THE BABBICOMBE MURDER.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4864, 9 June 1890, Page 3

THE BABBICOMBE MURDER.

* The Loudon correspondent of the Liverpool Post hears a strange rumour with * respect to what is known as the Babbicombo murder. Tbe tragedy took place on No- c vembor 14th, 1884, tho victim being one Miss t Emma Whitehead Keyes, a lady of private 1 means, sixty-eight years of ago, who rosided nt t Tbe Glen, Babbicombe. Suspicion promptly i turned upon Lee, who was a page m hor em- t ploy, but who stoutly affirmed his innoconco. c He was, however, found guilty, and sentenced i to death. Ho was to havo been hanged on t Feb. 23rd, 1885, when thero followed a t tragedy rivalling m ghastly interest oven tho s murder of Miss Keyes. Thrice tho con- t demned, pinioned, and blindfolded man t stood upon tbe trap, listening to the chaplain j reciting the burial service. Thrice tho hang- a man tried to make tho machine work, and I thrice Lee was removed, being finally con- r ducted to the cell out of which, on the stroke j of eight o'olock, ho hod been led to what r seemed certain death. In consideration of what I he had passed through m the twenty minutes 1 he had stood under the ehadowof the gallows, j Blr William Harcourt, then Home Secretary, i respited him, Lee protesting that m this I unprecedented ocenrrenco the hand of God . had moved to prevent an innocent man from \ being slain. The correspondent now hears a i report *;hat a death-bed confession, has en- a tablished Lee's innocence, and indicated tbo murderer m another quarter.