REMARKABLE TRIAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 74, 20 December 1907, Page 7

REMARKABLE TRIAL.

: oCAMDEN TOWN MURDER. ACCUSED'S LUCKY ESCAPE. COMPLICATED HIS CASE BY LYING. BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT. (Rcc. Deo. 20, 0 a.m.) '■ London, December 19. Ten thousand people outside tho Old Bailey acclaimed tho acquittal of Robert Wood, a young artist, who was accused of the murder of Emily Dinlmock, at Camden Town.' i For the defence An alibi was proved. Two witnesses testified that thoy saw Miss Dininiock with a man who was not Wood after midnight on the night of the crime. Wood's relativos testified that ho slept at home that night, and a neighbour stated he saw Wood outer his homo towards midnight. ' . < Westcott,'a railway man, testified that ho himself ,was tho man whom M'Kowan (a carman) mistook in St. Paul's Road, towards 5 o'clock in the morning, for prisoner. Wood testified that ho had lied in connection with his movements,' as' he did not wish to bo dragged, into tho caso, lost, his friends knew that he associated with women like Dimm'ock. Mr. Justice Grantham summed up favourably to tho prisoner. He, emphasised tho fact that the evidence was entirely circumstantial. His Lordship said it was one of tho most' remarkable criminal trials recorded in England—certainly the most remarkable of ;his time. There was no direct evidence against Wood. Tho accused, His Lordship added, had led v, a ; double . lifo, and iwas He had. endeavoured to got othors .to lie for him, and ho had lied throughout, his conduct giving" point' to siich oviddnco as there was against him. .. , The jury, was absent about , fifteon minutes. Robert M'Kowan,' au out-of-work carman, identified the a'ccuscd ' (Robert Cavers Wood, a pale-looking man of 26 years) as being a man'whom 'ho saw in the early morning following tho night Of the crime,'walking along tho street, -having apparently left Dimmoek's house. Uudor cross-examination at, tho inquest, M'Kowan stated -that tho. man lie saw leaving Miss Dimmoek's liouso was rather broader across tho shoulders, than himself. At tho request of the Coroner M'Kowan 'aiid Wood then turned thoir hacks for the jury to mako a' comparison; Wood displayed exceedingly narrow shoulders. ; ' 1 ■' Othor evidence was given to show that Wood requested' a witness, who saw- him with Miss Dimirio'ck oh,tho night of. tho trim-dor, not to .tell, this to, the police';, and that Wood asked /another girl. tVith whoiii lie was. intimate, to declar'o-. tnat ho was with .hor on tho night ;of the '.murder (although. lie was riot). . The girl proinised to tell this lie, hut it "fiot'ou her-nerves, and she-spokd ; .to a friend, who spoke ..to tho police, who elicited thi "truth from her. Wood . stated that his reaitoii' for not coming 'forward in the first instance, and fpr approaching other, witnesses concerning their testimony, twas not guilt, but, that,-to use .his own words to the. police, he "did not care to be dragged iiito ii matter of this soi t." .' ; . There is also mention'in the Casii of a "Scotch Bob," , of. whom Miss',' Dimmock''- wijs" afraid'; arid who canno tbo found. He is alleged by ;the defence to have been with'the victim. In makiug investigations the police called in the aid ok a . trance - mediiimi- >who.. gave -'a vivid account of' what sho alleged' to be the reconstruction of,the.crime, nnd.shoLstatod that, the murderer was aboard ship on his way toilclbourne. ■ ■