A TRAGEDY AT SAVOY HOTEL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9424, 21 April 1909, Page 3

A TRAGEDY AT SAVOY HOTEL.

In remarking at an inquest at Westminster that the story told was like an extravagant romance, and he donbted very much whether anything like it had been rea"d in a “shilling shocker,’’ the coroner was fully justified for a more extraordinary narrative has seldom been told.

The inquest was on a man who had registered at the [Savoy Hotel as “Dr. Pullman of Ohicago, ’’ but who was now described as “unknown.’’ Scotland Yard inquiries show that “Dr. Pullman” was an alias. The man had attempted to obtain valU" able jewellery from Messrs Rood & Co., of Burlington Arcade, and when he was foiled he out his throat. Olerks from the hotel gave evidence that the man, who spoke with an American accent, and was about 34 years of age, called there and engaged a sittug room, bedroom and bath room. No payment in advance was asked fcr, as be said his wife and maid were coming in the afternoon in a motor oar. He had only one with him. The wife and maid never arrived.

The Ooroner: Did he look like a man who could have a suite of rooms at the Savoy?—He was very [well dressed.

Mr Qreville Smith (for Messrs Rood): What is the charge?—Four guineas a day. Do you usually let a suite of rooms to a man who arrives with only a. bag?—No; but he said his wife would_come with the baggage in her oar.

Mr Harry Fenton, Messrs JRood’s assistant manager, said that on the Monday afternoon “Dr. Pullman” called at Burlington Arcade and asked to diamond rings as he wished to make a present to his wife. He selected four rings and requested that they might to sent to the hotel. Each ring was worth over £IOO. The man told him to include a cheaper ring, worth £4O, and looked at a diamond necklace with “drops” on it, worth £2400. He said that if he had it he would not want the “drops”. As he left he shop he said, “You might bring the neoklaoe as well.”

VENTRILOQUIAL CONVERSATION.

A little later witness went to the hotel with the jewellery, and was shown iip to “Dr. Pullman’s” suite. He noticed there were two doors, and that the man’s hat and gloves were,on a table by the window. “Dr. Pullman” went into the adjoining room and said, “My wife is dressing.' Will yon let me see the things’ ’ Witness had heard him talking in the next room, and when “Dil. Pullman” suggested that he should take the rings to his wife, he raised no objection. The door was not quite closed, and witness heard a further conversation.

Then “Dr. Pullman” returned and said bis wife liked the rings, and desired to see the necklace. This be took into the next room. He closed the door mote to than on the previous occasion, and as witness had already been twice told at the inquiry office that nothing was known about the visitor, he became suspicious, Witness proceeded: He had iict been gone more than half a minute, when the conversation ceased, so I slipped out into jthe corridor. Pre-, sently I saw him opening the door of one of the rooms belonging to the suite very oaTefully. He was dressed up in a soft cap and big, heavy overcoat. I did not wait a minute. I don’t know what I said ; 1 think I swore at him.

“He said, ‘Call for a maid; call for a maid. My wife has been taken ill.’ I replied, ‘l’ll give yon maid,’ and I flew for him. We fell back struggling into the sitting room, where we had a tussle. He then seemed to collapse altogether, and lost all his nerve. I threatened I would smash his face in if he did not disgorge. “He handed over all the jewels with the exception of one ring, which was afterwards found in his possession and in a beseeching voice said, ‘Let me go, oh, do let me go.’

“ ‘No,’ I said, ‘you are a scoundrel, and I rushed out into the passage calling for help. ’ “I stood at the front of the door of the sitting room, so that I could see him, and also look down the passage, I saw him out his throat whilst he was standing in front of the fire place, and he fell down with the blood from the wound in his throat pouring on to the grate. ’ ’

MYSTERIOUS LETTER. Witness rushed down the corridors, and, finding a porter, returned to the sitting room with him, but the man had gone. . “The bedroom door was closed, and it took half a minute to open it; but when we got inside,” continued the witness, “we found he was not in the bedroom.

“We saw at once that he had gone through the window on to the balcony and down a spiral staircase. At the bottom we found him, much exhausted. I went up to him, and he tried to speak to me, but he could say nothing. He could not. speak for blood.”

The doctor was sent for, but the man died before he arrived.

Inspector Moir said that he had made inquiries, but the man had not yet been identified. The portmanteau was purchased for £1 5s 6d, and was filled with newspapers. The Ooroner : .-That sounds very simple. You go and purchase an old portmanteau .and fill ic with old newspapers and then very nearly get credit for-£2OOO worth of jewellery.' The officer,produced letter written in German to the man from Switzerland on February 25th. The writer suggested that the man was implicating him in unpleasant things, and said he wanted to leave them alone, adding :f----“I am not going to be mixed up with such things, and T am not going to take part in such things. One or two appearances more in the Courts of Justice would not matter. ■”

The jury returned a verdict of “Felo de se. ”