Tragedy at Camberwell.

Hastings Standard, Issue 163, 4 November 1896, Page 4

Tragedy at Camberwell.

A tragedy of a pathetic ami somewhat unusual jt:r.r11it• took place in Camberwell recently. The all'air is to all extent attended with mystery, and the motive for the tragedy can only he conjectim d. For over three years past, it seems, a voting coup]' l named Frederick Haylesand Florence Ogborn have been keeping company, and were encaged to he married in the course of a few weeks. The man was an assistant at a ham and beef shop in the vicinity of market, and the lady a barmaid at the Bricklayers' Arms. {Southampton-street, Old Kent Road. The friends of the parties regarded the match with evident satisfaction, and the preliminary arrangements for the marriage had already ben made. During the week the young man, who had been taking his annual holiday, bad seen his sweetheart every day. On the Friday be met in r by appointment at live o'clock and they went to No. .jS,Leipsic Road, where they bad tea. Subsequently th -y visited the Canterbury Music Hall, which they left some time before the conclusion"of the performance. According to the girl's statement, the man left her in the hall for about a quarter of an hour, while he went out. ostensibly to get some refreshment. Upon his return, however, he appeared somewhat strange, and a>ked the girl to go home. They accordingly left the building and proceeded towards Camberwell. Meanwhile the man was morose and taciturn, and took an unusual route —crossing Cottage Green and passing side streets on the way to the Bricklayers' Arms. When Wells-street, Camberwell, was reached, they stopped to bid each other ' Good night,' when, without warning or apparent reason, the man tired at his sweetheart. Then, without making any endeavor to es ape. he fired the weapon upon himself, and died almost instantaneously. It was then past midnight, and the ft roet was almost deserted. Assistance, however, was soon procured, and the man's body was removed to the mortuary. The girl accompanied one of the police-constables to the station, where she made a statement as to the occurrence. Though the revolver was deliberately levelled at her. the shot passed though her dress, and she was therefore uninjured,

Miss Oghorn hii<l so far recovered from the .shock that sli:' was able to resume her ordinary duties behind the j bar of the Bricklayers' Arms. She is j a pleasant-looking girl. :tn.l though her face bears obvious traces of the | ordeal through which she passed, she ; was quite able to give a clear and collected account of the events that led up to the tragedy. " I have been engaged to Fred for three and a half years," she said, "and we were to have been married shortly. In fact the marriage would have taken place next month had not my mother died, and in consequence we only_ justrecently decided to postpone it to Christmas. We have always got along well together, and though he was a very jealous man we have never 'had any serious quarrel. Certainly I have never given him cause for jealously, during the past few weeks I have seen a good deal of him for he has been on his holidays. At the end oi this week they would have been up, and on Monday he was going back to work. To come to the tragedy, I had been in his company all the evening. I met him at a quarter past five, and we went home to tea at HM, Leipic Road, and after tea we went to the Canterbury. He left me for a quarter of an hour while I was there. Then he came back, and after we had heard another song hi'said. "We had better go home." Did you observe any tiling strange in his demeanour then '? " " Not in the least, but after we had left the Canterbury he took me bv Cottage (riven—a way home I had never been before —and it struck me at the time it was rather curious." "What happened then'.'" "_"\\e walked as far as the coiner of Wells street, just opposite the chapel, together, and I said " Good-night'' to him there. I was then about five minutes to midnight, and we had not had the slightest titY. In fact our conversation had been most friendly. Immediately I said " (rood night ' he walked behind me, and I suddenly heard the sharp crack of a pistol, ho close was it to me that I actually saw beside niv dress the flash of the flame. I turned round and screamed "Fred!" and then I heard another report and saw him fall back in the road - dead ! He had shot himself in the head, and the blood was pouring out of his ear on to the road. " I cannot, indeed, account for it." replied the distressed girl, " we were on the best terms last night." An extra-ordinary letter written by the deceased was produced at the inquest. The letter was written on black-edged paper, and is as follows : To K. N. Bedford, George-street, F.uston road.—Dear Ted,--Perhaps vo.i may not see me any more. I know you will be sorely grieved, but I feel* fairly depressed and upset. What's the" good of life when vou have people against you V You know 1 love Florrie, and have done for years. My rival 1 j have against me. I know" her people ! are for him and against me. She is j for me, and 1 love her, as she ] knows. ... In my box you will j find about l'C> in gold and a £•"*> note, j Kindly give it to my dear mother, j All my debts and moneys owing to be j abolished ; everything else to my dear j mother, and all the money in the bank i belonging to me and interest ; gold chain to Florrie, in remembrance of my love : gold pin, ring, and watch to my mother. Ask Florrie to forgive me, and my mother as well, and I hope God Almighty will forgive me.—Your always true and truthful friend, Fi;ki>. A verdict of " Suicide during temporary insanity " was returned.