MURDERED IN HER SLEEP.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 176, 26 July 1919, Page 19

MURDERED IN HER SLEEP.

ALLEGED ASSAILA>T KILLED OS RAILWAY. While sleeping in the same room as her friend, a young teacher was murdered at Cheshunt early on Sunday morning, May S. Later the fcody of an ei-soldier, -whom tne police believe to have been the murderer, was discovered on the railway. One of his j boots was missing, and the other was | unlaced. ■Miss Mary Downes. who shared a twobedded room at Turner's Hill, Clieshunt. with Miss Jane Shannon, a -.T-year-om j teacher at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic School. TValtham Cross, was awakened at abont 2 a.m. by a shrill scream. "Oh. Mary, j someone has his hand over my' mouth: Light a candle, qnick:" The screams continned in the darkness, and Miss Downes heard a gurgling sound Crom Miss Shannon's bed. I At this moment Mrs Downes. the lanrt-. lady, entered with a lighted candle. The j light showed Miss Shannon lying dead in j her bed. Mrs Downes called her bnsband. and Father Dnnford. a priest lodging in tne ' bouse, dressed hurriedly nnd went for a police station. The doctors agreed that the wound cotilri not have been self-inflicted. Unmistakable signs were discovered of some person having ] been under the bed. where the floor coverins was disarranged. A French window i was fonnd unfastened and from it foot- i steps led through tue garden, which' adjoins a nursery. Great Eastern line near a level crossing at Cadmore Lane, Cheshnnt. By documents fonnd on the clofhmgj. the man w«is identified as Lewis Owen. a;ed 43, lodging at Holly Road, TTaltbam Cross, and employed as a grocer's assistant. Among other things in his possession were found a lady's handkerchief and an unstamped letter to Miss Shannon at her address, containing been employed before the war by Mr Clark. He had served in Salonika, where lie contracted fever and was invalided home. and. obtaining his discharge, returned to Mr Clark about three mouths ago. He was unable to find a house in the district Tor his family, and while he lodged with Mr and Mrs Gater. with whom he was on friendly terms, his wife and two children ■were living at Gravesend.

Owen was an accomplished musician, and nsed to give Miss Shannon lessons on the violin, and though the two were on friendly terms there was nothing In the nature of a liaison between them. Durin; Owen's service abroad the two had kept np a correspondence, but on his discharge from the army Miss Shannon had told him that it must stop.

J Miss Shannon was killed with one" blow of a weapon which inflicted a rc-onnd four deep below the left breast, ft is ' believed the weapon vras an Army Jact- ; knife.

The dead woman is sriven a very high her. Her widowed mother lives at Winchmore HiU.