MURDER WILL OUT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1271, 29 November 1884, Page 3

MURDER WILL OUT.

One winter's night three years ago a police constable was shot dead in the cnui'se of a struggle with a burglar in one of the most crowded streets of North London. There was a dense fog at the time, and though several women and passers-by obtained a glimpse of the criminal, he got away, and (despite a reward of £2OO for his apprehension) could not be traced. Jho police were supposed to have abandoned the search in despair, and most people had wholly forgotten th. case, when the other day a man named Orrock was placed in the dock at Bow street, and on the atrengtli of a chain of circumstantial evidence, wonderfully neat and complete, charged with the commission of this three-year-old crime. The police had two clues to work upon, v;z., a chisel and an old wideawake hat dropped by the criminal. An -.x;>wrt examined the former, and found the word " rock " scratched on the blade. This clearly was either the whole or part of the owner's name, for it is the custom of grinders, when workmen bring thern their chisels to be sharpened to scratch the sender's surname on the article thus- As no one answering to the name of " Rock" or " Rook " could he found in the neighborhood of Dalston, the chisel was subjected to another searching examination, with the result that someone discovered the letter "0" scratched beneath the word "Rock." This at once set the police on the qui vive, for amongst the most respected residents of the street in which the murder took place was a staid and steady young cabinet-maker named "Orrock." The idea that Orrock could be actively concerned in the murder did not at first occur to the authorities, for he bore the reputation of being a strict churchman, a Sunday school teacher, and an industrious worker. Presently, however, evidence closed round him. It was found that he had not beeu at home when the murder took place, but had arrived shortly after, was without a hat, and with his trousers tore and much dishevelled. The police also discovered that a short time previously Orrock had purchased a revolver, and practised with it by shooting at sou>e trees in Richmond j Park. The companion who accompanied the accused en this occasion pointed out the trees to the police, and after considerable trouble they extracted three bullets which matched exactly with the balls found embedded in the murdered constable's skull. After this Orrock's companions on the night of the murder were hunted up, and, finding the truth known, admitted that he had told them he meant to relieve the Dalstoo Chapel of its sacramental plate that evening. He was caught red-handed by the unfortunate constable, and in the course of th;) struggle fired hi 3 revolver at him. The third shot entered the policeman's brain. This case (not a very remarkable one in itself) is principally interesting because of the great length of time it has taken to work up, and the perseverance of the police.