THE BANNER CROSS MURDER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 662, 28 March 1879, Page 2

THE BANNER CROSS MURDER.

♦ EXTRAORDINARY ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE FROM CUSTODY.

A most extraordinary criminal case is just now being judicially investigated. About two years ago a person named Dyson was shot in his garden, at Sheffield, in the presence of hia wife. A .man nan led Peace, who had pressed his unwelcome attentions on Mrs Dyson, was accused of the crime. For more than two years this man managed to elude justice, but was at length taken for a series of biiglaries near London, 1 and ultimately sentenced to penal servitude for life. Being suspected as the murderer of Mr. Dyson, the widow, who had gone to reside in America, has been brought over to England^ and- she has identified him as the murderer of her husband. Peace, who was serving his time in Pentonville Prison, has been taken to Sheffield to be examined by "the magistrates there, and on his last journey from London he made a desperate attempt; to escape. The charge was to have been gone into for the second time on January 2{2, before the Sheffield Stipendiary, but the case had to be again adjourned, under the most . unforseen -and extraordinary circumstances. Much excitement was caused at the approaches to the Central Police Office in Sheffield when the prison- van arrived from the station without the prisoner. A rumour, which spread like wildfire, although it was scarcely credited at the time, stated that Peace had again eluded the vigilance of the police, and escaped from the railway carriage on his way from London somewhere near Peter-' . borough, and, as imparting an additional feature to the daring of this incredibly audacious character, it was stated that, the train, at tlie time of this extraordinary incident, was travelling at the rate of between thirty and forty miles an hour. On inquiry at the police office the rumour was found to be substantially correet. Charles' Peace had, indeed, made his escape whilst in charge of two warders from Pentonville. It appears that when about a dozen miles from Sheffield, Peace asked, that the carriage window might be opened, and on this being done he deliberately jumped right through the open space, and the warder, who was standing behind, was just in time to catch one of his legs as he was disappearing. A terrible struggle ensued. Peace, hanging head downwards, used both hands and the leg at liberty to drag himself from the grasp of the warder, and frequently kicked the hand of the officer to make him let go his hold of his boot. The struggle, it is said, lasted several minutes, and all that time the train, one of the fastest expresses of the day, was running nt full speed. Eventually the boot by which the warder was holding Peace slipped off, and the convict fell. His head struck the footboard violently, and then he rolled over into the snow. Several passengers had witnessed the fierce encounter from the windows of the compartments, and they tugged at the communicationcord, but it would not: act, and the train ran on nerly two miles before the attention of the engine-driver was attracted, and the train brought to a stand. The two warders and one of the passengers hurried back to the spot, and round Peace lying by the side of the line in an unconscious condition. Blood was flowing freely from a severe Wound on the head. He was carried back to Shireoaks Station, and a slow train coming up almost immediately, he was put into the guard's van and taken on to Sheffield. A strong body of police met the train by which Peace was expected, and the excitement that was was produced when they found in the compartment nothing but a rug, a bag which had belonged to one of the warders, and the officer's sword, may be readily imagined. The news that he had escaped spread rapidly, and was soon conveyed to the police court, where the magistrates had taken their seats, and where the lawyers engaged were in their places. Mrs. Dyson was in attendance, ready to be cross-examined. Meanwhile the Slow train arrived in Sheffield, Peace was carried in an almost insensible condition into the prison van, and two medical men were speedily in attendance upon him, and they certified that he was suffering from concussion of the brain. He was placed in a cell and appeared in a very distressed condition. He vomited several times, and was unable to take the brandy that was offered to him. After a while, however, he recovered,

and was unwilling to take any stimulants, but they were forced upon him, and after a time he readily took the brandy. " 4> Thejprispner recovered sufficiently to be brought before the Bench and charged with the murder. Mrs. Dyson was the principal witness, and after hearing the evidence Peace was fully committed to take his trial at the Leeds assizes, which were held a very short time after committal.

By a telegram to-day, we learn that a serious accident occurred to a mannamed Edward Bunting in the employment of Snowden, a bush contractor in the Kaipara. He was fearf ujly cut by an axe on the small of the back> just below the belt.- The cut was six inches in length and three inches in depth. The flag was placed on the roof of Mr. Adair's buildiug this morning. The men rejoiced and the proprietor shouted — not for joy, but for beer, which was well supplied. i

Cavill, the long-distance swimmer (says the Age), took a two-mile swim in the Yarra on Tuesday afternoon. He is a fine exponent of his art, and swims with a steady stroke, as regular and powerful as that of a steam-engine. His mode' of propulsion is unique. Swimming always on his right side, ho uses his left arm with the greatest force, sometimes throwing it well over the shoulder, and at others keeping it under water. His pace is ever the same, for he never " spurts," but does 25 strokes to the minute. With each one ho gives a "blow" like that of a whale. Although he was guite out of practice yesterday, after his voyage out, he .did the two miles easily in an hour. Upon his hands and feet lie wore indiarubber 1 coverings. " Atticus," in the Melbourne Leader of the Ist inst, says :— " The bachelors of Australia find favor in the eyes of the daughters of her governors. Viscount Canterbury and Sir Hecules Robinson have found sons-in-law at the antipodes, and the marriage ofjSir George F. Bowen's eldest daughter with the son of a Melbourne squatter is on the tapis. . The engagement was sanctioned the evening before the lady took her departure for Mauritius, whither, no doubt, she will soon be followed by her suitor." The Rev. 0. B. Fairey, an enthusiastic Evangelist, is making a trip along the Tasmanian coast in a Rob Kofr canoe, preaching the Gospel at various stopping places.