Bath Chronicle, November 9th 1893

The Hampton Rocks Mystery.

At the Parochial Hall, Bathampton, on Friday, the Coroner for North Somerset, Mr. S. Craddock, resumed the inquest upon the remains of Elizabeth Luke alias Wilkie, found in a cavern at Hampton Rocks on the 22nd September last. There was a large attendance. Mr. E.B.Titley again watched the proceedings on behalf of Arthur Stevenson Coombs.

Frank Clark, the young man who picked up the deceased woman's hat on August 7, 1891, said the quarry in which he found it was not the one in which the cave where the body was discovered is situated.

P.S. Edwards stated that he had been through the letters from Miss Sheppard in Coombs's bag at his house, and found that they numbered 161 and not 195 as previously stated. By Mr. Titley: He had taken out every letter that could be found referring to Elsie Wilkie.

Pollie Sheppard, re-called, said on the evening of the Bank Holiday, in August 1891, she could not remember where she went with Coombs for a walk before going to the Theatre with him. It was not very far.

The Coroner: You wrote a letter on May 9th, 1893, from Parsonage-lane, Chilcompton - that is not very long ago. In it you say, "I shall be back to-morrow night. My mother and I had a a quiet conversation this morning on different things. I'll tell you when I return. I think she brought it up on purpose for me. The longer you live the more you learn, as it was something I wanted to know. I am satisfied now she enlightened me a little on different things. I must tell you on my return. Something to talk about. Well, dear, I burnt all those letters last night." What letters were those? - Letters deceased sent to my home.
What was the purport of them? - Love letters Coombs wrote to her.
Was there any letter from Luke herself? - No, none.
Did anything in those letters reflect on Coombs? - No. Only letters anyone else would write.
The ordinary love letter? - Yes.

In answer to further questions witness said in 1891 she went to Margate on August 15th and returned to Bath on 4th September. These letters from Coombs to Wilkie the deceased sent to her (Sheppard's ) parents in 1891, not very long after witness became engaged to Coombs. She couldn't say the month. She did not destroy them until the present year. She remembered her mother writing to say Elsie Wilkie had sent these letters. She was staying at home in May last; she went to a drawer in which the letters were and saw them. She did not read all the letters through.

The Coroner continued to read the letter in question which went on as follows: "I wish Ihad not said anything to you about it as I know it upset you. Your writing is so dear to me. I could not help reading them. You didn't know her faults then."

Arthur Stevenson Coombs was then called. The Coroner having ascertained that he wanted to give evidence said: I think it my duty to caution you before you give your evidence, not only because of the fact of certain suspicious circumstances which the police heard, which they arrested you upon and upon which you were brought before the magistrates at Weston, and remanded for time to time - tat would influence me to some extent in cautioning you - but of course you know as well as I do that a good deal of evidence which has been brought forward by the police on this occasion has culminated chiefly in the association of yourself and Elsie Wilkie. Under those circumstances I think I should not be doing my duty to you if I did not caution you. Do you now wish to make a statement?

Coombs replied that he did.

Coombs was then sworn, and stated that for five years he had been an apprentice at Messrs. Fuller's coach factory in Bath. He was twenty years old on the 20th of March, 1893. He became acquainted with the deceased in the spring of 1890. He then knew her as Elise Adeline Wilkie, she was then at 3, Norfolk-crescent, Bath, the residence of Mr. R.A.Dykes, as cook. He never gave her an eengagement ring and was never really engaged to Wilkie.

You used to keep company with her, as it is commonly called? - Yes.
How often did you see her on the average in 1890? - About three times a week.

Witness could not recollect the date when deceased left Mr. Dykes's. After leaving she went to Mrs. Doveton, at 38 Green-park, after having been out of service for about two days. She stayed there about three months and he kept company with her during the time she was in that situation. From Mrs. Doveton's she went to Burlington-street; she was not out very long. then she went to Canynge-square, Clifton. While she was there he wrote her a letter saying he did not wish to keep company with her any longer as he had heard something about her. He could not tell whether he told her what he had heard but he could inform the court.

The Coroner: Was it something startling? Witness: I was told on good authority that to obtain her situation in Canynge-square she had forged a character.
Who did you hear that from? - I think Miss Sheppard told me (laughter).
Continuing, he said his parents wished him to discontinue keeping company with her, and that was why he wrote. It would be about the latter end of January, 1891, that he wrote the letter.
Do you recollect whether she replied to that letter? - I think she came over from Clifton to see me. She asked me why I gave her up and I told her.
What did you tell her? - I told her about the character, and that I had been made aware of her having been to Limpley Stoke Reformatory. She falsely represented herself to me - she said she was a young lady, and that her father was superintendant of the Emigrants' Home at Blackwall, London. She said he had £1,000 a year from that institution, and that he was connected with another in Germany which brought him in £750 a year.
She told you all this? - Yes, when I first made her acquaintance. I asked her what made her leave her home, and she said that her stepfather struck her. She said her people were in the habit of sending her sums of money to her every fortnight which were addressed to Turleigh. She said the sums were about 10s. each.
Was your acquaintance broken off after that interview? - Yes, after it I never kept company with her.

Do you remember her coming back to Bath? - Yes. She was walking about for some time and could not have been in a situation.
How long was this? - In February, March and April. I don't know where she lived. He remembered her being at Cheriton House during the summer of 1891, but he did not know when she went there.
Did you ever visit her at Cheriton House? - On two occasions he returned articles she wished him to.
What were they? - A small book and a small neck-wrap.
Where did you see her at Cheriton House? - She answered the door to me.
Did you go inside? - Only just inside the door.
How long did you stay? - About ten minutes.

Do you remember her leaving? - I do not. I was told afterwards that she had left.
Did you go for a walk with her in the summer of 1891? - No.
You heard the evidence of two witnesses that they saw you when walking on a Sunday in the summer of 1891? - Not in the summer of 1891.

The Coroner then referred to the deposition of Alfred Phillips, who swore he saw Wilkie and Coombs together in July, 1891, in the wood leading to Hampton Down, and also to the evidence of the young man Walter Clare. - Witness said he knew them both, and went to school with them. Their evidence was not correct. He never went out with Wilkie on a Sunday in July, 1891, as they deposed.

Do you remember the Saturday before August Bank Holiday, 1891? - Yes.
Where were you then? - From six to one I was at work. I went home to dinner, and afterwards I went to see the Volunteers start from Queen-square to camp at Devizes. He walked with them as far as the General Post-office, afterwards going into the Gravel-walk where he met a friend by appointment. The friend was Miss Thorne. He walked with her along the canal side until they got to a bridge leading to Warminster-road. They went to a cottage and had tea, and returned to Bath over Claverton Down, reaching St. James's-square about half-past seven. Witness was a Volunteer, but did not go to camp because he had a bad thumb.

What was the matter with it? - I had had it bitten.
Witness, continuing, said it was his right hand thumb. He had it bitten at the Liberal fete at Larkhall on the 27th July. He knew two of the young fellows who were going to "speechify" at the fete and that induced him to go. He listened to the addresses and the proceedings were enlivened by a variety entertainment. He stayed at the fete until the fireworks. When coming home he saw some young fellows who were "a bit on."

The Coroner: They were slightly exhilerated, were they? - Yes, sir.
Mr. Titley: The speeches, sir.
Witness, continuing, said he was struck by a young man who thought he (Coombs) had made remarks about him and a young lady who was on his arm. It was the other young men who made these remarks. He returned the blow and the man fell down. The young woman went off. More blows passed between witness and the other man, and the latter while on the ground tried to bite witness's leg. Witness saw what he was doing and pinched his cheek, and the man bit him on the thumb. He had not seen the man previously, and did not know that he should remember him or the girl. It was a very slight bite and did not prevent him working the whole week. Towards the end of the week it got worse. The wound festered, and his mother poulticed it;  but the bite got worse and prevented him from going to camp. He had some slight idea of going to Mr. Vigis (the chemist) on the Bank Holiday morning as his mother advised him to have it treated. He thought he went to Mr. Vigis's three times. He was certain he went on Wednesday and again on Thursday. On the Friday he saw the house surgeon at the Royal United Hospital. On the Sunday before Bank Holiday he remembered seeing the deceased. He saw her in the garden next to his house - the garden of 26, Kingsmead-terrace. He did not speak to her, and he did not remember seeing her afterwards. He saw her from his bedroom window. She was sitting in a tree.

The Coroner read to Coombs the evidence of Mrs. Hayman on this point. It was to the effect that on the day in question - the 2nd of August, 1891 - about five in the evening, she saw him talking to deceased on the terrace. Coombs remarked that he saw her on the Sunday morning, but could not recollect seeing her in the afternoon. He thought Mrs. Hayman m ust have made a mistake in the date.
Is her evidence correct, that she saw you talking to her at the top of Kingsmead terrace? - Had I seen her at the top of the terrace I should have remembered it, but I have no recollection of seeing her.
Do you remember any other time that you were talking to her at that particular spot? - I have some recollection of stopping and speaking to her on a Sunday somewhere about that time.
But not on this particular Sunday? - No.

After the interval for luncheon, which was earlier in the day than usual, owing to the crowded and heated condition of the room, Coombs's examination was resumed.

The Coroner: Can you give an account of what you did on the Bank Holiday. Did you see the deceased at all that day? - No, sir.
Not at all? - No, sir.
What did you do? - I made an appointment with Miss Thorne to meet her outside the Midaland Railway Station at 8.30 in the morning to drive to Thornbury. As it was wet I did not keep the appointment; that was the arrangement. Witness added that he did not get up very early, and remained indoors with his younger brother until twelve o'clock. He then went out and called on Miss Thorne at her situation in St. James's-square. He returned home, and after tea called for Miss Sheppard at Melrose. They went for a short walk before going to the Theatre; he could not say where they went. After the play he accompanied Miss Sheppard home - about half-past ten.

He did not see Wilkie the whole of that day, and first heard she was missing a week or fortnight after. Mrs. Hayman asked him if he knew where Elsie Wilkie had gone, and he asked "Why, has she gone away?" She said that she had, and witness told her he did not know she had gone anywhere. Mrs. Hayman stated that the girl had stolen a dress belonging to her mistress and some money, and that the police were after her.

Did you hear that other inquiries were made for her? - No, I don't remember when I first told Miss Sheppard that Wilkie was missing. She was away in Margate.
Do you remember having a conversation about her? - No, we might have mentioned her name, and wondered where she was gone and such like.
Questioned about the letters deceased sent to Miss Sheppard's parents, witness said they were love letters.
But you say you were only keeping company with her. Do you write love letters to girls with whom you are only keeping company with? - When you make a point of walking out with them they expect it (laughter).
They were love letters, but not engagement letters? - Just so (laughter)
Did you ever in any of those letters lead her to suppose you were engaged to her? - No.

Replying to further questions, witness denied that he was ever guilty of improper familiarities with the deceased. Asked as to the meaning of Miss Sheppard's letter on July 19th, complaining that he had been two-faced, and had deceived her, and concluding by referring to his nodding to someone on the terrace, witness said that part he believed referred to Wilkie, because he remembered nodding to her on the terrace. The reference to what she had said about him arose from the visit she paid his parents and the statement she made that he had deceived her. Witness added that the portion of the letter which charged him with being two-faced alluded to Miss Thorne. Just at that time he was keeeping company with Miss Thorne, she was a cousin of his sister-in-law. She was a stranger to the town and his brother asked him if he would mind showing her about a bit. That got to Miss Sheppard's ears and she thought he had been fooling with her.

Witness also said that early in February 1891, Wilkie called at his home and told his father witness had deceived her, that she was enceinte and that the intercourse occurred when she was in service in Norfolk-crescent.
A juror: Did she ever insult you while you were walking out with Miss Sheppard? - She never insulted me.
Mr. Titley reminded the juror that the evidence was that deceased insulted Miss Sheppard, and that on one occasion Coombs was with her.
Witness added that he heard deceased laugh at them on one occasion but he did not hear her say anything.
By a Juryman: He first became acquainted with the deceased at the Railway Mission Hall - she rather pressed herself upon him. He frequently attended the hall with her. She told him that she received money from home, and that it was sent to her at Turleigh. She would never allow him to accompany her there. He thought it strange that she would not allow him to go with her, but he believed the story. At the mission hall there was some talk about her, and she was looked upon as rather a suspicious character. His sister pursuaded him against her. Afterwards he doubted her story as he heard her friends were very poor. He heard at the mission hall that she had been to a reformatory and also to prison, and that she came from a poor family.
Did you communicate this to her at all? - I didn't tell her until she asked my reasons for giving her over.

By a juror: She told him that her friends from London had been down to see her and that they had got one of the men at the factory to point out witness to them that they might see who she was keeping company with. She said they were her stepfather and a young man with whom she had previously kept company.

 A juror asked witness if he ever saw deceased with another man? - Towards the last I was told she was in the habit of walking up and down Southgate-street and talking almost to anyone.
The Coroner: That won't do. Did you yourself ever see deceased walking with any other man. - N sir, excepting on one occasion when I saw her walking in the Wells-road in the summer of 1891.

By Mr. Titley: When he commenced keeping company with Wilkie he was only seventeen and earning 4s. a week. He was about 18 1/2 when she disappeared. He was now getting 9s. 6d. weekly. The silver brooch which had been referred to - like the wrap and book - was what he received from her when he was keeping company with Wilkie. He took it from her to get it mended. One day he accidentally let the brooch fall and stepped on it. He never got the brooch repaired. He mentioned it to Wilkie and she said, "It doesn't matter. It's a common thing." His brother William had it for some time; he believed he tried to sell it as old silver but could not get rid of it. It was left in a small box in witness's bedroom where it was found.

Mr. Titley called the witness's attention to Miss Sheppard's letter of February 5 commencing, "I feel so dreadfully sorry you were upset. Don't think no more about her. It cannot be true what she said because it is nearly six months ago she left Dykes." This, witness said, had reference to what he told Miss Sheppard about deceased having visited his parents and made an accusation against him. He had heard deceased speak of a Mr. Bevan, of London.

Mr. Titley asked Superintendent Rutherford whether he had received a letter from Sheffield bearing on the case? The Superintendent replied that he handed it to Mr. Titley. Mr. Titley read the letter which was from the Chief Constable of Sheffield, and stated that about Easter on Whitsuntide, 1890, Wilkie brought a young man to the house of a Mrs. Mormont, now living in Sheffield, but formerly of Bath, and had dinner. Afterwards she went to Bristol with him and Mrs. Isaacs. Mrs. Mormont did not know the young man's name, but believed he was well known to Mrs. Isaacs. Mr. Titley asked Coombs whether it was about that time that Wilkie spoke of a friend from London coming to visit her?
Witness: Very likely it would be.
After you ceased keeping company with her you saw her but little and do not know who her acquaintances were? - No.
The Coroner (to Mr Titley): Don't put leading questions.

By Mr. Titley: He had often been through the wood leading from the Warminster-road to Hampton Down - he had been there with Miss Sheppard and Miss Thorne. He had seen Clare and Phillips in the wood on two or three occasions. He was almost positive that on each occasion he had had Miss Sheppard with him. With reference to the letter from Sheppard on July 18th, 1891, he considered she was quite justified in using the language she did. She was indignant with him for not having met her and having gone with Miss Thorne.

Mr. Titley: Supposing this is the girl, were you in any way whatever concerned in her disappearance? - Certainly not.
The Coroner: I suppose you mean to say you had no hand in murdering her? - No, sir.
Mr. Titley: Not concerned in it or privy to it in any way? - No, sir, not in the least.

In answer to a juror Coombs said he walked with Wilkie through the wood in question when he was keeping company with her.
Mr. Titley thought Miss Thorne, who was present, should be called, and it was understood that she would give evidence.
The Coroner intimated that he should take no more evidence that day, but adjourn until the 21st inst. He, however, called Mrs. Dillon and Miss Bullock into the room.

William Maber, upholsterer, living in Kingsmead-terrace, said he was present when the Court sat on the occasion before th elast; he heard Mrs. Dillon and Miss Bullock talking. He was in conversation with them. Mrs. Dillon said to him, "What, you here!" Witness replied "Yes." She added "Don't say too much, they know enough already." He thought she referred to the police. She added "I know something they would be very pleased to hear, but let them find it out, they're paid for it."
Mrs. Dillon: That's because I heard you say he was guilty and he ought to be hung. You said that.
Maber: I did. That was my own opinion.
Witness added that on the 27th October his brother told him Mrs. Dillon wanted to see him. She asked witness if he had told Sergeant Edwards what he had heard her say.
Mrs Dillon: And you said "No?"
Witness: I said no. She said, "It's all a pack of lies." I repeated what she said and what I have now stated. Mrs Dillon said "I thought that jackass (meaning Miss Bullock) would go and say so."
Mrs Dillon: Oh, dear, I can't stop here and hear such lies.
Maber, in answer to Mrs. Dillon, said he heard D.S. Smith say to her "You could tell us more if you liked."
Mrs Dillon said it all arose from this.
The Coroner said there was strong evidence against her by two straightforward witnesses that she attempted to suppress evidence. He could commit her to prison at once, but he would give her an opportunity of producing at the next sitting witnesses who could impugn their statements.


The Court then adjourned until Tuesday, 21st inst.
The Coroner intimated that there was a good deal more to be seen into. They would have to make inquiries regarding the man Bevan.