A CLAPHAM MYSTERY.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 330, 20 August 1898, Page 5 (Supplement)

A CLAPHAM MYSTERY.

'lt is all arranged for to-morrow,' said Mrs Katymer-Wynne, as she and her husband took their seats at the dinner table.

' What is arranged V asked her husband, a little grumpily, for he had had a long and fatiguing clay in the city. ' Oh, the football match, of course.'

' And are you going to waste your afternoon in looking on V ' Quelle idee I Oh, no ; I am going to play.' ' You !' said Harry, and he almost dropped his spoon in disgust. * Why not 1 It is all the rage now, and you know I like to be in the fashion,'

' You cannot be serious, Kate. You, a married woman with two children, going to exhibit yourself in that way before a crowd of loafers ! And in what dress too !'

« Well, the dress is a little unbecoming—that's the worst of it. But, as to exhibiting one's self, that's all nonsense. Isn't it a woman's business to exhibit herself 1 Don't we all exhibit ourselves when we go to a drawing-room.' ' No; because the rules of the genie are different, but one is as much an exhibition as the other.'

Mrs Latymer-Wynne was decidedly cleverer than her husband, and kept him, on the whole, in a state of subjection. He was a good, honest fellow, who did very well on the Stock Exchange, where his high animal spirits and propensity for practical joking were much appreciated, but he was no match for his pretty wife in the little verbal conflicts' which sometimes take place between the most affectionate couples. And his wife, though very fond of him, took a delight in teasing him ; his awkward attempts at repartee amused her. ' I'm really very lucky to have the chance,' she went on. ' Lady Flyte—that's our captain, you know —said that, on present from, I hadn't much claim t© a place in the team, but as two of her cracks were down with the ' flu,' she'd give me a trial. Oh, wasn't it good of her ?'

' Confound her !' said Harry. 'But, I say, Kate, this is beyond a joke. I really must beg that you will drop it.' Yes ; into the goal mouth,' said the wife, demurely- ' Now, Harry, don't be an old goose. A hundred

years ago, no doubt, it wouldn't have been done at all. To-day it is just the newest thing out.' ' And you're going to allow a lot of cads to criticise your legs, and perhaps call out, ' Go it, Tommy,' as they did at a ladies' football match the other day. Ladies, indeed ! It's positively disgusting.' ' Oh, .1 think my legs are all right, Harry. And if they like to call me 'Tommy,' I don't mind. You know it's meant in admiration.' 'And woman will do anything for that. Well, I say again it's a monstrous thing, and you will never play football in public with my sanction.'

Mrs Latymer-Wynne 3miled contentedly. She was probably conscious that there were a good many things which she did without the sanction of her husband.

Harry noticed the smile, and for once it angered him. He knew that a direct prohibition from him would ivake his wife the more determined to carry out her plan, so he merely ■aid—

'You will regret it yourself one day. Kate—l am sure you will.' But Mrs Latymer-Wynne only smiled again. She would not give way. Still, if she could have foreseen the terrible calamity that was about to befall her, she would, no doubt, have relented, But who can foresee the future?

Those who were living at Clap ham—or, indeed, anywhere in London—at that time, cannot have forgotten the extraordinary sensation that was excited by what was called the Clapham mystery. And the sceno of the mystery svas Mrs Laty-mer-Wynne's house. lb appeared that, as the various rooms in the upper storey were in the hands of fhe painters and paperers, Mr Latymer-Wynne occupied temporarily the library on the ground floor as a bedroom, while, his wife slept with the children on another floor. Nothing occurred during the night to disturb those who slept upstairs. But when the servants came down in the morning and proceeded to call their master they were unable to rouse him. After knocking repeatedly without receiving any reply, they informed Mrs Latymer-Wynne of the state of affairs. That lady was naturally much alarmed, and at once sent for assistance. The door was forced open.

The scene which then presented itself was one calculated to excite the mos~ serious apprehensions. There was no sign of Mr LatymarWynne, but there were various indications of a desperate struggle. One of the windows was open below, and between this window ami the bed the floor was strewn with fragments of the heavy china ewer belonging to the washstand. It appeared as if thie had been used by the unfortunate man as the only thing in the nature of a weapon within reach. More ominous still, a closer inspection revealed blood stains on tho carpet.

The bed had evidently been occupied, but the pyjama suit in which Mr Latyruer-Wynne generally slept was missing. He happened not to have dressed for dinner the night before, and the ordinary wearing wore found folded up on a chair in his usual neat and methodical manner. But his valuable watch and chain, together with a large sum of money, of which he was known to be in possession, had been carried off by the perpetrator or perpetrators of the outrage. Mrs Latymer-Wynne was in despair. Of course the police were sent for immediately. They came in the person of a district inspector and a sergeant. They looked at everything with eyes full of terrible meaning, and nodded to each other significantly, and occasionally grunted ejaculations. At last, in response to an impassioned appeal from the lady, the Inspector succeeded in delivering himself of one or two consecutive sentences.

' Very sorry mum ; it looks like a bad business. Anyway, it's a detective job. We'll wire for one at once.'

A little latter Inspector Bickerdyke, the celebrated detective, made his appearance on the scene. He made a careful examination of everything in the room, and then went outside, followed by Mr 3 Laty-rner-Wynne and her servants. Here he pointed to a number of footmarks, and said :

' Why, there seems to have been a whole gang at work. It isn't in reason that one man could do the job all by himself, bub this looks like an army—hulloo ! what's this V He pointed to two holes in the soft gravel, which wore conspicuous amoung the crowd of footmarks. ' I expect they were made by the ladder,' said Mrs Latymer-Wynne ; ' there was a ladder against the house yesterday for the workmen to do some painting.'

' Oh, then, most of these are their footmarks,' said the inspector, greatly disgusted. 'That complicates matters a good deal, for now we can't get any clue from the footmarks.' It almost seemed as if even Inspector Bicker-dyke would, for once, be baflled. But at last his patience was rewarded ; a sweep made his appearance on the scene and informed the detective that, as he was passing the house in the early dawn, he had seen a man, very shabbily dressed in a grey suit, stealing from the premises. At the moment he had not attached any

importance to the circumstance, as he thought the man was out! of the servants. Now, huwever, he felt it his duty to mention it. The inspector's small eyes twinkled with satisfaction as he listened to this statement. The more fact that the criminal wore a grey suit did not seem much to go upon, but Inspector Bickerdyke felt pretty sure that it would be enough for him. He would track that grey suit to the remotest corner of the earth.

When he had completed his investigation he condescended to communicate the result to Mrs Laty-mer-Wynne.

' It's a great pity, mum, the shutters weren't put up last night. If they'd been up this thing might never 'ave 'appened. There were two of them in the job at least—perhaps three. Mr Wynne, he must have been in bed in the room he must have sprung out and tried to defend himself with the water jug. But they were too many for him. However, I think I know the gang, and it won't be long before I lay my hand on 'em.' ' But my poor dear husband !' Mrs Wynne exclaimed, clasping her hands and fixing her eyes with an imploring look on the inspector's face.

The inspector did not answer, but he shook his head gravely. You cannot recall to life a man once murdered. The only comfort for the well-regulated mind must be the hope of bringing the murderer to justice.

The next morning there was in all the papers a long account of 'The Clapham Mystery.' A wellknown member of the Stock Exchange had been surprised by burglars when asleep, and after a desperate resistance had been murdered and the body carried off. And yet all the efforts of the police to discover where the corpse had been hidden had been fruitless. But the investigation having been entrusted to Inspector Bickerdyke, that famous detective had already made au arrest on suspicion. He had succeeded in tracking one of the supposed murderers —the man in the grey suit—step by step from Clapham to Whitechapel, where he had discovered him in a low public house and arrested him. It was added that he would be brought before the magistrates some time that day (Saturday), When the man was placed in the dock—which, owing to various delays, was not till afternoon—it soon became clear that the evidence was very strong against him. Inspector Bickerdyke detailed all the circumstances of the crime and the arrest with his usual formality and clearness. ' From information received ' (the inspector could not bring himself to depart from the established formula) he had reason to believe that one of the criminals was an individual in a grey suit, who had been seen to leave the house under suspicious circumstances at a very early hour in the morning.

He (the inspector) had therefore set himself to work to track this individual, and had, he believed, succeeded in doing so. He had arrested him at the Hen and Chicken, in Whitechapel. The man had refused his name and address, nor would he give any account of himself. He had, therefore, been taken to the station, and there searched and his clothes examined. Blood stains were found upon them. These might be accounted for by a fresh cut on the thumb of the right hand. He had in his possession a large sum of money in notes and gold, of which he refused to give any account. In fact, he had hardly spoken a dozen words since his arrest. But the strongest piece of evidence him was that a watch and chain had been found upon him, which had been shown to Mrs Latymer-Wynne, and had been identified by her as belonging to her husband.

II the lady here?' asked the magistrate.

' She was requested to be hera at 3,' said *-he inspector. ' The case has come on a little earlier than we expected, your Worship.' The magistrate looked at the clock, and the public stared at the prisoner. He looked a man capable of committing any crime. Short and thick set, he was evidently possessed of great strength. His general appearauce was that of a disreputable loafer. The grey suit, to which he owed his detection, was very shabby—he had no cellar—in fact, there was a total absence of linen ; his hair was dishevelled, his face unwashed, his chin covered with a thick stubble. The evidence of the. servants and of the sweep (who swore to his identity) was taken, and then, as Mrs Latymer-Wynnc had not arrived, the magistrate ordered the prisoner to be removed and the next case to be called.

But the next case had not begun before Mrs Latymer-Wynne made her appearance. She was at once conducted to the witness box and the prisoner brought back. Apparently even his hardened nature had broken down at the thought of confronting the widow of his victim, for he came back into court holding a handkerchief to his eyes. Airs Latymer-Wynne cast one glance in bis direction, and then averte-d her gaze from an object so repulsive to her.

Her evidence was very short, relating as it did, merely to the disappearance of her husband and the

identification of the watch and chain. When it had been given, Inspector Bickerdyke asked that the prisoner should be remanded for a week—a request which was immediately granted by the magistrate. The prisoner had declined to put any questions to the witnesses. He was now asked if he wished to say anything' before being removed, at the same time being warned that anything he might say might be used against him. 'Well, there is one thing I should like to ask,' he said, ' and that is whether there is any law in England against a man wearing his own watch and chain ¥

' Don't trifle with the court,' said the magistrate, sternly. But something in the sound of the prisoner's voice had caused Mrs Latymer-Wynne to turn round and look at him again.

' What! Harry !' she cried, 'is it you ¥

She could say no more. If she did not faint, as her grandmother would have done in similar circumstances, she sank back gasping into a seat.

* What is the meaning of all this?' asked the magistrate, glancing at Inspector Bickerdyke. The inspector looked as if he were more ready to ask than answer the question. ' Beg pardon, your Worship,' he stammered, 'it beats me hollow.' , Allow me to explain,' said the prisoner, blandly. 'lam Mr Laty-mer-Wynne, and I am curious to know why a gentleman may not leave his own house without being arrested. May I ask what crime 1 have committed ¥

' Your conduct is most reprehensible, sir,' said the magistrate, ruffling with a sense of wounded dignity. ' Pardon me, your Worship,' said the prisoner, ' I have clone nothing. I have simply been passive in the hands of Inspector Bickerdyke.' ' And what was your object in playing such a farce ?' asked the magistrate, gulping down his indignation.

' Well, I had two objects. The first is a private one, with which I will not trouble your Worship. The other was to see how far the cleverness of a London detective would no. Now that I have got one of them to arrest a man as his own murderer I am satisfied. I think I have established a record.'

( How could you give me such a fright, Harry V said Mrs LatymerWynne, as a few minutes later she and her husband were driving home together in a cab. 'lt was very, very cruel of you.' 'lb was your own fault, Ivate. You shouldn't have driven me wild, as you did.' 'About what 1 ?' asked his wife with a delicious air of innocence.

' Oh, you know well enough. I had to stop you somehow from playing in that football match. Next time I shall do something worse.'

' But, Harry, dear, you cannot really have thought that I ever meant to play. Why, I only said it to tease you.' 'Oh!' said Harry. 'Then I needn't have smished the water jug or cut my finger, after all. But who is to know what a woman does mean V