Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1877-01-06 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

APPREHENSION OF A SUPPOSED MURDERER AT STOCHSFIELD.  Not a little interest and excitement was aroused not only in Hexhaut sad district, but also in Neweastle and particularly Sheffield, on Tuesday and Wednesday last, by the report that Charles Peace, the alleged murderer of Mr Arthur Dyson, C.E., at Banner arose, Sheffield, on November 29th last, had been apprehended at Stocksfield on Saturday afternoon last. It will be remembered that Mr Dyson was shot by Peace in the presence of his wife, the murderer escaping in the darkness of the night. Peace is slightly built, about 46 years of age but looks 10 years older, has nearly white hair, beard, and whisker,, and has cut marks on the back of his hands and on his forehead. He was also described as having one or more fingers off his left hand, and speaking somewhat peculiarly, as though his tongue was too large for his mouth. On Saturday afternoon, a man answering this description, was at Stockefield inquiring his way for Blaydon, and P.C. Jobson, who is stationed there, believing him to be the man wanted for the Sheffield murder, took him into custody and conveyed him to Benham on the evening of the same day. The Chief Constable of Sheffield, Mr Jackson, was communicated with, and that gentleman sent a photograph of Peace, and the resemblance between the man in custody and the photograph was certainly very striking. It was known that Peace when he committed the murder was suffering from fistula, and, singular to say, the man in custody, who gave the name of Henri Le Mair, and stated that he was a Frenchman by birth, was found, on examination by Dr Stainthorpe, to be suffering from the same disease. The local police, seeing that Le Mair bad a finger off the left hand, and bore the same marks as Peace upon him, were in the belief that they had secured the right man. Le Mair was taken before Capt. Atkinson on Tuesday, and remanded. There were two particulars in which Le Mair differed from Peace; he is flit iin., while Peace is described ..gse being ;only flit. 4in. or Sit. sin, in height, and the other point is that this man certainly looked older and more feeble than what the murderer is stated to be. On Wednesday afternoon, Policeecostable Boreham, of the Sheffield police force, arrived at Hexham, and on proceeding to the police cells was at once shown the man in detention. On getting • good look at the man, the officer emphatically declared that he was not Charlie Peace, although It. admitted there was a strong resemblance between this man and the murderer. Le Mair then said to P.C. Boreham, "The man you want has black eyes, mine are grey," and added—for the first time—that this was the second time he had been taken in custody in mistake for Peace, that a couple of weeks or so ago he was apprehended in Lancashire under similar circumstances. So far as Le Mair is concerned, he'his not been a sufferer by the mistake. When he was first taken into custody he was in a very emaciated condition; in fact, he had been almost starved to death with cold and hunger. He was so weak that Dr Stainthorpe directed his removal to the sick ward of the Union Workhoase. and he remained there until noon on Tuesday when he was conveyed to the police cells. During his few days incarceration he wonderfully improved, and left the prison a much more vigorous and stronger man than he entered it on Saturday last. So strong was the resemblance between Le Moir and the man wanted, that the mistake was of the most excusable nature, and indeed our local police have acted prudently and creditably throughout the entire affair.  FARMAN Ctiusca.—Mrs Thompson, of Kirkhouse, has plisoed in this church • beautiful east window in memory of berlatebuibayid. An excellent organ, built by Mr ltobeon of London, wits her next bone. faction ; and she has guile recently introduced gas in great abundance, with elegant fittings.