The Herald of Wales. — 1890-02-22 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THEORILES OF THE MURDER. The hail.a Teleraph nips no arrest has been made in connection with the fearful outrage and murder which came to light at West Ham on Friday. The police meanwhile have been pureeing their ir,"]u!ries with great aesiduity. The report made to them that on tl.e night on which the deceased girl Amelia Jeffs disappeared from home she was seen being dragged along unwillingly in the direction of the untenanted house, No. 126, Partway, where her body was found, proves on investigation to have no foundation in fact. This hoped-for clue to the identification of the culprit who committed the outrage has, therefore been abandoned. A careful examination has been made of the footmarks found in the duet with which the three floors of the house are covered, and from the imprints some important conclusions have been drawn. One is that the deceased girl 1! entered another room than the attic in which ! her body was discovered, for her footmarks are distinctly vi.ible. More than that, the imprint of the shoes is close together, as 11 she were standing up. This, it.ia argued, indicates that the deceased was in the how* for some 11130, as if she were being shown 'neer the premises. On the other hand, there are distinct marks of a struggie on the staircase and landing leading to the attic; and here, moreover, have been found a penny and a halfpenny, which it is thought formed part of the threepence with whiff's the child was sent out to boy fish. The money wee not found in the basket, although the latch-key with which she was to let herself in on her return borne was. Again, the dust marks clearly indicate that in the attic in which the body was iliacovered the deceased was dragged from one said of the apaskrnent to the other,in the direction of the cupboard. A man's footsteps can be traced lin the dust, but the police are reticent as to ! whether tbey afford any clue. At the inquest, which open el on lionee.y, at the King's Head Inn, West liam, the result of the post-mortem was stated. It revealed an outrage of the groserat brutality, though there is no !Found for the suggestion that some blunt , Instrument was employed, or that the ! crime in any way resembles the recent White! chapel murders. As evidence of the importance attached to the finding of the culprit it may be ! mentioned that Mr. Andersen, Assistant-Com! missioner of Police, has visited the wens of the !outrage, and made careful observations. It is not antiziputed that any reward will be offered !by the Reese Office. Au the publication of the I photograph of the deceased girl is apparently a useless proceeding, it should be eteted that it was resolved upon when the chill was miming, and telere the discovery of her , terrible death had been made. On Sunday the !house in which the body was discovered was !visited by large numbers of persons, who found 'permit astiefaction in gazing at the eiudowe, - in discussing various theories as to the method in which the crime as accomplished. 16a. 126, Portway, is one of a block of welltwill residences which face West Ham Park. , AL the back are small gamlene, fenced in with palings some 6ft. in height, and at the rear of the gardens is an nu:bleed piece of lard, one side of which abuts on oi-ere-road. Inside this I enclosed ground, and clove to the fence dividing ! it from the gardens, is a pile of 01l bricks, left there for future building pltrposer. As this heap is as high an the garden fence, it Ls suggested that anyone entering the enclosed land from (leers-rend could easily surmount the garden fence by its aid, and so reach the back door of 126. Pestles:. It to. indeed, suggested