Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1889-07-06 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

ANOTHER TRAGEDY IN LAMBETH. About two o'clock on Saturday morning of last week a policeman going along Lambeth Palaceroad saw a mark lying in a pool of blood on the pavement almost opposite Lambeth Palace. As the man was found to have a stab behind the left ear, he was carried to St. Thomas's Hospital, close by, but be expired ten minutes after his admission. On the Albert Embankment an attempt was made about an hour later to murder a young woman, named Margaret Webb, who was dozing on one of the seats. A man who is believed to be the perpetrator of both crimes was seen to approach Webb, and lifting up a handkerchief which she had thrown over her face, stabbed her in the neck. Several policemen rushed to the spot in time to give chase to the would-be assassin, who threw down a blood-stained knife as he fled. A crowd joined in pursuit, and, after an exciting run, the fugitive was caught. The woman, in the meantme, had been taken to St. Thomas's Hospital, and was found, like the man, to have been wounded behind the ear. Her injuries were not of a serious character, and later in the morning she was reported to be progressing favourably. The body of the man lies in the hospital mortuary, within a few yards of the place where he met his death. As to the manner in which he met his death, there is only a small punctured wound on the left side of the neck to show. Margaret Webb's Injury would indicate that it was the intention of her assailant to kill her by the same swift method by which the first victim had been despatched. The knife was aimed at the same spot as in the other case, but luckily it missed its mark, and striking no vital part inflicted comparatively slight injury. The man arrested gave his name as James Crickmere, residing in Marsham.street, Westminster. He is apparently about 27 years of age, of slight build, with fair moustache and respectably dressed. The prisoner was brought before lot r. If iron at the Lambeth Police-court, charged with the murder. Inspector Jackson, L Division, deposed that at three o'clock that morning he went to St. Thomas's Hospital, and saw a man lying deal in the receivingroom with a punctured wound on the left side of the neck. As he left the hospital he passed the prisoner outside in Lambeth Palace-road, and a few seconds later Constable 83 L came down the F.mbankment shouting, "Stop hits; Ike has stabbed a woman ! " Witness turned and saw prisoner running. He turned into Parish-street, and was there stopped by 49 L. The inspector, at this stage of the evidence, produced a pocketknife, of which the blade was smeared with blood, and the shirt which prisoner was wearing at the time of his arrest, with bloodstains on the left cuff. The knife, said the inspector, corresponded with the wound in the dead man's neck. When charged with , wilful murder he made no reply, but explained the stains on his shirt by saying that he had interfered in a quarrel between two men in the next roomtohis at 24, Marsham-street, and they had struck him in the face and made his nose bleed, and the blood had dropped on his shirt. Prisoner was asked here if he had any question to ask. He simply said that he remembered going past the hospital, but knew nothing of the occurrence. Mrs. Elizabeth Ford was next called, and said that she was going along the Embankment at twenty minutes past three that morning and saw Crickmere coming along. There was a woman lying on one of the seats, with her face covered with a handkerchief. He stopped opposite her, hastily lifted the handkerchief, and struck a blow at her head. The witness was not near enough to ace whether he had anything in his hand, but as soon as he had struck the blow he walked hurriedly towards Lambeth-bridge, passing her (witness) on the way. The woman whom he had struck rose up, screaming and crying out, "Stop that man" She was bleeding from a wound under the ear. Later on the witness went to the policeatation and picked the prisoner out from a group of nine working men. The magistrate at this stage remanded the case.