The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1890-03-01 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

RESIGNATION OF THE CHIEF CONSTABLE OF COVENTRY.  Mr. John Norris on Thursday placed his resignation of the chief constableship of Coventry city police force in the hands of the Mayor. The step was purely voluntary on Mr. Norris's part, and it was as regrettable to him to take it as the intimation of his proposed severance from the local police will be to the men who have served under him and to the inhabitants of Coventry. The chief constable's long services will receive due recognition at this time, there can be little doubt. Mr. Norris joined the Bath force on June 10th, 1842, at the age of eighteen years, and remained in it until he received the appointment at Coventry, in 1862. During his twenty years' service in the City of the West he exhibited great tact in apprehending notorious offenders, and handling cases of great difficulty and importance. He brought to light many mysterious crimes in the West of England, amongst others what were known as the Bristol-road poisoning case, the Lampard-buildings murder, the Claverton-street poisoning case, and the Leigh-woods tragedy. The great crime of 1860,which sent a thrill of horror through the country—the Road murder—he was also engaged in. An account of the part Mr. Norris played in the capture of the Leigh-woods murderer will be read with interest. We are indebted for the following to a little work, entitled "Anecdotkge ; or Stray Leaves from the Note Books of a Provincial Reporter," by Mr. E. Austin, of Clifton: "As usual in such cases, a reward was offered by the Home Secretary of the day, to any person or persons who should give such information as would lead to the apprehension and conviction of the murderer. From information they received, the Bath police were the first to get upon the right scent, and on a given evening Inspector Norris started for London on his way to Daventry in search of Beale. The same train conveyed a parcel to the Times containing some further particulars respecting the murder, and a description of the supposed murderer. Inspector Norris stayed in London for the night and started for Daventry by the first train on the following morning. Having purchased a copy of the Times, the Inspector was astonished to find that it contained an account of the person of whom he was in quest,and he became alarmed,not so much at the possibility of Beale's escape, as the chance of , the Times report being telegraphed to Daventry ' and the criminal being apprehended before he arrived. These fears,however,proved groundless. Mr. Inspector Norris arrived in due course at Daventry, and effected his capture. A vast crowd had assembled at the railway terminus, Bristol, to await the arrival of the train which it became known was conveying Beale from Daventry to Bourton. As the train steamed slowly into the station, a number of men sprang upon the carriages and climbed on to their roofs. At last the prisoner emerged in custody of Mr. Inspector Norris. The mob made a desperate rush at the criminal, and it required the utmost exertions of a strong posse of the Bristol police to prevent his being lynched upon the spat. With a good deal of trouble eale was at length lodged in a cab, the driver of which had instructions to proceed at as rapid a pace as possible to the petty sessions court-house of the Somersetshire magistrates at Bourion." The prisoner was sentenced to death and executed. On leaving Bath for Coventry, Mr. Norris was presented with testimonials from the citizens and was entertained at a public dinner. His work here is well-known. In 1873 the officers and constables under his command piesented him with an illuminated address on vellum; two years later, the city magistrates, in writing, complimented him on the assistance he had rendered them in the