A DARING CRIMINAL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5345, 1 April 1879, Page 5

A DARING CRIMINAL.

(London Correspondent Melbourne "Argus.") In all our criminal annals no more singular feat is recorder! than that accomplished by «. burglar last week during a ■journey from London to Sheffield. The history of the man, moreover, is scarcely los 3 remarkable than his last deed. Two years ogo, or more, Mr Arthur Dyson, a civil engineer in Sheffield, was shot dead in his garden at Bannercross by a man named Peace, who was enamoured of his wife. The murderer escaped, and no clue ■was obtained to his whereabouts till a few months a#o, when attention was attracted to a number of daring burglaries com- ■ mittcd at Biaekheath end elsewhere. At last the burglar was captured, after a desperate encounter, and he was duly convicted, and aantenced to penal servitude. Meanwhile, the woman with whom he had been living revealed his real name, and declared' him to be Peace, the Sheffield murderer. It was a strange life which heJi.id since boon living. At Peckham, whore lie then resided, he had maintained a respectable appearance on the proceeds of hi ; t burglaries, kept a pony and trap, unit passed for a man of musical and charitalv.e, ie not pious, tastes. His audacity and skill in disguise were such that he appears to have mingled without alarm amongst the police, and at one time even to have lodged in the same Mouse with an inspector. Mrs Dyson, the v/ife of the murdered, man, went to America, but ait.v the capture of Peace was brought back, to this country to identify him. Peace w.as being taken down to Sheffield lei;-;:'; weak lo a preliminary examination, in tho care of two warders. It was a bitterly cold day. Ho feigned great une^riness, and as they wero nearing their destination asked that one of the windows might be opened, The train

win* m-i. ■'■mmi »— wiiimi ' was going at the "rate of 45 miles &n hour. Suddenly, putting his hands together, ho leaped head foremost thrbugh the window* One of the warders caught him by tke foot, and for upwards of a mile a desperate struggle was prolonged, • until at length, the boot' coming off, the desperado fell On the line. Peace Avas afterwards found bleeding and unconscious, but has since so far. recovered as to have been confronted with. Mrs Dyson in the corridor of the prison, where his examination was completed. He has since been committed for tx-ial on the charge of murder. It has been inferred from a scrap of paper found in the..railway carriage that he intended suicide by his leap ; but he has since shown himself to bo such an adept in shamming that it is more probable the profession of suicide was part of his scheme.