Railway Outrage.

Hastings Standard, Issue 122, 16 September 1896, Page 4

Railway Outrage.

MURDEROUS ATTACK ON A LADY'S MAID. A JUMP FROM THE TRAIN. A shocking outrage was perpetrated between Balcome and Three Bridges stations on the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway. It appears that upon the arrival of half-past 11 a.m. train from Brighton to London Bridge at Three Bridges station a young lady was discovered bleeding and in a very exhausted state in a third-class compartment, and complained of having been brutally assaulted. She said she was a lady's maid residing in Brighton, and was on her way to visit some friends in Suffolk. bhe entered the train at Brighton. There was no one else in the compartment at the time. Upon arriving at Hayward's Heath a respectably-dressed man got in, and shortly after the train was in motion commenced to threaten her. She became alarmed, and asked him what he wanted, to which he replied 'Money.' Some little time afterwards he moved to where she was sitting, and pulled a rope from his pocket threw it over her head and attempted to Strangle her. She straggled violently, whereupon he threw her upon the floor of the compartment, and kicked her about the face and body, knocking out six of her teeth, and fracturing several ribs. After a desperate struggle she managed to regain her feet, and seized the electric communicator with a view of calling assistance. As she did so the man opened the door of the compartment and jumped into the six-foot way, and strange to say, although the train was travelling at a high rate of speed, without injury. In his hurry, however, he left his hat behind him on the floor of the carriage. The young lady was afterwards conveyed to London, and at once taken to Guy's Hospital, where she was seen by one of the housesurgeons and admitted as an inpatient. Search was made for the man, and traces were found which showed that he had jumped from the train near a wood, through which he walked into the small town of Crawley. There the scent became strong. He was traced to the shop of a tradesman, where he purchased a cap, and told a thrilling story of how he had been robbed of £l2 and thrown from a train near Earlswood. From the shop he went to a coffee-house, where he repeated a similar tale. The proprietor of the coffee-house took the fellow to the railway station where he was immediately arrested 011 suspicion of being the man wanted for assaulting the young woman. He was taken to the police-station. The name of the woman is Louisa Clark, a lady's maid, in the service of Lady Taylor, Hove. The suspected man's name is Alfred Locke, and he comes from Newchapel, near East Grinstead. Locke was brought from Crawley to East Grinstead and charged by Superintendent Relf with the attempted murder of the young lady. Prisoner gave his name as Alfred Locke, and described himself as a gardener, living at Newchapel, about three miles from East Grinstead, on the road. He is only 18 years of age, of moderate height, and not thickly built. He was wearing a dark jacket and waistcoat, and had been supplied with a pair of constable's trousers, his own having been taken off to be produced in evidence against him. Sergeant Hawkins, West Sussex Constabulary, said he saw the prisoner at Terry's Dining-room at Crawley. Mr Terry told witness that prisoner had complained of being assaulted and robbed of £4, and thrown out of a railway carriage on the line. In reply to questions by witness, prisoner gave his address Cherry Gardens, West Park, Newchapel, East Grinstead. He said he came from home that morning, went to Redbill and took a return ticket to Brighton by the 8.25 train, and some young fellow in the train threw his arms round him, robbed him of £3 10s, and threw him out of the train.

The police-officer asked prisoner if ite bad any money, and he produced over ss, which did not make his statement satisfactory. He therefore took prisoner to the station, and having received a telegram, charged him with the assault. Inspector Turpin, in his evidence, stated that he showed prisoner a cap, which had been found at the spot where that individual had jumped from the train, and prisoner thereupon exclaimed, " That's my cap." The magistrate advised the prisoner not to make any statement, but the prisoner said :—" lam sure I never came from Brighton yesterday. I started from Redhill by the 8.25, and I do not remember anything after I left Earlswood Station." Prisoner, who put no questions to the witnesses, was then remanded. Miss Clark's weakness is such that Guy's Hospital authorities deny the police access to her for the purpose of taking her evidence on the outrage.