The Star
Largest Circulation of Any Evening Paper in the Kingdom.
LONDON. MONDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER, 1888.

A MAGISTRATE'S CRIME.
He Attempts to Murder His Cook, and Commits Suicide with a Revolver.

A gentleman named A. Wilson Edwards, a justice of the peace, brother of Mr. Edwards, J.P., of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, attempted yesterday morning to murder one of his servants, and afterwards shot himself. He was found lying insensible on the floor with bullet wounds in his right temple, and near him was a six-chambered revolver, of which three chambers had recently been emptied. In the servants' bedroom was discovered the cook, Mary Stevens, aged about 40, lying apparently

LIFELESS ON THE FLOOR.

She was placed in bed, and the efforts made to restore consciousness met with a certain amount of success; but pain and fright combined rendered her delirious, and her contortions rendered it impossible for the doctor to ascertain the precise nature of her injuries. From the statement of the housemaid, Annie Smith, who gave the alarm, it appears that about half-past six o'clock in the morning Mr. Edwards entered the bedroom where she and Stevens were sleeping, carrying a revolver in his hand. Stevens sat up in bed and said, "What's the matter, master?" when he fired two shots at her, both of which struck her in the body. Smith, who had pulled the bedclothes over her head when she saw the revolver, jumped out of bed, hastily dressed herself, escaped from the house, and ran, as already described, for doctor and police. Mrs. Edwards, an elderly lady of 70, who has been ailing for some time, stated that she noticed her husband come into her bedroom early that morning with a revolver, and on her speaking to him to her horror he placed the revolver against his temples and fired,

THE BULLET PIERCING THE SKULL.

Mr. Edwards has been much depressed lately, and complained of money difficulties, but these would appear to have been more imaginary than real. He occupied a respected position in the town. Mr. Edwards was a magistrate for the borough, a vice-chairman of Wrexham Board of Guardians, a director of the Wrexham Waterworks Company and Wrexham Gas Light Company, a member of the Free Library Committee, the Wrexham School Board, the Wrexham British Schools Committee, the Union Assessment Committee, and other public bodies.

"The Star" Would Corrupt Stroud.

A free library is shortly to be opened in the town of Stroud, in Gloucestershire, and a few nights since a meeting was held to decide what evening papers shall be taken in. One good Radical naturally named The Star, but Mr. J. R. Buckler, a Liberal Unionist, said, "No, no; we can't have that paper." This summary way of sitting upon The Star was resented by the Radicals, but ultimately the Unionists had their own way. Then someone ventured to hope that a good Irish paper would be purchased, but the worthy swash-Buckler, with a delightful sneer, wished to know if a "respectable Irish paper" could be found. Eventually the Freeman's Journal was decided upon.

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FIFTH EDITION.

Another Servant Girl Shot.

Henry Hey, landlord of the Blacksmiths' Arms, Thurlstone, near Barnsley, this morning shot his servant girl, who only survived for two hours, and died without being able to make any statement. Hey is in custody. The affair is involved in mystery.

A Clapham-common Mystery.

A woman named Margaret Paul, who lives in Rupert-street, Soho, was found lying on Clapham-common yesterday among the furze, senseless and groaning. She had apparently been robbed and drugged, for her reticule was open. She was well-dressed, and it is suggested that the woman was beguiled on to the common by a man and there assaulted, drugged, and robbed.

A Star reporter called at the Clapham Police-station this forenoon and learned the facts of the case, so far as known there, to be that at half-past eleven on Saturday night a Mr. Pastell, of Pimlico, discovered the woman Paul lying on the Common, and immediately called the attention of 153 W to the matter. The woman was then unconscious, and the officer procured medical assistance. She was afterwards removed to St. Thomas's Hospital, where she partially recovered, and stated to the house physician, Dr. Hobhouse, that she had taken a drink from a bottle given her by some man whom she did not know. She said nothing whatever about being robbed, and the police do not believe any such thing occurred. The woman's residence is at Crown-buildings, Rupert-street, Soho and the police went there and brought her son (who lives with her) to the hospital. That young man, however, volunteered no statement. A detective officer has been set to unravel the mystery. The woman remains in hospital. Dr. Hobhouse declines to say anything, but asserts that he has not intimated to anybody there were evidences of her having taken poison.

£120 Stolen from Hampstead Post Office.

Last night between ten and eleven o'clock the post-office at Fortune-green, Hampstead, was broken into and postal-orders, stamps, and money to the value of about £120 were stolen. The person in charge of the office had occasion to leave for about half an hour, and on his return the place was found in the greatest confusion. It is supposed that he must have been watched when leaving by the burglars.

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THE WHITECHAPEL CRIME.

THE INQUEST ON THE WOMAN NICHOLS RESUMED TO-DAY.

Detailed Evidence of the Circumstances Under Which the Body was Discovered - The Slaughterman Called.

At the Lads' Institute, Whitechapel, this morning Coroner Baxter resumed his inquiry into the mysterious murder of the woman Nicholls, who was found horribly murdered near a gateway in Buck's-row early on Friday morning.

Inspector John Spratling was the first witness - a keen-eyed man with iron-grey hair and beard. He said he was called to where the body was found at half-past four on Friday morning. Two policemen were there. One of them pointed out the spot where the woman was found. The blood was then being washed away, but he noticed stains between the stones. The body had been removed to the mortuary in Old Montague-street. Witness went there and found the body still on the ambulance. It was then in the yard; the keeper had been sent for that it might be placed in the dead-house. During the wait witness took a description, but he did not notice wounds on the body. When the body had been put in the mortuary he made a more extended examination, and then discovered for the first time the injuries to the abdomen. The bowels were exposed. On this discovery he sent for Dr. Llewellyn. There were no blood marks between the groin and the knees - there might have been a spot, but not any noticeable quantity. The skin was clean, but it did not appear to have been washed. Two workhouse men stripped the body.

Inspector Enright said in answer to the Coroner and Inspector Spratling, he gave instructions that

THE BODY SHOULD NOT BE TOUCHED.

The Coroner didn't seem pleased that the body should have been stripped, apparently without authority.

Inspector Spratling, continuing his evidence, said the principal parts of her attire consisted of an old reddish brown ulster, a comparatively new brown linsey dress, two workhouse petticoats - the workhouse marks had been cut out of the bands - and a pair of stays.

The Coroner said he was anxious to see these stays, and they were sent for. He wanted to know whether they were injured; he thought they should have protected the body.

A juryman said it was important to know, too, whether they were fastened when found on the body, and the Coroner remarked, "It is the little things that tell the tale. The condition of the clothing is most important."

Witness, continuing, said there was no blood on the petticoats; the chemise, however, was bloodstained on the front; he did not notice that it was on the back. There was blood on the upper part of the dress and on the cloak. He noticed when the doctor examined the body that the injuries commenced just below the breast bone.

The Coroner remarked that the stays would be over this part of the body, and the witness said, "Yes, it would." "Yes, I should understand that from the evidence of the doctor," observed the Coroner, evidently impressed.

Resuming his answers to the Coroner, the witness said that at five or six o'clock he set Police-constable Thain to

EXAMINE ALL THE PREMISES

in the vicinity of the spot where the body was discovered. Witness looked himself for bloodstains in Buck's-row. That was at 11 or 12 o'clock. He couldn't find any. Subsequently, with Sergeant Godley, he examined the East London and District Railway embankment and lines, and also the Great Eastern Railway yard. He found nothing - no weapon.

"You are looking for the weapon and I am looking for the blood," said the Coroner rather sharply.

"No, no blood," answered witness hastily. Green, a carman working for Mr. Brown, washed away the blood. There were men working at the Great Eastern Railway yard all night. He saw various people who had been in the vicinity. - Mrs. Green, who lived close to the gateway, and also a watchman 50 yards from the spot - but none could give him any information whatever. A Mr. Purkis told him his wife had been pacing the room early in the morning about the time the murder must have been committed, but heard nothing. The distance from the spot where the body was found to Barber's slaughter yard was 150 paces - walking round the Board School.

"As the crow flies," remarked the coroner, looking at a plan, "it would not be more than half that distance." It was further noted that between the two spots only the low row of cottages intervened.

In answer to the foreman, Inspector Spratling said the other constable besides Neil, whose beat was near, went down Brady-street. They would be within hearing distance from time to time.

Questioned by jurymen, witness said the impression he formed when he first saw the body was that the woman had been murdered with her clothes on, "of course." The body was not left where the school-children could see it before being placed in the dead-house.

Henry Tompkins said he lived at 12, Coventry-street, Bethnal-green. He was

A HORSE SLAUGHTERER

in the employment of Mr. Barber. He spent Thursday night and Friday morning in the slaughterhouse in Winthrop-street. He started at between eight and nine p.m., his usual time. His time for leaving was four in the morning. He left off work at twenty minutes past four on Friday morning. He went for a walk. They generally went home when they left work, but didn't that morning. He went to see "that woman what was murdered." Police-constable Pain was passing, at a quarter-past four, the slaughter-house, and told them a woman had been murdered in Buck's-row. There were three men at work in the slaughter-house - himself, James Mumford, and Charles Britten. At twenty minutes past twelve witness and Britten left the slaughter-house and went back at one. "We didn't go far away, only down the court there."

It was explained that this was Wood's-buildings.

"It was as near four as anything when we was done work." Witness went on. Their work was "wery quiet," but they heard nothing. "The gates was all open; any one could come in."

"No, no," said the Coroner; "I want to know whether you could hear any sound."

"No sir, we heard no sound - no cry. No one passed the slaughter-house except the policeman at a quarter past four."

"Where there any women about?"

"Oh, I don't know anything about them," witness answered, with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Did you see any in your walk?"

"Oh, no; I don't know about that. I don't like them."

Pressed by the Coroner, he said there were men and women of all sorts and sizes in the Whitechapel-road. He volunteered the information that it was

"A VERY ROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD."

If anybody had called for help in Buck's-row he didn't think he should have heard it - it was too far away. When told that a woman had been murdered in Buck's-row they all went there. Witness and Mumford went first, and Britten followed after. The doctor and three or four policemen were there. "I don't know whether there was two other men there. I think there was." He didn't know who they were. Witness stopped there till the woman was taken away. Lots of people came in the interval - 10 or a dozen. He didn't hear anything said as to how the woman came there or where she came from.

"Are you sure there were not three people there?" asked the Coroner.

"I believe there was two there," answered witness.

"What do you mean by 'believe' ?"

"Well, I saw two people there then," said the witness, getting provoked. He had not read the papers, he couldn't read. Standing with his hands in his pockets the witness, a roughly dressed young fellow of low stature, was

BADGERED BY SEVERAL JURYMEN

about his midnight ramble. They generally, he said, went out to have a drink. He would swear his usual time of knocking off work was not six o'clock. What time they went home depended on what time they got their work done. The policeman called at the slaughter house at a quarter past four for his cape. Then it was he told them of the murder. He did not call to tell them of the murder, but to get his cape.

"That's all," said the Coroner.

"Thank you, sir," said witness, and he went away rather angry and somewhat relieved.

INSPECTOR HELSTON

said he received information of the murder at a quarter to seven. He went to the Bethnal-green station, learned the particulars, and went to the mortuary. He saw the body with all the clothing on, and was present when the clothes were removed. The bodice of the dress was buttoned down to the middle. The stays were fastened up. They were fairly tight, but they were rather short. No blood had soaked through the petticoats or the lower part of the ulster, but the back of the bodice had absorbed a good deal which had apparently come from the neck, and so had the corresponding part of the ulster.

THE HAIR WAS SOAKED WITH BLOOD.

The skin of the woman's thighs was clean, but not so clean as to suggest that that part of the body had been recently washed. There were discolorations on the cheek and under the jaw bone, probably caused by blows, but there were no bruises on the arms to indicate a struggle. All the wounds on the abdomen were visible with the stays on, showing that they could have been inflicted without the removal of the stays. There were no wounds under the stays. He examined the spot where the body was found, but not until after the blood had been washed off. There were no blood splashes on the gate. He found no blood on the pavement either in Buck's-row or Brady-street, except one spot - "it might have been blood" - in Brady-street.

Replying to the foreman, witness said he did not think it strange that there was so little blood. That from the abdominal wounds had flowed into the body. It was his opinion that

THE MURDER WAS COMMITTED AT THE SPOT

where the body was found. The clothes had been so little deranged that she could not have been carried any distance.

Policeman George Myzen said that at a quarter to four on Friday morning he was in Hanbury-street, Baker's-row. A man passing said to him, "You're wanted round in Buck's-row." That man was Carman Cross (who came into the Court-room in a coarse sacking apron), and he had come from Buck's-row. He said a woman had been found there. Witness went to the spot, found Policeman Neil there, and by his instruction witness went for the ambulance. He assisted in removing the body. He noticed blood running from the throat to the gutter. There was only one pool; it was somewhat congealed. Cross, when he spoke to witness about the affair, was accompanied by another man. Both went down Hanbury-street. The witness at the time was in the act of knocking a man up. Cross told him a policeman wanted him. He did not say anything about murder or suicide. It was not true that before he went to Buck's-row, witness continued "knocking people up." He went there immediately.

CARMAN CROSS

was the the next witness. He lived at 22 Doveton street, Cambridge-road. He was employed by Pickfords. He left home on Friday at twenty minutes past three, and got to Pickford's yard at Broad-street at four o'clock. He crossed Bradley-street into Buck's-row. He was alone. He saw something lying in front of the gateway - it looked in the distance like tarpaulin. When he got nearer he found it was a woman. At that time he heard a man coming up the street behind him; he was about 40 yards behind. Witness waited until he came up. He started as though he thought witness was going to knock him down. Witness said to him, "There's a woman." They both went to the body and stooped beside it. Witness took the woman's hand, and finding it cold said, "I believe she's dead." The other man put his hand on the breast outside the clothes - over her heart - and said, "I think she's breathing, but very little." He suggested they should shift her - set her up against the wall - but witness said, "I'm not going to touch her. Let's go on till we see a policeman and tell him." Before they left the body the other man tried to pull the clothes over the woman's knees, but they did not seem as though they would come down. Witness noticed no blood; but it was very dark. He did not see that her throat was cut. They went up Baker's-row, and saw the last witness. Witness said to him, "There's a woman lying down in Buck's-row on the broad of her back. I think she's dead or drunk." The other man said, "I believe she's dead." The policeman said, "All right."

THE OTHER MAN

left witness at the corner of Hanbury-street, and went down Corbett's-court. He was a stranger to witness, but appeared to be a carman. Witness did not see Police-constable Neil - only the constable he spoke to. The constable and the man were the only people he saw after leaving his home. From the position of the body, he thought the woman had been outraged; he did not suppose at the time she had been murdered. The other man said he would fetch a policeman, but he was behind time. Witness heard no sounds of a vehicle. He thought that had anyone left the body after he had turned into Buck's-row he would have heard them.

Answering a juryman, witness said he did not tell Constable Mizen that another policeman wanted him. After Mizen had been told there was a woman lying in Buck's-row he went out and knocked at a door. He did not go towards Buck's-row to do this.

(Proceeding.)

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IN THE POLICE COURTS TO-DAY.

A "Druggist."

James Stewart Melville, a retired army officer, was charged at Highgate with being drunk and incapable in South-grove. A constable on the previous Friday saw the defendant, who is a very big man, lying down in the road. On the following day he was locked up at Clerkenwell for being drunk again. - Defendant said it was true; he was entirely unconscious. He was drugged by someone, and then robbed of his gold watch and all his money. - Mr. Bodkin: If you get drunk you must expect to be robbed. You are fined 10s. and costs, and we are very sorry to see a man who has served in the army in such a position. - The Defendant: I say I was drugged.

A Very Unwelcome Bedfellow.

Patrick O'Grady, 27, a shoemaker, of How-street, Kingsland, was charged at Worship-street with being a suspected person. - The prosecutor was a man named James Patteson, a laborer, living in Maria-street, Kingsland-road, and at half-past one that morning a daughter of his, Florence Pattison, aged 16, was awakened by finding the prisoner in her bed. The prisoner said, "It's all right, I was brought here." She screamed out for her mother, and the prisoner then left the room. She continued to call, and that awoke a lodger in the next room, a man named William Rose, who saw the prisoner going downstairs. Rose asked him who he was and what he was there for. The prisoner said he had been brought there by a woman lodging in the house. He tried to escape, but Rose and the prosecutor got hold of him and he was locked up. A widow lodging in the house admitted knowing the prisoner, and that she had been about drinking with him the night before until the public-houses closed. He wanted to go home with her, but she refused and left him. She found, however, she said, that he was in the passage of the house when she arrived there, and she ran away and hid herself in the water-closet, and did not know what became of the prisoner. - Mr. Bushby committed the prisoner for trial for an attempted criminal assault.

THE POPLAR TRAGEDY.
Inquest on the Body of a Woman Brutally Murdered by Her Husband.

This morning Deputy-coroner Collier, at the Poplar Town Hall, resumed the inquest into the circumstances attending the terrible tragedy which created such a sensation in the Isle of Dogs on the morning of Sunday, the 19th ult., when Levi Richard Bartlett first stabbed his wife Elizabeth Bartlett in the neck and then battered her head with a heavy hammer as she lay in bed. Bartlett subsequently cut his own throat. He still lies in the Poplar Hospital, but is progressing favorably, although it will be three weeks before he can be fit to leave. It is stated that a few days ago he made a will, and authorised his sister to take over the business, which he and the deceased carried on at 248, Manchester-road, Cubitt Town. Inspector Crawford watched the case for the police authorities, and produced a plan of the premises, which had been very neatly drawn by Police-constable Trim, 112 K. A solicitor was also present in the interests of Bartlett.

Dr. Charles Smyth, 461, Manchester-road, Poplar, deposed that he was called to the deceased on Sunday morning the 19th ult., at about a quarter to five o'clock. She died in about an hour afterwards. She was unconscious and remained so up to her death. On examining the skull he found a depressed fracture about four inches square, which was quite sufficient to cause instant death. The left ear was slit, and there were three stabs in the neck, one 2in., and another 2 ½ in. deep, and either would be sufficient to cause immediate death.

Inspector Crawford here

PRODUCED THE HAMMER,

one weighing 8 ½ lb., and the doctor said he should say the injuries to the skull were caused by a single blow from the instrument. He should say the fracture to the skull preceded the injuries on the neck. There was no evidence of a struggle on the part of the woman, and that led him to think she became unconscious as soon as she was attacked.

Walter Still, aged 15, 248, Manchester-road, said he was a milk-carrier, employed by Bartlett. On Sunday morning, 19 Aug., he was awakened at half-past four by hearing groaning in the next room, which was Bartlett's. He went into the room and saw Mr. Bartlett sitting on the bed trying to tear his throat open. He saw nothing in Bartlett's hand, but blood was coming from it. He then went round to Mrs. Bartlett's side of the bed to awaken her, and saw blood coming from her neck. He told the other lad, who slept with him, and then dressed himself, and ran to Mrs. Mears, Mrs. Bartlett's sister. He had been living at Bartlett's for five years. The hammer was kept in the coal-cellar for breaking coke. Mrs. Bartlett was a sober woman, but Bartlett often got drunk, and then they quarrelled. He had heard him say more than once that he would cut her head off and throw it out of the window like a bullock's.

VERDICT.

Further evidence having been given,

The jury agreed upon a verdict of wilful murder against Bartlett, after the court had been cleared for nearly 10 minutes.

Yesterday morning a large body of police from the Commercial-street Police-station cleared Sclater-street of the hawkers and birdsellers who weekly assemble there. This has been done in consequence of the representations of a large portion of the ratepayers.

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THE PEOPLE'S POST BOX.

Bus Fares in the East and West.

SIR, - With your usual liberality to the poor of the East-end, would you kindly publish a few words in their behalf as regards the fares of the London General Omnibus Company in the East and West-end. It is a well-known fact sir, that while we the poor of the East have to pay two-pence if we only ride a quarter of a mile, the rich of the other end can ride a mile and a half or two miles for one penny. They can go from Piccadilly to Sloane-street for a penny, or from Sloane-street to Walham-green over two miles for the same amount, while we at the East, if we want to go from Mile-end to the London Hospital - only a few hundred yards - have to pay 2d. Hundreds of poor men working at the Docks would gladly avail themselves of a ride if they could do so for a penny; and now we have that splendid institution open to us, namely, the People's Palace, I think we ought to be able to reach it for a penny. - Yours, &c.,

20, Bale-street, Stepney, E.

The Bad Effect of Telephones.

SIR, - Having read with interest in yesterday's issue of your paper the account of the application to the Lord Mayor made by a working man against the Telephone Company, a few words upon the subject will perhaps not be out of place. I might say I am a constant user of the telephone, and, therefore, must thoroughly endorse the opinion of the applicant - viz., that the continual use of the telephone does have an injurious effect upon the nerves.

A fellow-clerk of mine is now entirely deaf through having for several years attended to two telephones (Exchange and private wires). He having consulted several doctors, they have unanimously come to the conclusion that perfect rest for about six months from the use of the telephone would be the only means of cure. What I should like to know is, whether the telephone company are prepared to meet the expenses that six months' rest would necessitate. As working men cannot afford this themselves, and they object to being sent to "lunatic asylums" to obtain this required rest, perhaps something will be done by the electricians of the company to remedy this. - Yours, &c.,

35, Alscot-road, Grange-road, Bermondsey, 28 Aug.

"AN EXPERIENCED CLERK," who declares that owing to competition of the Germans and other causes, the condition of English clerks is going from bad to worse, advocates combination as a remedy.