THE EASTBOURNE MURDER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 28, 1 February 1913, Page 17

THE EASTBOURNE MURDER.

WILLIAMS SENTENCED TO DEATH.

A DRAMATH TRIAL. | The trial of -J'-" 1 " 1 Williams, aged 20, .scribed a« a --i.1it.... for the murder of, !',..„.;..;..•, u.r Walls, of Eastbourne, «n ; ..r'ber '-' last, took place at the Sussex! ~s.-c= at Lews, the .a.-- opening on •r- ■--.!.:v I'ce'-'-er 12, am l concluding on i-":' Inlay 'eve-iii- The Judge was Mr Jus"rinred in tie- pr .lings. It will he. -.jaeiabered th.".: ■■" lli- night of October 0, « man "as dis.-..-..-n I crouching on the. Si-at'-'-. in So'Uh.-iiff ,\vi ime, Eastbourne. ; This «"-s at a'" in l.alf-p.i.-t s.-ven o'clock. ' T„H poli.-e were .••uiimuuicated with, and u p,. ; , Walls mukir.- Lis appearance ou the I -•el c he wts shot '~■ the crouching man. 0E ihe date of the murder: he was living j (tore with a young womau named Florence Sc.viiioi-.r. who iv statements to the police j jn.l 12 evidence before the magistrates I Isserted that she «- seated with Williams ! or. a seat on the front at Eustbonrnc about \ Hated, left her for half an hour and ro- I turned without hi- hat. It was within that, reriod of abseme that Use prosecution j alleged the murder was committed. j r,-..n entering the witness box on Thurs- | day a dramatr- turn was given to the trial ! seated with Cue prisoner on the ui-ht of the j murder within a short distance of the j spot vhere the crime was committed. That. she asserted. .->•-. urred the night previously, i She further alleged lhal -he was induced] to maLe the untrue statement partly be- j cause -"he wa.- threatened by the police i tbat if she did not do -.. they wouid pr"- , cc.-I against her for murder. In the course ! referred to the prisoner as "my husband. ' | although she admitted that she was not i married to the man. The girl broke down! three or four times during her evidence, and at the close had to be lei out of Curt j Ild.-ar Power, living in St Ann's Boad, Harrlr.gay. London, who describe.] himself] a- naiin. beer, a medical studcut at Edin- j bur-Ii l"Diversity, told the jury that at ihe j tin f the tragedy be had known accused . f r about two mouths. His recollection, he | said of the Idler that the accused sent fr>._i Kast'.'Oiirne to bi> brother in London ' wa«- -Dear Jad;. - If you would save my lif- coiue her at once to 4. Tideswell Hoad. j Brini; -.mc money. Ask for tho name "f Seyineiir. Urg-r.t U.-orge." Witness ac- j coin.'anied prisoner's brother ;o Eastbourne. There a-oused told him about the proba- ' billt.v of being suspected <>w-ing to being 1 km nn to the p. Ur". and that he must leave j Eastbourne immediately. Witness said l.c pointed out to the prisoner that it would | be fn-.lish to run away. His reply was: 1 "Guilty or not guilty. I shall be suspected." \ The next night witness saw- the prisoner and his brother in a restaurant near West- ! mi:.-ter Bridge, and witness chaffed the : accused about his ability to shoot. Ho said: "Why, you could not hit a haystack in a lobby," and the prisoner replied: "Well, that was a good shot, anyhow; that shot all this disturbance is about." He went b__k with Miss Seymour to Eastbourne on the 15th of the month to find the rpv.dver which had been hidden in the s.-.nds. The lady then made a statement to the police, with which he had nothing to do. He saw a revolver in the prisoner's j possession at Fins-bury early in September, and the weapon was then in an effective j condition. He had seen prisoner wearing ! a Trilby hat similar to the one produced. So far as he could say it was one of prisoner's hats. PRISONER'S EVIDENCE. The prisoner, cool, collected, at times appearing almost indifferent, entered the vitae«s box aDd gave evidence in his own tiefen.-e. The first question of bis counsel was: "I thick you have bceD a burglar?" to which he replied: "Unfortunately, yes." then he told in an easy manner how he became possessed of his revolver nine months ago in the East End of London, -i-ul how- he met. after his arrival in Eastbourne, two Jewish fellows and a woman. Oie of these men. he said, who went by the name of Mike, was a Continental thief. He gave prisoner a parcel containing rope on the day before the murder, and it was arranged that it should be returned to him the same night, but as be did not see Mike. the parcel was thrown away on the beach by Hiss Seymour. The rope. Williams said, had been given him for a particular purpose. It w-as true that he was in South- «___ Avenue the day before the murder, but not on the day or night of the burder. Describing what actually happened ou the Hi-it of the tragedy, the prisoner said: "I went ont with my wife at half-past siii clock, and we went to the picture palace In Seaside Road. Upon leaving there at -alf-past eight I saw a crowd opposite a tobacconist's shop. My wife and I went across, aad then I saw posted up a message announcing that Inspector Walls had been snot ontside Countess Sztaray's house in Sont-clirre Avenue by c supposed burglar. *bo had escaped. I caunot quite say what effect that had upon mc, but afterwards I addressed the letter card to mv brother in London asking his assistance. I wrote that lettr-r because the message gave mc rather * n-S-t, as the police kuew I was a burglar. .Later the same evening I went to another Picture show in Bolton Road- Prisoner I denied that he had had the revolver out of 'is hag whilst in Eastbourne. He knew I c would be suspected, so he cleaned the to get off the finger marks and fined It. as his finger marks were known E - Scotland Yard. THE SENTENCE. Tae Judge occupied an hour and ten Bu-.ces In summing up. During this time jSHss Sp ymour. who had shown signs of hysteria, was as=|s t ed from the Court and" Bat in the waiting-room. The jury retired « 25 minutes past sLy o'clock, and during _r absence the prisoner was removed 6 low. i n 17 minutes the jurors made their r <appearance. and -Williams was brought a ?aia to the dock. He stood by the rail, snrronnded by f our warders. He did not o«ray the least trace of fear, threw back "S shoulders, and looked defiantly at them a * the clerk read out their names". hea the foreman had given the dreaded 'Mision Willla ms did not betray emotion any kind, and what seemed to be a smile P«rtd about his lips as ihe clerk said to Jr " J " ha Williams, you have been concteri of wilful murder. Have you auyp *'. 10 s ay »"-y judgment should not be '--«- upon you according to the law?" " composed manner and firm voice the j Pn--oner replied: "1 should like to say one ««. and that _, that I am innocent of Ui s charge." <-,;!, c Jud " c 'assuming tbe black cap) then I ""■"John WlUl_n__ you have been eon. j ™ or the crime of wilful murder. For va t Offenr- n,__ • Jtuce there is only one sentence j h™* t0 the ,aw r,f lhis rouu try. aud I c to pass it upon you. It is not mv j "We. but the sentence of the law." ' ! « -hen pronounce,] thf , usnal dearn srn . j with the words -And the \ ._.e mere, on - our 50u , -- araa tightened md pursed his lips.! « otherwise was unmoved. ! bs r , c '^ st ;1 glance at the gallery at the: th e "_.. ' ere " I!ss Seymour bad sat during | ~«-lter p.-,rr o£ Ulo hr;lrins aDd , below. I