A TYPICAL LOVE TRAGEDY. DOUBLE SUICIDE.

Grey River Argus, Volume LVII, Issue 9570, 13 October 1896, Page 4

A TYPICAL LOVE TRAGEDY. DOUBLE SUICIDE.

The tragedy at Hollier's Family and Commercial Hotel in Euston Road (says a London payer) was made the subject of inquiry before the Central London Coroner, Dr Danford Thomas, at St. Pancras Coroner's Court on Saturday. The names of the two victims of what appears to have been a typical love tragedy were given as Frederick William Saunders, an assistant schoolmaster, lately living in Portland street, Soho, and Alise Maud Mary Caley, a domestic servant, in service up to a month ago in Avenue Road, St. John's Wool, and whose parents reside at Oxfordstreet, Caversham. The former was stated to be 25 years of age and the latter 2L The young couple went to the private hotel on Wednesday night and engaged a bedroom. They were found dead before noon on the following day. IDENTIFICATION. Evidence of identification was given in the case of the girl by her father, James Caley, a gardener, of Caversham, who last saw his daughter alive on Monday, when she left home for the purpose of coming to London to pay a . visit to Mr Saunders, to whom she was to have been married at Oavershara on Thursday of this week. She was formerly a servant at North Gate, Avenue Road, but had been at home a month preparing for the wedding. Witness first heard of the tragedy on Friday morning, when he saw an account of it in the morning papers. Mr Saunders and his daughter had been engaged for three years, and the match was greatly approved of. In the ease of the young man, who was an assistant schoolmaster, his brother, Robert Henry Saunders, of Mandeville Place, Manchester Square, deposed to his identity. Witness knew of the engagement, and knew also, of the arrangements for the wedding, but knew of no subject of distress. When he saw deceased on Wednesday, of previous week he found him very quiet, but not in any way disturbed. The young couple were very much attached to each other. Deceased had not (to the witness' knowledge) been subject to any delusions.

THEIR VISIT TO THE HOTEL? Mrs Annie Hollier, proprietress of the hotel, and wife of Henry Hollier, a builder, stated that the young people came to the house on Wednesday evening, shortly before nine o'clock, and asked for a room, with which they were supplied. They entered no name, and retired to bed without iefre3hment. On the following morning they had breakfast, and before noon were found dead in their room. They were entire strangers to witness. TINDING THE BODIES. The young servant in the establishment, Florence Glover, saw the deceased lady and gentleman at a quarter-past nine, when she took up the breakfast. At half-past ten, -when witness was in the drawing room, she heard two bangs. She thought it was a noise from the factory in the rear of the building, and took no further notice of it. At half-past twelve, while she was attending to th© rooms, she saw the door of this particular room ajar, and, thinking that the young couple had gone out, she walked into the room. There a startling sight presented itself. The man lay on the bed, with his feet on the floor, a revolver lying near his light hand on the bed. The young lady lay on the floor, with her head and arms resting on the bed. On the floor and on the bed there was a large quantity of blood. Witness at once went out and brought up her master and a police sergeant. There were no signs of life in either of the two unfortunate young people. Both -were fully dressed; the young lady with her '. hat and veil and gloves on. Evidence was next given by the husband of the "proprietress, Mr Henry Hollier, who, being much engaged in the building trade, is not much con cerned in his wife's business. He happened, however, to be at home on the morning of the tragedy, and was called up to the room by his servant, who told him what had happened. THE BEVOLVER. Police evidence by Sergeant Kemble, 21 E, showed that the young lady was found with her arms round the legs of her companion. Witness found a firecbambered revolver (produced), with two of thecomparfcmenfcs empty, having been recently discharged, and also a box of cartridges. A Juror: That seems hardly big enough to kill anybody. The Coroner: But smaller things than this will kill a person. Continuing his evidence, the sergeant said that he also found a post-card addressed to the father in the young man's pocket. It ve&d thus: — 'Do not grieve, father, as this is all for our best-,' He also found another letter. SENSATIONAL CHARGE OP BLACKMAILING This startling communication, found in deceased's right-hand trousers' pocket was addressed 'To the reader of this letter,' and was dated Monday, July 27, 1896. It read thus:— 'Matters have gone wrong suddenly. A fortnight ago imputations were cast upon the good name of my dearest Alice. These imputations I refused to believe, and they were indignantly denied by Alice herselt. "Vv^ were blackmailed — at least, I was — for money, to quieten the mouth of the slanderer ; but now, after getting the money, he threatens opposition, to our marriage unless a certain final payment is made. I have been unsuccessful in, obtaining the amount of money demanded, and Alice and I have decided to spend the last night together, as the greater amount of our money is gone in payment to the blackmailer, and the horror of exposure — though I am firmly sure of her innocence — has been too much for us to bear. We have decided that a long rest is perferable to the heartbreaking effects of an impostor's exposure, and the ultimate scorn of friends and relatives. We do not fear leaving the world together, though we regret the pain and sorrow it may occasion to others. We have been true in every way to one another, and now prefer to leave the world together. We have kept this strictly private and destroyed all carrespondence connected with it." EFFORTS WITHOUT AVAIL. Continuing, and under date Tuesday night (meant for Wednesday), the letter read: — 'For two days we have lived together, hoping we might settle matters somehow, but, alas! our efforts have been without avail. We now leave the world together without regret. Neither of us can live alone. To morrow, if not to-night, we die in peace regretting only the disgrace and sorrow which it may cause to others whom we leave behind. Had it been possible to have avenged our blackmailer at the same time we would have been glad to do so. We have been unable to abtain something to make us pass away in our sleep, so this dreadful end only remains.' The Coroner commented on the distressing nature of the blackmailing, which, he thought, ought to have been dealt with rapidly by the male victim by action at law. THE CAUSE OP DEATH. Medical evidence by Dr. Cremin, -of Judd-street, went to show thatSaunders had died from a bullet wound behind , the right ear, and the young women from a bullet wound in the back which had pierced the heart. ' QUIET AND RESERVED. The youngest brother of the male ] victim deposed that the deceased had J been very quiet and reserved during the past few weeks. THE VERDICT. A verdict was returned to the effect ' That the woman was shot by the man - who afterwards took his own life,'