THE GREEN LANES CRIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11771, 28 September 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE GREEN LANES CRIME.

AMAZING STATEMENTS BY MISS {;.._.-.; ,~, „.,,.. DYER. ;; , .HER MASTER'S STORY. The sensational story of the Green Lanes tragedy, in which Ralph John and Caroline Agnes Joliffe Dyer, brother and sister, the one a bootmaker and the other a dressmaker, of Drake-street, Portsmouth, are charged with being concerned in the murder of Miss Francess Anne Norbury; the attempt to . . murder ' heir mother, Mrs. Norbury; her brother, William Flack Norbury,- and Al- I gernon Horace Reed, a member of the Lon- i don Salvage Corps, has been the subject of . both a magisterial investigation and a coroner's inquiry. The evidence produced by the prosecution before the magistrate and the testimony of witnesses at the inquest form a story of a startling nature. • When the coroner resumed his inquiry, Mary Ralph, female searcher at Stoke Newington Police Station, stated that she searched the female prisoner and found the leather dagger sheath produced sewn on the band of Miss Dyer's dress. William James Lewis was the next witness, and the coroner informed him that Miss Dyer had been charged /with murder," and as she had made a statement charging witness with assault he (the coroner) felt it his duty to caution the witness. The witness then stated that he carried on business as a drapei at 94, Green Lanes, and in June last advertised for a dressmaker. He received a letter from Miss Joliffo (Dyer) in which she said she had been in business for herself, and asking £65 per year, living in. Witness offered her £60, by letter, but as he received no answer he wired, Will you accept? When come?" After further correspondence the witness wived " Come Monday," and Miss Joliffe arrived on July 1. A fire occurred at the shop on July 4, about half-past nine p.m., the premises having been closed from two p.m. Miss Joliffo /was downstairs below the shop when the fire broke out. Not much damage was done except to the shop. Miss Joliffe discovered the fire. Up till that time Joliffe had Veen sleeping in a room at the top of the house, but then went to stay at the Norburys', witness' wife paying the rent. Joliffe had to work alone* either at Green Lanes or Petherton Road, where witness removed. On July. 5 Joliffe asked for a month's wages, saying she could not stop. This witness declined to give her. She did no more work until the following Monday, and then twice came downstairs and said the place was on fire again. ; This was not true. She continued to work for a week, but then complained that the Jews were after her, and that she did not like being left in the house alone. As a matter of fact she was not left alone. Witness declined to pay Miss Joliffe, as she would not give a receipt for her wages, but ultimately did so on Wednesday, July 24, Reed, the salvage man, being present. Joliffe never made any complaint to the witness about Reed. Witness had never assaulted or made improper overtures to Joliffe, and was not aware that anyone else had done so. . MVs. Lewis told witness that Joliffe complained of one of the salvage men being in the bedroom upstairs. The man had a right to be there. The coroner, at the conclusion •of witness' evidence, asked Miss Dyer if she had any questions to ask him. She commenced •to make a long statement, and the coroner told her that she had better be swam. This she elected to do, and said that her name .was Caroline Agnes Joliffe Dyer, adding that she always went by the name of Joliffe. The coroner cautioned her, stating that her evidence would be taken down and probably used against her. Dyer: "I did it to be hung; if I had . not been hung * I should have committed suicide." • She added, "If you will read my letters and statements it will be clearer.'' Detective-Inspector Martin produced copies of the. statement and letters referred to, ! which the coroner read as follows:It was 'dated July 23, from 223, Lake Road, Portsmouth* and went on: "In case of anything happening, this is to certify that I have been the victim of outrage and'attempted murder, instigated by some Jews in Portsmouth, in company with some-others in London. I solemnly swear before God that when I went to Lon- . don I was alsolutely pure, and as nothing had taken place when I was awake, I charge Mr. Norbury, Mr. Lewis, -and others with . entrapping me in the house, situated at 52, t Green Lanes, after they were burnt out at 94, Green Lanes. I charge Mr. Lewis with setting fire to his place with intent to murder me, which it would have done had I not discovered it. Failing to do so, they outraged me in my sleep, to do which they must have drugged me, after which they turned me out and thought I had not a penny • piece. I took a room at Mildmay Road and had the door locked. I was startled in the night on hearing someone come in, but Miss Knight came up and told me it was only the lodger. I have nothing to say against that house. I had been very nervous since the fire. i. mention this because in this room there was a key, and I bad the door locked. I was wakeful through so many frights. I am in hopes of meeting one of the people, and I will thank the Lord if I get hanged for it. What I have said I solemnly swear is absolutely true before God. I bad no iiiea in the least of such a thing until I came home, and my mother said I ought to be examined. The female prisoner, in reply to the : coroner, said she still adhered tc the statement, and considered she was justified in doing what she had done. The coroner next read a similar incoherent statement made by Ralph Dyer. Dr. Samuel Phillip Alexander, residing at 20, Great, Kent Road, Southsea, deposed that on Thursday, July 25, the female prisoner, accompanied by her mother, consulted • him with a view of gaining his opinion as to an allegation that the former had been drugged and outraged. Witness at first refused, and advised her to consult the police surgeon, so as to obtain an official opinion. The mother pressed the witness, and tie ex-amined-her upon the understanding that any opinion he gave was to be strictly private. * Accused erp'ained the symptoms from which s'.e said she was suffering. The ■.' result of his examination was that the girl was suffering entirely from a delusion. Dr. Leslie Durno, the divisional surgeon ' of police, recalled, said he could find no trace of Miss Dyer having been outraged. The coroner briefly reviewed the facts of the case, and, after a short consultation in private the jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder" against the accused, who were committed for trial on the coroner's warrant. When at North London Police Court the two Dyers were again charged. Detective-Inspector John Martin said that when prisoners were charged they handed in written statements. The following was the male prisoner's statement: — '" I, Ralph John Dyer, the one-time victim of the scandalous story, 'The Butcher's Shop at Southesa," as taken up by Mr. Labouchere in Truth in the yeai 1894, March 15, or thereabouts, having the temerity to open another business in the same town again, Lake Road, Portsmouth, to the discomfiture of the whole of the officials, who, not daring to arrest me, have by other means managed to drive me from the town, my native town of Portsmouth. The means I refer to can, I believe, be traced to them, and are as follows: —My sister, Caroline Joliffe, fir ■ Caroline Dyer, dressmaker and fitter, was offered, under peculiar circumstances, a situation as fitter in workroom of several hands in a shop situate 94, Green Lanes, London, N., by a Mr. Lewis. My sister accepted to find a small draper's with no hands to work at all, queer stories of Jewish wedding orders which do not come to anything, no servants in the house, no private bedroom to herself (a private bed- j room-was' specially asked for and granted; before engagement), but simply aD attic to ' sleep in, without a proper door even. A few days after my sister was drugged, outraged, and an attempt made to murder • ' her by fire (why is no inquiry made into the v ' ■■■* origin of the fire?) On hearing of the queer circumstances attending the fire, which ■ was luckily discovered by my sister, or she had been suffocated for certain, the matter was placed in the hands of the Chief Commissioner of Police. Knowledge of the outrage came later after examination by Dr. Alexander, of Kent Road, Southsea; who - (specially wished his name kept out of it. The only result of the communication to the police was that instead of protection they .. menaced her, a message being given by a mj: ' ■'■'■' police constable that she had better be carem. g.f <&* would get into trouble, after ■L ♦• which, m sister is thrust into the street mmL *» &taa tmM&xi mmt by

Mr. Lewis, and known as 52, Green Lanes, over the jeweller's). My sister, I say, is thrust into the street in the pouring rain with her things; witness, the police. Nowhere to go for shelter; managed to engage a room for the night, and came to Portsmouth following day. This is how Mr. Lewis acted, and even refused to pay her money due until pressure was brought to bear; witness, the police again. Also fireman in charge insulted her grossly. I hope to meet him. . These are the means taken to" drive me from my native town. At least most people would, if they knew all the circumstances, connect the two stories. I leave it to the public to judge. There is only one course left to me, and that is to avenge my outraged and insulted sister and my mother, who is almost worried to death."

Mrs. Emma Joliffe Dyer, of Luke Road, Portsmouth, said prisoners were her children. Ralph carried on business as a leather seller at that address. On July 1 her daughter Caroline left home to go to Mr. Lewis' situation. On July 24, in consequence of a letter, Ralph went up to London to fetch his sister. They returned together the same night. Next morning she took her daughter to 14 doctors. They refused to have anything to do with her, but Dr. Alexander told a very different story to them to what lie had told now. He distinctly said that she was suffering from a foul disease, and that she had been outraged. When they got home Caroline said, "I cannot live after this." She wanted to come up to London to get justice, and Ralph decided to go with her. Witness went on to say that she was horrified to find that at the situation there was only one Gentile. All the rest were Jews. Jews had followed the witness about for seven days. , Mr. J. W. Lewis, a draper at 94, Green Lanes, having repeated the evidence which he gave at the inquest, Mr. Wm. Lewis (prosecuting for the Treasury), said: It is only right to say that Major Fox, on behalf of the Salvage Corps and the insurance company, has made every investigation as to the causes of the fire, and he is quite satisfied that no suspicion whatever can attach to Mr. Lewis.

Algernon Horace Reed said that he was a member of the London Salvage Corps. At eight a.m. on July 5 he took charge of Mr. Lewis' premises, remaining there until six o'clock each evening. He saw Miss Dyer from time to time, and on July 23 he was asked to witness a receipt for £5, which sum Mr. Lewis was to pay to Miss Dyer. She declined to sign on the 23rd, but did sign the receipt on July 24. when the money was paid. On that day she took away a box, witness helping her clown with it. At a quarter-past one on the 26th there was a loud knock at the door. He opened it, and immediately received two stabs in the left breast. He then recognised his assailant as Miss Dver. She struck at him a third time, but the" knife only entered his waistcoat. He warded it off. She ran away, and he followed her with a brass rod m his hand and knocked her down. The male prisoner, however, insisted upon to Lewis', but us you followed I turned to stab you again. Witness, continuing, said that he struggled with the woman on the ground; she then had a dagger in her hand. His treatment of the prisoner had always been what it should be, and he had had no dispute with ner - Mr. Fordham said that the prisoners would be committed for trial, and they now had an opportunity of saying what they chose. Mr. Crocker (appearing for the defence) said he should advise his clients to plead rot guilty, and reserve their defence. The male prisoner, however, insisted upon making a. statement. He said, "I took up my sister's case to avenge an outrage. I still believe that she has been outraged. J plead guilty to what I have done, with justification. That is my answer. I call no witnesses. It is no use." Caroline Dyer said: I say that my brother had scarcely "anything to do with it, and I don't see why he should be implicated. He stood by me because he has such a noble mind. True, he had a pistol, but you can all see that he did not use it, and what he did I say was right. The reason I did it was because of what one doctor in Southsea told me. That was enough to justify me in what I have done.

Mr. Lewis said he desired to state that all the letters which had been put in as having passed between the female prisoner and Mrs. Dyer spoke of the humane treatment she received at the hands of the Lewises and the Norburys. It was not until she got home to Southsea again that any allegation of outrage was made. Prisoners were then committed to the Central Criminal Court for trial.