THE TORQUAY MURDER. ADDITIONAL FACTS. The Murder of Miss Keyse.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 85, 17 January 1885, Page 5

THE TORQUAY MURDER. ADDITIONAL FACTS. The Murder of Miss Keyse.

The inquest upon the body of Miss Keyse, who was murdered at her residence, The Glen, Babbacombe, near Torquay, was opened on November 17th, The prisoner Lee, "who is charged on suspicion with the murder, was present. The deceased was identified by Mr George Whitehead, Victoria Park, London, as his step-sister. She was, he said, nearly 70 years of age. The witnews said that he had examined the house very carefully ; but could not discover that any attempt had been made to break into it from the outside. It was a matter of titter impossibility, he added, that the murder could have been committed without the prisoner, who slept in the pantry, close to the diningroom, having been disturbed. Elizabeth Harris, a domestic servant, half-sister to the prisoner, said she heard no sound during Friday night, but was awakened early on Saturday morning by a smell of fire. She gave an alarm, and soon afterwards she saw prisoner outside her door. He was partly dressed and assisted to put the fire out. Ho slept in the pantry downstairs, and if there had been any noise he must have heard it. She heard no disturbance herself. She saw the deceased's body in the dining-room, and the prisoner helped to carry it out. She next noticed blood on the prisoner's arm. Ho accounted for it by saying that he had cut his arm in breaking the glasi of the window, She saw the prisoner five minutes after she roused the other servants, but at that time she did not notice any blood upon his arm. Jane Neck, a parlour-maid, who had been in the deceased's service for about 50 years, said she last saw her mistress alive on Friday night about half-past 12. They had prayers in tho dining-room about half-past 10, the prisoner attending. The deceased had tea after prayers. The prisoner shortly afterwards went to bed. The witness looked into his room, and saw him in bed fast asleep, before 11 o'clock. She herself went to bed at 20 minutes to 1 o'clock. She left the deceased in the dining-room. A cup of cocoa was left for her as usual on the stove in the kitchen. The deceased was writing in her diary when she left. The plate- box was kept in Miss Keyse's bedrocm, and there were no valuables in the dinihg room. The witness, after going to bed, was woke up by the cook, and told that tho house was on fire. She ran immediately to Miss Keyse's room, and found that the bed was on fire, but that her mistress had not slept in it. Her sister, Eliza Neck, then called out that Miss Keyse was in the dining-room. She went down, John Lee leading her to the top of the stairs through the smoke. She was not certain whether Lee wentdown to the dining room with her or not, but rather thought he did. She went straight to the diningroom, and she thought that John came into the room, opened the shutters, and broke the window, but v r as not sure about his breaking the window. She afterwards found blood upon her nightdress. It came from John's arm when he caught hold of her in the colonnade. A week ago they had in a gallon of oil. It was kept in a can in the pantry, and on Sunday she was surprised to find the can empty. She left a whole candle with Miss Keyse for her to go to bed, and next morning found it in the dining-room burned to the socket. Miss Keyse was sometimes cross with John, and wanted him to emigrate, saying she could not afford to keep him. The morning of the murder he said that Miss Keyse was the best friend he had. The silver was all safe in the house. Lee's wages were half -a-crown a week, but he was only there until Miss Keyse could get him another place. He was displeased when he was last paid that he he did not receive more, but he did not use any threats. He said he should not stay, and talked of going away the same night. Eliza Neck, sister of the previous witness, identified a bell-pull produced as that which was in her mistress's room. It was in its proper place when she was preparing the bedroom. When she awoke, early in the morning, she went at once to the dining-room and found it in a blaze. She saw the prisoner in the hall, and he said the smoke was choking him, and that he could not live there. In the dining-room she saw nothing butflames, and immediately went for water to the pantry. Just afterwards she saw John bringing water down the passage. He had his arm covered with blood when he was taking the water into the room. Medical evidence was next given. It was to the effect that the injuries to the head were inflicted with some blunt instrument before the throat was cut. The injuries to the head were not self-inflicted, and were not the result of accident. It was stated that the clothes of the deceased smelt strongly of paraffin, as did alsothe prisoner's socks. A piece of chair-covering, saturated with blood was produced by the police. It had apparently been used by someone to stop the flow cf blood from the throat. There was a pool near the chair from which the covering was taken. There was nothing to show any struggle, and death had apparently been instantaneous. The doctor said that the wounds on the prisoner's left arm were such as might have been caused by breaking the glass in the window. But the witness was of opinion that a man with such wounds could not have got on his shirt stains in the position of those on a coloured shirt produced. Mr William Gasking, the landlord of the Cary Arms, Babbacombe, wasthe first witness examined. He said that after being summoned by Lee he saw the body of the deceased lying in the dining-room. He asked the prisoner to help him remove it. The prisoner hesitated, and began to chatter about something. He helped to take the body outside, but dropped it on the pavement and began to talk again ; but what he said witness did not know. The prisoner told the witness that he broke the window before he summoned him. The witness did not notice any blood on the prisoner's arm from first to last, nor did he smell any paraffin. Jane Neck, servant to the deceased, was recalled, and examined as to fastening the dining-room window. She said that the outside shutters were not fastened, and any one could have entered by breaking the window glass. Two coast-guardsmen were also examined. Dr. Steele, a surgeon, next described the condition of the body of the deceased. He said that such clothing as remained on the deceased smelled very strongly indeed of paraffin. A hatchet was produced. Dr. Steele said he had carefully examined the iron part of the instrument with a microscope, and he believed it to be covered with stains of blood. George Russell, a chimney-sweep, said that about half-past five on Saturday morning he met the prisoner, who told him that he was going to Mrs Maclean's to tell her that her sister was dead. In reply to the witness's questions, the prisoner said that Miss Keyse was really dead, and he added, " And now she is dead it will never be known how it was done." William Richards, postman, said that about two months ago the prisoner told him that ho was tired of the place, and if " Missus don't get me a good place she will soon wish she had done so."

He said, " I will put an end to one.in the bouse," but he did not say whom. The wit- , ness replied, " You had better be careful, for if anyone gets to hear your w ords you will be locked up if anything should occur." The prisoner replied, " I don't care." The witness bad seen the prisoner with a black stick with a black knob to it, and he remarked that it would give one a " nasty clout." The prisoner cross-examined the witness as to this stick, and said that -he bought a stick of Mrs Salter, at St, Mary's Church, some time ago, and had never carried any other since. As he was walking with a young woman, he threw it into Mr Home's garden, where he dared say it could be found. Lee passed a very restless night on Monday. It is stated that the hatchet upon which blood-stains have been found was fetched by Lee to break open a partition during the fire. It fits into the wounds on the back of deceased's head. When this testimony was produced Lee seemed very uneasy, and thereafter he eyi-< dently felt the seriousness of his position, f •• A young woman named Fey, daughter of a builder at Teignmouth, was on Monday engaged in making mourning clothes, as her sister was lying dead, when she suddenly rose and left the house. No trace of her could be found until some of her clothing was discovered by the banks of the river Teign, and it is surmised she has committed suicide. She formerly lived with Miss Keyse, and it is said kept company with Lee. It is stated that, although Miss Keyse led a very retired life, she had repeatedly received visits from members of the royal family, as she was some years ago a lady in waiting to the Queen, and a relative of hers was a tutor to the Prince of Wales. Her house is said to be literally crammed with silver plate, old china, and valuable oilpaintings.