December 8th: Mrs Isaacs out of court

The Western Mail, 8^th December 1893.

The Bath Mystery.

Interview with the Cardiff Witness.

The Dead Woman was a Flirt.

One of the witnesses called on Wednesday at the resumed inquiry at Bath into the death of Elizabeth Luke, alias Wilkie, whose remains were found in a cave at Hampton Rocks on September 22 last, was Mrs Lucy Isaacs, wife of Mr Frederick Isaacs, a French polisher, living at 86 Coburn-street, Cathays, Cardiff. With a view to eliciting further information from Mrs Isaacs as to her connection with the case, a representative of the Western Mail on Thursday waited upon that lady at her home. She had then only just returned from Bathampton, where the inquiry took place, and, evidently thinking that the visit of our representative meant something akin to the searching examination she had undergone at the inquest, Mrs Isaacs, who is a short, delicately framed, pleasant featured body of about 30 years, betrayed slight nervousness. Upon learning the mission of the newspaper man, however, she became pleasantly relieved and confidential. Mrs Isaacs first described the reason of the family coming to Cardiff, adding that she had lived here ony eight months.

“When did you first meet Wilkie?” queried our representative. – “My memory is far from retentive,” replied Mrs Isaacs; “but so far as I can remember it was about three years ago, at an open air religious meeting in Norfolk-street, Bath.”

“You afterwards became fast friends?” – “Yes; when I lived in Oak-street, Bath, she would often spend Sunday evenings with me.”  “I suppose she invariably came to see you alone?” – “Oh, dear no, Arthur Coombes constantly joined her.”

“What was Coombes’s relationship to her?” –“Well, I always thought they were engaged to be married. Wilkie told me so, but Coombes in her presence would laugh at the idea, and under these circumstances she would deny the engagement, saying they were only having a bit of a flirt.”

“Did Coombes and Wilkie seem to be on good terms?” – “Yes, they were always jolly and full of fun.” “During your acquaintance with Wilkie did you know of any other man with whom she was intimate?” – “No; she seemed a desperate flirt, but never kept to any man, excepting Coombes, for long.”

“Was there anything peculiar in her demeanour when she paid her last visit to you, a week before Bank Holiday, 1891?” –“No; she seemed as usual. We were sitting in the front room chatting as usual, when she espied a photo of her’s standing on the mantelpiece. She asked if she might have the loan of it for a day or two for the purpose of showing it to a friend. She took the photo with her.”

“This is the last time you saw her alive?” – “That is so.”

“During your conversation did she say anything about going away?” – “Yes, she said that she was then in Bath unknown to her ‘missis,’ having told her (her mistress) that she was going to spend her annual holiday in London, but had decided to remain in Bath. She was lodging in Kingsmead-terrace, a few doors from Coombes.”

“After missing her, I presume you made inquiries as to her whereabouts?” – “Well, I felt that I had no desire to cultivate her friendship longer, so I did not make very searching inquiries, but from what I did ascertain she appeared to have gone to her friends in London.”

“The pattern of dress material shown to you at the inquest was similar to the material which composed the dress she wore when you last saw her?” – “Yes, I could easily identify that.”

“Is there any information withheld at the inquest which you can tell me?” – “The police can’t trace her box. While she was out of service she left her box with me. It was a large wooden box, grained outside, and crammed full of clothes. It was taken from my house by a man who said he was sent for it, and was to take it to the station.”

“What is your candid opinion of the girl as you knew her?”  -- “She was a flirt and very untruthful, and could not be depended upon in any particular.”

The only photograph held by Mrs. Isaacs was the one Wilkie took away and did not return; but from the description she gives Adelaide Wilkie seems to have been an extremely pretty girl and one who would find many friends in the ranks of the male fraternity.