Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1884-05-10 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

NEAR  PLYMOUTH.  A BARRISTER CHARGED WITH MURDER. Great excitement was caused on Wednesday morning at Modbury, near Plymouth, on account of the arrest of Hugh Shortland, barrister, on suspicion, as is alleged, of being concerned in the death of his wife, and William Ryder for being an accessory. Mr. Shortland came into the locality a few months ago, and quietly married Miss Dimes, the daughter of a local landowner. Last Friday week her dead body was found in her father's fishpond. It was supposed that Shortland had gone to Australia, but inquiry resulted in his arrest. The morning her body was found a letter was received professing to have been sent by Mr. Shortland, from Brindisi. It wee directed to deceased, and its terms were most loving. The jury accepted this interpretation of the *husband's absence, but questions were asked as to why the envelope did not bear the Brindisi postmark. The mother of the deceased said, however, that she tinderatood that the letter had been sent on by a Plymorr h firm of eolioitors with whom Shortland was in business relationship. No port-mortent examination of the body was made, and it was assumed that the blow received on the forehead was caused by striking a tree in getting into the water. On Wednesday it was discovered that Shortland was in concealment at Modbury in the house of a man named Ryder, and both were taken into custody on suspicion of being concerned in the death. Shortland is about 35 years of age, and has for some time created much talk by advocating eccentric schemes for floating companies. He excited great local antipathy at first by opposing the South Hants Railway scheme, but later on, when he stated his intention of forming • company for developing the agricultural resources of certain parts of Australia, he was. regarded with amnseint nt rather than annoyance. At Kingsbridge on Wednesday night Shortland was charged with the wilful murder of his wife Laura. The superintendent of the police was called and fetid that when the inquest was held two letters were produced, one in the prisoner's band-writing stating, that he was then at Brindisi, on his way to Australia, and that his wife might expect to hear from him from Sydney, where his father, Dr. Shortland was in practice. The officer stated that he went that morning to the cottage of a labourer in Modbury named Ryder, and there found Shortland. ;The officer states that at the inquest it was proved that the deceased was found in an ornamental pond attached to her father's garden. Shortland complained that he had not been tried at Modbury, where he would have been able to establish his innocence. He was remanded furs week. It now transpir:s that Shortland visited his wife at her parent's house after her marriage, but did not cohabit with her. He had stayed with the labourer Ryder since April 10th, never to his knowledge leaving the house. He was seen, however, going through some fields early on the morning of the day on which his wife's body was found. It is also known that he wrote the letter dated Brindisi in Ryder's hones, and that he sent Ryder's son into Plymouth to post it. Ryder states that after the inquest he showed the report of it appearing in the local paper to Shortland, who said he knew all about it, and appeared much distressed. Since then he bad taken little food, and had been much reserved. His wife was 22 yeara of age, and the two were introduced to one another in Modbury by a pedlar, to whom they were mutually known. The extraordinary &emitter of the case has occasioned great excitement.