The news-herald. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1909-1911, March 04, 1909, Image 2
M asin& Lnme a Business Hy George T. Tardy C True Record of the Achievement of Fa mousJohnW. Murray in Uncovering the Guilty Parties in the Menhcim Swamp Slaughter How the Slayer Was Un earthed b y the Master Sleuth. OCR ml leg from the little1 ljjj "W I town (if Eastwood, On Hi I tatio, Canada, Hi ore lies I n ilnrlf irliwimv mni-Hli known hh Blenheim swamp. It Is a deso late, lonely Mtiot. which fallen logs and tangled thickets com bine to render well nigh Impassable to the foot of t ho curious explorer, wid at ono edge there lies a pool of bluck, sullen water yclept l'ine pond. Far in the depths of this foul morass on the morning of February 21, 18!)0, two brothers, Joseph and George. Eld ridge, while out chopping wood, stum bled over the lifeless body of a young man, half burled in the weeds and brush. In the back of the head was a round, black hole Indicating where bullet had ploughed Its fatal way, find near the nape of the neck was a similar wound. Kveu to an unexpe rienced eye it was evident that the victim had been Hhot down from be hind, perhaps without obtaining n glimpse of his cowardly assassin. The body was that of a smoothly Bhavcn youth of refined appearance. The clothing was of excellent quality, English in style and cut, with a check taped mackintosh, and underwear also of Ilritlsh make. There was no cltie to his Identity. The name of his tai lor and the label on his clothes had been cut away and the label on his brown derby hat removed. Detective John Wilson Murray of Toronto was ordered to take tho case In hand nnd ho went to view tho big Blenheim swamp where tho body bad been found. lie gazed upon tho tell tale crimson splotch where tho head of the murdered man had lain, then surveyed tho surrounding ground and came across a grim trail of ac cusing red. lie- followed It back a few paces and found that it ended In ono great blot of gore, beyond which there was no further trace of blood. It was evident that there the shot hnd been fired that felled the victim. Ills mur derer had borno tho lifeless body to the denser placo to hide It. On his bands and knees Murray crawled around tho scene of tho crime, going over tho ground inch by Inch. Three times he crossed and recrossed tho fatal trail hoping that he might dis cover r bit of a label, a button, a scrap of paper -Anything that might lend a clue to the history of tho mur dered man.' At last his exertions were rewarded by the finding of a ci gar holder with an amber mouthpiece, marked F. V. II., and that was all or the grim secret yielded by the dismal swamp. Five days had elapsed since tho finding of tho body, but though pic tures of the victim were published in all the leading Canadian papers and copies sent to England, no Identifica tion was made. The body was burled at Priuceton, a few miles from Hlen helm. On tho sixth day a man and womnn arrived at Princeton and asked to seo the body, saying that they had seen the picture printed in the pa pers and fancied they recognized the features. They had crossed from Kngland recently, and on the same ship waB a young mau who resembled strongly tho picture of the deceased The body was dug up on March 1, the lady and gentleman viewed It, nnd Identified It as the remains of their fellow passenger. "We think his name was Henwell,' they said, "lie was merely a casual acquaintance aboard ship nnd wo knew nothing of him." They returned to Paris, a town about ten miles from Princeton, nnd Murray, returning from a visit to the swamp, went directly to the hotel where they were staying. "I am John Wilson Murray of the department of criminal investigation," said the detective. Introducing hlm . self. "You arc the gentleman who has been viewing the body found In the swamp?" "Yes," said he, "my wife and I were out at tho grave and saw the body." "You were acquainted with the young man?" queried tho detective. "Very slightly," was the response. "I just met him aboard ship." "What was his name?" Inquired JA urray. "I think It was Fred Hontwell or llenswcll or llenswell," replied the gen tleman. "We wore fellow passengers on the Hritannlc of tho White Star line. He was on his way to London, Ontario. I last saw him at Niagara Falls. He hnd a good deal of lug gage and left some of it." "Will you bo able to point out his baggage?" asked Murray. "Why. yes," responded tho gentle man. "1 am going to the Falls to day. Wo only came here because wo saw the picture In the paper." "Let me have your name, please, so that I can find you at the Falls," re link 'rd Murray. "Reginald Hirchall of Iondon, Kng land. I shall be pleased to help you In any way that Is In my power," replied the gentleman. "How was the young man dressed when you last saw him?" Inquired the detective. Murray was . wearing u navy blue overcoat at the time, and liirchall touched the sleeve of It lightly. "Like that," he said, "a whole suit of blue." "Did he drink?" asked Murray. "Yes, ho used to get pretty Jolly at times," asserted llinchall. The detective shook his head gravely. "That London, Ontario, if a bad place for a convivial chap," he said. "They'd kill a fellow there for $5. Were you ever In this country be fore?" "I have been in New York and Niagara Falls, but never in Canada," replied Blrohnll, and having thanked ill in for tho information given, Mur ray withdrew. On Ills way to Uip telegraph office ho reviewed the conversation that had just taken place. He had already reached the conclusion that liirchall had lied to him. "Shadow this man," the message read, "but do not arrest him unless ho tries to cross the river to the United Slates. I will bo there Sunday night." Further investigation revealed that Mr. and Mrs. liirchall and a young man named Douglas Raymond Polly were guests of Haldwlu's boarding house at. Niagara Falls, and had ar rived there tho day after the murder. Murray called on Polly, who was a handsome young fellow, five foot nine Inches tall, of slight build, with a small, light moustache and decided English accent. Polly declared that ho was the Ron of the Rev. R. P. Polly of Walden Place, vicar of Saffron Wal den, Essex, England. Ho was 25 years old, a graduate of Oxford, ami a cousin of the beautiful Lady Polly, who was one of the suite of Lord Lansdowne, formerly governor genernl of Canada, lie Informed Murray that he know both the dead man, whose picture was in tho papers, and liirchall. "Henwell, liirchall, Mrs. liirchall, nnd I all came out from England In one party," said Polly, "liirchall and Henwell left us for a day and Hen well never came back. I saw tho pic ture of tho dead man a few days later, and I told liirchall it was Bcnwcll and that ho ought to go and identify the body nnd mako sure." Murray spent several hours convers ing with Polly who was perfectly will ing to toll all ho knew regarding the suspect and murdered man. Anions Illrchall's papers, found in searching his effects, wore letters corroborative of what Polly said. The latter, with his Oxford course finished and tho world before him, was looking for an opening in. life, when, in December, 1889, ho read an advertisement in Iondon, England, newspapers as fol lows: "Canada. University man, having farm, wishes to meet gentleman's son to live with him and learn the busi ness, with view to partnership; must invest 500 to extend stock; board, lodging, and live per cent. In terest till partnership arranged. Ad dress, J. R. Hurchall, Primrose Club, 4 Park Place, St. James, London." Polly wrote to the ubovo address, requesting further particulars. In re ply he received a telegram from J. R. Hurchall, stating that ho would visit Walden Place, Saffron Walden, on tho following Thursday. Polly answered with a not,e, which was found with other letters In liirchall's effects, hop ing that he would stay all night as it was a long way to conic for such a short Interview, and also he desired to have his father moot J. R. Hurchall. un me appointed day Hurchall ar rived at Walden Place, and later met Polly In London, and won over both son and father. He pictured to them a large farm one and a half miles from Niagara Falls, Ontario, a farm wUh largo brick houses and barns, the former heated by steam and lighted by gas and the latter by electric .light, with lights placed around tho farm, lie told of tho big nnd profitable busi ness, and mentioned the fine fishing, shooting and other sports to be en: joyed on the estate. Ho explained that the business carried on was buy ing horses In tho rough nnd grooming them to sell for profit; that the farm was used to raise horse feed; that during J. R. RurchaU's absence hla overseer, a Scotchman named McDon ald, nnd several hired men looked after tho farm und business; that ho had a branch business at Woodstock. Ontario, and had rooms there, whom he and his wife lived at times. Ilo snld a number of Englishmen lived around Niagara Falls, and that a club had boon created In which tho mem Iters lived In English style and had English servants. Hurchall said lie had organized the club. The country was an earthly paradise, with wealth to bo had for simply sojourning in the land.- Completely captivated by this glow ing description, on January 11, 1S90, Polly wrote from llolllngton, St, Leon-nrd'son-Sea, to J. K. Hurchall, say ing: "Please consider nil settled. If you will have the agreement drawn up, 1 will sign it ami forward you a cheque for 170 at the name time. I shall look to meeting you on February first. When you get my steamer tickets would you be so kind as to forward mo some steamer la bels?" At half past eight that evening liirchall returned to the Stafford house in liuffalo alone. He was in high good humor, joking and laughing pleasantly. In response to Polly's in quiry for his companion of the morn ing ho stated that he took Henwell to tho farm and Introduced him to McDonald, tho overseer. Later Hen well told him that he did not like the place or the people but he had stayed at the farm when liirchall left for Huffalo. liirchall also said he had Riven Henwell several addresses be fore leaving, so that he could visit folk in the country roundabout, In cluding Attorney Ilellniulh of London, Ontario, who had boon a passenger on the Hritannlc. Polly began to ask too many questions, whereupon Hlrcliull declared he was tired and went to bed. On the following day they went to Niagara Falls, taking their lug gage with them. They crossed to tho Canada, side and stopped at Mrs. lialdwln's, liirchall arranging for rooms and board there. Soon after their arrival at lialdwln's liirchall Invited Polly to take a walk during which tho young man, who was beginning to suspect that his astute host was not playing an altogether straight game, told liirchall that he had not made good his representa- mlstrust of liirchall had increased a thousand fold and he curtly refused to move from whore he was standing. Hirchall turned white, looked around and stepped toward his companion. As he did so Polly walked on. Hirch all called to blm sharply: "Come, walk alongside me," he said. "Your heavy overcoat will help keep the rain off mo." Polly shook his head obstinately and was about to take Po his heels and run when two men came walking across the bridge, Hirchall then ceased to argue with his com panion and the two made their way back to Canada, keeping several paces apart. The next day Hirchall, accom panied by his wife, went to Paris, On tario, to view the body of the man whose picture had appeared in the papers and shortly after their return to the Falls the arrest followed. Murray cabled and wrote at once to Scotland Yard, London, England, for Information about liirchall, Polly and Ilonwoll. He was advised that J. R. liirchall was none other than the younger son of the Rev. Joseph Hir chall, late well-known vicar of church kirk and rural dean of Whalloy. After completing his course at Oxford, young Hirchall, who had achieved a reputa tion for wildnoss during his college days, went to London. There, lie eloped with Florence Stevenson, daughter of David Stevenson, for 50 years master of transportation of t lie London and Northwestern railroad, liirchall's favorite club at this time, November, 1KS8, was tho Iladminton club, 100 Picadilly, W. When ho made ready to leave England after his marriage, he cashed cheques for 25 at the Hadmliiton dub, and C. Stewart Sproat, secretary of tho club, wrote him on January 7, lSltO, when he was back in England, to send the cash without further delay. He and his bride sailed for America In the fall of 1SS8. They wrote to David Stevenson from America, and early In IbS'J Hirchall wrote from Woodstock, Ontario, to creditors at lie verified the dates of arrival and departure at tho Metropolitan hotel of the party of four, and their arrival at the Stafford house, Buffalo, on Feb ruary 16. At the Stafford house he ascertained tho tact that, on the day following their arrival. Pelly and Mrs. Hirchall stayed at the hotel, while liirchall and Henwell were called be fore six o'clock and went away to gether. Hirchall returned In the even ing but Henwell never returned. The next step was to follow the course of Hirchall and Henwell after leaving the Stafford house on Febru ary 17. Conductor William II. Poole, running on the Grand Trunk railroad between Niagara Falls and Windsor, asserted that lie had two passengers who got off his train at Eastwood, four miles from Blenheim swamp. Their description answered that of liirchall and Henwell. The train stopped at Eastwood at 11:14 that morning. Matthew Virtue, a bailiff of Woodstock, was on the train. As it left Eastwood he saw two young Eng lishmen walking away from the sta tion, one of them wearing a cape coat. A Miss Lockhart of Hlandford was on tho train. A couple of seats ahead of her sat two young Englishmen. As the train approached Eastwood her at tention was drawn to them by the manner in which they were talking about the land. They wero admiring fields which had nothing about them to be admired. One was easy to iden tify by the big astrakhan cap he wore. She saw them alight at Eastwood and walk north. Alfred Hay ward and his wife saw the pair leave Eastwood station. John Crosby, a young farmer living in Blenheim township, was driving in Governor's road about noon when he saw the two young men walking to wards Blenheim swamp. Miss Allle Fallon, who lived with her mother a short distance from Blenheim swamp, saw them pass the house on the road leading past the marsh. One, in a enpe overcoat, walked ahead of his 9Q4 f m Mk jTOriUED OVER. THE 1 UFELE5S BODY OF A Y0UI1G NAN -HALF BURIED .IN THE WEED5 yiND.BRUtfi tions. liirchall gave an evasive re ply, and under pretense of showing his companion the beauties of the Niagara river, took him down an old rotten stairway that led over the cliffs to the edge of the water. At the bottom of the shaky stops there stood a stranger, the sight of whom seemed to annoy Hirchall, for without linger ing to admire the view he turned nnd retraced his steps. Returning to their rooms they saw a newspaper contain ing the account of the discovery of the body of a murdered man near Woodstock, nnd Hirchall proposed that Polly should go (lure and see if the remains wore those of Henwell. This sinister remark aroused fresh sus picions In Polly's mind and alarmed him to such an extent that he slipped a revolver into his pocket, determining to carry it in the future. On the next day liirchall persuaded Polly to go over to the American side of the river with him, under the pre tense of looking after some missing baggage. It was raining nnd blowing hard when they started to walk back to Canada across the Suspension bridge. There wire no other pedes trlnns In sight as they Heated the center of the bridne and Hirchall. halt ing, requested Polly to look over the cables nt the roaring torrent below. "The view Is superb," he said, ns he leaned over the edge, "come and see it." Polly saw that It would be an ca:y thing to thrust an unsuspecting per son over the cable into the river. His Oxford, saying that he was in the em ploy of Somerset & Co., Brook street, Woodstock, and would pay his debts promptly, in the summer of 18S!) Hirchall and his wife returned to Eng land and lived with Mr. Stevenson. Then it was that liirchall began ad vertising, under the name of J. R. Hurchall, address the Primrose Club, for young men with money to go to Canada and learn farming. IVHy's father was. as he had stated, vicar of Saffron Walden. Essex, nnd BenwcH's father whs Col. Henwell of Chelten ham. At Woodstock Murray learned that Hirchall and his wife arrived there from England in the nntumn of 1SS8 to look over farm lands and enjoy the country life of Canada. Hirchall nnd his wife passed as Lord and Iady Somerset. They lived gayly and seemed to have money befitting their rank In life. They were fond of driv ing and picnics, nnd ono of the spots "Lord Somerset" visited on various occasions was Pine Pond, which was surrounded by Blenheim swamp. When thc r turned to England. "Lord and Lady Somerset" departed from Woodstock very suddenly, leaving nu merous unpaid bills behind them. When Hirchall ngaln sniled for America It was not In the role of I-ord Soniersrh. He came accompanied by Ids wife. Polly and Henwell, ami the fottr arrived In Now York on the Bri tannic on February II. From this date Murray took tip the trail and verified the truth of Polly's narrative. companion. She had known Iord Somerset by sight the year before nnd thought tho man walking behind was that nobleman. James Rapson owner of a swamp adjoining Blenheim swamp, was out with his men cutting timber about one o'clock in the after noon, when he heard two pistol shots fired in rapid succession in Blenheim swamp. Thus Murray completed his chain of evidence to tho swamp and the very hour of the murder when the assassin was alono In the swamp with his vie tim. Tho shots wero fired about one o'clock, half an hour after Miss Fallon had seen the men pass. Hirchall had evidently pointed out land from the car window as rrt of his farm, nnd told Henwell they would take a short cut through the woods to it. Henwell was a credulous youth and innocently entered the swamp and started up the winding path. It was nn easy matter for Hirchall to drop behind a moment white Ben well was pressing eagerly on anxious for a view of the farm the farm lie was never to see. les than two miles of Eastwood and he could get to Woodstock from there as easily as from Gables Corners. Tho man thanked him and walked on to ward Eastwood at a rapid pace. At three o'clock Miss Alice Smith arrived at the Eastwood station to post a letter. As she was going into the station gate she came face to face with Lord Somerset, who had been la Woodstock the year before, and who had called at the home of her grand father, John Hay ward at Eastwood. Somerset wore an astrakhan cap. He came up to Miss Smith and shook hands, saying: "How do you do? Don't you remember me?" and asked after her family and grandfather. Ho told Miss Smith he was coming back later, and then bought a ticket for Hamilton. Miss Mary Swazie, another young lady of Eastwood, also was at tho station for the three o'clock train, and saw the stranger. His trousers were turned up and his shoes were muddy. Miss Ida Cromwell of East wood also saw him at the station. James Hay ward, an Eastwood store keeper, saw him at the station and recognized the so-called Iord Somer set. At 3:38 the train for Niagara Falls reached Eastwood and the stranger in the fur cap climbed aboard. George Hay, a brakeman, saw and remem bered him distinctly and Identified liirchall positively as the man. Other witnesses also identified him, their evidence covering Hirchall's trail up to his return to the Stafford house, Huffalo, at 8:30 at night. Witnesses also identified the dead body of Ben well as that of the young man with Dirchall on tho train to Eastwood, and on the road to the swamp, Hirchall, according to the detectives deduc tions, had four hours and 24 minutes In which to walk the four miles from Eastwood to the swamp, do the mur der, and walk back to Eastwood. He arrived at 11:14 in the morning and departed at 3:38 in the afternoon. If he took three hours to walk the eight miles, he still had one hour and 24 minutes for the crime. As a final proof of Hirchall's guilt, Murray was advised by the London, England, police that Col. Henwell had Just received from Hirchall an undat ed letter, headed with the address of Niagara Falls. The postmark revealed Its date as February 20, three days after Hirchall left Henwell dead in in the swamp. In this letter Birchall asked that $500 be sent him at1 once, adding: "I have been talking to your son to-day about arrangements, and he Is so well satisfied with the prospect here that he is ready to go immediate ly into the partnership, and he Is writing to you to-day on the subject." The $500 asked for was to be the first payment on $2,500 which Col. Henwell was to send to hla son for I'lrchell If the farm and prospects pleased the youth. Pelly identified the body found on February 18 as Ben- well's body, and therefore Hirchall could not have been talking to him on February 20. Instead of writing to his father on February 20, Henwell was lying cold in death. Having found witnesses who Identified BTr- chall as the bogus Lord Somerset, who had made frequent visits to Blenheim swamp the year before, and had learned the path to Pine Pond, the lake in the swamp that is supposed to be bottomless, Murray knew that his case was complete. liirchall had embarked in business as a murderer. He had deliberately planned the crimes and fitted himself for the practice of his profession. While masquerading as Lord Somer set he had selected the bottomless lake known as line Pond for the grave that would tell no tales. The Blen heim swamp he marked as the place of slaughter. He was familiar with the emigration business, through his father-in law's knowledge of it, and conceived the idea of taking rich young men instead of poor Immi grants. Ho created an imaginative farm and went back to England seek ing victims, but. made the mistake of taking two Instead of ene. Even then his plans were well laid. He In' tended to kill Henwell In the swamp and shove Pelly into tho whirlpool rapids. Neither body would be found for h would bury Henwell In the bot tomless lake and Pelly would vanish In the rapids. If one of the Elrldgcs had not slipped in the swamp he would not have stepped upon Hen well's body, revealing tho crime. Bir chall had not meant to leave the body where anyone could find it. He waa heading for Pine Pond when ho slew Henwell and intended to drag the body there, lint a recent storm had Bwept the swamp and choked with do brls the path to the bottomless lake. With Henwell and Pelly vanished from oft the face of tho earth, Birchall would have collected through bogus letters to tho fond parents tho sum Btill due from his victims and then returned to England in pursuit of other prey. Hirchall's trial began at Woodstock, Ontario, on September 22, 1J90. The' case attracted world-wldo attention and the English newspapers as well as those of France. Germany and Italy printed columns upon columns of the proceedings. Despite the bril liant and desperate fight made by the prisoner's counsel to save his client the evidence gathered by Murray was too convincing to he set aside. Blr- M nan Pas, . o varies muck b rhu WIlfl fomi(, sentenced young farmer living on tho road be- , ... ,...,.,, ntl v ' ' ' nr. tween Eastwood and Blenheim swamp, was driving homo from Woodstock when, ut the crossroads leading to Eastwood, a man turned the corner from the Blenheim swamp road nnd started for Eastwood. The man wore a fur cap, and li'1 stopped and asked Mr. Buck the way to Gables Corners, as he wished to .et to Woodstock. Buck told him ho was within much hi in- ii.iiigcu on .-November 14 i? wont to his doom bravely on a cold gray morning, walked out In the prison yard unsupported and mounted the scaffold with a steady step. The dn-p fell, and an Inert figure dangled i t the end of a rope, swinging to and fro In the chill wind. Frederick Ben well hnd been avenged by the law. H'opvrl jlil. i,v vv ,.,,.