CAPTURE 0F JACKSON. ADVENTURES OF AN ENTERPRISING BURGLAR. MURDER AND MUSIC. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 286, 1 August 1888, Page 4

CAPTURE 0F JACKSON. ADVENTURES OF AN ENTERPRISING BURGLAR. MURDER AND MUSIC. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. )

London 7 , June 13. The efforts of the provincial police and Scotland Yard combined to catch the daring convict Jackson, who escaped from Strangeways gaol aftor murdering a waidor and then committed a series of bold burglaries, proved quite ineffectual till Saturday last, when the man himself blundered carelessly into their hands. Numerous Jacksons had been arrested during the week, but none of them proved to be the man. When at last he was captured it was at Bradford for another crime (a burglary), and but for the shrewdness of a young detective, he most probably would have escaped identification. Jackson had obtained lodgings a few days acco under the name of Thomas Harrison, at the house of a mason named Marshall Booth, at Thornbury, a suburb of Bradfor I ; and, arriving late on Sunday night, and finding the premises fastened up, ho broke in. Booth was (as we stated yesterday) awakened by the noise, and, running out, secured the man. after a sharp struggle, with the assistance of Constable Flood. The prisoner was conveyed to the police station, but it was not until after he had been seen by the detectives there that his identity with the escaped murderer was discovered.

HIS IDENTIFICATION. ' A Bradford correspondent says :—: — Pc- , tective-Inspector Dobson, of London, give 5! [ the following account of the identification j of the man :—Detective Talbot came across , to me this moraine after his run round , the cells, and said, " There's a man in ' who has gob a mark on his hand just ' like Jackson, and I believe he is the man." ' I told Talbot to bring the prisoner across to me, and when he came I asked him his name. He replied, "Thomas Harrison," ; and when I inquired if he could bring: any one to speak to his identity, he said, " Yes, two or three," mentioning, among other names, thafc of Charles Henry Jackson. I saw that the hanclmark was

EXACTLY THE SAME as the published description of the murderer, and I said to Talbot, " Take this man back and ermine him thoroughly." Talbot took him over to the cells, along with the printed description issued, and, after stripping him, compared him mark for mark, and found them all to correspond. He then said, " It's no use you denying it. YOU ARE FIRTH," and the prisoner replied, "I am." They came back to me then, and I said to the prisoner, "Do you really say you are Jackson?" and he again replied, "lam." After this, to make sure, I took him back myself and examined him thoroughly, and found every mark as described—the scar on the thigh, the mole on the left side, the scar on his eye, and the lump on the inside of the hand. I was sure by this time that he was the man, but to make doubly sure I got outthe clothing he wascharged with stealing from Ureat Horton a few months ago, and which we had justgotin. Among the articles was a black and blue striped handkerchief, which he was wearing when apprehended at Manchester. I placed the whole of the articles before him, and said, "Have you ever seen these betore ?' and he replied at once " Yes." 1 asked him where, and he answered, "In Bradfoi'd," adding just after, "At (4reat Horton." I then as,ked if he had ever been in trouble here, and he replied, " Yes; but I don't want to be blamed for other people's faults." I asked, ""What have you done?" and he replied, " I got some stuff from a Salvation Army captain."

THE CONSTABLE'S STORY. The policeman Flood, who apprehended the prisoner, says :—The prisoner had a cut on the head when I collared him. It had been done by his falling on a stone in the yard, though the prisoner says it was done by Booth kicking him. He gave me his name and address as Thomas Harrison, 29, Orarnett - street. I have lived myself in Garnett - street for ten years, and know evei yone who lives there. I knew that the address he had given me was a false one. When I put the handcuffs on him, he said, "I have never had a pair of these things on before ;'' but he made no other remark.

JACKSON'S STORY OF HIS ESCAPE. In the course of further statement, Jackson said that alter leaving the room at Strangeways Prison, where the murder was committed, he got »n the roof, went over Cheetham Hill and Red Bank to the Oldham Road. He begged a hab and a coat from a publican on the way, and, on reaching Oldham, he broke into a house and left part of his prison clothing there. | He committed a second burglary there, and then went on to Ha'ifax. While there he got shaved, and succeeded in ridding himself of the remainder of his prison clothes. After staying there two days, he went bo Leeds, where he remained | aweek, and since leaving that town he has been living in the outskirts of Bradford, and had only once ventured into the town. Marshall Booth, who effected Jack&on's capture, has made a statement to the fol lowing effect : — The prisoner ha& been

stopping A WEEK IN BRADFORD. He has spent all his time in public-houses, j and has been regarded by all who came in j contact with him as a jolly good fellow, i The prisoner evidently enjoyed the good company, and Hang songs which evoked considerable praise. Some of the men with whom he associated felt a certain amount of curiosity as to his antecedents, and asked him where he came from, to which he replied, " From Garnett-btreet, Bradford." Suspicion, however, arose as to his antecedents being altogether what they might be, and on Sunday night Booth refused to let him sleep with him, although he had been staying at the house for several days. The prisoner, nevertheless, went to the house later, and tried to gain admission. Booth said to a friend, " There's something queer about this man."

I'M AFRAID IT'S JACKSON. Let's go and collar him." They then ran after Jackson, and overtook him. The prisoner was caught, ard a constable was sent ior, and eventually he was overpowered and handcuffed. The prisoner remarked, as he held up his hands, " I'm done;" and yielded without further show of resistance. In the course of the struggle, Booth and the prisoner were bruised, particularly thelatter, who has a wound on his head, caused by a kick from Booth. The prisoner was also very much hurt about the body. The wound on the head has since been plastered up by Dr. Lodge, the police surgeon. Booth lurther states :—The first time that ever we met was at the White Bear Inn. This was on Monday morning, when I went to seek for some work. There was a man alone with Jackson. Jackson advised the man not to work, as he would treat him. On Tuesday I saw him at half-past six at night, and

HE TREATED ME. Ho gave another man half a-crown to sleep with him, but this man's "missus" would not allow him. He asked me ab half-past ton or close upon eleven if I would let him sleep with me, and 1 said, " You are a perfect stranger to me, and I don't know." I asked Mrs Watson, the landlady, if she knew him. She said, "No. He is a perfect stranger to me." He pulled his money out of his pocket, and said he would pay me anything ever 1 wanted if I would let him go with mo to sleop. I said, " I don't want aught. You must leave all your money here if you stop with me." So ho did. He left 28s, and came and stopped j with me, and got into bed, and fell out of I bed. My lodger (a friend of mine) said, : " Who's that ?" I said, " ItV John Haigh " He said, "Is it a man from Rodloy ?" I said, "No. It's Jackson.' It was said in fun. Jackson never said anything. I went) outat about half-past fiveon the Wednesday morning, leaving Jackson in bed. 1 went back about six o'clock, and he was in bed still, and I called out to him, " Firth," and he jumped nearly out of bed. " Firth " was again said in fun. 1 sent Benjamin Beanland upstairs, and Jackson was frightened out of his wits when hesaw Beanland. Beanland is a friend of mine. Jackson had jumped out of bed. I Lold Beanland, again keeping up tho joke, that it wa<* Jackson. Jackson said to Beanland, " What's up?" and Beanland replied, " Aren't you going to get up ?"' 1 always had a suspicion about this man, and have told everyone that there was a

SCREW 7 LOOSE SOMEWHERE, and that he was a suspicious character. I really thought ho was something of this sort, but did not think he was like Jackson. He went out drinking a great deal, and made himself at home among the company. We went to the Waggon and Horses on Saturday, and were there at between eight and nine o'clock. On Sunday we drank together as usual, and enjoyed ourselves during the time we were there. It transpired that he had said he lived in C4arnett - street, so I said, " Well, then, it's about time you went home." He said, "Oh, I don't go home to-night ;" but I insisted on his going home, as T would not have him in my house. Later on I heard him trying to get into the house, and I said to my fellow-lodger, " Look here, there's something strange about this man. Let's collar him." Booth ended by describing the struggle, in which he said ht kicked the prisoner two or three times.

JACKSON AS A VOCALIST. Jackson seems to have behaved at Bradford with the same daring recklessness which marked his behaviour at Oldham. On Saturday he highly gratified the company at the vVhite Bear Inn with his songs in the tap - room. He sang "The Thorn,'' and afterwards was introduced into the bar - parlour, and rendered " No Rest but the Grave for the Pilgrim of Love." At this time immediately behind where he stood was a bill describing him and the murder for which he was wanted. He also gained the confidence of one of the barmen, who describes him as "as good a fellow as one could wish to meet,'" ("o such an extent that on Saturday he lent him a shilling, the ) murderer promising to pay it back on Mond »y. This desperate game played by the fugitive was attended by considerable danger, however, for that day a gentleman from Birstall called to transact some business with Mr Watson, the landlord of the inn, and, in the course of his conversation about the murder, the visitor ?aid he knew both Jackson and his patents, and if he only paw the offender he could recognise him. This was said in the barparlour, and at the time the murderer was in the tap-room. Unfortunately, however, the gentleman left without visiting any j other part:? of the house.

SOME OF HIS BURGLING EXPLOITS. There aie just now being related at Bradford many other incidents which help to exhibit tho almost unheard-of coolnets of the man. In a house which it is now alleged he broke into in Beech-grove, at Bradford, the occupiers being away, he went to bed, and slept till six: o'clock in the morning, when he was seen to leave, the neighbour? thinking him to be a new caretaker in the house. In a hoube in Hustler-street, which pri^onei entered, lie had helped himself to a plentiful meal of cold mutton and salad, washed himself, and bru&hed his boots before leaving.

HOW HE ESCAPED FROM STRANGEW AYS. Jackson himselt gave the police .some idea of his experiences since his release. llp said he escaped from the prison through the roof of the matron's house, and dropped oft the prison wall into Southall-street. When he got into the street hi* first thought was to return to prison and give himself up, but he continued his way across one of the side street^ leading into Cheetham Hill. Crossing Cheetham Hill Road, a busy thoroughfare, he got into Red Bank, a populous neighbourhood, whence he made hi^ way to Oldham At Oldham he committed two burglaries, and at one of the houses stole some ordinary wealing attiie, and threw part of his prison clothes in a ditch Next morning he read a newspaper, though not in a public house, as was stated, and from it he first learnt that the warder was dead. With reference to this he said,

"I HAD NO INTENTION OF KILL ING HIM. If I had to answer fco my Maker at this moment I had no intention of killing that man." From Oldham he went to Halifax, begging on the way a coat and hat from the landlord of a public-house. At Halifax he shaved, and got rid of another portion of his prison dress. After staying there for a couple of days he went on to Leeds, and remained at Leeds for a week. From Leeds he came to Bradford, and hung about the outskirts in the neighbourhood of Bradford Moor, where he was captured. Ab Leeds, ho had purchased a new suit of clothes, a pepper-and-salt coat and waistcoat, and a pair of grey tiousers, which he wore when arrested. Among other statements made by Jackson one was to the effect that he did not know whatever had possessed him to do it (meaning the murder). But it would rest on nobody's ohoulders but his own. The . prisoner had evidently been put to severe straits, and throughout yesterday bore a ; most dejected air, and sighed and groaned constantly.

AN INTERESTING COLLOQUY. Ifc is said that Jack&on never produced ■ an^ weapons of any sort during his struggle > with his captors. The principal credit s in connection with the identification of Jackson appears to be due to Detective Talbot, a smart young officer in i the Bradford force, who, having assisted the Chief Constable in issuing photo- -, graphs of Jackson about a fortnight ago, had made his features and peculiarii ties his special study. On entering the cells thi& morning he saw the prisoner , "Harrison" sitting with his head bound up. He said, "Are you Thomas Hard-

son ?" -whereupon the prisoner stood up and replied, " Yes." Talbot said, "Where do you belong to?" and the prisoner answered, " Bradford." To the question, " How long have you been in Bradford ?" the man answered, " Three weeks." Talbot said, " Where were you previously ?" and he answered, " I was in Americafor five yoare." Talbot asked, "What part of America?" and the man said, " Philadelphia all the time.'' Talbot, who had spent some time in America, asked, "How far is Kensington off Philadelphia ?" indicating one of the suburbs of the city. Prisoner answerod, "[ don't exactly know." Throughout the conversation Jackson had continuously kept his left hand in his trousers pockot. Talbot next said, "Let me look at your hands." Jackson at once turned pale, and began to tremble. On seeing the man's hands, Talbot ! noticed the peculiar mark on the linger —a lleshy protuberance about the size of a hazel nut at the base of the index finger of tho lett hand. He next asked to bee the man's nose, and found upon it tho bear across the bridge. Talbot said, "1 will tell you who you are —you are Gharlcswood Firth, the Strangeways muidcrer." The man made no reply. Talbot then said. " 1 will confront you with someone 1 think knows you —l mean ouv Chict Inspector." Jackson said, " What, Mr Pobson ?" to which Taibot replied, " Yes." j

WHO WROTE THE LETTER? Jackson, t is now believed, visited Leeds on May 23id, and committed a robbeiy on May 24th. Afterwards he made some purchases at Armley, and there actually told the shopkeeper, whose name, by-the-by, is JTirbh, that he was a native of Birstnl, and was the man who escaped from WakcKeld Prison some years ago. On the fact coming to ohe knowledge of the police, a street at Armley, in which Jackson and a young woman were lodging, was watched, and the observations were continued up to yesterday afternoon. The police were unable to ascertain the precise house where the man was staying; hence the reason that no search was made. Yesterday morning the Chief Constable of Leeds received the following letter, apparently in the handwriting of a woman :—" Tuesday. Sirs, —You are treating my fathei and mother very bad by setting the report about that I am the Manchester murderer; but I can tell you, and it will relieve the minds of my parents, that lam entirely innocent of the crime. I shall turn up before long. —C. W. I'iktii." The envelope bore the Leeds postmark, and was dated June 10.