The Warwickshire Herald. — 1894-09-13 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE SOITTHEND MURDER.  MAGISTRATES' DECISION.  At Southend Police-court,on Friday, James Canharr Read was again brought up on remand charged with the wilful murder of Miss Florence Dennis, at Prittlewell, near Southend, on Sunday night, June 24th The thoroughfare in front of the courtyard was blocked by sightseers, but admittance was only obtained by Uwe having business in court. . .  Harry lead was first called, and in answer te questions put by Mr. Gill, deposed he could not say whether he wrote the envelope produced, addressee to Superintendent Hay:tree. If he wrote it he must have done so at 57, Jamaica-street. His brothel never told him who're he passed his Sundays. lit only met Miss Kempton once, and had no recollec• tion of writing her a letter. He knew of no businesE that took his brother to Hanwell. Witness produced the violet pencil he had in June last, and at the request of Mr. Gill be wrote the words Dennis, Chief Post Office, Southend, Essex. He also wrote the same address on a telegraph form. Witness also wrote the words 9.30 Great Eastern Station.  Rebecca Kirby, Prittlewell, stated that she went out for & walk on the afternoon of Sunday. June 24th, at half-past 3, and when near Springfield she saw a man and woman. On her way back she met the prisoner, who said, "Can you tell me if this is the way to Leigh P" She replied, "No, I am not acquainted with this part." He then said, "Well, I may as well go back to Rayleigh again." He then turned sharply round, and walked quickly towards Prittlewell. Witness went straight home. She was certain that the prisoner was the man she saw. She afterwards picked him out from several other men. Witness was subjected to a severe cross-examination by Mr. Warburton, but her evidence remained unshaken.—ln re-examination she said she had seen no one besides the prisoner and a man and woman in the fields on the day of the murder. Prisoner had a dark moustache, and was wearing a dark felt hat and a light tie. Formal evidence as to receipt and despatch cf telegrams by officials at Southend post-office was then given. Susannah Eggara' lodging-house keeper, of Stanley-road, Southend, deposed that she knew Mrs. Ayriss, and saw the deceased girl on the night cf the murder' when she came to her house about 9 o'clock and arranged with witness to sleep there that night Witness stayed up for her till half-past 2 the following morning, but she never arrived. —Mrs. Dennis, mother of the deceased, stated that she went to live at Sheerness in August, 1892. Deceased had been staying with her till June 19th. Witness had met prisoner Read once at a dance when she was with Mrs. Ayriss. She added that she took the deceased to Mrs. Ayriss on June 19th. On the Thursday after her return to Sheerness witness had a letter from Mrs. Ayriss, in consequence of which she went to Marine Town Postoffice, Sheerness, and obtained a telegram addressed Talbott. She opened and read it, and forwarded it to Mrs. Ayriss at Southend. The next thing she heard was that her daughter had been murdered.  Edwin Burgess, employed at the Royal Albert Docks, deposed that it was Read's custom to leave on alternate Saturdays at 1 o'clock. He did so on June 23rd, after leaving with witness about £lOO for disbursements on the following Monday. Witness returned the money to Read, and later in the day noticed a large fire in prisoner's office grate. Upon asking what it was for, as it was a fine summer day, Read stammered, and replied that it was for the purpose of burning foul air. Mr. Gill said the evidence before the Bench constituted his case. . . _  The prisoner was then duly cautioned, and in answer to the Mayor's question as to whether lie desired to say anything in his defence, rose and said in a voice half choked with emotion: "Gentlemen, I shall be very pleased to take this opportunity of asserting most emphatically my perfect innocence of this charge. I wrote to Mrs. Ayriss on June 25th that I had not seen Florence Dennis for 18 months, and that is absolutely the truth." Prisoner was formally committed to take his trial at the Chelmsford Assizes in November.