FROM A TESTS DIARY.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3097, 8 September 1899, Page 6

FROM A TESTS DIARY.

fair and faitje; or, a life fob „.'.'.'.■' ■ ■";/■; .-■■;;•> hie. ■■■ : " :: ! i e=lsißßlife *'■' lookß de^edly ;..;.: r-^^^ ; : these buildings, and that ten minutes after the man fol•'/lowed uttering vdwe of vengeanco ?" : . - i?.':Ye«i that is so, Dyson." " And the man and the wonian both disappeared niear here ! " . , : •' Yes !. ; And they; must be in one of the houses, oreise have made a bolt of it out in the fields at the back." . " And, to discover if there is any mischief we must go over each of these half-built tenements ! " " That is our only plan ! " "What had we better do ? Shall we wait ! for a little more light, or make a Hearch at once ? " "Well, the dawn is almnst upon us now ; in another quarter of an hour it willbe broad daylight." "So it will ; and from what you have told me there's evidently something wro»g between that man and woman whom you followed here, so we will just see if we can find either of them in the buildings, Pipley 1 You are sure that the man dis appeared on this spot ? " " Certain, Dyson." *' Very well. We'll look over the first house in the row. We never know after those Whitechapel horrors what game • may be going on, especially in a lonely half-built block such as this new grove." The two policemen who had been conversing in the forecourt of one of some half-dozen villa-like houses in course o! erection upon a plot of ground adjoining some fields in North London (the pre cisc neighbourhood for obvious reasons, a? will be seen later on, we suppress), now made their way into the fiist stiucture This house, roofed in, and each floor neui completion, took the const nbles some little time to go over, and finding nothing ti> cause ylarm, it was almost with a sensatioi of relief that they continued to prosecuti their search in the other buildings, some oi which were but half finish d. The pair of them must have made thei way in at the front when you misped them and gone right on out at the back into th> ricktields, Pipley I You saw them botl. disappear here ? " " Yes ; the woman first, the man a few minutes after her." " And hearing his foul language an threats you hastened in hia footstep.* ?" " Exactly ; and lost sight of him just n you came up." " Well, there is something wrong, > fancy ; I don't like your account of tin matter 1 " " I was startled, Dyson, when the youiiL woman rushed by ; she was, too, stylishh dressed, as pretty a woman as I have seei> for some time ; she was white as a gho^l. a»id racing a though for her life." " She said nothing to you ; did not ask your help ? " " No, she flew by ; apparently wild witli terror." " And the man came soon after her ? " " Yes." " And you heard him uttering threats ? : "Yes ; as he rushed past me I heard him say, " You jade, I'll stop your game." 14 A funny bit of business ! No cry for help, or sound of any kind. Well, we will just look out at the back of this last of the row, a mere carcase, and give our report in when we get to the station I It has gon< five ! " " Yes, and a beautiful morning ; the sun is just rising. How sweet that hawthorn smells ! Pity all that hedge of it should be destroyed,'' exclaimed the young constabli Pipley, as having now, with his comrade made his way into the field at the rear o' the buildings he strolled towards a thick hedge of hazel and hawthorn at the botton of the plot of land on which the villas wei ■ being ereceted. " Good heavens, Dyson, look at that tank ! " Seizing his companion by the arm, th t youngest of the two police here drew hi< comiaie's attention to a large tank stand in« near the hawthorn hedge— a square. | heav}. zinc vessel used by the labourers and full of water almost to the brim. A simultaneous cry of horror now escape' from the constables, who, for a moment. stood as though petrified staring at tlie tank— the tank, rising up out of which wei< the arms of a woman, the hands clenched, and raised upwards to the skies ! "As I feared, a foul murder bM been done, and perhaps enacted while wo stool close at hand, "said Pipley. Recovering from his fright, the constable Dyson now darted forwards, his comrade, with & shudder, following close beside him. In a moment both were leaning over the tank with frenzied eyes, glaring at what wawithin. Doubled up, as though thrust down with utmost force, was the body of a youn» woman, half sitting, half kneeling, as a hr had been jammed into the receptacle. The face of tbe poor thing was turned towardthe skies, th*s spring eyes fixed and glazerJ [ and looking terrible just beneath the sur face of the wafer upon which her long and beautiful fair hair floated like a gossamer web of fine gold. " Wbaa-t has she got in her left hand, Dyson ? " gasped the younger of those awe-stricken men. " A tuft of coarse red hair, and part of a man's neck tie, Pipley. Please Heaven thosr thirds may help justice in tracking down her assassin." " The man I caw, Dyson. I could sweai to that necktie ; it wae flying loose from liis vest as he dashed by me. its gaudy pattern I could not mistake ; dark though it was I noticed the flaming red and yellow and bright blue." .." Well, this will be a job for Detectivesergeant Winslow ; he'll hunt the murderer down, I'll warrant ; but do you go, Pipley, and give the alarm, I'll stay here." "All right; I shan't be many minutes ! " said' ffief young-- constable, who, pale and nervous (feY tie had been but a short time in the 'force') now darted away, leaving his more stoic companion walking up and down neir the terrible tank and its grialy contents. . • , • • • • There was, of eoarM, a good deal «f mm-

men* and wonderment expressed by the Preca and public altftut : the (?ip.v»M urder, as it vaii c»H«id,' there being hot the > slightest idea a« to who was the assassin. It was at the close of ' the second week following. the fearful; crime that the matter wa placed in my hands— the tuft of red hair and gaudy necktie, with the Scrap of a torn letter, my. only. blum.. : Now as to the hair, a« I, said to constables Pipley and .Dyson when 1 mot them at the Yard, there wa« very little to; be eained by that. Thoneande upon thousands of well-to-clo, good, honest, and moral ci tizens 4of '.' our ' mod era' Babylon were possessed of red hair. Then, again, the necktie J wiis r a very showy affair, such as might be worn by a betting man or a fast ybiith of the day. ; But the few lines of writing puzzled me, though at the same time giving me hope. Another incident, too, in connection with this. cruel murder ; robbery had evidently not been its object, two handsome rings and a gold watch and chain being found upon the body, though there was no purse or a single coin. The idea promulgated by many was this, That the murderer had been disturbed in his fell deed by learning the vicinity of the two constables, whom he may have caught sight of, or heard talking. At the inquest it was discovered that the poor young lady had been half etranglerl and then thrust into the tank of water. T lie maiks of her murderous assailant were pointed out by the surgeon— a blue livid ring round the fair white throat, together with the born, jagged spots where the finger nails of the cruel murderer had been buried in the flesh. The scraps of paper handed to me by Constable Dyson the latter had picked up just beside the tank ; every search had been made for the missing portion but without any result. Nothing more was found, and with this meagre clue I was set to work to hunt down the murderer of that poor girl, done so cruelty to death that bright May morning. I was fairly puzzled Qyer this job, for I was convinced that I had somewhere before *een the features of that dead girl when 1 looked in at the inquest. In vain, however, [ tried to recall the when and where. What with this idea and the mysterious paper, I got fairly dazed over the matter 1 conned over the torn letter until I grew nore irritated than I had ever been when titrated in a far more difficult and hopeless i nek, for the few lines were a fair enigma I in vain tried to solve, and yet I felt assured if I could only gather their meaning it >vould serve me as a clue. Very obscure md vague, indeed, were the few lines of the * m epistle, which ran th.ua .— Dear Mies D l'j\eryday at 11 Mo l J i nice Charming len foe can also have Turn same night bub 'lim away I'll wire ! Now, here was a puzzle ; and the more I studied it the more nervous* and irritable I becams, getting myself into a perfect ever of excitement, for as I have intimated I was certain that if I could till in the miss mg words the game would very likely be in my hands. Ruminatingand cogitating over the business, I was walking along the Strand on the Monday fortnight after the Grove murder when I, reaching the doors of the (Jaiety Theatre, had to turn off the path- I way in consequence of the crowd waiting the opening of the doors. " How fond are 4. certain portion of the public of burlesque !" I exclaimed to a young fellow of mv acquaintance whom I shortly after came across at the corner of Catherine-street ; and then, as he with a laugh said, " Yes, you Bee, Winslow, pretty women show up so well in pink tights and burlesque attire," I almost gave a shout ; his words had put me on the scent. Prince Charming was some burlesque part ; the murdered woman was some nctre?s without a doubt, and I now remembered where I had -een the poor woman. I had met her upon more than one occasion in Bow-s'reefc, and had admired the redundancy of her rich tuburn hair and beautiful features Hastily bidding my acquaintance good night, I ato once made my way to the old Harp Tavern, where I thought I miglit y.le»n a little information from an old broken-down pro to whom I had occasionally given a shilling for a alight service in 'he past. Upon gaining the tavern, I found I was lather too early for old Hairy Montfort, und, calling for a glasa of whisky and soda, I mechanically took up the previous Saturday's "Encore," and was leisurely glancing at its contents, when I was startled by fhe following advertisement in the •' Wanted" column : " Lady to join at once for Prince Charming Touring Company. Write or wire to George Sylvester, Theatre Royal, Portsmouth." This was enough for me, and, with no lesire now to meet my old theatrical iriend F, drinking up my liquor, hurried on. and having in my pocket the necessary funds, calling a cab made at once for Waterloo, just catching an express for Portsmouth, and at half-past nine, in a high state of excitement, was at the stage door of the (lieatre. . • •' Can I see Mr. Sylvester ?" 1 interrogated of a burly door-keeper, who jumped ofi his seat as 1 strode in. '• What is you business, sir ? The burlesque is on." " But I suppose Mr. Sylvester is here ? " I exclaimed. "Of course he i#. He is. stage manag er, ;md he is on at the prompt." ■ • " Very well, give him my card ; tell him I wish to have a few minutes', con verse." " Very good, sir ! Hallo, S'tacey, you're n ot going to do your turn to-night, are you old man ? " ***' -■•-*' •• And why not \ I'll do it if I break my neck ! By all the devils there's the blue face again ! " With a rash, knocking down the stagedoor keeper in his progress, the man here dashed through a door leading tD the stage. I was now fairly on the scent. Thing* were approaching a crisis, for the man who had just disappeared, I perceived, wore round his neck a gaudy tie, a portion of which was missing, whilst hiß massive head, I discerned, waa covered with a thick crop of unkempt; coarse red hair. "Who 18 that man V I asked »a fcbe doorkeeoer, with a rueful face, staggered to hi.* feet. " Who h he t Why, Joe Stacey, the strong man. He'll newer do his turn tonight, he ha* had the D T*s these last three daj*.*

-*',!■- thought*. 1 ;t Rave your, orders, not it* admit Btacoj'l " . . , , :. , A slim, liahdeome, showy young man at I his morreut appeared at the door'through which the excited arid inebriated strong • man had di-appeaie i. ajew moments bef oi'e „; '* 1 couldn.'t help it, Mr. SyJvesie.r ; tU'u. gentleman saw him knock me down." " Yes,' that is correct ; but tell me is thii ■your' writing ■?■*' lh'ereVdrawing to the side of the stage manager, held up before him. the acrap of the letter thaD had so puzzled me. •..-.,.. "That ie certainly part'of a note of mine ; How did you come by it> I But just etor. with me into ray room," exclaimed. tin manager, who ...grew pale and disturbed in his manner as I handed him my curd. In another five minutes I was seated w ; tl the young fellow in a little private room of the stage. " I think I can fathom the meaning of your presence here : something in connection with Stacey's misting wife, I suppose.' 1 " His wife ! " I exclaimed, as, going to a table, the manager, opening a drawer, toot from it a copy of a letter, which he liandec over to me for perusal, the contents o which ran thus :. — T.R., Portsmouth, May 15, '74. Dear Miss D'Alberb, Everybody jat 11, Monday, Iv« cast .you for Prince Charming. I enclose part! Joe can also have a shop and take his turn come night, but if you want hino away I'll wire him I'm full up. "And you cent this note to a Miss D'Albett, Mr. Sylvester," I exclaimed. ■'•■." Yes ! She's Job'h wife, you know ! * " Was, you mean ! " I here explained tc the astonished young manager what had really taken place, and that 1 had little doubt that Mr Joe Stacey had murdered his young wife. " Good heavens, how dreadful ! " said Sylvester. " 1 heard of the terrible affair, but of course had no idea that it was my leading burlesque lady. Joe was very jealous of her, and 1 know there was a young fellow, a stockbroker, was fair gone on her, and so was the poor girl on him ; and Jue found her out I expect Oh, here he his ! fur goodness sake get him away without disturbance ! " " Don't you funk if, Sylvester ! I've heard part of your patter ; this gent is a tec, I know. All right, I'll go quietly, and the sooner all is at an end the better Come on, officer, I don't want the irons, I won't slope. I've dune it." The wretched man, abig, burly giunt of a fellow, here, placing his arm within my own, drew me out of the room, and presently after, wiuh two or three local police walking behind, I was proceeding wiLh him Lo the railway station. " Look here, sergeant, I'm guilty ; I settled her ! She was a bad 'an I I've watched her for weeks past, and that night I caught her with her swell ; going in his house she was ; he escaped me, slamming his door in my f.\ce ; she made a bolt of it, and, losing him, 1 went for her. I ran her down at that halt-built house, and I strangled Ihejado, and put her in the tank! " Othello smothered his wife, and 1 strangled mine ; he killed himself, but I must die modern fashion, with a rope round my ntck.' T It was in vain I had cautioned the unfortunate man that all he ?aid would be afterwards repeated by the prosecution against him. He ooiv, in a thick, hoarse voice of rage, as he recalled his wife's infidelity, explained how he bad done her to death. Arriving at the station, whilst one of the local officers was procuring tickets I kept, a sharp watch uf.on my prisoner, for 1 dkl not like the scared look in hi? eyes, and as he suddenly bounded from my .«ide was in a moment after him, but 100 late to prevent an awful catastrophe. Wilh his arms thrown up high, he made a fearful leap full in front of an express train, with a wild, ear-piercing yell, shouting : "The blue face, the bright eye?, they are here, there, and everywhere ! " Then there was a roar aB the train passed over him, the unfortunate man being picked up rive minutes afterwards mangled and cut to pieces. He had given a life for a life, though I think that had he stood his trial he would not have, under the circumstances, received the death penalty.