Nantwich, Sandbach & Crewe Star — 1891-10-16 ()

THE EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF BLACKMAILING.  THREA.T TO 'MURDER LADY JESSEL.  The Dane, who gives the name of Charles Grant, and who is well-known by the alias of Le Grand and as "French Colonel,' was again placed in tilt dock at the Westminster Police Court, charged with threatening to murder the Baroness Bolsover, residing at 13, Grosvenor Place, and Lady Jessel, the widow of the late Master of the Rolls.—Mr. Sims prosecuted for- the Treasury, and -Mr. Scar. lett was counsel for the prisoner.—At the lasi hearing it was stated that .the prisoner, Who, in June last completed a,sentence of two years' hard labour for blackmailing a doctor, went to live in the Kennington Road, whence it is alleged he sent out a nun*ber of letters to ladies demanding money with menaces o£ a horrible nature.  Lady Jessel deposed that on the afternoon or the 17th of July,last she received the following letter: t ; "To Lady Jesse', 7 Grosvenor Place.  " Madam,—Take-notice, if 'you do not pay me the sum of £sCtt) within ten days, I will dash your brains out, by a means that may prove highly fatal to those surrounding you. "Be not misguided by your advisers, who may perhaps tell you to apply to the polite for protection—there is no other protection for you than to pay the above Sum. Ifell itself will not, protect you from my hand, far less the Englih detectives, who could not even find the man valo murdered seven or eight women in the open streets of Whitechapel. if you look to protection from them, then you might as well look for protection from your lap-dog. You understarid I must have the sum, or I must perish in the attempt. I have addressed a similar letter to this to ten persons, and .if you do not pay up I shall dash you to atoms, and you will then serve the others as an example, and they will see that I mean what I say; they will naturally then pay such a paltry sum than expose themselves to certain destruction. Do not believe, however, that I would kill you with a revolver. No, madam, that would be a madman's work., I shall use a thin cake of dynamite, or fulminate of silver, which could easily be placed under a door, mat upon which yeu have to step, under the cushion of your seat in church, so that immediately the weight of your body comes on it it would explode and dash you to atoms. By removing a brick from the wall of your house and filling the hole with dynamite or nitro-glycerine' the greater part of your house, if not all, may be blown up. My means of carrying out my plans are more numerous than ‘you would believe, and you have a poor chance of escape provided you do not pay what I have demanded. If you comply with my demands then insert in the Daily Telegraph this advertisement (Wlthin three days) :—'lll. M. A. 'and will comply.' Then an address will be given to you where tc send the money, or,it may be fetched. *Be careful how you act, and mark well that you play with your own life.—Awaiting your reply, M. M. A "Your last day for Payment is July 24. "No. 1. Please insert this number in your advertisement."  Replying to Mr. Sims, her ladyship, said that she on the advice of friends sent the letter to Scotland-yard. Harry William Pearce, butler to the Baroness Bolsover, of 13, Grovenor-place, said that on the afternoon of July 17 last a letter in red ink (produced) arrived by 'post for ar ladyship. She opened it and handed it back with instructions to send it to the police. Tbe letter to her ladyship was couched in terms very Similar to the communications to other ladies already in evidence. • 'Evidence was given by William Williamson, a Scotland-yard detective-sergeant, to the effect that earlp in August he watched the house, 83, Kennington Road, where prisoner was living. Evidence as to prisoner's handwriting having been given, Mr. de Rutzen asked whether the evidence of another. witness would conclude the ease.  Mr. Sims: As far as these charges are concerned. But I may say that inquiries are proceediug with regard to other important matters—quite apart from these letters—and these inquiries aro not yet completed. Therefore there xttnb be another remand.  Prisoner was further remanded in custody, and an application made by his counsel for the restitution of the money, &c., found on him was refused.  A