CRIME AND MYSTERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 248, 18 October 1924, Page 19

CRIME AND MYSTERY.

FATAL FASCINATIONS!

(By BARRY RICHMOND.)

The Lady Killers—Callous Sensualist • —James Canham Read—A Double Charatcer—A Gifted Liar A Triangular Love Affair Poor - Florence Dennis — The Scaffold. 'Besides raoee men who deliberately set out to fascinate women in order to live ■without work, there exists another type or what may bo termed the professional ladykiller— the clas3 of man whose one object in life is amorous adventure. Sensual passion, not money, 15 the prime motive here. This, on the surface, gives their exploits a less sordid aspect. Nevertheless the annals of crime show that this *?e<-ies of predatory man can be just as deadly and pitiless as tie other variety. The unmitigated sensualist is usually an exceptionally callous individual, and ruthless in obeying the impulses of unbridled passion. Many a woman in the course ot the world" s history has lost her life simply because her existence threatened to interrupt the busy sensualist's career of sellgratification. His Jekyll ana Hyde. As a specimen of this type of criminal we may take James Canham Read, who ™as hanged at the end of ISH for the brntal murder of a yonng woman named Florence Dennis at «outh nd A f w months before this event Bead would have been the last man in the world - thought capable of committing such a crime, certainly by his friends, relatives and acquaintances. Bead presents an extremely interesting example of a dual nature endeavourinz to exercise itself without restraint ty means of a double life. Like many other men and women, before and after him, he found that it is by no means co simple a thing to do as it may appear. One site of the dual nature econer or later asserts Itself over the O'-her. The safe balance cannot be maintained. And it almost always happens Uiat it is the worse side that prevails. So it was with the two James Canham Beads. To the world he appeared a model husband and father. His wife was an attractive woman of whom he seemed extremely fond, and who had borne him eight children. He was, indeed, to all intents sad purposes very much of a family man, faced with all the usual responsibilities ttat the possession of a large family brings. These responsibilities he ' certainly appeared to recognise and cope with capably. Lite an affectionate, steady, industrious fc:ieband and father. He held a good position in the Koyal Albert Docks and -was recognised by his employers as a man of considerable intelligence and integrity. Gift of Romantic Lying. So much foi the more public aspect ot Head. The other, which was not so well revealed till after the tragedy at Souttiend, is not so pleasant to dwell on. The truth is that this devoted husband, this affectionate father of eight children, with his happy domestic circle at Jamaica Street, ■Stepney, and his responsible post at the neighbouring docks, had been for years indulging in illicit love affaire with the wires sirf daughters of other men. He was, in fact, a man who made it his sole hobby to seduce one woman after another. After his arrest the police were enrprised when they discovered the number of women and girls that Read had been secretly associated with in the course or hie amorous career. He was a good-lookiag fellow, with a lively manner that was an asset in itself in mailns friendships. Though at the time of the. Southend tragedy tie was thirty-eight years old, there was nothing stodgy or iniddle-asc* about his disposition. He fascinated women as mneh by his vivacity as by his looks. iind also he possessed a gift of romantic lying that made quite interesting conversation, for Ms dupes. Ingenuity of Long Practice. Bead, In fact, lied so naturally that it is possible to Imagine him really at the mercy of his luxuriant imagination. Undoubtedly lie regarded his- sordid affairs as so many romantic love dmmaa with himself as a Sort of Tristan. The key to tbl3 theatrical side or his nature may be found in a passage in a letter to one of the young women whom fle had deceived. "We have acted a drama in real life," he wrote, "by which onr only endlence—ourselves —have been deceived." Previously to the murder of Florence Dennis, Bead, with the ingenuity born of long practice, was engaged in illicit love affairs with three women at the same time. These were a Miss Kempton, whom he settled in a little house known as Bose Cottage at Mitcham: Mrs. Ayrise, the wife of a Wandswortb dairyman; and Florence Dennis herself, who was Sirs. Ayriss" yoanger sister. Bead had struck up acquaintance witn Mrs. Ayrtes on the pier at Southend about five years previously. She was then living with her husband at Maypole Road, Wandsworth, and for a long while Read constantly met her and wrote to her under Tarious aliases. Tet Another Fairy Tale. This was one of his devices for avoiding detection in his Intrigues. He used scores of different names for his correspondence, Invented a whole imaginary life for himeelt, and Tegaled his victims with fictitious Incidents from it. Mrs. Ayriss had no idea that her fascinating friend had a wife ana eight children in Jamaica Street, Stepney, to whom he returned after leaving her. One day, after she had known Read for about three years, Mrs. Ayriss introdnced him to her unmarried sister, Florence Pennis, a girl about twenty years of age. Head immediately began to stage a new romance for himself, though he was very careful not to betray the new direction ef Sis affection to Mrs. A_vriss. She suspected eothing for some time till a note in Read's handwriting, whicu she discovered in Florence's pocket, enlightened her. She immediately broke off her inrimat*y with Read. Meanwhile Read had another adventnre on hand. He had become acquainted ■witb a Miss Kempton. a confectioner's assistant, whom he first met at Gloucester Boad Station. His good looks, affability, and sympathetic manner attracted her at once. They became very friendly, and Bead invented yet another fairy tale about ■himself. In an Awkward Plight. His name, he told her. was Edgar Beneon. He vras unmarried, lived at Poplar, and had a father residing In the conntry ■whom he constantly had to go to see. This, of course, was to explain away the lrequent calls made on his leisure by tne domestic establishment at Jamaica Street. TThen absent from Miss Kempton he need to write her long and affectionate letters, giving detailed accounts of his moTements, all of which were utterly fklie.

Sometimes he varied the mythical visit to his father with one, equally mythical, to a non-existent married sister, a Mrs. Parker, of Canterbury. He Invented a circle of friends that he never had, among them a Harry Edwards, who lived with his parents and had a charming sister namea Florence. He actually invited Miss Kemp ton to go and stay for a week-end with these non-eiisteut people, but eho declined. "My darling Beauty," he had written to her, "I am glad you are well and happy. Flo asks that you will go down. The party will be you and I and Flo and Harry. Write soon, dearest girl. Fondest love from your devoted Edgar." While he was deceiving Miss Kempton with his talk about the fictitious Florence, the real Florence (Florence Dennis) was fondly imagining herself the sole possessor of his affections, and being fed by another set of lies when she complained that be did not spend as much of his time wlt'j her as she considered he ought to. Bead had, in fact, got himself Into a very awkward position with Florence Dennis and Miss Kempton. Both were expecting to become mothers. Florence was pressing him to make arrangements for the coming event, and was distressed by the fact that, though he was a single man. so far as she knew, he did not proposs to marry her At the saiae time Mrs. Ayriss, with whom he seems to have renewed his friendship, discovered the existence of Miss Kempton, and was furious with Head for twice deceiving her. It was a triangular dilemma sufficient to tax the powers of a man possessed even of such immense talents for deception as Read undoubtedly had. Ingenious though he was, he was driven at last to the conclusion that in only one way could he escape exposure. This way he took, and one June morning in IS9I the dead body of Florence Dennis was discovered lying in a ditch hidden from the footpath by a hedge at Prlttlewell, near Southend. She had been shot through the head and apparently killed instantly. It was never known by what means Florence Dennis was induced to go t0 Southend. but it was proved that the evening before her body was found she had received a telegram at her lodgings making an appointment, "which she went out to keep, and from which she never returned. Kead had been in the habit of communicating -with her by telegram. On this occasion, In order to cover up his tracks, Eead took the precaution of ! posting his telegram, stamped, in a pillar- ! box. As a further precaution he disguised his handwriting. The Shock. We find Read on the morning after the tragedy sitting in his office at the Koyal Albert Docke, outwardly cool and intent on his official duties. The amorous adventurer was now a murderer, but he imagined himself secure from detention. His confidence was 6oon to receive n shock. In the course of the morning a telegram from Mrs. Ayriss was handed to him. It contained the three words: "Where is Florrie?" These words must have struck his senses like a death-knell. However, he pulled himself together and sent off the reply: "What is the meaning of your extraordinary telegram? Have not seen young person for 18 months since you were at Wandsworth." The telegram dispatched, he turned his thoughts to flight. He could not mistake the sinister meaning underlying Mrs. Ayriss , query. Some time before his usual hour for stopping work he quitted the j office, having first appropriated £160 of the dock company's money to provide means for his escape. He shaved off his moustache, and might conceivably have escaped abroad, for though the body of the murdered girl had been discovered the , police were not yet on his track. Betrayed by Temperament But the ruling passion was too strong for him. Instead of fleeing to the Continent or to America he fled to the arms Of a woman. Miss Kempton was residing in Rose Cottage, Mitcham. where he had installed her, and it was there he scurried. She was astonished by hie change of appearance and his agitation, which he explained by saying that he was worried because his accounts were wrong. A week elapsed before he was arrested, and in his after moments he must often have bitterly cursed the trick of temperament that betrayed him into wasting in a last fatal indulgence of his tendencies thoee vital hours when he might have been making good his escape from the hangman. Read died on the scaffold without making a confession. He always asserted that he was fifty miles from Southend on the night of the tragedy. But the evidence, though circumstantial, was overwhelming in proof f his guilt, and he was also identified as having been seen walking In a lane at Prittlewell with the murdered girl the evening before her body was discovered. The singular thing is that a man whom, witness after witness described as of an exceptionally bind and senile .disposition could have been guilty of auch a crime.