THE DEATH PENALTY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13499, 14 August 1907, Page 5

THE DEATH PENALTY.

CROYDON M UR DER .

United Press Association — By Electric Telegraph. — Copyright. (Received August 14, 8.30 a.m.) / LONDON, August 13. Brinkley has been executed for the murder of Mr and Mrs Beck at Croydon.

(Richard Beck, aged 51, and his wife, Ann Beck, 53, died after drinking stout brought to their house at South Croydon by Richard Brinkley, aged 53, a Fulham carpenter, on April 20. Their daughter. Dais3\ 21, also partook of the stout, and was dangerously ill, but recovered. From the evidence given at the inquest, it appeared that Brinkley 's object was to kill a man nnmed Parker, who lodged with tho Becks, in order that ho might inherit tho property of ;> 3lrs Bhime, under a will which Parker knew to be not genuine. Two days after, signing the will in question Mrs Blume died mysteriously. Parker was in the room when Brinkley brought the stout (which was subsequently found to contain a large quantity of cyanido of potassium) to Beck's house, but ho refused to drink any, as he believed Brinkley had attempted to poison him on a previous occasion. The others drank the liquor, with fatal results).