A MYSTERIOUS MURDER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 383, 27 February 1908, Page 4

A MYSTERIOUS MURDER.

The Woman in Red. At t est o 7 an Ers'.while Aucklander. London, February 13. The mystery of the beautiful young woman in red, who wa.-> murdered on Christmas night and thrown into a swamp in Harrison, New Jersey, U.S.A., extends its interest to New Zealand, for one ol the men arrested in connection with the murder is said to have a wite and family in Auckland. This is Albert Thompson, a mechanic, who owns a river boat 1 which was moored near where the body was found. The police had just about decided to discharge Thompson and Kirman, another man arrested, for lack of evidence, when the enterprising reporters of New York persuaded a detective to search Thompson’s boat, and letters were found showing that ne has a young sou in New Zealand, and that he has been corresponding with a young woman in Derbyshire, England. When arrested Thompson described himself as a bachelor. He has now been detained while the police inquire where Thompson and Kirkman were on Christmas Night and Christmas Eve, whether anyone visited them on their boat, the Idle Hour on Christmas Day, and where Mrs Thompson is. Thompson himself has now volunteered a statement about his wife. “I married,” he said, “Lilian Nichols in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, 25 years ago, and we lived together off and on. I came to America, and when I returned to England in 1904 I went to the home of my brother, o. W. Thompson, at Brimiugton, near Chesterfield. My idea was to kidnap my son Oliver without my wife’s knowledge. I found my wife had got a divorce from me and had married a man named Brassington. “Well, continued Thompson, “ I met my wile, and we became reconciled, Bhe lelt Brassington, and in 1905, with my wife, my sous Oliver and George, and my daughter Lizzie, I sailed from England for New Zealand, and settled in Auckland. There we quarrelled, and I came back to America.”

“ Where is your wife now ?” queried the police. “She is in New Zealand,” shouted Thompson, “ before ray God, I swear it! ” Stephen Thompson, the brother of the accused man, who resides near Chesterfield, is highly indignant at the charge made against Albert, whom he declares would never have done such a thing. ‘‘l am off to America in the morning,” he said. “ My brother is innocent. He has been an unfortunate dog, and has had a rough time of it ever since his early married days. He lived at Brimlngton a long time with his wife. They had four children, two sons and two daughters. One son is with his mother now in Sheffield, and the other is in New Zealand with the two girls.” The brother also stated that the couple had lived together fairly happily, but eventually separated. Albert Thompson left his wife for a long time and went to America. Then he came home and took his wife and family out to New Zealand. In consequence of continued disagreement he left his wife out there and went on to America. His wife, with the youngest child, returned to England. “ Has your brother written to you about any other woman?” Stephen was asked. “ No,” replied the brother. ‘ ‘ Let me give you his own words, which only reached me a fortnight ago. He said:— I am wondering what I have to be thankful about. Some things have gone very bitter with me, and some things sweet. I have tried hard for a better life, and sometimes have considered myself a failure, but to-day I am thankful for a lot of things. Firstly, I have my full health, and more strength than I had some one or two years ago. Secondly, I don’t drink any beer, wine or spirits. Thirdly, I have not been acquainted with any woman since I left New Zealand.

These are three things for which I am most thankful. Then I am living in my own home, which is a boat, 4ofeet long by xsfeet wide, propelled by a 12 horse-power engine. I have not got this thing for home and pleasure alone, for in the summer I can make a clear profit of £3 a day. I take out fishing parties at aodols. per day, and, allowing sdols. for expenses, this leaves me isdols —not so bad, is it? I have had a bit of a “ throw down,” but if I had been the scamp some people make me out to be, I should have stayed down; but you can’t keep a good man down, and these thing prove I am not the villain they claim me to be. “ That’s not the mau to do a murder,” declared the brother, in comment. One of the letters found in Thompson’s boat was signed “R. R.,” and gave an address at Belper. The writer has been identified as Rachel Richardson, now employed as a domestic by a doctor at Belpher. Miss Richardson had given some particulars of her acquaintance with Thompson. She first met him some two or three years ago whilst’ he was visiting his brother in Brimington. Albert became enamoured of Miss Richardson, and paid her attentions. It was suggested that she should join him in America, but nothing definite was decided upon the point. She then learned ha had divorced his wife, when in Denver, Colarado, in June, 1906.

On Thompson’s return to the United States he sent Miss Richardson a book of American views, but she did-not acknowledge the gift for some mouths. Owing to the long delay she feared her letter would not find the addtcss, so she placed this direction on the back ; “If not delivered return to R. R., Beach Lawn, Belner, Dtrby.” It was evidently this letter that the police found in Thompson’s boat. About this time the girl decided to break off the correspondence, having become acquainted with another young man. Miss Richardson has a good opinion of Thompson, and declared with considerable emphasis, “ I feel sure he is innocent.”