A HORRIBLE MURDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9497, 28 April 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

A HORRIBLE MURDER.

BODY PACKED IN A TRUNK. SENSATIONAL STORY OF THE * CRIME. THE WOMAN'S CONFESSION. A shocking murder was committed in London on March 17, a murder, too, of . so brutal and at the same time of so extraordinary a character as to ensure for ib a foremost place in the annals of sensational crime. The scene of the tragedy was in Grafton-street, in the Soho district, which is peopled by foreigners of the lowest class. It was in the immediate vicinity of the house in which the murder was committed that the police recently raided the Anarchist Club. THE VICTIM. The victim was an old man, no less, indeed, than 72 years of age; and the woman who is in custody charged with causing his death is a foreign woman, 43 years old. She is, ib is believed, an Austrian, although she has spoken of herself as being French. Tho woman was of a type bub too well known in that part of London ; and she had, ib is said, been accompanied by tho old man to her home, where presently, a dispute having arisen with regard to money matters, the woman, ib is alleged, had killed her visitor with a piece of iron used as a poker. In disposing of the body a large chest, such as sailors take to sea with them, was utilised, and this box, with its ghastly contents, was actually removed from the house in safety. . Had it nob been for the intelligence and promptitude of Mrs. Hutchins, a dweller in the house, theu justice would at least have been delayed, and the shocking discovery, if made at all, would have been made in another country. MRS. HUTCHINS' STORY. Having put a press representative in possession of particulars, Mrs. Hutchins unfolded the following strange story. The accused woman, she said, came to the house only a week ago last Friday. She stated that she was a married woman, bub that her husband came home only once a week. She was, however, she said, likely to have two other male visitors, the one her brother-in-law, and the other the man who collected the money for her sewing machine. Madame Hermann produced a photograph which she stated was that of her husband ; and it was proposed, by way of a joke, that she should hang this picture in the hall, so that those who admitted a visitor might know whether or not it was the husband. The new lodger remained a good deal in her rooms, but went across the road pretty frequently to the public-house, and it is believed that she drank a good deal. On Thursday night (March 15) Mi?s Hutchins was going to a dance, but just before she left —about eleven o'clock Mrs. Hutchins supposes—there was a noise in the room below as of somebody failing. Miss Hutchins went out on the landing and listened, bub heard nothing more, and presently went to her dance. After a time Mrs. Hutchins was startled by tho sounds of quarrelling from the room below. The rest of the story is better told in her own words :—

" Opening the door I heard a man's voice exclaiming, ' Give me my £s;' and then I heard the woman answering, 'I'll settle that account presently.' Immediately there was a sound of hammering, and cries of ' Murder.' Then I heard the man's voice saying, * Get a cab and take me to Albanystreet.' After that everything was quiet for a time ; but by-and-by I heard Madame Hermann's door opening, and she went out and went across to the public-house. Through the night there were sounds of washing-up, and she carried a pail down to the yard to empty more than once. She pat it down on the landing once and left it there while she went to the publicbonse. SUSPICIONS ABODSED. " I bad my suspicions aroused, and in the morning I looked about. I saw where the pail had stood in the passage there was a round ring, and it had a bloody appear* ance. In the siink in the backyard there was blood and something that looked like brains." The landlord was informed of these things, it is stated, bub he simply had a look at the sink and remarked that lit wan nothing. Madame Hermann, being spoken to on the subject, said that her "husband" had carried the backet down and emptied it. She had been ill. Mrs. Hutchina, continuing her Btory, said that her suspicion had been aroused by the sounds in the room below, especially as she knew there had been a man there, and she had not seen him go. On Saturday morning these suspicions were increased when she learnt that the foreign woman was about to leave the house. When the men came to remove the boxes Mrs. Hatching kept an eye on what was going on ; and without saying anything to anybody she quietly slipped out and followed the men with the boxes to 56, Upper Maryle-bone-street Having satisfied herself as to the number she went and informed the police, with the result already stated. Miss Hutchins, in conversation with the Eress representative, said : "We hadn't ad time to see much of the woman, but a few days after she came she complained about some of us talking to young men on the doorstep. She said she had walked up I and down the street before. She would pass us to come in, and that if couples were to stand on the doorstep she must move to other lodgings. She had been married twice herself fourteen years ago, and she couldn't bear to see any courting going on. "the old duchess." Farther inquiries have elicited the fact that Hermann has pursued for some years past the wretched avocation of an unfortunate in the Eustom and Tottenham Court Roads. At one period of her career Bondstreet is said to have been one of her regular haunts, and she was well known to the men of the 0 Division as *' The Old Duchess," a distinguishing feature about her being that she invariably carried 'a roll of music in her hand. Up to now, so far as can be ascertained, nothing stood recorded against her character beyond the fact of the manner in which she gained her livelihood. She is described as having always been respectably dressed, and she was credited with the possession when annoyed of a temper that was decidedly peppery and passionate. It is nob known to the police whether Hermann is married or otherwise, but there can be no doubt of the fact that she took the apartments ab Grafton-street as a married woman, and that she was there visited by a man whom she declared to b3 her husband.

It is stated that a few years ago she kept a house of ill-fame in Jermyn-street, Piccadilly, for when her luggage was overhauled by the detectives at 57, Upper Marylebonestreet, among other things they discovered cards bearing her name on a Jermyn-streeb address. So far as the police are aware she has never kept up intimate relations with anyone belonging to that discreditable class of men described as bullies; but ib is asserted, on the other hand, that she is well known to and has frequently been seen in the company of many of these ruffians who infesb the region of the Tottenham Court and Euston Roads. PRISONER IN COURT. Marie Hermann was brought up at Marl-borough-street and formally accused of the murder of Charles Anthony Stephens, of Albany-street, Regent's Park, at Graftonstreet. The court was crowded, and great interest was manifested in the case. Superintendent Sheppard watched tho case on behalf of tho police, bub the prisoner was undefended, having rejected the legal aid offered her. She was dressed in a dark brown skirt and black mantle and hat. Her hair is black, though largely streaked with grey. CONDITION OF THE ROOMS. The first witness called was Inspector Reed, who stated that on Saturday he went with Police-sergeanb Kane to 51, Graftonstreet, Tottenham Court Road. There he visited the first floor fronb and back rooms, bub found thab they were occupiod. He, however, obtained admittance easily, as the doors were unfastened. He examined both rooms, and found stains at various parts. Apparently, witness said, they were bloodstains, bub bhere were more in bhe fronb than the back room. He, as a result of his investigations, was of opinion that something serious had occurred. Learning bhab the rooms under examination had only been vacated thab day, he went to 56, Upper Marylebone-Btreet. He there found the

front door open, nnd he and Kane , went into a room on the first floor. There he found.the prisoner. Witness said that he and his companion had just been to 51,

Graf ton-street), and had seen the rooms which she had lately occupied. " Can you account for the ' marks of blood in the room?" asked the inspector, and the prisoner answered, "Yea." Her statement, however, was of such a nature that witness asked for the large trunk which had been noticed when her furniture had been removed from the Grafton-sfcreeti address. The woman said nothing in reply to this question. She pointed to a spot beneath the foot of the window, bub a few seconds later said, "There it is," pointing to another trunk.

EXAMINATION OF THE TRUNK., Witness then detailed the examination of the trunk. Nothing, however, was found in it of a suspicious nature, it being failed with various articles. Sergeant Kane was then despatched to Grafton-stresb in order to obtain a witness who could identity the trunk. The last-named officer left the room bub the inspector remained with the prisoner. Shortly afterwards Kane returned, and, referring to the prisoner, said, " This woman, I find, occupied the front room as well as the back." Previous to this, however, the prisoner had stated, in answer to a question from the witness whether she occupied any other room than that which they were in at Upper Marylebone-street, that she did nob occupy any other. But owing to the statement made by Sergeant Kane, the trio— inspector, sergeant, and th« prisoner—went into the front room mentioned.

THIS MISSING TRUNK FOUND. There they found a large trunk, tightly corded, standing behind the door. Prisoner was asked if it was hers, and she said "Yes." "Have you a key to open it?" asked the inspector, and he was handed a bunch of keys, which the woman was carrying in her hand. It was discovered, however, that no key would fit the lock, and another bunch of keys was a3ked for, it having been noticed that tho prisoner had them in her hand in the back room. She said that they were still in the room, but although they were searched for they could not be found. Hermann was then told that tho officers wished to ascertain what was in the trunk, and that they would break it open. To this she made no reply. " Then," said the inspectar, "I cut the cords with which ib was bound, forced the lock, and raised the lid. A piece of carpet lay on the top, and on taking this out, I discovered the dead body of a man." Serjeant Kane arrested the prisoner, and witness left the house for assistance. Ho returned with a cab, and the woman was removed to Tottenham Court-road station, the trunk and body being removed at the same time. There the prisoner was charged with killing a man unknown at 51, Grafton-street, Tottenham Court Road. The body has since been identified. The prisoner had no questions to ask, and she was remanded for a week. PRISONER'S CONFESSION. At the inquest on tho body DetectiveSergeant Kane deposed that the woman hadmade the following statement to him : — •' The man tried to strangle me ; you can see the marks on my neck. I had to defend myself. I hit him hard with a poker on Thusrday night, but he was alive at nine o'clock on Friday morning. You will find the poker in the black nox in the back room. I fetched some brandy. I know it is all over with me now, and I may as well tell the truth. I picked him up in the Euston Road. He had not a penny on him, and that was the beginning of the quarrel. I was going to send the trunk to Berlin either to-night or Monday. I know you, Mr. Kane, and why should I tell you lies ? I will nob do it. Mdme. Bricknoll in the parlours brought me up two pails of water. We had five or six drinks. She fetched it frcm Charlotte-street, and I gave her a sovereign. Before the quarrel the old man told me he lived in Albany street." mrs. Hermann's further statement. Detective Towner, D division, said that on Monday, while he was conveying Hermann in a cab to Marlborough-street Police Court, she said, "I picked him up in Euston Road at the corner of flampstead Road about eight o'clock on Thursday night last. He spoke to me and went to a publichouse at the corner of Hampstead Road and had some drink. We then went home to 51, Grafton-streeb." She added that he wished to detain her longer in the back room than she liked, and they struggled in consequence. Ho tried to pull her back into the bedroom. She continued, "We fell on the floor. I struck him on the face with my hand. He then took up the poker and hit me on the head. I took the poker away from him and hit hina four or five times. He was on the top of me. When I hit him he got up and sat in a basket-chair. Then he and the chair fell over on the fender. I saw a lob of blood then, bub there was only a little blood before ho fell on the fender. He said, * You are very good to me, and I will nob say a word against you.' He sab in the chair talking to me until seven in tho morning. Then he went to sleep, and did nob wake up." THE VERDICT. The jury having deliberated in private a quarter of an hour, returned a verdict of " Wilful murder" against Marie Hermann and commended the police and Mrs. Hutchlns for the vigilance they had displayed in this case.