THE WALTHAMSTOW MYSTERY. CHLOROFORMED IN A CHEMIST'S SHOP. The Assistant Missing.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 299, 15 September 1888, Page 5

THE W AL T H AM S TO W MYSTERY.

CHLOROFORMED IN A CHEMIST'S SHOP.

The Assistant Missing.

( (Fiom the " London Echo.") ' London, July 27Lh. liKi-,AT excitement. prevails in the suburb of Walthamstou , where nn ouliagc of a most , deliberate clnu actor was perpetrated upon a young woman named Fiench, who expired late on Sunday night from the c fleets of chloroform admini&teied to her at a chemist's shop —ono of a now'y-eieuted block of dwelling I? —situated in the ohoiOMglifure named. The premises? were in the oecupa ion of/; Mr K. H. Hamilton, a ehernibt well-known and ie&peeted in the district, who also cauies ou business at the Parade, .scarcely more then five minutes' walk from the Mark Hou&e-Road shop. Mr .Hamilton j ■ personally attends to hifo establishment on J the Parade, while the management of the blanch shop was entrusted to Mr XV. \ Barber, a qualified chemist* assistant, who had passed the usual pharmaceutical examination. On the e\ cuing of Saturday. Mrs French, who with hei husband had been on terms of

Fri ndship with Mr Barber wa=! obsened to enter the Mark Houseroad shop alone. The errand-boy was out, and Mrs French piocoeded to a sittingroom, wlicic she and Mr K.-nbcr were clobeteel togethei, the hiusbund ot the unfortunate lady l>eing now under theimpre^ion that the sole object of his wife's visit was for the purpose ot having 1 a tooth extracted. Mr French, however, was unaware of the proposed evtraction taking place that evening, and did not even know that hifc wife was absent from home. Mr and Mrs Fi ench lived within a stones-throw of the shop, and were, a- has already been said, on friendly terms with the assistant. Mrs Pi ench had on several occasions

Purchased Medicine there tor the lelief of neuralgic f ymptoms. When the errand-boy left the shop, the dooi wnb fastened. He returned at half-past six* — sooner than he anticipated — but \va» unable to gain an entrance ; but by the advice of a tradesman, the lad entered a .side window. Then the discovery, at that time confide] ed most mysleiious, was made. Mrs French, with her white, upturned face her hair dishc\ oiled, and the front pai b other dre.-& disarranged, was lying in a comatose state on the sofa No tiace of the assistant could be lound, and the till in the .shop was empty. When tin* of aftair« was noticed, the police weie at once communicated with. Dr Thorpe was also called, and subsequently Dr. Lake, the divisional surgeon, attended. Both medical gentlemen did their utm ;»t to lesboie animation : but Mrs Fieuoh, although momentarily rallying, remained lor the most part in a state of coma, and expired without making any definite explanation ot the circumstances under which she wa« discovered. Mr 1 - Fiench was? about 28 years ot age. Until the pnst - mortem examination ha.s been made, and the facts in relation thereto made known at the inquest, it is quite eoniectuial ab to whether she \va.s the victim of <i eiiminal outiage. Thcie is, huwe\er, little doubt that the insensibility \\as jjroduced by choloiofoim. ]\lr E. H. Hamilton, the chemist, foi whom great sympathy is felt, was seen by our leporter yesterday afternoon at his branch establishment on the Parade. Mr Hamilton stated that he was

Utterly Thundcrsti uck when called to his shop at Maik Hou^eroad, ultout half-past six, 011 Saturday e\ ening, as he had implicit confidence in Mi Barbei 1 . who?e oervice ior the pant two yeais had been ofaoharactorperfoctlysatisfacLoiy. 'A butchei, a neighbour,' continued Mi Hamilton, 'tent down for me; and v. hen L entered the bitting- loom L t-aw Mr^ Inenoh — poor woman ! — quite unconscious. My errand-boy had been sent out, and the door was then locked. It is impossible foi me to say how much was stolen Irom the till — £12 or thereabouts. It might have been much more, but I do not think it Was leas. My assistant, who has thus absconded, is about 35 years of age. He has lit^ht hair, and ib, 1 should think, about live teet nine indie's in height. For two yeaib he has had my entile confidence. I had an excellent chaiacter with him w hen he euteied m\ service.' A theory at present, entertained by the authorities is that no actual outiage was ]>eipu dated ; that there was certainly indiscretiou on the [>'»it of Mi Barber in adminifetciing more chloroloim than was judicious ; but that, finding his mistake, he escaped,

Fearing the Consequences which might ensue. The police are anxious that he should a blend the forthcoming Coronei'h inquiry, w lie i an explanation Iroin him may thiow light on a case ab pi'chent moie mysterious than, uerh.ip?., criminal on the paifc of tlie assistant. ii> is thought that he may thus return, and giu: .vhat evidoneo he can in the matter. lii& escape is rencirdcd as impossible- a conect phulogi apli ot him bein<^ m the possession ot the police— -\vhile lnt> iti-appenuioee and explanation of his conduct would, it it said, fjicatly tavour him.

A Note to Mis French. Fuuik l'layle, the lad, slatet> that, on Saturday afternoon he \v«b told by Mr Barber to take a note to Mi& Fienoh, with lnstiucbionb not to dehvoi it bo anyone else. Kob seeing hei alont when lie hi>b went, I 'lay ie made some excuse, as Mrs Fieueh'e> husband came to fche door with hei The lad again went, and Mi\s Frencn then replied " Yes," at. indieatmg the answer he was to give. Air Barber then acnt the lad tor some brandy, and told him, upon hit. return with the licmor, that he might go to lea. That was at four o'clock. Barbei then told him to knock at the bide door when ho returned with the brandy.

A Strange Theory. Lt ib stated that the medical gentlemen who have the conduct of the case are ot opinion that preparations had been made by the as-sibtant to perform an operation on Mrs Fiench, but that, becoming alarmed at the condition ot the woman, he made hih escape when he found that lie \\a* unable to restoie her to consciou&ne.^. Tin? idea is mere conjecture, as no mstiuments likely to be übod tor a purpose of the kind were found.

The Assistant's Description. The description of Barber is as follows : — William Barber, ayed 36 years, c-liemist'a assistant, height sitBUn., complexion, hair, and moustache fair : near-sighted ; dressed in a grey jacket, dark trousers, and a hard felb hat. He is splay-footed.

What was Found In the Room, When Mrs French \va^ disco \ered, he l ' bouneb and dolman were on the tahiu, and amongst obi -or things?, the lad noticed n basin full ot water, the brandy he had fetched, a soda water syphon, a bottle ot carbolic acid, a piece of tubing, and a bottle of sal- volatile. On the mantel-piece there stood a bottle, containing chloroform, which he had seen in the shop.