THE COLCHESTER MYSTERY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 222, 14 November 1900, Page 1

THE COLCHESTER MYSTERY.

EviDixoi or ionmnoinoM. TBa Pod reports that la tin Folios Court on Tuesday, in the ease of tha man charged with * murderin Co'chwter ntae years ago, Dstootive Niion stated that was time ago a statement tu made with imm to the oritoa by a woman in Wellington, She waa not a person of gocd and afterwards west wck on ber statement, and ha lo»t sight ot the man before hehadraooeeded in getting her to identify bin. flha «eut Hon* about (oar or five months *go. He produced the Englith I'oUm OwetU containing an aeoonot of the murder and a description of the nuo. thai morning be spoke to acoveed. Aeoompaoied bjr Detrotive *rot«rg acd Mr. Drawbridge «hey went into a private room ai the Don of Ecinbnrgh Hotel. Aiked what wm hie nane, acoseed eaid tt wis Charles Lilly white. Witneee Mid—"Ko to two years ago a woman nim«( Margiret Armor made a Maunaont to t&e Polioe about a man named Arthur Biatoh, who waa wanted at Oolehester, Bngland, lor murdering a man named Alfred Welch on the Bth Deoamber, 1883. Pour or fire months ago the woman returned to Esgland, where she repeated the statement to the Colohester poller, eayiog that tht man wat workiug here under the name of Charles Lillywhlte, and that Lillywhite and Blatsh wen one and th« same man. To corroborate that state* ment this is Mr, Drawbridge, who belongs to Oolehester, and be uyi bo knew joa as Arthur Blatcb, taper ot the recreation! grauads in Colchester." Acensedasade sum remark, and Drawbridge laid—" That Is Arthur Biatoh. and I knew him as ketpsr of tha raoreation grounds at Oolcuetttr, Eaglsnd." Aoonsed said— n I aa aa American, and 7 don't know Margaret Archer. 1 was never ia Oolehester ia my and never kept the grjudt there, 1 left England ia 188 ft, and I have not kern there lino*, I wae barn in London in 1160; as ne.r as X can i»y. In 1893 I was in TacocUt Washington, America.' Witneee then ohsrgad him with the malar «C Alfred Weloh, to which Matted replied—"l don't know Biatoh pt Weloh. Who is Welch!" Draw, bridge said that Welsh was a tailor and lived at the oorner of Q«*a street Aooosed said— 1 »I went to Amtioft from England, eni I had a partner named Gierke in business ae a paintar in Ttcjtna, and 1 had a pltct fJumoa miles out Tacwns" Tna appearance of accused tallied with the daeoriptba of Arthur Biatoh given ia the Com Ms. Aooussd said that he and Jtiateh t were two different people entfaeJy. He denied ail knowledge of the woman, and olaimed to to a naturalised Ameriotn, His pepsts, he said, identified him for the last fiftstt youa tn America. George Wi!l am Drawbridge, traveller for Meters Vnitch and Alien, stated chathe wasa nst.veof Oolohester, where he knew accused as keeper of the reeteition grounds. He most have known him for nearly six years before 1890, in which year be ctma out to New Zealand, He could not say whether aoeated wat still in Oolohnter when leit in 1890. Witness went Home in 1892, but not remember easing him then, He knew a worn in tamed Atoher at Gdohetter, and saw her in Wellington. He sa* accused in Wellington. He saw aooussd in New Zealand for the first time that morning. His Worship—Who is hi f W itoejs—Arthur Biatoh. His Worship (handing a photograph to witness)—Han you aver seen thai photo I Witness—l saw it after he waa aft rested. His Worship—ls it die photo of tin Arthur Biatoh yon knew I Witness—Yes, it to exaotlv like th« Arthur Biatoh I knew in Colohtstsr. His Worship-Do you think it to % reasonable presentment of tht nun iai the dock 1 Witntss—ldo. Acoused eaid in hit trunk there wa* a pbotvgtaph of himself taken ia Loo* don eighteen or twenty years ago, i'hst was the only one he hut over had taken in his lite. Replying to tut Magistrate, he > aid be din not with ta ask the witness any questions, list sddtd: "He doesn't seta to know muoh about Blateh, and I'm sure doesn't know me." Ihroogloat tfce prooeedinge aecuied listened to the evidence carefully, but without muoh apparent oonoern, and several Haee faded as the wltatu Drawbridge wat informing the Court that he knew h'm at Oolchreter, and that his name was Arthur Biatoh, , 11# also ooir otjd tie ipelling of th| plaoe Tacoma, near Wuhmgtoo, when be Mid hj» had llv«d.