Crime a Business
1 Ey George T. Tardy i
True Record of the
Achievement of Fa
mousJohnW. Murray
in Uncovering the
Guilty Parties in the
Blenheim Swamp
Slaughter—Flow the
Slayer Was Un
earthed by the
Master Sleuth.
OUR miles from the little
town of Kastwood, On
tario, Canada, there lies
a dark, gloomy marsh
known as Blenheim
swamp. It is a deso
late. lonely spot, which
fallen logs and tangled thickets com
bine to render well-nigh impassable
to the feet of the curious explorer,
and at one edge there lies a pool of
black, sullen water yclept Pine pond.
Par in the depths of this foul morass
■tin the morning of February 21, 1890,
two brothers, Joseph and George Eld
ridge. while out chopping wood, stum
bled over the lifeless body of a young
man. half buried in the weeds and
brush. In the back of the head was
a round, black hole indicating where
« bullet had ploughed its fatal way.
and near the nape of the neck was a
similar wound. Even to an unexpe
rienced eye it was evident that the
victim had been shot down from be
hind. perhaps without obtaining a
glimpse of his cowardly assassin. The
body was that of a smoothly shaven
youth of refined appearance. The
clothing was of excellent quality,
English in style and cut, with a check
taped mackintosh, and underwear also
of British make. There was no clue
to his identity. The name of his tai
lor and the label on his clothes had
been cut away and the label on his
brown derby hat removed.
Detective John Wilson Murray of
Toronto was ordered to take the case
in hand and he went to view the
big Blenheim swamp where the body
had been found. He gazed upon the
tell-tale crimson splotch where the
head of the murdered man had lain,
then surveyed the surrounding ground
and came across a grim trail of ac
cusing red. He followed it back a few
paces and found that it ended in one
great blot of gore, beyond which there
was no further trace of blood. It was
evident that there the shot had been
fired that felled the victim, llis mur
derer had borne the lifeless body to
the denser place to bide it. On his
hands and knees Murray crawled
around the scene of the crime, going
over the ground inch by inch. Three
times he crossed and recrossed the
fatal trail hoping that he might dis
cover a bit of a label, a button, a
scrap of paper—anything that might
lend a clue to the history of the mur
dered man. At last his exertions
were rewarded by the finding of a ci
gar holder with an amber mouthpiece,
marked E. W. B. and that was all of
the grim secret yielded by the dismal
swamp.
Five days had elapsed since the
finding of the body, but though pic
tures of the victim were published in
all the leading Canadian papers and
copies sent to England, no identifica
tion was made. The body was buried
ai Princeton, a few miles front Blen
heim. On the sixth day a man and
woman arrived at Princeton and asked
to see the body, saying that they had
seen the picture printed in the pa
pers and fancied they recognized the
features. They had crossed from
England recently, and on the same
ship was a young man who resembled
strongly the picture of the deceased.
The body was dug up on March 1. the
lady and gentleman viewed it, and
identified it as the remains of their
fellow passenger.
"We think his name was Ben well."
they said. "He was merely a casual
acquaintance aboard ship and we
knew nothing or him."
They returned lo i’aris. a town
about ten miles from Princeton, -and
Murray, returning front a visit to the
swamp, went directly to the hotel
where they were staying.
"1 am John Wilson Murray of the
department of criminal investigation."
scald the detective, introducing him
self. "You are the gentleman who
has been viewing the body found in
the swamp?"
"Yes." sairl he, "my wife and I
were out at the grave and saw the
body."
"You were acquainted with the
young man?" queried the detective.
“Very slightly," was the response.
“T just met him aboard ship."
“What was his name?" inquired
Murray.
“1 think it was Fred Bent well or
Benswell or Benswell." replied the gen
tleman. "We were fellow passengers
on the Britannic of the White Star
line. He was on his way to London.
Ontario, i last saw him at Niagara
Falls. He had a good deal of lug
gage and left some of it."
"Will you be able to point out his
baggage?" asked Murray.
"Why, yes," responded the gentle
man. "1 am going to the Falls to-day.
We only came here because we saw
the picture in the paper."
"Let me have your name, please, so
•.hai I can find you at the Falls,” re
Queste'1. Murray.
• Reginald Birchall of London, Eng
land. I shall be pleased to help you in
any way that is in my power,” replied
the gentleman.
“How was the young man dressed
when you last saw him?" inquired the
detective.
Murray was wearing a navy blue
overcoat at the time, and Birchall
touched the sleeve of it lightly.
“Like that," he said, 'a whole suit
of blue."
"Did he drink?" asked Murray.
"Yes, he used to get pretty jolly at
times." asserted Binchall.
The detective shook his head
gravely.
"That London. Ontario, is a had
place for a convivial chap." he said.
"They'd kill a fellow there for $5.
Were you ever in this country be
fore?"
already
Birchall
message
revealed that
and a young
“1 have been in New York and
Niagara Falls, but never in Canada."
replied Birchall, and having thanked
him for the information given. Mur
ray withdrew.
On his way to the telegraph office
he reviewed the conversation that had
just taken place. He had
reached the conclusion that
had lied to him.
“Shadow this man." the
read, "but do not arrest him unless
he tries to cross the river to the
United States. I will be there Sunday
night."
Further investigation
Mr. and Mrs. Birchall
man named Douglas Raymond Pelly
were guests of Baldwin's boarding
house at Niagara Falls, and had ar
rived there the day after the murder.
Murray called on Pelly, who was a
handsome young fellow, five feet nine
inches tall, of slight build, with a
small, light moustache and decided
English’accent. Pelly declared that he
was the son of the Rev. R. P. Pelly of
Walden Place, vicar of Saffron Wal
den. Essex. England. He was 25 years
old, a graduate of Oxford, and a cousin
of the beautiful Lady Pelly, who was
one of the strife of Lord Lansdowne,
formerly governor general of Canada.
He informed Murray that he knew
both the dead man, whose picture was
in the papers, and Birchall.
"Benwell, Birchall, Mrs. Birchall,
and I all came out from England in
one party." said Pelly. "Birchall and
Benwell left us for a day and Ben
well never came back. I saw the pic
ture of the dead man a few days later,
and l told Birchall it was Benwell and
that he ought to go and identify the
oody and make sure."
Murray spent several hours convers
ing with Pelly who was perfectly will
ing to tell all he knew regarding the
suspect and murdered man. Among
Birchall's papers, found in searching
his effects, were letters corroborative
of what Pelly said. The latter, with
his Oxford course finished and the
world before him. was looking for an
opening in life, when, in December,
1889, he read an advertisement in
London. England, newspapers as fol
lows:
"Canada.—University man, having
farm, wishes to meet gentleman’s son
to live with him and learn the busi
ness, with view to partnership: must
invest £500 to extend stock:
board, lodging, and five per cent, in
terest till partnership arranged. Ad
dress, .1. R. Burchall, Primrose Club,
4 Park Place. St. James, London."
Pellv wrote to the above address,
requesting further particulars. In re
ply he received a telegram from .1. R.
Burchall. stating that he would visit
Walden Place, Saffron Walden, on the
following Thursday. Pellv answered
with a note, which was found with
other letters in Birchall's effects, hop
ing that he would stay all night as it
was a long way to come for such a
short interview, and also he desired to
have his father meet J. R. Burchall.
On the appointed day Burchall ar
rived at Walden Place, and later met
Pcll> in London, and won over both |
son and father.
He pictured to them a large farm
one and a half miles from Niagara
Kails. Ontario, a farm with la.ge
brick houses and barns, the former
heated by steam and lighted by gas
and the latter by electric light, with
lights placed around the farm. He
told of the big and profitable busi
ness. and mentioned the fine fishing,
shooting and other sports to be en
joyed on the estate. He explained
that the business carried on was buy
ing horses in the rough and grooming
them to sell for profit: that the farm
was used to raise horse feed: that
during .1. R. Burchall's absence his
overseer, a Scotchman named .McDon
ald. and several hired men looked
after the farm and business: that he
had a branch business at Woodstock.
Ontario, and had rooms there, where
he and his wife lived at times. He
said a number of Englishmen lived
around Niagara Falls, and that a club
had been created in which the mem
bers lived in English style and had
English servants. Burchall said he
had organized the club. The country
was an earthly paradise, with wealth
to be had for simply sojourning in
the land.
Completely captivated by this glow
ing description, on January 11. 1890,
Pellv wrote from Hollington, St. Lecn
ard's-on-Sea, to J. R. Burchall, say
ing: "Please consider all settled. If
you will have the agreement drawn
i no. 1 wilt sir" it and forward vou a
\
——- i
cheque for £170 at the same
time. I shall look to meeting you on
February first. When you get my
steamer tickets would you be so kind
as to forward me some steamer la
bels?”
At half past eight that evening
Birchall returned to the Stafford
house in Buffalo alone. He was in
high good humor, joking and laughing
pleasantly. In response to Pelly’s in
quiry for his companion of the morn
ing he stated that he took Benwell
to the farm and introduced him to
McDonald, the overseer. Later Ben
well told him that he did not like the
place or the people but he had stayed
at the farm when Birchall left for
Buffalo. Birchall also said he had
given Benwell several addresses be
fore leaving, so that he could visit
folk in the country roundabout, in
cluding Attorney Hellmuth of London,
Ontario, who had been a passenger on
the Britannic. Pelly began to ask too
many questions, whereupon Birchall
declared he was tired and went to
bed. On the following day they went
to Niagara Falls, taking their lug
gage with them. They crossed to the
Canada side and stopped at Mrs.
Baldwin’s. Birchall arranging for
rooms and board there.
Soon after their arrival at Baldwin's
Birchall invited Pelly to take a walk
during which the young man, who was
beginning to suspect that his astute
host was not playing an altogether
straight game, told Birchall that he
had not made good his represents
f
"jTOITBLED OVER. THE
■ • UFELE5S BODY OF A
YOUMG TTAN-HALF BURIED
iriTrtE WEED5 AW BROYET
lions. Hirchall gave an evasive re
ply, am! under pietense of showing his
companion the beauties of the Niagara
river, took him down an old rotten
stairway that led over the cliffs to
the edge of the water. At the bottom
of the shaky steps there stood a
stranger, the sight of whom seemed
fo annoy Hirchall. for without linger
ing to admire the view he turned and
retraced his steps. Returning to their
rooms they saw a newspaper contain
ing the account of the discovery of
the body of a murdered man near
Woodstock, and Hirchall proposed that
Pellv should go there and see if the
remains were those of Henwell. This
sinister remark aroused fresh sus
picions in Pelly's mind and alarmed
him to such an extent that he slipped
a revolver into nis pocket, determining
to carry it in the future.
On the next day Hirchall persuaded
Pelly to go over to the American side
of the river with him. under the pre
tense of looking after some missing
baggage. It was raining and blowing
bard when they started to walk back
to Canada across the Suspension
bridge. There were no other pedes
trians in sight as they neared the
center of the bridge and Hirchall, hall
ing, requested Pelly to look over the
cables at the roaring torrent below.
"The view is superb," he said, as
he leaned over the edge, “come and
see It."
Pally saw that it would be an easy
thing to thrust an unsuspecting per
son over the cable into the river. His
mistrust of Birchall had increased a
thousand fold and he curtly refused to
move from where he was standing.
Iiirchall turned white, looked around
and stepped toward his companion.
As he did so Pelly walked on. Birch
all called to him sharply: “Come,
walk alongside me,” he said. “Your
heavy overcoat will help keep the
rain off me." Pelly shook his head
obstinately and was about to take to
his heels and run when two men came
walking across the bridge. Birchall
then ceased to argue with his com
panion and the two made their way
back to Canada, keeping several paces
apart. The next day Birchall, accom
panied by his wife, went to Paris, On
tario, to view the body of the man
whose picture had appeared in the
papers and shortly after their return
to the Falls the arrest followed.
Murray cabled and wrote at once to
Scotland Yard, London, England, for
information about Birchall, Pelly and
Benwell. He was advised that J. R.
Birchall was none other than the
younger son of the Rev. Joseph Bir
chall, late wrell-known vicar of church
kirk and rural dean of Whalley. After
completing his course at Oxford, young
Birchall, who had achieved a reputa
tion for wildness during his college
days, went to London. There he
eloped with Florence Stevenson,
daughter of David Stevenson, for 50
years master of transportation of the
London and Northwestern railroad.
Birchall’s favorite club at this time,
November, 1888, was the Badminton
club, 100 Picadilly, W. Wheij he
made ready to leave England after his
marriage, he cashed cheques for £25
at the Badminton club, and C.
Stewart Sproat, secretary of the club,
wrote him on January 7, 1890, when
he was back in England, to send the
cash without further delay.
He and his bride sailed for America
in the fall of 1888. They wrote to
David Stevenson from America, and
early in 1889 Birchall wrote from
Woodstock. Ontario, to creditors at
Oxford. saying that he was in the em
ploy of Somerset & Co., Brock street.
Woodstock, and would pay his debts
promptly. In the summer of 1SS9
Birchall and his wife returned to Eng
land and lived with Mr. Stevenson.
Then it was that Birchall began ad
vertising. under the name of .]. R.
Burchall, address the Primrose Club,
for young men with money to go to
Canada and learn farming. Felly's
father was. as he had stated, vicar of
Saffron Walden. Essex, and Benwell’s
father was Col Benwell of Chelten
ham.
At Woodstock Murray learned that
Birchall and his wife arrived there
from England in the autumn of 18SS
to look over farm lands and enjoy the
country life of Canada. Birchall and
his wife passed as Lord and Lady
Somerset. They lived gaylv and
seemed to have money befitting their
rank in life. They were fond of driv
ing and picnics, and one of the spots
“Lord Somerset" visited on various
occasions was Pine Pond., which was
surrounded by Blenheim swamp.
When they returned to England, “Lord
and Lady Somerset" departed from
Woodstock very suddenly, leaving nu
merous unpaid bills behind them.
When Birchall again sailed for
America it was not in the role of Lord
Somerset. He came accompanied by
his wife. Pellv and Benwell, and the
lour arrived in New York on the Bri
tannic on February 14. From this
date Murray took up the trail and
verified the truth of Felly's u~.n-*tivo.
ITe verified the dates of arrival and
departure at the Metropolitan hotel of
tlie party of four, and their arrival at
the Stafford house, Buffalo, on Feb
ruary 16. At the Stafford house he
ascertained the fact that, on the day
following their arrival, Pelly and Mrs.
Birchall stayed at the hotel, while
Birchall and Benwell were called be
fore six o’clock and went away to
gether. Birchall returned in the even
ing but Benwell never returned.
The next step was to follow the
course of Birchall and Benwell after
leaving the Stafford house on Febru
ary 17. Conductor William H. Poole,
running on the Grand Trunk railroad
between Niagara Falls and Windsor,
asserted that he had two passengers
who got off his train at Eastwood,
four miles front Blenheim swamp.
Their description answered that of
Birchall and Benwell. The train
stopped at Eastwood at 11:14 that
morning. Matthew Virtue, a bailiff of
-Woodstock, was on the train. As it
left Eastwood he saw two young Eng
lishmen walking away from the sta
tion, one of them wearing a cape coat.
A Miss Lockhart of Blandford was on
the train. A couple of seats ahead of
her sat two young Englishmen. As
the train approached Eastwood her at
tention was drawn to them by the
manner in which they were talking
about the land. They were admiring
fields which had nothing about them
to he admired. One was easy to iden
tify by the big astrakhan cap he wore.
She saw them alight at Eastwood and
walk north.
Alfred Hayward and his wife saw
the pair leave Eastwood station. John
Crosby, a young farmer living in
Blenheim township, was driving in
Governor's road about noon when he
saw the two young men walking to
wards Blenheim swamp. Miss Allie
Fallon, who lived with her mother a
short distance from Blenheim swamp,
saw them pass the house on the road
leading past the marsh. One, in a
cape overcoat, walked ahead of his
companion. She had known Lord
Somerset by sight the year before
and thought the man walking behind
was that nobleman. James Rapson,
owner of a swamp adjoining Blenheim
swamp, was out with his men cutting
timber about one o'clock in the after
noon, when he heard two pistol shots
fired in rapid succession in Blenheim
swamp.
Thus Murlay completed his chain of
evidence to the swamp and the very
hour of the murder when the assassin
was alone in the swamp with his vic
tim. The shots were fired about one
o'clock, halt an hour after Miss Fallon
had seen the men pass. Birehall had
evidently pointed out land from file
car window as part of his farm, and
told rienwell they would take a short
cut through the woods to it. Benwell
was a credulous youth and innocently
entered the swamp and started up the
winding path. It was an easy matter
for Birchall to drop behind a moment
while Benwell was pressing eagerly on
anxious for a view of the farm—the
farm he was never to see.
At half past two Charles Buck, a
young farmer living on the road be
tween Eastwood and Blenheim swamp,
was driving home from Woodstock
when, at the crossroads leading to
Eastwood, a man turned the corner
from the Blenheim swamp road and
started for Eastwood. The man wore
a fur cai>. and he stopped and asked
Mr. Buck the way to Gables Corners,
as he wished to get to Woodstock.
Buck told dm he was within much
less than two miles of Eastwood amt
he could get to Woodstock from there
as easily as from Gables Corners. The
man thanked him and walked on to
ward Eastwood at a rapid pace.
At three o'clock Miss Alice Smith
arrived at the Eastwood station t0
post a letter. As she was going into
the station gate she came face to fare
with Lord Somerset, who had been in
Woodstock the year before, and who
had called at the home of her grand
father, John Hayward at Eastwood,
Somerset wore an astrakhan cap. Ho
came up to Miss Smith and shook
hands, saying: “How do you do?
Don’t you remember me?” and asked
after her family and grandfather. Ho
told Miss Smith he was coming back
later, and then bought a ticket for
Hamilton. Miss Mary Swazie, another
young lady of Eastwood, also was at
the station for the three o'clock train,
and saw the stranger. His trousers
were turned up and his shoes were
muddy. Miss Ida Cromwell of East
wood also saw him at the station.
James Hayward, an Eastwood store
keeper, saw him at the station and
recognized the so-called Lord Somer
set.
At 3:38 the train for Niagara Falls
reached Eastwood and the stranger in
the fur cap climbed aboard. George
Hay, a brake man, saw and remem
bered him distinctly and identified
Birchall positively as the man. Other
witnesses also identified him, their
evidence covering BirchaM's trail tip
to his return to the Stafford house,
Buffalo, at 8:30 at night. Witnesses
also identified the dead body of Ben
wejl as that of the young man with
Birchall on the train to Eastwood, and
on the road to the swamp, Birchall.
according to the detective's deduc
tions, had four hours and 24 minutes,
in which to walk the four miles from
Eastwood to the swamp, do the mur
der. and walk back to Eastwood. He
arrived at 11:14 in the morning and
departed at 3:38 in the afternoon. If
he took three hours to walk the eight
miles, he still had one hour and 24
minutes for the crime.
As a final proof of Birchall's guilt,
Murray was, advised by the London,
England, police that Col. Benwell had
just received from Birchall an undat
ed letter, headed with the address of
Niagara Falls. The postmark revealed
its date as February 20. three days
after Birehall left Benwell dead in
in the swam)). In this letter Birchall
asked that $500 be sent him at once,
adding: “I have been talking to your
son to-day about arrangements, and he
is so well satisfied with the prospect
here that he is ready to go immediate
ly into the partnership, and he is
writing to you to-day on the subject.”
The $500 asked for was to be the
first payment on $2,500 which Col.
Benwell was to send to his son for
Pirchell if the farm and prospects
pleased the youth. Pelly identified
the body found on February 18 as Ben
well's body, and therefore Birchall
could not have been talking to him
on February 20. Instead of writing
to his father on February 20, Benwell
was lying cold in death. Having
found witnesses who identified Iflr
chall as the bogus Lord Somerset, who
had made frequent visits to Blenheim
swamp the year before, and had
learned the path to Pine Pond, the
lake in the swamp that is supposed to
be bottomless, Murray knew that his
case was complete.
Birchall had embarked in business
as a murderer. He had deliberately
planned the crimes and fitted himself
for the practice of his profession
While masquerading as Lord Somer
set he had selected the bottomless
lake known as Pine Pond for the grave
that would tell no tales. The Blen
heim swamp he marked as the place
of slaughter. He was familiar with
the emigration business, through his
father-in-law’s knowledge of it. and
conceived the idea of taking rich
young men instead of poor immi
grants. He created an imaginative
farm and went back to England seek
ing victims, but made the mistake of
taking two instead of one. Even
then his plans were well laid. He in
tended to kill Benwell in the swamp
and shove Pelly into the whirlpool
rapids. Neither body would be. found
for he would bury Benwell in the bot
tomless lake and Pelly would vanish
in the rapids. If one of the Elridges
had not slipped in the swamp he
would not have stepped upon Ben
well's body, revealing the crime Bir
chall had not meant to leave the body
where anyone could find it. He was
heading for Pine Pond when he slew
Benwell and intended to drag the
body there, but a recent storm had
swept the swamp and choked with de
bris the patli to the bottomless lake.
With Benwell and Pelly vanished troni
oft the face of the earth, Birchall
would have collected through bogus
letters to the fond parents the sum
still due from his victims and then
returned to England in pursuit o
other prey.
TiirchaH's trial began at Woodstock,
Ontario, on September 22, 1890. l'he
case attracted world wide attention
and the English newspapers as well
as those of France. Germany and
Italy printed columns upon columns
of the proceedings. Despite the bill
liant and desperate fight made by the
I prisoner's counsel to save his client.
| the evidence gathered by Murray "a*
I too convincing to be set aside. Bn
I chall was found guilty and sentence
to be hanged on November H
went to his doom bravely on a c<> •
gray morning, walked out In 111
prison yard unsupported and ,TlcuU't‘‘
the scaffold with a steady step 1
drop fell, and an inert figure dangle
at the end of a rope, swinging 10
fro in the chill wind. Frederick
well had been avenged by the ,a"
(Copyright, 1909, by W. G. Chapman-1
(Copyright In Great Britain.)