their valuable secrets
| to him.
But even a genius bungles in his early
DAYS. and in his youth and early man
hood Peace found himself several times
behind bars he was not able to break
through. The years he spent behind
| them were not lost, however. That
vivid imagination of his planned ana
committed a thousand burglarles ana
| his keen mind learned from every one
of them as If they were real experiences.
Every time Peace left prison his work.
manship was as much improved as II
there had been no let-up in practice.
| To his art as burglar Peace added
| that of the actor. That face OF MS,
modelled on a monkeys skull, he could
| in an instant so comfort and cnange
| in outline and expression that ne mlgnC
| have made a living on the stage. He
| could even cause his face so to hush
with blood that his very complexion
seemed to change at will. His body was
| as plastic as his face. 1t was q young
| mans body one moment, an old mans
the next. And his suppieness came o,
| use not only as disguise but as well
when he had only 6-inch space De-
| tween window bars whereby to enter
| house.
Then he met Mrs. Dyson. Ugly as
Peace was to look at. there were women
who found him irresistible; and Mrs:
| DYSON was one. Between Peace and
| her stood only her husband; and Peace
was not man to endure patiently bar
riers between himself and what he
wanted.
The result was tnaL one Gay FedCe
uuarreled with Dyson-and murder
came of 1t. Peace fled with blood on
| his hands and price on his head.
Ordinary men have tried to escape
by putting distance between themselves
| and pursuit. Peace was no ordinary
man. He bought good-looking house
on Evelina road. Peckham. and eStab-
| lished himself as an ultra-respectable
| resident of a home LOVING community.
wore the garb of churchgoer. sang
| hymns on Sundays as Justify as any OF