THE DARK LANTERN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 153, 24 July 1909, Page 3

THE DARK LANTERN.

A STIRRING TRUE POLICE STORY. THE LAST CHASE OF INSPECTOR SIMMON'S. No man in the Essex County Constabulary was more popular than Inspector Simmons. He was a smart and I vigilant officer, and known to possess | exceptional pluck. The day came when that pluclc was to be displayed for the last time. It was on an afternoon in January when the inspector set out from the Romford Station in the ordinary course of his duty. He drove a fast horse, and in the trap was a constable named ' Marden. ■Midway between Romford and Rainliam Station, on the London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway, the trap was stopped by a policeman in plain clothes, by name Wildespin. He informed the inspector that three suspicious-looking men had come from London by the four o'clock train. Wildespin knew nothing of the fellows, but, having observed their appearance closely, was able to give Inspector Simmons a fairly accu. rate description of the three. The inspector recognised one of them, tha oldest.

FOLLOWED! "That must toe David Dredge," said he. ''Dredge is a ticket-of-leave man. He lived at Komford not long ago, and: left without reporting himself, I wa'.it iiim!" Heaving from Wildespiu that the three men had gone in the direction of Romford, the inspector went in pursuit, and near Hornchurch, on the Komford road, tame up with them, the most conspicuous being a tall, fair fellow in a long uoat, who, with one of his companions, ied the way. The elderly man, Dredge, was some little distance behind. Harden jumpod out of the trap to follow thein across the fields, while Simmo-js continued along the road. It was then about live minutes past five. The day was now rapidly drawing to a close. Chancing, unexpectedly, to look back, the three men saw they were being followed. They held a council of war, the result of which was that Dredge, who, as ap unreported ticket-of-leave man, had reason for keeping out of the way of Inspector Simmons, crept through a gap in the hedge into an adjoining meadow. His two companions —one the tall fair man in the long coat —■vent back into the road. Harden followed Dredge ,and when! six or seven yards from him, called out:' "What are you doing there, David Dredge?" Dredge's was to pull out a revolver and point it at Harden. "Keep off," he shouted, "or I'll blow your brains out!" SHOT!

At that mwuent the report of a pistol wns heard, but it did not come from Dredge's revolver. It came from the road. Harden turned, and saw the tall, fair man standby with a revolver in his hand, pointed at the inspector, and Hnoke was coming from the barrel. "Come here, Harden!" shouted Simmons. "They've shot me!" ■Harden, left Dredge to take care of himself, and rushed to the assistance of his superior officer, upon which the two men took to their heels and rail away s ; de by side. Despite his wound, Simmons joined in the pursuit, but not for long. He staggered to a gate and leaned upon it to rest awhile. Meanwhile, the tall fair man slipped off his long coat, which impeded his running, and flung it on the ground. When Harden came to this coat, lie stupidly stooped to feel in the pockets, and thus allowed the two men to get a start. Calling to two farm-laborers who chanced to be near to help him, he again took up the pursuit. He saw the two men dodging behind some haystacks, and "noticed that each had a revolver in his hand. This did not, however, deter the constable, and on he went. Then the tall man raised his pistol, and a couple of sharp reports rang out Harden at that moment fortunately stumbled and fell, and the shots went over his head. In another minute Harden was up again, and 'by this time Inspector Simmons had struggled on a few yards further. About two hundred yards away was the Eiver Rom, where the reeds and rushes grew high. "If you come a step further you're a dead man!" shouted the fellows savagely. And then they made a dash for the tall"weeds, and disappeared from sight. It was now quite dark, and to attempt further pursuit after desperate and armed men as these were meant almost certain death, so Harden turned back, and went to the assistance of his i»speetor. Inspector Simmons had been mortally wounded, and died within four days.

TRACKED! Meanwhile the miscreants had vanished. Dredge, however, was known and captured some days after. He denied all knowledge of the other two. But, after a while, he let out that the name of the man who shot the inspector was James Lee. It was soon discovered that James Lee had pawned a pistol during the previous July, redeeming it in October. The police argued from this that he was probably very hard-up and would pawn it again. Their judgment was correct. On 10th March, nearly two months afte r the murder, a man went into the shop of a pawnbroker in Seymour-street, Euston-road, and asked for the loan of ten shillings on a revolver. He gave the name of Manson. The assistant at once recognised the weapon, for, with a singular want of caution, Lee had gone to the very pawnbroker who had before lent him money on the revolver. Quickly information was given to the policeman on tire beat, and before the transaction was concluded Police-con-stable Day entered the shop. "I shall take you into custody on

suspicion of having shot Inspector Sim- l mons at Romford," said he. ' A tierce glitter came into the man's ] eyes, and his face hardened; but all he < >aid was: "Very well. I'll go quietly." i CONVICTED! < His "going quietly" meant dexterously tripping up the officer as they were ' leaving the shop, and running off. But Day was up in a trice and after the fellow, and so .was another policeman who happened to be within hail. The two officers eventually caught him and conveyed him to Somcrs Town Police Station, Lee struggling the whole way. Lee, throughout his trial, protested •Inggedly that he was innocent. But Inspector Simmons, in his dying words, had described his assassin minutely, and there was not the slightest doubt that Lee's hand fired the fatal shot. Lee paid with his life the penalty of his crime. Dredge was found not guilty. The third man, who succeeded In making his escape, was John Baker.. Baker was destined to figure some months later in one of the most exciting episodes recorded in the annals of the po-1 lice. This episode forms a remarkable I sequel to the last chase of Inspector Simmons.—Answers. H