THE MERSTHAM TUNNEL MYSTERY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8270, 25 October 1906, Page 3

THE MERSTHAM TUNNEL MYSTERY.

London, September 7, Nearly a year ago—on the j Jast 'Sunday of September, 1905, —tbe • dead body of Mary Sophia Money was fotxnd late at night in Merstbam Tubnei, 13 miles from London. She >bad left Bridger's Dairy, Lavender .Hill, Clapham Junction ''(where she was employed as book-keepor), about seven o'clock, and, while many things pointed faut that she ''bad gone to beep an appointmeut, no evidence could be discovered of a meeting. Many oluos were suggest~ed, but every bue failed under police investigation. Certaiu lecent discoveries now the possibility of another clue. There is at present's man in a certain gaol concerning whom fu;;ther inquiries are baine made. The following are tho facts which have aroused the new suspicion:— Miss Money wis a native of. and 'spent most of her girlhood in, Kingston. The prisoner is also a 'native of Kingston. Miss Money was proved at. the inquest to have b«pn in the habit of visiting West End theatres with passes. The prisoner is a man -connected with theatres, and in the habit of causes to young girls. Miss Money bad a banking acoonnt and was a shop-girl. Tbe prisoner made a speciality of •seeking out young girls with banking accounts,'and iu almost every 'Case his dupes were shop-glrlp. Miss Money was in tbe habit of , seorotly receiving notes written ou • scraps of paper signed with initials. This has for years been th«anstom of the prisoner with various young women. Merstham Tunnel is on tbe Brighton lino, not a great distance from Parley. "Some weeks nrtor to the fatal Sunday evening," a Lppdou paper 8878, "the prisouer was a member of a theatrical company, from which he "Was discharged. just previous to Septeber 24. At that tipae be was leading a double life, witji an address not ten minutes' \yajk away from ■Bridger'a dairy, where Miss Money was employed. Two separate peDple in tho same Theatrical company in which tie was engaged hate, oa more •than one occasion, openly accused <fcim of. knowing the secret of Miss Money's death. The 'hand-grip braising' raaijis on Miss Monty's body were by oue medical man in detail as peculiar. Three or four young womeu with whom the prisoner baa been acquainted are prepared to qweßV that he has seized them in a Birqjlar manner in a sudden outburst of ferocious feeling. Examples of the prisoner's band writing jre in the hands of the police. A Sbbrt note - to Miss Money was found in one of ber boxes after the inquest, and com parisons of the hand-writing on that note wffch the handwriting on the notes fo pther girls are being carefully p)£»de. Attention wbs direoted to tbe mark on a handkerchief that wag found on tbe line after the tragedy. The significance of this was not understood at the inquest, but it may now have a meaning." Interviewed ty a press reporter, the brother of Miss Money repeated tbe story of his murdered sister's habit of visiting theatres on invitation, aqd also reiterated bis statements aq to her notes in secret, stating that he had recently found another of tbe clandestine notes hidden away amongst fiis sister's property.