CRIME OF PASSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18173, 19 August 1922, Page 2 (Supplement)

CRIME OF PASSION.

EPPING FOREST MURDER. TWO MEN AND A WOMAN. In the Arcadian glades of romantic Epping Forest, a resort beloved of Londoners, a man one sunny day in May came across the woman ho loved in the embrace of a rival. The scene was too much for the William Yeldham. Passion surged within him. 'He was gripped with a frantic desire to take the life of the man who- had seemingly stolen affection which .should have belonged to hiira. Yeldham, according to the statement he himself is alleged to have made to the police, leapt forward-and in a moment he was raining blows en the head of the man in whose arms he had found his lover. The instrument he used was a spanner. Soon his rival, George Grimshaw by name and a married man, lay dead with 26 wounds and bruises on his body. For a time the affair remained a mys- , tery. Then it was placed in the hands of a well-known detective, Inspector Tanner. It was the famous divisional detec- ' tive, who has been associated with many notorious cases, who told at the inquest at Whipps Cross the story of the crime i' and the steps he took to solve the problem. j 11 Yeldham, the inspector declared, told ' how he had done his best to keep the girl (Elsie) off the streets. He was sus- ' picious, and, as the result of inquiries, . Found she was carrying on with a married man. <-.-:■■., _. ~ Coming to the day of the crime, Yeld- ' ham said he followed Elsie to Higham s Park and saw her meet Grimshaw. He went on: "I saw them sitting near a holly bush. His head was on her shoulder and their arms were round each other's waists. She was kissing him, and I lost my temper and hit him with a spanner. I am sorry now. I did it in a passion." To Meet at the Green Maa. in the Court before two ward-, resses, Elsie Yeldham listened to Inspector Tanner reading over the statement which she is alleged to have made to him. In her statement she had said that she had known Yeldham for nine months, and had lived with him at various places On May 17 they quarrelled, and she said she would go and see her sister. That was not true. She was going to meet Grimshaw, the dead man, at a public house called the Green Man. Yeldham followed, but she did not see him do so ; She and Grimshaw went to Higham s Park, and sat down. Grimshaw had his arm round her waist, and she had hers round his. His head was on her shoulder. Suddenly she saw Yeldham come up and strme Grimshaw on the head. Grimshaw got up and Yeldham repeatedly struck him until he fell. She thought he was dead, and knowing he was in the habit of carrying money, she searched his pockets, taking a purse with £15 in notes. She gave them to Yeldham, who told her to go through his pockets, and he took the watch. Then she .covered the body with the dead mans coat. , She and Yeldham went to Woodford and stayed at a lodging house, and on May 18 Yeldham bought a new suit of clothes, leaving his old clothes at Liverpool Street cloakroom. They afterwards went to Braintree and got married by special license on May a). The widow cf the dead man stated that on the night of the tragedy her husband went out earlier than usual. He toid her he was going to have his teeth seen to. He carried a black leather purse, which, as a rule;- contained £5 or £6. A I watch and chain were produced, and, after inspecting them, the witness said that they belonged to her husband. Mr. Harold Smith, of Loughtoin, said that on the night of the tragedy he was in Highams. Park, and heard a slight moaning. After going on for 100 yards he returned and again heard the noise, and on making an investigation he saw a man lying among some bushes. Thinking the man was drunk, he went away, but again returned. A young man came from the other side of the bush, and, at witness' request, looked at the man on the ground. He told witness that the man's face was covered with blood. The police arrived soon after the discovery of the crime. The only person he saw was the young man, and he had not seen him since. When the next witness—Edward George Wallace, of Highams Road, Woodford Green—was called, Mr. Smith identified him as the young man to whom he spoke m the night of the tragedy. Wallace stated that he was in Highams Park, and heard a noise. Proceeding to the spot, he saw two men struggling. He did not iee any blows struck. One of. the men took five or six steps towards him and shouted; "What do you want? Do yon want anything?" When witness was* walking from the spot he saw a man and woman running away. Kc went back to the bushes and saw the previous witness. He discovered a man with his face covered with blood on the ground. Yeldham Identified. The Coroner: Have you seen the man whom you spoke to since?— Yes. I saw him at" the police station. Do you see him now ? Witness (indicating the man YeldhflmV: Yes. Witness also said he identified the woman as the one whom he saw running Dr. Henry Spilsbury stated that he made.-a. examination, and foiind 26 recent wonnds find bruises on the body being on the right arm and head Cid fhrec'on the left. Death was'due to syncope following shock and the loss of blood. Both accused were given the opportunity of going into the witness-box, but thev declined. j The jury, after ten'minutes' consideration, brought in'their verdict of "Wilful murder" against both prisoners, and also found them both guilty on the charge of robbery.