Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1888-05-26 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

MURDER IN HIGRBURY. A murder, attended by circumstances of a most brutal and daring character, has ben perpetrated at 19, Canonbury-terrace, Highbury, North London. The I police authorities are exceedingly reticent regarding the affair, but from inquiries made in the vicinity and from the statement of an eye witness, it appears toot at half-past two in the afternoon two men were observed to ascend the steps leading to No. 19, which is a double-fronted residence, situated at the corner 1 of Canonbury-terrace, and adjoined by a dead wall which extends for some 60f t. towards the Canonburp. road. They knocked, and on the door being opened I by Mrs. Wright they entered. Mrs. Wright resided there with her husband, who was away at business at the time, and keeping no servants she was alone in the house. Madame Prevotal, who is staying with Madame Chefdeville, who resides at No. 1, Alvvyne-villas, nearly opposite the scene of the murder, was looking through the drawing-room window at the time, and, from an incident which occurred in the morning, and knowing that the old lady, who is 80 years of age, was alone, she called Madame Chefdeville's attention to the circumstance, and while doing so screams were heard proceeding from No. 19. Mrs. Chefdeville hastened across the road and knocked atthe door, but her summons was not answered. She heard the men moving within, and after waiting a few minutes she went to the house of a neighbour next door and inquired whether she had heard the screams. The answer was in tile negative, and Madame Chefdeville thereupon returned to the house and again knocked, but her inunmons was not answered. She was about to fetch assistance when the two men emerged from the house, in a calm and unsuspicious manner, and Mrs. Chefdeville, who was in the garden, cried out, You burglars." One of the men was carrying a silk cloth bag, with red and brown stripes, suspended by a stick across the shoulder, exactly in the same manner as when he entered. Neither of the men attempted to molest the lady, but ran into the street; one of them turning up Alwyne-road, while the man carrying the bag ran across the Canonbury-road towards the New River. Mrs. Chefdeville followed in pursuit for some distance, but lost sight of the man, who dropped the bag. She picked it up, and tried to make a policeman understand what had taken place; but, owing loiter imperfect knowledge of English, he probably could not comprehend what she wished to convey, and threw the bag which she had offered horn on the ground. Fortunately, a gentleman was able to make plain to the constable what had occurred, and the officer returned with Madame Chefdeville to the residence of Mrs. Wright. Ile, however, could not force an entrance from the front, but passed through No. IS, and got in at the back. He Sound Mrs. Wright, apparently dead, in a sitting posture, behind the street-door. After admitting Madame Chef deville the policeman sent for a medical man. Marks of strangulation were on the throat and a large lump was found on the left temple. Beyond these there were no external marks of injury. A medical man on his arrival 'pronounced life extinct. The object of the murderers was undoubtedly robbery, but whether the assassins succeeded in carrying anything away is not yet known. The bag when picked up by Madame Chef deviSe was empty, and the police have it in their possession, as it is likely to give them a clue to the perpetrators of the crime, it being the property of the thieves. The men, it is stated, were in the house about ten minutes, and to passers-by their ingress and egress seemed not in the least suspicious. It appears that during the preceding night traces were found on the wall and about the premises of someone having attempted to gain an entrance intothe house of Mr. Wright, and at an early hour next morning the police made a survey of the house, and examined the wall over which the persons had &Ivarattly got. The police, it is stated, took down in writing all they discovered, and interviewed Mrs. Wright regarding their discoveries. The local detective staff was largely augmented, after the murder, by experts from Scotland-yard, who were engaged in scouring the neighbourhood. Inspector Davies succeeded in obtaining a description of the men. Madame Chef deville, whose courageous efforts to bring about the capture of the murderers failed, owing to her inability to communicate lucidly to the policeman what she had seen, states that she would be able to identify the man to whom she gave chase, but the second man escaped so quickly that she scarcely had time to notice him.