WIFE'S WRITING.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3149, 25 December 1922, Page 7

WIFE'S WRITING.

At the inquest into the Ilford murders, the relevancy of Mrs Thompson's letters to Bywaters was discussed by counsel. Mr Herbert Carlton, of Aldersgate street, City, said that Mrs Thompson was iiii his employment, and he identified 16 letters written on violet paper as being in Mrs Thompson's band 1 - writing. Mr Stern, who is appearing for Mrs Thompson, objected to the letters being put in, because he contended that they were not evidence against Mrs Thompson.. "The charge against her," he said, "is one of the wilful murder of her husband, and until a. prima facie case has been made out you cannot put m those letters to show, which I presume. they do show, some expression of animosity against the dead l man. All the cases that have been, decided in recent years show this." Mr Stern said that the letters in the present case wvvv obviously written some time previously, and Mrs Thompson might or might not have expressed' feelings against her husband; but that would not show that she was an active participating party in ibis particular murder. That, would be stretching the law altogether. Br Ambrose (tlw coroner) : I do not think that there is any suggestion of participating. Mr Stern. That is tho charge against he. at the present moment. The Coroner: There is such a thing •■■H accessory before the fact. Mr Stern : But my client is remanded on a charge of wilfully murdering her husband, and the law in regard to accessory before the fact says an. accessory must not be there. Tho Coroner: It is not necessary for the person to lie absent. .Mr Barrmgton Matthews, on behalf of Bywaters, associated himself with the remarks of Mr Stern, and contended that tie letters were anterior to the tragedy, and would not assist the jury in coming to a conclusion on the •auso of death. The Coroner replied that he felt that these letters might throw a light on "he state of mind in which Bywaters was placed, and certainly as far as they threw a light on his condition of mind they might very clearly go to the jury. Mr Stern said that Bywaters had taken on himself to confess to the crime. He challenged the police to say that there was a single word in these letters which suggested stabbing her husband. If they took out one or two phrases yer.v grave suspicion might he aroused in their minds or in the minds' of the iurj. The Coroner: I have gone through these letters, and I confess that there is grave suspicion in. my mind. Mr Stern: But you have not heard the explanation. The Coroner: I am very sure we shall all be ready to receive any explanation. Mr Stern : But J have not had an opportunity of seeing my client on them yet. The Coroner, addressing tho jury: In all cases where a person is accused it is a very proper thing to give the benefit of any doubt that may arise. lam not in ;i position to give an expression of opinion, but T. think that as this matter will be thrashed 1 out at the Old Bailey we had better leave those letters out here. I believe that the police did' quite right in arresting this woman, but there is no definite evidence beyond the letters to show that she has instigated this man to commit the crime. Whatever there may bci in the letters l is not known at present. The Coroner said that it was contrary to reason that the wound over the col-lar-bone, could have been inflicted by a/ person who did not wish to. kill his opponent, and the jury would be quite justified in bringing in a. verdict of wilful murder against Bywaters. Ae regarded Mrs Thompson, that Case would be worked out otherwise, but the objections introduced by Mr Stern were valid. Hotii Mrs Thompson and Bywaters have since been condemned to death. The Shah of Persia strongly objects to bull lights. and lately he niado known to the officials of Bayonne, who had invited him to witness the sport, that he resented their lack of tact. The Shah, who is travelling through fiance, received an invitation to the bull tight from the Prefect of the Pyrenees Department. The Prefect, wearfull uniform, escorted the Shah to lus box. The fight bad attracted thousands of sivitors. A few minutes after the bulls had entered the ring, the Shah turned to the Prefect and told him that he would not remain. He <|iiilo failed to understand the object of the mixture of blood, music, and women shouting with delight. forty- years ago a boy pushed Jus pocket-handkerchief into a cavity in tho Ebenozcr Primitive Methodist Chapel. Halfax (fug.), and found he was unable to pull it out again. The boy is now Alderman Whittakor. De-puty-Mayor of the town, but he never forgot his lost handkercief. The chapel has just boon pulled down, and the alderman asked the contractor to look out for the handkerchief. This was! done; tho handkerchief was found and has boeni returned to Alderman Whittaker with a note from the contractor: "I don't know how you have managed without it for so many years."