Gloucester Citizen – Saturday 22 November 1884
THE BABBICOMBE MURDER.
The adjourned inquest on the body of Miss Keyse was resumed in St. Mary Church Town Hall, Torquay, on Friday. The prisoner, John Lee, was brought up in a cab by two police-officers. He was pale, but jumped nimbly out and ran lightly up the steps. It will be remembered that the prisoner is stated to have been wearing a collar when last seen on Saturday morning, the presumption being that he had not been in bed. A collar has been found near the residence of Colonel MacLean, whither the prisoner was sent with intelligence of the fire, a search being made in consequence of the intelligence given by a local photographer, who states that he dreamt the collar would be found there. The relatives of the deceased refused to supply mourning to Elizabeth Harris, half-sister of prisoner, and that was the reason she did not attend the funeral on Thursday.
In opening the enquiry the Coroner said he should call four witnesses and again adjourn. He had been in communication with the Home Secretary, who had instructed Dr. Stevenson to examine the weapons found at the house of the deceased and the prisoner, but he had not yet received his investigations.
W. Bowden, surveyor to St. Mary Church Local Board produced a plan of the house.
Police-constable Meech said on Saturday, about 4.30 a.m., he went to Babbicombe Glen. Eliza Neck, one of the old servants, told him that Miss Keyse had been burnt to death. He saw the prisoner there with both hands bloody, and asked him how he accounted for the blood on his hands, and he replied that he smashed the dining-room window to let out the smoke. The prisoner went upstairs with him and tore down a lace curtain in the honeysuckle room. Witness looked at Miss Keyse’s room, and believed from what he saw that the fire there was altogether separate from that in the dining-room. Witness noticed that the prisoner was trembling violently, and told him he was shaking, to which he replied, “It is a bad job for me; I’ve lost a good friend.” He was dressed in trousers, shirt, and collar; but his sleeves were rolled up. The prisoner did appeared to have been up in bed. He had his boots on, but witness could not say if they were laced.
Sergeant Notts said that when he got to the house on Saturday morning he was called to a pool of blood in the hall. Near it was a blood-stained skirt, half-burnt, partially burnt and smelling strongly of oil. He went into the kitchen and asked the servant, Jane Neck, if she had worn the skirt on the previous night, and she replied that she did. He next inquired for John Lee, and was told that he had gone to Colonel Maclean’s with a message. In the dining room witness found a hatchet with a dark stain on the head like blood. Afterwards the skirt was produced to him, partly burnt, with blood on it, and smelling of oil. Four gold rings were on the deceased’s left hand. He found a diamond ring on the floor in her bedroom. Witness examined the dining room window and found blood on the outside, also on the broken glass and woodwork. He took from the inside of the window a piece of human skin, and there was another piece on the woodwork. He came to the conclusion that no implement had been used to break the glass, and there were no signs that the house had been broken into. He found spots of blood on the hall door, and also on the hands of the door inside and out. Near the pool of blood in the hall he saw a haircomb unstained. Blood was on the skirting leading to the butler’s pantry, in which the bloody knife was found, also on the pantry door. The bell and eye of the bell-pull in the deceased’s bedroom were not damaged. Witness had a conversation with the prisoner when he returned to the house. He asked him what time he was in on the previous night, and he replied, “Eleven o’clock. The servants and Miss Keyse were there. I went to bed about a quarter past eleven.” Witness inquired if he heard any noise during the night, and his answer was “No, I heard them shouting, and I said, ‘What’s the matter?’ and they said, ‘The house is on fire.’ I put on my trousers, and came out and found Jane or Eliza outside. I went into the dining room, but did not see Miss Keyse.” Then witness asked how blood came on his trousers, and he answered: “It’s blood from my arm. I cut it in trying to open the dining room window to let the smoke out.” Prisoner’s trousers were bloody, and smelt of oil.
Dr. Steele, recalled, stated that the oil can, which was produced, bore many stains of blood, which had run from the handle to the bottom.—Jane Neck, recalled, deposed that the oil can was kept in the pantry. There was a quart of oil in it on Thursday, and none after the fire.
At this point the inquest was adjourned for a week.
Inspector Butcher, from Scotland Yard, arrived at Torquay last evening, to assist the local police in investigating the circumstances connected with the murder. It is rumoured that another person will be apprehended.
Sergeant Nott said that on arriving at the house on Saturday his attention was called to a pool of blood in the hall. Near it was a blood-stained chair-cover partially burnt and smelling strongly of oil. He went into the kitchen and asked the servant, Jane Neck, whether she looked up the house on the previous night, and she replied that she did. He next inquired for John Lee, and was told that he had gone to Colonel Maclean’s with a message. In the dining room witness found a hatchet with a dark stain on the head like blood. Afterwards the skirt was produced to him, partly burnt, with blood on it, and smelling of oil. Four gold rings were on the deceased’s left hand. He found a diamond ring on the floor in her bedroom. Witness examined the dining room window and found blood on the outside, also on the broken glass and woodwork. He took from the inside of the window a piece of human skin, and there was another piece on the woodwork. He came to the conclusion that no implement had been used to break the glass, and there were no signs that the house had been broken into. He found spots of blood on the hall door, and also on the handle of the door inside and out. Near the pool of blood in the hall he saw a haircomb unstained. Blood was on the skirting leading to the butler’s pantry, in which the bloody knife was found, also on the pantry door. The hook and eye of the bell-pull in the deceased’s bedroom were not damaged. Witness had a conversation with the prisoner when he returned to the house. He asked him what time he was in on the previous night, and he replied, “Eleven o’clock. We had prayers in the dining room. The other servants and Miss Keyse were there. I went to bed about a quarter past eleven.” Witness inquired if he heard any noise during the night, and his answer was “No. I heard them shouting, and I said, ‘What’s the matter?’ and they said, ‘The house is on fire.’ I put on my trousers, and came out and found Jane or Eliza outside. I went into the dining room, but did not see Miss Keyse.” Then witness asked how blood came on his trousers, and he answered: “It’s blood from my arm. I cut it in trying to open the dining room window to let the smoke out.” Prisoner’s trousers were bloody, and smelt of oil.
Dr. Steele, recalled, stated that the oil can, which was produced, bore many stains of blood, which had run from the handle to the bottom.—Jane Neck, recalled, deposed that the oil can was kept in the pantry. There was a quart of oil in it on Thursday, and none after the fire.
At this point the inquest was adjourned for a week.
Inspector Butcher, from Scotland Yard, arrived at Torquay last evening, to assist the local police in investigating the circumstances connected with the murder. It is rumoured that another person will be apprehended.
