BOY'S DEATH PLOT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 142, 17 June 1922, Page 19

BOY'S DEATH PLOT.

MCItDEK STORY TOLD IN HIS LETTERS. THONE FOR LAD VICTIM. "It was an agenda o( murder, aStOD,SWn * d °~' The«e comments were drawn from the Wes m,nster Coroner af,,r the readb_g o extraordinary letter* „« to havp £ "ritten by the yo „ ng foot 7 Albert Walker, aged 17. who stands charged with the murder of the fourteenS__le, messcn «" boy. Raymond Charles Davis, who was found dying in a mansion at Lowndcw Square. "Walker." the Coroner ftirth»r remarket. hlms i?T I"" 0 "' Was lnt * n ""<* to kill himself, but before doing so wished to kill somebody else-it didn't seen, to matter who it was. The head housemaid seemed to have had a narrow escape. "The crime was premeditnted: everythlnwas got ready beforehand, and he had writ ten out his programme."

A verdict or "wilful murder" was re turned _g_i n . st Walker, who. throughout the proceedings, seemed il] and greatly affected by the evidence. At one point he bowed bis head as if unable to near the strain of hearing the condition of his vie tini described.

James I'allant. hiitler to Colonel Trotter, of .to. Lowndes Square, under whom Walker served, said he was a very good boy, who had shown no sign of Insanity, uuhappl■less, or ill-health. Walker was left In th. house on the day of the crime, but was not annoyed nt having to stay behind.

Constable Sheepwash. of Tonbrldge. stated that the same evening Walker went up to him and said: "I want to go to the police station, as I hate done a murder In London, at 30, Lowndes Square.

"I do not. know what made mc do It." Walker added, the constable said. "I did it between 6 and 6.30. I hit him with a piece of Iron bar. I have felt bad since last Wednesday, and I lost my mother last January, when the 'flu was about." The constable said that Walker seemed to be In bad health. He looked Tory pale, but not agitated. There was blood on his bands.

The Coroner then read the following statement signed by Walker:— "I. Ernest Albert Walker, am a footman in the employ of Col. Charles William Trotter, of 30. Lowndes Square. London. I wanted to send n note to the laundry.

" 1 rang up Slosne Street Messengers' Office, and ordered a messenger to come round.

"While on the way something came over mc, and t suddenly reso-lved to knock him down, anil I did so with a piece of iron. I lert hlut in the pnntry on the floor." Detective-Sergeant Steel, who went to Lowndes Square on information from Touhrldge. fsald he and another officer saw in the pantry a large patch of blood, which extended to the other end of the room.

When be opened the door to the butler's bedroom they were met with a very strong rush of gas.

Under the table they found the boy Davis lying face downwards, fully dressed with his cap and pouch on. Beside his head was an Iron bar covered with a mackintosh umbrella ease. The boy was breathing and they tried to revive him.

Dr. H. It. Weir, who made a post mortem examination, described the injuries to the hoy's head, and said that more than one blow had been given within a very short time. A large fracture practically divided the skull in two.

The letters which drew from tbe Coroner the coinmontfl quoted above, had been found In Walker's bedroom. One read:—

"Mr. Pallant. —I prepared this in the afternoon. I covered the boy with a mackintosh, then prepared some more effects. Give my best love to R. and M. I have felt queer this week, so good-bye all. I am Ernest. Please let my dad know."

Another letter was headed:— "30. Lowndes Square. London, S.W.I. "The fatal day in tbe afternoon. "Dear Mr. Pallant,— I expect you will be surprifsed to see what. I have done.

"Since my mother died I have made up my mind to die atlso. You know at Barton you said the gun case had been moved. You were quite right; it had. "I had the gun, loaded it. made a sling for my foot to pull tbe trigger, then my nerve went. I put It away. The boy here I had for a companion, too ." The Coroner (looking at the letter): This Is curious. He has put a dash after the word "too." The letter went on:— "I rang np Sloane Street office for them to send a messenger to 30, Lowndes Square. He came to the front door. I asked him to come In and wait. I brought bim *o the pantry and hit him on the head with a coal hammer. So simple. Then I hit bim. I killed him —not with the gas. "Then I turned the r/as full on. "I am sane as ever I was. only T couldn't live without my dear mother, I didn't half give it to the damn boy. I made him squeak. Give my love to dad and all my friends. "I remain, yours truly, prnest." On another sheet of paper Walker had written the following numbered phrases:— (1) Rung np Sloane Street. (21 Waited nt front door. (3) Invited him in. (4) Bring him downstairs. (51 Ask him to sit down. cm Hit bim on the head. (Tl Put him in the safe. (Si Keeping him tied up. (D) Torture. (101 Prepare for the end. (11) Sit down; turn on gas. (12) Put latter out. (13) Sit down. Shut window. (14) Kensington 20..0. Books .found In a cbest of drawers were produced, and the Coroner said: "Sensational stories, hangings, explosions, earthquakes, nnd a convict lying bound upon the floor. That is significant." In his summing up he said that the fact was disclosed beyond any shadow of doubt through Walker himself that be had murdered the poor boy Davis.