The Northern Guardian. — 1897-12-20 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

THE MURDERED ACTOR.  INQUEST AND VERDICT.  The inquest on the body of Mr Wm. Terries, the Adelphi actor, was held at St. Martin's Town Biel', to-day, beforo Mr Troutbeek. The court was crowded, but there wcre scarcely any prominent members of the theatrical profession present. Mr Wilson appeared for the relatives of the deceaeeld; Mr Charles Rice appeared for the accused man Prince, who was nut present.  The first witness was Mr Tom Terriss, who identified the body as that of his father, Wm. Chas. Jas. Lewin, which was Mr Terries's real same. Prinoe was a stranger to witness. He was not the man known in the Strand as the man Archer. Witness produced what he described as an "extraordinary letter.' It was addressed th his mother at the Adelphi. on Saturday. The Coroner, after reading the letter, said as it was anonymous, it had better be left in the hands of the police. Mr Graves described the tragedy, repeating tha story he told to the magistrate at Bow Street.  By the Coroner: Prize and Mr Terries had not spoken to each other before blows were struck. _  By a Juror: I had no opportunity of closing with prisoner after the first blow. I have known Mr Terriss all my life, and I would have given twenky lives if I had them to save him. The blows were struck with the rapidity of lightning. Police officers gave evidence of the arrest ot Prince, and produced the knife which was given up by him at Bow Street. Inspector Wood, in reply to the Coroner, said prisoner, when charged at Bow Street, appeared quite calm and raitional. He made a statement in which he admitted that he had stabbed Mr Terrise because he had been refused relief from the Actors' Benevolent Fund. Inspector French stated that while Mr Terri% was lying wounded in the passage of the theatre, he was unconscious, but shouted out several times "get away, get away." Medical evidence showed that Mr Terriss received in all four wounds, including a cut on the , wrist. The only serious wound was the stab between the fourth and fifth ribs, which penetrated the heart and caused death.  Inspecitor Croslin stated that he visited the prisoner in his cell about ten o'clock on the night of the tragedy. Prisoner asked witness to communicate with his sister. Witness asked if it would be necessary. to break it gently to here Prisoner replied, "Oh, no, there is no occasion to break it gently to her. I met her in the Strand an hour before this occurred. She was accompanied' by her husband. I asked her for assistance. She said 'I wuold rather see you dead in the gutter than give .-ou a farthing.' Had she given me half a sovereign this would not have happened. It is all through her." Witness sent a telegram to the sister, Mrs Archer, who refused to have anything to do with him. Witness informed prisoner of the result, and Prince replied, "I did not think the would help me. It is now clear to me that she was in league with Terriss in blackmailing me." After the evidence of two commissionaires who seized Prince after the assault, the jury returned a verdict of "Wilful ,murder" against Prince, and expressed sympathy with the relatives of the de()cased, in which the Coroner concurred.