ILFORD MURDER CASE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 300, 7 December 1922, Page 4

ILFORD MURDER CASE.

OPENING OF THE TRIAL.

EXTRAORDINARY SCENES AT THE OLD BAILEY.

(Received 7, 10.55 a.m.) London, Dec. 6. Amazing scenes marked the commencement of the trial of Bywaters and Mrs Thomson, at the Off?'Hailey. Iwo women, who reached the Court at 4 o'clock in the morning, led a long queue. More people than could be accommodated gathered at 8 tj clock, l-ater a big crowd besieged the main entrance; another awaited the arrival of the prison van. The queue was equally composed of men and women and included girls in their teens, and grey-headed women. -Mr. T. W. H. Inskip, K.C., led tor the prosecution. The Jury included one woman. The judge ruled that the letters to which the defence objected were admissible.—(A. and N.Z.)

Percy Thompson, a young shipping clerk, was fatally stallbed when returning from an evening at the thea. tre with his wife. He was wounffod in 14 places, and djed in a few minutes. His wife rushed for a doctor. and when she returned she became hysterical and collapsed. Her solicitor, at the inquest, objected to the reading of the letters, but the magistrate overruled him. Bywaters, a ship’s steward, was accused of the murder. It was explained ITiat some of the letters were found in Bywater’s ditty-box aboard the steamer Morea, and were addressed to him at various ports while on a voyage.