MURDERED VICAR

Evening Star, Issue 22277, 2 March 1936, Page 7

MURDERED VICAR

POVERTY A PRETENCE Startling now light was thrown on the mystery of the murder of the Rev. H. Laceby Cecil, the Collingwood (Melbourne) vicar, who was found battered to death in his house on December 9, by a police discovery that th® victim was a man of much more considerable wealth than had been supposed,says Sydney ‘Truth.’ The dead vicar owned 13 houses in Footscray valued at between £B,OOO arid £IO,OOO, and in'addition it has been revealed that he Had a cash credit balance at his bank of £1.600. It is believed also that he had considerable property in - other: towns. These discoveries have been attended by circumstances which have induced the police entirely to forsake the theory, that the vicar was murdered by some chance thief. It is now clear that he was murdered as part of a deliberate plan by a person who knew him well and who went to some pains to lay a trail of false clues. The' motive of the crime; it is now believed, lies, in story of the vicar’s fortune. For years Cecil—or “ Father ’t Cecil, as some preferred to call him, because of his definite leanings towards High Church ritual—had lived at the vicarage in Smith street, Fitzroy, under the most poverty-stricken conditions. Some of his relatives who had seen the poorly-furnished vicarage were amazed, and even ashamed. ’ The dead clergyman positively, stinted himself. He received a stipend of £l6 a month, and of this he gave half to a parish “ pool.” Son of th® late Mr Charles Cecil, a schoolmaster in Laceby. near Wangaratta, Mr Cecil started life with scarcely a penny in the world. He studied for the. ministry and was later appointed to the parish of Jamieson District, in the north-east.-His mother's family possessed a strong French strain. They were, in fact, descendants of the Huguenots, who were expelled from France long: ago, and when the young clergyman showed decided leanings towards High Church doctrines and ritual, their- religious prejudices were violently offended. Leaving Jamieson, Sir Cecil went north to Tweed,River (N.S.W.). Rich land suitable for growing sugar can® and other tropical produce was then to he had for the asking, arid Mr Cecil obtained a selection for]next to nothing. It was to be the foundation of his prosperity, and he never looked back. At the right. monent he sold out, reaping a generous harvest ' in cash for his foresight. Then he came south to Victoria, obtained an appointment as vicar at Werribee, and put th® money he had made in the north into house property. Meanwhile his father, who was well-to-do, had inherited an estate from an aunt of Mr Cecil, and on the old gentleman’s death the vicar came in foi! another windfall. PROPERTY BOUGHT. Once again he invested the money in residential property around the Melbourne suburbs. For years he was dealing in this type of business—he bought houses and made them pay- for other, houses. It was not surprising, therefore, “that at the time of his death he should own 13 houses in Footscray and others elsewhere in the suburbs. The vicar of St., Saviour’s had, all through the years, remained “ anonymous,” leaving the management of his property in th® capable hands of local agents. A middle-aged woman parochial worker who had been, a personal friend of the vicar’s for years has made the astonishing statement that Mr Cecil had told her He could-not contemplate marriage owing to his lack of financial resources. , What was the dead clergyrinia’s attitude of secrecy in regard to His wealth? In this respect the clue of the mysterious “ notice of marriage ” card has assumed importance one® more. It is now thought that eventually this card may provide the key to the solution of the tragedy. ' • Incidentally, detectives are checking up on the vicar’s business transaction! and the outgoing from his hank account. There is a possibility that th® dead clergyman, like others of his calling, may have been the innocent victim of blackmail. . A cablegram received recently from Melbourne says the coroner returned a verdict of murder by a person or persons unknown at the conclusion of th® inquest on the. Rev, . Harold Cecil, whose body was found at the vicarage on December 13. The only fresh fact brought forward in the evidence was that the right-hand pocket in the vicar’s trousers bad been torn out in his struggle with the murderer. “ Just, think ! He had the cheek to kiss me.” “ You were furious, naturally?” “ Yes—every time.”