October 4th: at the magistrates court

Huddersfield Chronicle, 4^th October 1893. 

The Bath Mystery. Proceedings before the Magistrates.

At the Weston Court House, near Bath, on Tuesday morning, the hearing of a charge against Arthur Coombs (20), coachbuilders apprentice, of having murdered Elsie Luke, alias Wilkie, in or about the month of August,  1891, on Hampton Down, near Bath, was resumed. The court was again crowded. Mr Collins prosecuted for the Crown, and Mr Titley defended.

Mr Collins read several letters found in the prisoner’s Gladstone bag from a young woman named Pollie Sheppard, these letters extending from February, 1891, to July of the same year. Sheppard alluded to the prisoner’s acquaintance with Wilkie, and appeared to have been jealous of his movements in connection with the murdered woman. One letter from Sheppard to Coombs accused the latter of being a coward and underhand in his dealings. The next letter showed that a reconciliation had taken place. Mr Collins thought that the position of the accused between the two women was such that he was led to commit the murder of Wilkie.

Detective-sergeant Smith, a cousin of Miss Sheppard, deposed that in 1891 she had told him that Wilkie had assaulted and annoyed her.

Mr Titley objected to this statement being received as evidence, and the objection was allowed. 

On Kate Bullock being recalled Mr Titley objected to the statement made by this witness on Friday last that Wilkie told her she had been enceinte [pregnant] for three months. The Magistrate stated that Mr Titley should have objected at the time. It was now on the depositions. The witness Bullock, questioned by Mr Titley, admitted having told her mother that the young man who visited Wilkie when at Mrs Kerry’s was short and fair, with a light moustache.

Master Cecil Brand deposed that he discovered the remains while he was, with a school friend, exploring the cave with a candle.

William Dill proved finding blood-stained cuffs and a handkerchief, gold watch, and chain near the cave. He fixed the date of finding them as August 10^th.

Evidence was given to the effect that on August 5^th, 1891, Coombs went to the chemist’s shop suffering from a wound on the right hand. Mr Frederick Lee, house surgeon at Bath Hospital in 1891, deposed that on August 7^th of that year Arthur Coombs was treated by him for a wound which was described in the entry book as a human bite on the thumb. The patient had not told witness that the bite was received at a Liberal fight.

The prisoner was again remanded.