Wednesday 29 September 1993

September 29th: Arthur Coombs arrested and charged



The Times, September 29th, 1893. 
The Bath Murder.

Arthur Stevenson Coombs was arrested in Bath yesterday and charged with the wilful murder of Elsie Adelaide Luke, alias Wilkie, some time in August, 1891. Coombs, who is a coachmaker’s apprentice, not quite out of his time, replied: - “I did not do it.” He asked how they knew that the remains found in the cave were those of his former sweetheart, and was told that Mrs Kerry had that day positively identified the articles of linen found outside the cave bearing her name and the fragment of linen, also marked with her name, adhering to the skeleton, as being part of the clothing which Luke took with her when she left her situation. The police are also in possession of further important information. It is said that Coombs at one time walked out with Luke, but a coolness sprang up between them, and the prisoner became engaged to another young woman, named Sheppard. This so enraged Luke that on one or two occasions she assaulted Sheppard, who was obliged to complain of her conduct to the police. The police are now anxious to get into communication with the prisoner’s relatives, who live in London, but up to the present they have not been discovered.

No comments:

Post a Comment