Year: 1868




"The trial lasted only few hours. 1t
was fully proved that Strange and myself
had ouarrelled and had high words the
night before, and that / had said did not
care how soon he died, so that | could re-
cover the money I had lent him. A great
deal was made of the fact that by Stranges
death should be entitled to the insurance
upon his life to the amount of two thou
sand pounds, by which I should be clear
gamer of one thousand two hundred. 1t
was further shown that the razor found in
poor Strange's hand was mine and three
medical men declared their conviction
that, although that instrument was un-
doubtedly used to kill the dead man, it
must have been placed in his hands after
death. Moreover, there were not only
evident marks of struggle about the bed
and bedclothes, but Strange's throat was
cut from right to left, which no one could
have done unless he had been a left-hand-
ed man, which Strange was not. Then,
again, the fact of the bedroom door being
locked, and the key hid close to where |
had breakfasted, told fearfully against me.
1t was clear that Strange could not by any
possibility have cut his own throat, and
then locked the door of his room on the
outside 1t was attempted by my counsel
to throw discredit upon this part of the
evidence. The learned gentlemen tried
very hard to elicit something which might
even lead the jury to imagine that the
door had been locked after the murder,
and that some person unknown had un-
knowingly let the key drop in the coffee
room. But it was of no avail whatever.
It was cleaaly proved that the key had
been inside the door when | went up to
bed, and that it had never been seen again
until it was found in the coffeeroOm. My
defence tried hard to make out that some
person likely to commit the murder might
have been in the house on that day, but all
of no use AS the trial went on, even |,
who knew my innocence, could not help
allowing to myself that the evidence,
though purely circumstantial, was very
strong against me. The only points in
my favor were, that, ON the day of the
murder I was supposed to have committed,
| travelled up to London, and had not the
least appearance of man who had any
thing on his mind. Again, Strange was
known to have had on his person gold
watch, and purse containing few sove-
reigns and twenty -fve-pound notes, the
numbers of which latter were ascertalned
at the bank at Southampton, where he had
procured them in exchange for bank-post
bill. The wa.ch had been taken, and was
never traced; the sovereigns had also dis
appeared but the bank-notes had been
exchanged at the Bank Of England on the
day after the murder, and before |, as |
fully proved, had any communication
whatever with any one in London. OF
this last point my counsel made the most,
but it did not help me much, if anything.
The jury retired, and after deliberating
about half an hour, returned into court,
and declared, through their foreman, that
I was guilty of the willful murder of Ed
ward Strange.


"Gentlemen, a man who has gone
through that ordeal-who has heard the
jury pronounce him guilty of capital crime,
and heard the Judge pass sentence of death
upon him-a man, | say, gentlemen, who
has gone through that ordeal, and still lives
to tell the tale, may (or am presumptu-
Gus p be looked upon as man who has
really gone through what in these days,
would be called sensational time. l
heard every word the foreman of the jury
said, and found myself wondering what
the judges black cap-of which every one
has heard, but few have seen-would be
like. Then l was in kind of dream for
time, until / heard the words condemn
ing me to be hanged by the neck until
was dead. A sensational effect upon me,
gentlemen, or am 1 presumptuous? And
will you favor me, sir, with a light?


In spite of appearances" said this little
old gentleman, smoking with exceeding
relish, "my friends did not believe me to
be guilty of the fearful crime for which
was to be hanged by the neck until was
dead, in ten days after the trial. They
moved heaven and earth to obtain COM
mutation of my sentence, and, after
great deal Of trouble, they succeeded. At
the time of which / speak, there was in
England temporary, but strong, reaction
against capital punishment. l cannot
recollect all the circumstances of the case,
but in trial for murder two men had been
condemned to death and duly executed,
and shortly after they had been hanged by
the neck until they were dead their sup
posed victim made his appearance, well
and hearty. The public press took up the
question of not hanging upon circumstan-
tial evidence, and benefited to the extent
of my life by the temporary excitement.
l was respited, and condemned to trans
portation for life, and very shortly
afterwards in those days transporta-
ton was in full swing-found myself on
my way out to Van Diemen's Land, con-
vict lifer'


"For seven long years, gentlemen, did
I undergo this punishment for a crime for
which l was perfectly innocent Curiously
enough, the man who really had murdered
poor Strange, as he afterwards confessed,
went out in the same ship with me, con-
demned to seven years transportation for
burglary. He must have heard me tell
my story and declare my innocence over
and over again for in the colony we
worked together in the same gang. He
was afterwards assigned to master who
lived near the prison where had to slave
out my time, as in those days 'lifers,'
whose sentence had been commuted for
capital punishment, were never allowed
to leave the chain gangs But, after
three years in Van Diemen's Land, this
real murderer took his old trade of bur
glary. To avoid being captured, he fled
to the bush, and on party of police being
sent after the band to which he belonged,
he shot constable in cold blood. He was
captured, sentenced to be hanged by the
neck until he was dead, and two days be-
fore his execution confessed that he had
murdered, at Southampton, person
called Strange, for which offense another
man had been sentenced to death. His
statement was taken down, and it was
exact 1t appeared that he had been hid
den for several hours in the inn, intend
ing to steal whatever he could lay his
hands on. Early in the morning he had
found his way into poor Strange's room,
boninp to nick nm something before the