STRANGLED WITH STOCKING.

Shannon News, 12 March 1926, Page 2

STRANGLED WITH STOCKING.

MURDER OF PRETTY GIRL. STREET MUSICIAN'S CRIME ! A sequel to the murder of a (pretty 17-year-old girl named Polly Edith Walker, who was found dead in her bedroom in Camden Town, with a silk stocking tied tightly round her neck, was the finding of a cripple, who was identified through a photograph published in last week's Sunday edition of "The Sunday News." The cripple, Eugene de Vere, a raIher tall man of 27, had been courting the girl, and had meals with her and her mother. He was missing •following the discovery of the tragedy, and was later found in a small temperance hotel in Hitchin, to which place he had walked, despite Ms wooden leg—a total distance of about 30 miles. • When de Vere attended the inquest on the girl at St. Pancras, the girl's • brother rushed at him and knocked him down. Bedroom Drama. Polly Walker, a pretty shop girl, aged 17, was found dead in her bedroom on the top floor of a three-stor-I eyed house in Arlington Road, CarnI den Town. She was very attractive, and had blue eyes and golden hair. Miss Walker was found murdered early on New Tear's Day, and it is believed by the police, that the crime -was committed shortly before 9 o'clock in the morning—ah hour after her mother left the • house to go to her work at a palace in Kingsway. . Footsteps on the Stairs. Two rooms on the top floor of the house are />-cupied by the Walkers. ' Here Polly lived with her widowed mother and her brother, a young man employed on. a railway as a fireman. The police theory is that after the mother had left, a man let himself into the house, made his way into the girl's bedroom and committed the crime. Scotland's Yards inquiries into the Scotland Yard's inquires into the murder show that on the night fore New Year's Eve—Polly Walker . and her mother were,among a party of five who went up to the West End to watch the street, scenes. Polly's niotlier and a young man named Leonard Mail and. his sister . were in.the party. According to a statement they have made the police, . an incident occurred which led to angry words. ' Private Key. It is said that there had been Lrouble earlier in the evening because Polly had been invited to; a New Year Eve's dance. It is stated that de Vere is a native ■ of Glasgow, that he had lived in the neighbourhood around Tottenham Court Road and Hampstead Road for four and a-half years. He was recently living in Dalancey Street, Camden Town, not far from, the home of the Walkers. He apparently obtained a livelihood as an itinerant musician; playing a concertina and barrel organ. On Saturday, the day. after New Year's Dayi de Vere, slept at "The Acacias," a commercial temperance hotel, in Station Road, Hitchin. He was wearing cream-coloured Oxford "bags." a white soft hat, a well-tailored brown jacket, brown shoes and horn-rimmed glasses. Slept in Glasses.

Mrs. Tadner, in an interview, told a representative of t "The Sunday News" a dramatic story of the chcumstances in which the cripple was detained. r "He arrived here about 6 on Saturday evening," she said, "and asked for a separate room. I had not got one to spare, so he agreed to sleep in a room with my son. and a soldier visitor, Ernest Sims, an air craftsman. "In the morning Mr. Sims rpmarked that the man had slept with his hornrimmed glasses on. . !i "He did not come downstairs until nearly 11 o'clock. • He said lie did not want any breakfast, and 4 added, 'I think I- will go out and get a paper.' "While he was out I saw a photograph of De Vere in 'The Sunday News.' and, said to Mr. Sims, 'That looks like this chap.' (Meaning our new lodger). "Presently the man returned, and said: "I think I will have some breakfast" While he was eating my son went to the police station. "Mr. Sims replied, referring to the photograph, 'Oh, but he is a cripple.' He had not noticed any more than I had his fellow sleeper had an artificial leg. "I did not notice that he had an artificial leg or that he limped. Policeman's Ruse. "Presently Sergeant Saunders called , and asked for some lunch. He was shown into the parlour .and sat opposite the cripple, who was working out a cross-word puzzle. "The sergeant got into conversation with Jhim, and, I heard afterwards, kicked his wooden leg three times under the table to make sure, that he had one."