THE NUMBER THIRTEEN.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13439, 10 June 1912, Page 7

THE NUMBER THIRTEEN.

, Frederick Henry Seddon, who was executed for the murder of Miss Barrow, in his last'letter to. his wife, protested his innocsneo, and added: "I will surprise you by a chapter of incidents since my'arrest .that will make you all wonder whether the, number 13 is unlucky. In my case it certainly appears so! Miss Barrow came to my house August, 191*0, died Septem-, her, 1911, months 13 j Took ill September 1, died Septem.- i ber 14, days *-o I arrested December 4; Old Bailey trial,-March 4, weeks 33 Attended inquest twice, Police Court 11 times, total 13 Appeal heard April 1 (13th week "in New Year), 13 Grounds of appeal, 13 points of law on appeal paper made by solicitor ' _ 13 Reprieve papers to be sent in to solicitor as arranged by him, April 13 Left Brixton Prison in van (several times with 13 prisoners) 13 Returned to Brixton Prison with ; 13 prisoners 13 Been with 19 prisoners and position changed, placing me 13th in line- 13 Exercised several occasions at Brixton with 13 prisoners 13 Sat at table in hospital ward, Brixton Prison, 13 at table 13 Repeatedly found myself with the number 13 prisoners in Hospital Ward ■ 13 Official number given to me on arrival at Pentonville, 13, 990 13 Cash in hand at Pentonville belonging to me 6s 6d (sixpences 13) 13 Sent wife a letter, and inadvertent!.} placed a number of crosses as kisses. Counted 13 Sent young daughter Ada a note with 7 kisses; she replied with 6 13 I made this out on Good Friday, April 5, and found, on reflection, that it was just 13 days to date fixed for execution, April'lß 13 "This will be considered by many people as a mere chapter of coincidences, and I would add that the set of circumstances that has surrounded my case, which has been tho means of my conviction, are just as strange, and are a mere chapter of coincidences on which a perfectly innocent or business interpretation could have been placed, but on which the prosecution placed the worst possiblo construction, and thus secured my conviction." The dread of sitting down 13 to table is equally widespread, and however much superior people may scoff, there are undoubtedly very strange stories told of ill-luck befalling peoplo.who had tho . temerity to dine with 12 companions. Sir John. Millais, the great painter, once had a dinner party, at which Matthew Arnold, among others, was present. During the meal somebody noticed that there were 13 diners, and expressed alarm. -..■.Matthew Arnold said: "According to tho superstition, the first of us to leave the table will die within the year. But wo will cheat Fate. Three of us will rise at the same time-; —myself and these two strong 'young-men here." Accordingly at the end of the meal the three- men—-Arnold; a Mr. Dawes, and another man, who is referred to, for obvious reasons, in the; story as "E.S."—rose and left the table simultaneously. Six months afterwards Matthew Arnold died. A wesk or so later "E.S." was found dead in bed, with a revolver beside him. And before the year was up Mr. Dawes was drowned in the steamship Quetta, which went down in the Indian Ocean with all hands.