‘THE discovery on Saturday evening last,’ said the Westmouth Times and Courier of Tuesday, November 21st, ‘of the dead body of a man lying amongst the rocks in a disused quarry at the foot of the cliffs on the south-west edge of Linwood Down, was the subject of an inquiry held yesterday at the City Coroner’s Court.
‘The deceased was Richard Frensham, age, occupation, and permanent place of residence unknown. The circumstances of the tragedy, which had excited widespread attention, presented certain grave features, for the further investigation of which the police applied for and obtained an adjournment of the inquiry.
‘Mrs Margaret Rummer, proprietress of the Excelsior Hotel, Purley Square, identified the body of Frensham, who, she thought, was about forty-five years of age and had frequently stayed at the Excelsior. She did not know what his occupation was, but thought he was a racing man. He was out a great deal, often from early morning until late at night. He had engaged a bedroom at the hotel on October 24th, and had slept in it every night since that date until the night of Saturday last. She did not know if he had any particular friends, but he was a jolly, friendly little man, ready to chat with anyone in the bar or about the house. He appeared to have plenty of money, and to be lucky backing horses. He appeared to be in the habit of carrying a good deal of money about with him. He had won a good deal of money, he had told her, on a horse called Step-Out on Friday last. He had had ten pounds on the horse, he had told her, and it had won at 16 to 1. She saw him in the hall of the hotel some time about five o’clock or a little later on last Saturday afternoon. He was fidgeting about. She thought he was expecting someone. That was the last time she saw him alive. He always paid his bill regularly. He paid in cash. She had never known him pay by cheque, nor seen him with a cheque-book. She always considered him a most respectable, civil man. He had never told her of any permanent address. She thought he came from Birmingham by his accent and by his knowing Birmingham so well.
‘James MacMillan, quarryman, said, on Saturday evening last about seven o’clock he was returning by the track along the river with William Bishop to Westmouth from Digglesbury, where they were both in employment. Passing under Prospect Rock they heard a cry which seemed to come from the cliffs above their heads, and then a kind of smack against the ground in the old quarry under the rock. Thinking someone had fallen, he and his mate went into the quarry and had a look about, but saw nothing, and went on towards Westmouth.
‘William Bishop, quarryman, corroborated the evidence of the preceding witness.
‘William Edward Rose, quarryman, said he was returning on Saturday evening from Digglesbury to Westmouth a little way behind Bishop and MacMillan. He heard a cry or shout from the top of the cliffs near Prospect Rock, and, seeing MacMillan and Bishop coming out of the old quarry called out to them to ask them if anyone had fallen. They did not hear him, and went on towards Westmouth. He decided to have a look for himself, to see if anyone had fallen, and after searching about for a little while found the dead man’s body jammed between two large boulders with its feet in the air. He ran after MacMillan and Bishop, and all three went to the police-station in Spring Road and informed the police of what they had heard and seen. He was certain the man was dead when he found him, though he did not touch him. He struck some matches and saw that his head was split clean open and his brains coming out. He was bleeding a lot. He looked up towards Prospect Rock from the quarry before he went after MacMillan and Bishop, but could not tell from the quarry whether there was anyone up there, as the cliff bulged out and it was then black dark.
‘Elizabeth Penny, waitress at the Excelsior Hotel, said that on Saturday evening last, about half-past five or a little before, she saw deceased in the hall of the hotel. She asked him if he was waiting for his girl, and he said, “No such luck for an old fossil like me, Lizzie.” Just as he said that, a tall, youngish man in a light raincoat came in from the square, and deceased said to him, “I’d given you up,” and went out with him again. That was the last time she had seen deceased alive. She had never seen the man with whom he went out before. He was a tall man, younger than deceased, not very dark nor very fair. She could not say if he had a moustache. She took him for a gentleman by his look. The light in the hall was not very good, because the mantle of the incandescent was broken. The man did not speak to deceased while he was in the hall. Deceased and he went out again immediately.
‘The Coroner: You had never seen this man before?—No.
‘Had any other man come to the hotel at any time since October 24th to see Frensham? One gentleman came, named Colonel Gore. That was this day week—Monday of last week.
‘But this man who came on Saturday last—the man in the light raincoat—he had never been to the hotel before?—No. At least I never see him.
‘Mrs Rummer was recalled, and said that when he was in the house at night Frensham would come into the bar and chat with anyone who happened to feel inclined for a chat. There was no one he talked more often to than any of the others. His talk used to be mostly about racing or football or things of that sort, like most of the men who came into the bar. He was very jolly in his ways, but quiet. She never saw him the worse for liquor. She never knew him to have a dispute or a quarrel with anyone in the bar.
‘Henry Massingham, tobacconist, Linwood Park Road, said that on October 25th a gentleman who was a regular customer of his and whom he knew to be Mr Barrington, of 27 Hatfield Place, had come into his shop about dinner time with a man whom he (Massingham) believed to have been the deceased. Mr Barrington had been buying some cigars and offered one to the man who was with him, saying: “Try one of these, Frensham,” or “Have one of these, Frensham.” The name Frensham had stuck in his memory because he had been born in Surrey near Frensham Ponds. On the evening of last Saturday, November 18th, this man had come into his shop again to buy some cigarettes. That was some time after six o’clock. He was sure that it was the same man whom he had heard Mr Barrington address as Frensham. The man was alone. He might have had a companion waiting for him outside without his (witness’s) knowledge of it. He bought a twenty package of Virginia cigarettes, and went out again quickly. There were two other customers waiting to be served, but he could not say now who the other customers were. They were strangers. Neither of them, as well as he remembered, answered the description of the man who had called at the Excelsior Hotel to see Frensham that afternoon. Neither of them spoke to Frensham in the shop or paid any attention to him, so far as witness saw.
‘Police-Constable Loderby, H147, said that in accordance with instructions he had made a careful search in the disused quarry beneath Prospect Rock on the evening of Saturday, November 18th, while the body of deceased was being removed and afterwards. He produced a knife which he had found at a distance of twenty-eight feet three inches from the spot where the body had been discovered. The spots marked A and B on the plan of the quarry (produced) indicated correctly the respective positions of the body and of the knife when found. The blood on the blade and haft of the knife were still wet when he found it.
‘Police-Sergeant Yatt said, in accordance with instructions he had made a careful examination of the ground in the neighbourhood of Prospect Rock and also in the disused quarry beneath it, both on the evening of Saturday, November 18th, and on the morning of the following day. He had found no traces of a struggle in either place, but in both places the ground was splashed and spattered with blood a good deal. A struggle might have taken place on the path at Prospect Rock without leaving any trace of footmarks. The path was very rocky there and would exhibit no marks made by boots such as deceased had been wearing at the time.
‘The Coroner: There have been complaints, I understand, made to the police during the last few years that respectable people have been accosted and molested by undesirable characters on this particular portion of the Downs?—Yes.
‘The path has been patrolled regularly by the police for some time past?—Three times a day since January of last year.
A Juryman: At what hour was the path patrolled on Saturday last?—8 a.m., 3.15 p.m., 9.10 p.m.
‘The Coroner: So that between the hours of 3.15 p.m. and 9.10 p.m. no policeman passed along this path?—No.
‘The Coroner: Of course it is impossible for the police to be everywhere at the same time.
‘Lt.-Col. Wickham Gore, D.S.O., stated that deceased had volunteered to assist Mrs Barrington, widow of the late Mr Cyril Barrington, of 27 Hatfield Place, in the arrangement of her husband’s business affairs. At Mrs Barrington’s request, witness had called on the afternoon of Monday, November 13th, at the Excelsior Hotel, to see Mr Frensham in reference to some inquiries which Mr Frensham was making for Mrs Barrington. He knew nothing of deceased’s occupation, but understood from Mrs Barrington, who was an old friend of witness’s, that he came from London.
‘The Coroner: I believe you and I have met before, Colonel Gore, under happier auspices?—I believe so, sir.
‘The only visit you paid to the Excelsior Hotel to see this unfortunate man was the visit you paid on November 13th?—Yes.
‘You did not call at the hotel again to keep an appointment—or to see Frensham, on last Saturday afternoon?—No.
‘Police-Sergeant Long produced two bank-books and a cheque-book found in deceased’s suit-case in his bedroom at the Excelsior Hotel. No other papers of any kind were found amongst deceased’s effects. There was nothing to show where he came from or what his business was.
‘Herbert Westropp, cashier, Linwood branch of Lloyd’s Bank, said that the late Mr Cyril Barrington of 27 Hatfield Place had a deposit and a current account at that branch. The bank-books and the cheque-book produced had been issued to the late Mr Barrington in connection with his accounts there.
‘Police-Sergeant Long, recalled, said that the slips (produced) containing entries of sums of money paid or received on certain dates, were inserted in the pocket of the current-account bank-book produced when it was found by witness in deceased’s suitcase.
‘The Coroner: These slips appear to record moneys paid to or received from certain people whose initials only are given in each case. There are a number of these slips—eleven in all—each referring to payments made to or by a person with a different set of initials: J.M., W.G., L.N.P., M.G., F.T., S.McA., R.F., J.R., J.J., T.L., R.T. The payments go back for a considerable time in many cases—in some cases as far back as 1920. The latest date on any of the slips is October 25th. That date appears on the slip headed with the initials R.F. There appears to be nothing to connect that slip definitely with deceased, though deceased’s initials are R.F. It is rather curious, however, that a payment was made either to or by R.F. on October 25th—which, we know, was the day following deceased’s arrival at the Excelsior Hotel, and on which date deceased was seen in the company of the late Mr Barrington.
‘Lt.-Col. Gore, recalled, said he could not say definitely whether the late Mr Barrington had had monetary dealings with deceased. He thought it possible. Witness personally had had no such dealings whatever with Mr Frensham. Witness’s initials were W.G.
‘The Coroner: Initials which we were very proud of in this part of the world when you and I were learning our cricket, Colonel. I see that the dates of the payments on this slip which is headed with those initials belong to the year 1921. I think I am right in believing that in that year you were in Central Africa?—Yes.
‘You had no monetary dealings with the late Mr Barrington?—None.
‘Then obviously we must look for some other W.G.
‘Police-Sergeant Long, recalled, said that the letter (produced) signed with the initials A. H. was found by him in a pocket of deceased’s overcoat when he searched the body in the quarry, together with a penknife, some peppermints, and a used tram-ticket. No money was found, either on deceased’s person or amongst his effects at the Excelsior Hotel.
‘The Coroner: This letter, which is signed A. H., and bears neither date nor the writer’s address, says: “Agree price. Shall be Fountain end of Promenade, 6.30 tomorrow Saturday evening with dogs.’ The handwriting appears to be disguised. The envelope bears the postmark Linwood, Nov. 17, 5.30 p.m.
‘A Juryman: The handwriting appears to be a woman’s.
‘The Coroner: That is my personal impression also. The police have been unable to trace the writer of this letter so far. I hope that the writer of it—and I trust the press will give prominence to this—I hope the writer of it, if he or she is an innocent person, will come forward without delay and explain it.
‘Dr R. Tanqueray Jones detailed the injuries to the body of the deceased. In addition to the extensive injuries caused by the impact of the fall, he found three wounds, all of which, in his belief, had been caused by some narrow, sharp-pointed weapon used with great force. They might all have been caused by the knife found near the deceased. He detailed the nature and position of these wounds, one of which had been inflicted upon deceased’s neck from behind, the other two in the abdomen, probably while deceased lay prostrate on the ground. It was impossible to say with certainty, he thought, whether deceased was dead before he fell or was thrown over the cliffs. It would have been quite impossible for deceased to have inflicted the wound in his neck himself. Any of the three wounds might have caused death after a certain lapse of time. He was of opinion, however, that deceased had probably been still alive when he struck the rocks in the quarry below.
‘Upon the application of the police the coroner adjourned the inquiry until Friday next.
‘(Photographs of the scene of the tragedy will be found on p. 5.)’
Below the report of the inquest appeared the following paragraph:
‘The name of Lt.-Col. Wickham Gore, whose evidence in connection with the Linwood Down tragedy is given above, will be familiar to many of our readers as that not merely of a distinguished soldier, but also of an explorer of international reputation. Together with Lt.-Col. Armstrong and Sir John Parkett he was employed during the years 1920 and 1921 in collecting materials for that most popular and successful of educational films, “The Heart of Africa.” Lt.-Col. Gore belongs to a family well known for many generations in Linwood and the neighbourhood, and during his army career was perhaps the most brilliant of that brilliant combination of polo-players known to fame as “The Whoppers.”
‘(Photograph on p. 5.)’