Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1879-01-25 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

THE BA.NNER. CROSS MURDER.  EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE OF PEACE. -LEAP FROAI A RAILWAY CARRIAGE WINDOW.  RECAPTURE OF THE CONVICT.  Sam,'dm, Wednesday.  At the Sheffield Town Hall this morning, before the stipendiary and other magistrates, Charles Peace, the notorious barglar of Blackheath, was expected to be brought up on remand, charged with the wilful murder of Arthur Dyson, civil engibeez, at Banner Cross, a seburb of Sheffield, in November, 1876. When the case was before the court last week, Mrs Dyson, who had come from America to give her evidence, distinctly identified Pease as the man who shot her husband, and several other witnesses spoke to having seen him near to their house shortly before the murder, and to baying heard him threaten to stool both Mr and Mrs Dyeon. Mr W. B. Clegg, who appeared for Peace, declined .hen ti ask Mrs Dyson any questions. He tenders ood that Peace Le his Stipa dropped a packet ot letters; nod those he wished to have an opportunity of reading, and of collecting the necessary materials upon which to Grossexamine. he Bench thereupon adjourned the Cage until to-day and Peace was taken back to Pentonville very-much against ids will, as he deal. ed to be allowed to remain in Sheffield, and to have tree intereoure with his friends and his soliciter. The excitement with respect to the case has since greatly increased, and the applications to the Chief-Constable for tickets of Actium- I Mon to the court from well-ti-do people in the towa ' would have exceeded the capacity of the place to ace oommodaw them had they been granted. Peace left London to arrive Li Sheffield at nine o'clock, btu, when the train arrived it contained neither Peace nor the warders. The announcement was made by the guard that when opposite Shireoaks, a village twelve miles from Sheffield, Peace had jumped out of the train. Shortly after the Caief-Constable received a telegram stating that he had been re-captured, and was coming on to Sheffield. He arrived just before ten o'sloik, and appeared to have been so severely injured that a doctor had to be summoned to attend hien. He was carried from the prison van to the police station by tone men in an almost u uoonscious condition. After waiting about half-an-hour the stipendiary announced that in censequ nee of the injuries which Peace bad received the ease would be adjourned for eight dart, Peace succeeded in escaping from hie train between Slareoaks said Siveton Park, a few miles from Sheffield. It seems that he was allowed to got out of the train at Peterborough for the purpose of going to • closet, aid that he then reined to retarn to his carriage. A crowd assembled and much confusion was caused. Near S tareoaks, he asked that the carriage window might be opened for his convenience. On this being done, tie delibeiately jumped right through the open space. The warder, who was standing beuind him, was just in time to catch one of his legs as he was disappear*. A terrific struggle then ensued. Peace, with his head downwards, need both his bands and the leg at liberty to force himself out of the grasp of the warder, and he frequently made use of his leg to keit the warder's bight, to induce him fo let go his grasp. The struggle lasted, it is rail, for several minutes. Eventually the boot by which the warder was holding slipped off. and Peace fail head downwards, his head coming in contact with the footboard. Thence he rolled over into the snow. The train, an express, was going at full speed, The communication surd would no; act, out the attention of toe driver WM eventually attracted and the train brought to a stoppage. This, however, could not be done until &couple of miles had been passed. On the warders and one of the pas. gaugers returning they found Peace lying in an unconscious date on Sue line. Blood wee flowing freely from a severe wound on the head. A slow train coming up soon afterwaeds, Pelee was put in eo the guard's van asee brought to Sheffield. At thiL time he bad somewhat re/eyed, but he regain became unomercious and had to be earned from the prison van into the Pullen statien. He was there seen by two medical men, who found that he woe stifferbee (rem concussion of the brain. He vomiteiaeveral times, and afterwards seemed ti twin IL  very distressed condittor. Brandjwas given to him at first. It had to be forced into his mouth, as he eitha was unwilling or unable to take it; but after the lapse of MI hour or so he readily took stimulants. Wednesday night. On ialairy being made it was found that Peace la progressing favourably, and the police surgeon at algid said be would not call again West, summoned. It is believed Peace is not so mach injured as he represents. He will remain at Sheffield until his trial. Several per. SOIL have offered their services to hang him. Thsirsday. When the Sheffield palier-surgeon saw him on Thursday morning, he seemed much better. He is. however, restless, and occasionally peeps from under his beep of rugs as if to see whether the warder's eye is on him. It Is believed that he intends to commit suicide, and this Is oonfirmed by the fact that a pencil note was totted ess him, "Busy me at Darnall. Good bye. God bless you all. C. Peace." The spire of Darnall church can be seen from the spot where he made his daring leap. Here he once lived in his own house sorrmnded by a pretty garden. Here it wRs he made the aoquaintanos of the Dysous, and here his married daughter still lives. Had he °soaped he might have found shelter and possibly eluded detection. He appears thoroughly broken down, and is frequently heard to moan "1 wilds I were dead." Four witnesses have ben imbpesaaed for the defence to impeach the credibility of Kra Dyson.