The East Riding Telegraph. — 1903-07-11 (Beverley, Humberside, England)

DOUGAL'S STORY.  MISHAP 011. MORDEN ?  dame' Herbert Donal, who lies under sentence of death in Springfield- Gaol, Chelmsford, for the murder of Miss Camille Holland, it the Most Farm, Olavering, Essex, has furnished his solicitor, Mr. Arthur Newton, 23. Great Marlborough-street, W. with a statement of the manner in which the der:eased lady mot her death. It is not a confesMon of murder. On the contrary, Dougal attributes Miss Holland's death to the accioental explosion of a revolver on the night of May 19, 1899, when thexreturtied to the farm after the drive in the pony cart so often alluded to during the hearing ot thocase. Upon this document—the essence of which is given below—the condemned man hopes to escape the gallows. His solicitor has now in preparation a petition to be eubmitted to the Home ISecretary. The condemned man has filled four pages of foolscap in narrating his version of the Incidents of Miss Holland's last hours. Whatever Impression Dougars account produces upon the mind of the reader, it serves to sati-fy the pro. mention regarding the identification of the body found by the police as being that of the missing lady, Camille HAland. Although Daugal's narra• live of Miss Holland's death was written in his , own hand before his condemnation, the prisoner, ill, understood, strongly objected to avail him• self of the privilege extended to culprits by giving evidence on his own behalf.  A cording to Dougal's narrative, the craning of May 19 h, 1899, wax a fine one, end Dougal writer that he took Miss Holland for a drive to Stansted. ' They left the farm about 6 o'clock, and returned at 8.30. While he was unharnessing the pony from the cart he asked Miss Holland to go into the hens.. hut she raid she would stay out while he put the pony in the stable. According to Donal, Miss Holland remarked upon the beautiful silvtry moon, giving that as a reason why she would like to sit under a tree a little while. When he re. turned from the stable he observed her seated on a box, and noticed she had picked up it revolver which had been lying near' and wan holding the weapon in her left hand. As he approached her the revolver exploded, and she fell forward. He caught her up in a fainting condition; and called out: "Speak, Camille! Speak I" He was astonished to see no blood, and became greatly excited, as he says, not knowing what to do. Her pulse beat very feebly, and he went to the house for brandy. Thinking he would be able to bring Miss Hoiland round, DJugal told the servant girl in the house hat her mistress would soon be back. After giving Miss Holland brandy, he again felt her pulse, and was alarmed to fiud that it was much weaker. Taking her in his arms he carried her some distance into a field beside the hayricks, hoping the evening breeze would revive her.  He remained there a considerable time, until she died. Then he bore her back in his arms to the place where she sat when the revolver exploded. Observing at hand the partly filed ditch (made notorious during the progress ot Dougal's trial) he decided that hero should be Miss Holland's grave. Rsmoving her hat, and covering the face of the dead woman with her veil, he kissed her and laid her in the ditch. Having strewn some straw over her form, and placed a twig near her head, for the purpose' as he states, of keeping the birds from pecking her face. Dougal adverts to his grief as he turned from Miss Holland's grave and entered the house, to walk restlessly in and out for Lours.  Concluding his story, Dougal states that next morning Alfrcrl Loaves, his labourer, rammed the filling of the ditch upon which he had been working for days previously. Solemnly vouching for the truth of this account, the condemned man attaches his elgnature. It will be noted that D,ugal anticipates none of the questions that might arise in the mind of the public upon reading his r• markahle narrative. There is no allusion to the fact that lie kept the secret of Mies Holland's death and the manner of it to himself for four yearn. Nor does be attempt to justify his oft,repeated assertion to the pold:e and others that Miss Holland had left the farm on her own account, and was still alive, so far as he know.