The Shropshire Examiner and all round the Wrekin advertiser. — 1876-01-07 (Wenlock, Shropshire, England)

THE WIIITECHAPEL TRAGEDY.  PRESENTATION TO THE WITNESS STOKES BY THE LANE FAMILY.  Last week the whale of the Lane family invi'ed the witness Stokes to a supper at their house, for the purpose of presenting him with a memorial subscribed to by the whole of the members of the family, use mark of their appreciation and thanks for his conduct which led to the discovery of the late terrible tragedy. Old Mrs. Lane, the aged mother of the unfortunate murdered girl, was at her express wish brought from her bed, to which she Las so long been confined in affliction and grief, so that die might present the memorial to Stokes with her own hands. The memorial, which wan engrossed and illuminated on vellum, and mounted la a richly gilt frame, set forth the thanks the family felt to Alfred Philip Stokes, of 3-1, Baker's row, Whitechapel, for his energy and courageous conduct in following up the murderer of their unfortunate relative. It concludes with their good wishes for his welfare, with the expression of a hope that in the end he will not suffer any loss, and that the humble but sincere memorial will for ever be handed down as a heirloom to his children and his chddren's children as an incentive to them also to pursue the path of manliness, justice, and integrity. Then follow tb,e names if all the family, including the children and children-in-law, the family being a very large one. Mrs. Lane, in presenting the memorial, said she with all the family had for a long time mourned the absent one, and latterly they had all felt deep grief at her untimely end. None but herself knew how good her child was in her early days till she left home and got entrammelled in the temptations of the world. Bitter as had been her suspense of feeling as to her fate, ber provers that she might know what had become of her had been answered, and that knowledge even was better than the dreadful suspense. Her heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Stokes therefore was very great. She felt that she would not like to pass away from this world without expressing to him her warmest thanks for following the remains of her poor unfortunate murdered child, and thus bringing the murder to light. The poor (,1d lady at this paint was so overcome with grief that she could scat rely speak.' In continuing, she weld in effect that she hoped the world would not judge h r child too harshly, but that all young people would take warning from her life, and, when similarly let opted with the allurements of the w,trld, that. they would never leave the love of a mother's home for the passing and fading glitter of the bad and worthless in it. Then turtling to Stokes, she said that she hoped he would accept the humble memorial, and esteem it, not so much for its intrinsic , worth, but because it expressed the admiration and the gratitude of the whole of the bereaved family for his or:orage, and also their thanks for his untlinching condoct to the end.  Mr. Stokes, in reply, said he hardly knew how to thank them suiliciently. He should always prize the memorial, and hand it down to his children with the strict injuncti al that it should never go out of the family. He had had to stand against a good deal of intimidation and persuasion on the part of those who, from some feeling or otherwise, would, if possible, have prevented hint from giving the whole of hie evidence. He, of course, could say a good deal about the pressure that dad been attempted in order to prevent his evidence, but the law of libel prevented him from saying a good ieal t hat might be said, and which perhaps the public night to know. The whole of the inewbere having joined in the tit!. cute of reopect, the meeting soon after broke up.