ILFORD MURDER TRIAL.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17632, 8 December 1922, Page 13

ILFORD MURDER TRIAL.

SCENES AT THE OLD BAILEY. LONDON, December 6. Amaang scenes marked the commencement of the trial of Frederick ST,?? aUd m * Thompson at the "id Bailey. Two women who reached the court at 4 o'clock in the morning iea a long ?U eue. ilore people than could be accommodated had gathered at 8 o'clock. Later a big crowd awaited the arrival 0 f the prison van. The queue was equally composed of men and women, and included girls in their teens and grey-headed women. Mr T. TV. H. Inskip, K.C., SolicitorGeneral, led the prosecution. The jury included one woman. The Judge ruled that the letters to which the defence objected -were admissible. Counsel, commenting on the letters, described Mrs Thompson as the dominant partner in the crime. 'Bywaters' was the hand £Rat struck *h e blow, but she conceived the crime. The evidence of Mrs Bywaters regarding her son's movements on the night of the murder ended in her crying out: "He is one of the best sons a mother ever had." Mrs Thompson broke down several times, but Bywater is a vigorous youth of fearless demeanour, and complete master of his emotions. A woman juror was locked up in a city hotel with a special woman bailiff. This is the first time a woman juror has been locked up for the night. [Percy Thompson, a young shipping clerk, was fatally stabbed when returning with his wife from the theatre to their home in Hford. .Frederick Bywaters, a ship's steward, aged 21 years, who was Tory friendly with the Thompsons, was accused of the murder. At the inquest a number of letters from Mrs Thompson to Byw,aters were read suggesting that attempts were being made to poison the husband. Mra Thompson was committed for trial on a charge of feloniously administering poison with intent to murder, and soliciting .Bywaters to commit murder. The Home Office analyst testified that he had found traces of alkaloid in Thomj>son's organs, which gave reactions de>noting poison. No other poisonous substance was detected.]