October 26th: detailed statements at the Coroner's inquiry

Bristol Mercury, October 26^th, 1893.

The Bath Tragedy.

Resumed Inquest.

A Witness Fined.

The resumed inquest on the body of Elsie Adeline Luke, the Hampton Down victim, was held yesterday morning in the Parish room, Bathampton, before the Coroner for North Somerset, Mr Samuel Craddock. Arthur Stevenson Coombs, the young apprentice who was discharged by the Weston magistrates, was present with his sweetheart, Mary Sheppard, and the young man’s mother and father were also present. The proceedings opened at  9.40, when

Mr E B Titley (Coombs solicitor) said he had already intimated to the Coroner that Arthur Stevenson Coombs desired to attend before the jury and make a statement of such facts as were within his knowledge. Up to the present time, according to the rules of the English courts, his mouth had been closed, and he therefore wished to take the first opportunity of clearing himself, so far as he had not already been cleared by the inquiry before the magistrates.

There was some considerable delay for the arrival of the witnesses, and Sergt. Edwards, in reply to Mr Craddock, remarked that the whole of the subpoenas were served yesterday.

As no fresh witnesses had arrived at 10.35, the Coroner decided to recall the servant, Kate Bullock, who had arrived a few minutes previous. He also intimated that as it was his intention to call the young man Coombs and Miss Sheppard he should require them out of court.

Mr Titley-  Mr and Mrs Coombs had better go out of court too, perhaps.

The witnesses then left the court.

The Coroner (to the witness Bullock) – Did you receive a subpoena yesterday? – Yes.

Have you got it here? – Yes.

And that states the time you are to be here at 9.20?—Yes.

Then is this 9.20? – No.

Well, I shall have to fine you. I shall fine every witness that has been late.

The witness was then sworn. She gave a list of the articles of wearing apparel left by the deceased at Cheriton house on leaving Mrs Kerry’s service. She also saw the girl’s box opened by Mrs Kerry. There were some letters inside, but she did not read them.

The Coroner – Now, you remember our last inquiry? – Yes.

And you remember Mrs Dillon here? – Yes.

And after the inquiry did you have any conversation with Mrs Dillon? – Yes, I went home with her.

Did Mrs Dillon caution you in any way about giving evidence? – (No answer).

Now tell the truth. You are on your oath. You must tell me – did she caution you? – No sir, she diddn’t.

Didn’t she tell you not to say too much? – (No answer).

Did she tell you you should leave it to the police to find out? – Well she did tell me –

Now tell me the exact words. (To the sergeant)—Bring Mrs Dillon in here please, that she may face it out.

Here Mrs Dillon was brought into the court, and accommodated with a seat beside the witness.

The coroner (to Mrs Dillon) – She has told us some conversation which has taken place between you. (Addressing the girl Bullock) – Mrs Dillon told you she knew a good deal more than she had said? – Yes, sir.

Mrs Dillon (excitedly) – That is wrong, sir; I never said such a thing.

Bullock (hastily) – You did tell me; you told me that over here yourself.

The Coroner – Did she say anything further on this point? – (No answer.)

Did she say to you “Take care not to say too much,” or something of that kind?

Witness hesitated for some time, but on the Coroner repeating the question she replied in the negative.

What did you tell the police? – (No answer.)

P.S. Edwards – She told me in the presence of Detective Smith that Mrs Dillon told her not to tell us too much, as we were expected to find it out – we were paid to do so.

The Coroner (to Bullock) – Did she say that? – Yes, sir. Mrs Dillon told me she knew more than she had said in her evidence.

She distinctly stated she knew a good deal more than she stated before me? – Yes, sir.

The Coroner (to Mrs Dillon) – Now, what do you say about it? – I never said it. I may have said the police told me I knew more.

The Coroner (addressing Bullock) – Where did she say it? –She told me twice.

Where did she tell you the first time? – Outside the door.

And the second time? – At her own house.

What, at Kingsmead terrace? – Yes, sir.

In reference to the clothes, can you tell me who took the bundle of clothes over the wall? – I know it was a young girl. I can’t say who it was for certain.

Have you any suspicion who it was? – I heard it was Mrs Dillon’s daughter took the things back, but I cannot say if this was correct.

But you are certain in your own mind that they were taken over the wall? --  Yes sir.

Mr Norris (a juryman) – I should like to ask when Mrs Dillon had a conversation with you as regards the police. Did she say that Sergt. Smith had accused her of knowing more? – Oh, yes, she told me that.

Mr Norris (to Supt. Rutherford) – Have you the cuffs?

The cuffs found on the Down were produced and handed to witness.

Mr Norris (to witness) – Do you know whether deceased wore cuffs? Do you know how they were marked? – I knew she wore cuffs, but never noticed any marks on them.

Mrs Kerry, of Cheriton House, was then called into the room. She admitted that she was summoned to be present at 9.20, and said she did not arrive until half-past ten.

The Coroner said she and other witnesses had kept the court waiting an hour and a quarter. It was contempt of court, and he would have to fine her.

Witness explained, in the course of her evidence, that there were 40 or 50 letters, with other  odds and ends, in the box which deceased left at Cheriton house.

The Coroner – Did you open them? – Yes, I just looked at the top of some of them.

Can you call to mind anything you saw in them? – No, I cannot now.

What did you do with them? – Well, after a time, when I found she did not return, I burnt them all.

Mrs Dillon was then sworn.

The Coroner – Now, will you remember that you are on your oath? You must speak the truth and keep back nothing whatever. You heard the girl Bullock’s evidence? – Yes, sir; but she is mistaken.

Well, I shall deal with that by and by. Will you be kind enough to tell the jury what clothes Elizabeth Luke left at your house? – A black dress which she wore on coming there, a comb and comb bag, and a small handglass. There was also the night dress which I sent back.

Do you remember ever taking any clothes to the Golden Lion in Southgate street and offering them for sale? – No, sir.

The Coroner – All right, then; that will do.

Lily Agnes Dillon, daughter of the last witness, denied that she ever fetched the bundles of deceased’s clothing from Cheriton house. She went up there and returned the nightdress and other things. That was on the Tuesday following Bank Holiday.

Supt. Rutherford produced the bundle of letters which he had found in a bag in Arthur Stevenson Coombs’s bedroom on the 28^th September. He found them among others.

Mr Titley – May I take it that the letters opened are some selected out of about 150? – [S.R.] That I can’t say.

The Coroner said there were 195 letters in the bag, which was produced and shown to the jurors.

Mr Titley – Have you brought to your notice a communication from Mrs Morement, of Sheffield? – No.

Not referring to some connection of the girl Wilkie with a Mr Bevan, of Dr Barnardo’s Homes ? – Not me.

Have you had any communication from Mrs Goodrop of Southgate street, in reference to her servant’s statement as to a connection between the deceased and a man whose Christian name was Harry? –No.

Have you made any inquiries into the disappearance of a chemist’s assistant from Mr Partington’s in the latter part of 1891? – The man was found drowned.

Have you ascertained the period? – No.

A Juryman—That was in 1892.

Mr Titley –Has it been brought to your knowledge that this man was in the habit of hunting Hampton Down? – No; he was but a very short time in Bath.

Mary Louisa Sheppard, of Melrose, Wells road, Coombs’s sweetheart, was then examined. She deposed: - My acquaintance with the deceased girl Wilkie began some time in 1890. She was then keeping company with Arthur Stevenson Coombs, but the engagement was broken off in January. I have been engaged to him since February. I cannot remember the last time I saw the deceased alive.

The Coroner – After you became engaged to Coombs do you ever remember meeting the deceased? – Yes, I met with her once outside Mrs Titley’s house when I was with him.

Have you ever met her when you have been alone? – Yes, and she always shouted at me, but I could never make out what she said.

Did she ever assault you? – Yes, she struck me once.

Do you remember writing these letters (produced)? – Yes, they are all in my writing.

Now there is one I have here, dated 2^nd February, 1891; that is the day after you were engaged? – Yes.

Then I won’t disclose anything that I ought not to (laughter). But in this letter I notice a reference to Elsie Wilkie. These are your words: - “I am wondering whether you have heard from Elsie Wilkie, I am longing to see you to know. I will tell you all news when I see you. “ I shall have to taken that down in evidence. Does it refer to Elsie Wilkie? – No, sir.

Here again you begin a letter – “I suppose you think I am a bother to you.” That was five days after you were engaged (laughter). “But really I feel so dreadfully sorry you were so upset. Do not think no more about her, she is  a beast of a girl.”

Then you go on to say, “Of course it cannot be true what she said, because it is nearly six months ago since she left Dyke’s.” Can you tell me what that alludes to? – Not exactly, but he told me that she went to his parents and said that he had ruined her.

Then you say – “She left in August, and you would have seen before this time.” I suppose that is what you were alluding to? – Yes, sir.

And did you notice any difference in her during that time? – No, sir.

But you would if it had been so? – Yes.

Do you remember the time when Luke’s disappearance was first brought to your notice? – No, sir, I went away for three weeks with Mrs Titley, my mistress, at the end of August, and whether it was before or after my return that I first heard she had gone I can’t say.

You did not see him so often in August as in July? – No, at the beginning of August Arthur Coombs fell in with Miss Thorne and went out with her. I never saw them, but was told this.

Anyhow, you did not see Coombs so often as in July? – No, sir. Continuing, witness said: -- At 5.30 in the evening of the August Bank Holiday, 1891, Coombs met me outside Melrose. We had a little walk first and then went to the theatre. We reached there shortly after seven o’clock, and Coombs stayed with me all the evening.

The Coroner – Can you recollect when you saw him after that? – I do not think I saw him again until the following Friday.

Now there’s a letter written on July 19^th, 1891, in which you pitch into him rather hard; “I cannot say any more but that you have deceived me. I am very sorry now that I ever knew you. You could not have meant to meet me last Sunday. I have never been deceived in anyone like I have in you. There is not many girls as would be fooled with as I have. There are some that would make you pay dear for making a fool of them, but that is a thing I should never take the trouble to do. But if you go on serving girls like you have me you will get yourself into a scrape one day.” Well that is very good advice. Now do you mean to say he was flirting with Miss Thorne then? – Yes.

And no one else? – Not that I know of.

But from reading the letter I should say that it referred to someone else. What happened to induce you to write the letter? – I cannot say.

Do you mean to tell me it refers to two different people? – It wasn’t Wilkie.

Now I want you to be very careful on this point. You say in the letter, “She nodded to you on the terrace.” Now doesn’t that refer to Wilkie? – Yes, that did.

Well, there is a chain of continuity absolutely from beginning to end. Do you mean to tell me that one part of the letter refers to Miss Thorne? If so, what part refers to her and what part to Wilkie? – (No answer).

Witness was further questioned on the point, but persisted in her statement that the early portion of the letter had reference to Miss Thorne, and not to Wilkie.

Here the court adjourned for luncheon.

The witness Sheppard was re-examined with reference to the letter of July 19^th, and adhered to her former statement.

The Coroner (to witness) – Now, do you remember whether, at the time of going to the Theatre, Coombs had anything the matter with his hand? – Yes, there was, and he had it bound up.

Did  he tell you how it was done? – He said it happened at Kensington. There was a fight, and a man bit his thumb.

On the Sunday before Bank Holiday did you see Coombs? – No, sir, I don’t remember seeing him.

Mr Norris (a juryman) – How do you fix Bank Holiday as the day upon which you went to the Theatre? – Because I had extra time that night. I was allowed out until 11 o’clock.

Supt. Rutherford – Had your young man been out with you on the Saturday before Bank Holiday? – He was not with me.

Where did he go that day? – He went for a walk, but I don’t know where.

Mr Titley – Are you still engaged to Coombs? – Yes.

And hope to be married to him? – Yes, sir.

The Coroner here read over the depositions and the witness was allowed to leave the court. Mrs E.B. Titley deposed to seeing the previous witness in the pit of the theatre on the night of August Bank Holiday, 1891.

Mrs Ernest Eyres gave evidence bearing on the same point.

The Coroner intimated that this was all the evidence he proposed to take, and the jury must prepare themselves for another adjournment. The resumed inquiry would be to-morrow week.