The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1881-12-03 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

IBE ROPER MURDER.  Lefroy's confessions appear to have been drawn out by the persistent questioning of Mr. Dutton. When diretty challenged on Friday as to whether he had any hand in the murder of Lieutenant , Roper, his reply was an absolute denial, and in- ! deed he treated the idea as a ridiculous one. Afterwards, however, his coolness and self-control com- ! trol completely deserted tam, and in the coarse of the evening he sent for the chaplain, and confessed I that he had murdered the young lieutenant. On Saturday morning he repeated to his sister, Mrs. Briokwood, his confession as to the Roper murder. ! The motive which in conversation, he assigned for ! the crime is characteristic of his acknowledged I vanity. His story is to the effect that a 5-cv evenings before the murder, as he was strolling in Pall Mall, he passed two gentlemen who were standing I outside a chub.-house, anl he overheard them speak in disparaging terms of Miss Violet Cameron, the ! actress, for whom he had conceived an intense affection. He immediately remonstrated with them ' for slandering a lady whose friendship he had the honour t 3 enjoy. An altercation ensued, and one of the gentlemen threatened him with summary punishment. He retorted with a threat of legal proceedings, and demanded Lis antagonist's card, which was ultimately given him, and which bore the name and address of "Lien- 1 tenant Roper, Royal Engineers." Such is Lefroy's explanation of the circumstances under which he made his victim's acquaintanle, and his statement of tne provocation he considered he had received. He also told his sister that on February 11th he purchased a revolver in the Strand, that be went to Chatham and shot the man who had in the manner described given him offence, and that he got back to Wallington between three and four o'clock the next morning. His story about the quarrel with , two gentlemen is so far corroborated that Mrs. Clayton distinctly remembers that her cousin one night early in the year came home and told her that he had had a great row in Piccadilly about Miss Violet Cameron. This lady's name has been more than once mentioned by the convict, and he certainly appears to labour under a perfect delusion as to the relations between them. He used to represent to his relatives, indeed, that he was actually married to her, and prior to his trial he persisted in assuring his solicitor that she was the companion with whom he had arranged to travel to Brighton , on the day of Mr. Gold's murder. So recently as Friday he made a statement to Mr. Datton respect- I ing Miss Cameron, which, if uttered by a perfectly sane person, would be accurately characterised as an impudent falsehood. tie assured his solicitor that having written to the lady expressing sorrow for his conduct in vilifying her name, he had just received from her a reply, granting her forgiveness and enclosing him some flowers. It is almost needless to add that whether on Lefroy's part this be a delusion or a wilful misstatement, Miss Cameron has never written to the convict nor sent him any flowers. Miss Cameron indeed denies any knowledge of Lefroy. The confession of Lefroy in regard to Lieutenant Roper has created great excitement in Chatham, both in the town and garrison. By many Lieutenant Roper's death was regarded as a suicide. Lefroy would have had no difficulty in getting into the barracks, as although two sentries are on duty respectably dressed persons were never interrogated when entering the barrack gate. Since the murder the regulations are mare stringent. Lefroy's statement that he returned to London the same night may be quite consistent with the truth. The murder was committed about eight o'clock. The last train leaves Chatham about twenty-five minutes past nine, and the barracks are only twenty minutes' walk from the station. With respect to Lefroy's confession, the authorities, while not stating definitely the actual amount of importance thay attach to it, took the precaution of sending Superintendent Coppinger, of Chatham, to Lewes on Monday afternoon with instructions to obtain any ! further information available with regard to the , disclosures concerning Lieutenant Roper's murder. ! It may be mentioned that the gunsmith at Rochester I from whom the ammunition with which Lieutenant Roper was shot was purchased states that, judging from the photograph, Lefroy resembles the purchaser but that the latter wore a black moustache.  Lefroy has since withdrawn his statemen with reference to the murder of Lientenant Roper.