October 6th: further cross-examination

Manchester Times, October 6^th 1893. 

The Bath Mystery. 

Prisoner before the Magistrates.

At Weston, near Bath, on Friday morning, Arthur Stevenson Coombs, 20, apprentice at Messrs. Fuller’s coach building factory, Bath, and living at 25, Kingsmead-terrace, was charged with the murder of Elsie Adeline Luke, alias Wilkie, at Hampton Down during August , 1891. The accused, who is a thin, pale young fellow, looking older than the age stated, was in an agitated condition. He was defended by Mr E B Titley, of Bath, who asked permission to reserve the cross-examination. Superintendent Rutherford said that when he apprehended Coombs at his work on the previous evening the accused said, “I did not do it. I kept company with her. After that I am of no use to you.”

Mr D S Smith said he had known Coombs from childhood. On Thursday evening he said to him, “Arthur, I have sad news for you,” and prisoner replied, “Not for me, Mr Smith.” Witness then told him Superintendent Rutherford had a warrant for his arrest, and the accused asked how they could be sure that the remains were those of Luke. Witness told him of the identification by Mrs Kerry, who employed Luke as a cook from March to July, 1891.

Mrs Kerry identified the linen produced as her property, and stated she had missed similar things after Luke left. Witness had burned several things, including letters found in the box left behind by the deceased.

John Edwards, fishmonger’s assistant, said he had seen the prisoner and Luke together. Some time ago he had a conversation with Coombs, who said she ought to be dead or killed. Witness was not certain to whom the accused referred, but he supposed the girl Luke was meant. Edwards was here requested to confine himself to plain, straightforward answers. The witness Edwards, in answer to further questions, said he might have opened the conversation with Coombs by saying, “I don’t see you now at the Railway Mission with so and so,” meaning Wilkie, but he could not pledge himself to that.

Kate Bullock, a fellow servant of the deceased, said Luke was frequently visited by a young man, whom she used to take down to the cellar. She could not identify accused positively as the man.

Annie Hayman, engine driver’s wife, said she constantly saw the accused and deceased together in the spring of 1891. They were together on the Sunday preceding the August Bank Holiday. Witness saw the deceased walking towards the city as late as five in the afternoon of Bank Holiday. Wilkie had told her she was enceinte, and had been so for three months.

Mrs Dillon, with whom deceased stayed from Saturday before Bank Holidaay till the following Monday, identified, as Wilkie’s property, a hat picked up on the Downs. She said the deceased was a highly respectable girl.

The hearing was adjourned till Tuesday. The police have found that Wilkie’s stepfather is at the Emigrants’ Home, Blackwall, London.