Another blackmailing letter was sent to one Frederick Smith demanding that "H. Bayne," an alleged barrister, be retained to clear him from a charge of having murdered Ellen Donworth. A day rarely passes in which the police do not receive one or more communications evidently emanating from in dividuals of the so-called "crank" type in which the most preposterous charges are made. It was at first thought that the pres ent letter was one of that class. In January, 1892, Cream sailed for America. He was then engaged to be mar ried to an estimable young lady, Laura Sabbatini. In April he returned to London. Before the end of that month two other deaths had occurred, those of Emma Shrivell and Alice. Marsh, both fallen women. On April 12, at about two o'clock in the morning, a constable named Conley was patrolling his beat in Stamford street. He saw the door of number 11 8 open and a young woman bade a man, whose appearance corresponded with that of the acquaintance of Masters and May, an affectionate good night. Nearly three hours later, the land lord of the premises called in Constable Eversfield. When he arrived, he found the two women writhing in tetanic convulsions. They were put into cabs and taken to the hospital. Marsh died on the way, Shrivell in the hospital after prolonged suffering. At the house where Cream was staying, there lived a young physician named Harper. On April 25, his father received a com munication similar in tenor to those previ ously addressed to Dr. Broadbent and Mr. Smith. The deaths of the two unfortunates were charged to the young man and ^1,500 sterling demanded. Coroner Wyatt of London, on the second or third of May, received a letter signed " A. O'Brien, detective," offering for sale at the price of .£3,000 " such evidence as would
bring to justice the murderer of Ellen Donworth." Enclosed was a missive to the fore man of the Coroner's jury at the inquest of Marsh and Shrivell, signed " William H . Murray," in which it was stated that " one of my operators has positive proof that Walter Harper, a medical student and a son of Dr. Harper of Bear Street, Barnstable, is re sponsible for the deaths of Alice Marsh and Emma Shrivell, as having poisoned these girls with strychnine; this proof you can have on paying my bill for services to George Clark, detective." We must now depart from the chronologi cal order of events and return to October of the preceding year while we speak of an at tempt which illustrates the peculiar methods which the poisoner employed. Louisa Harris, commonly known as Lou Harvey, lived in St. John's Wood. About October 21, she met Cream at the Alhambra and afterwards went with him to a hotel. In the morning, Cream noticed or affected to notice certain spots on her forehead and said that he would give her a few pills which would remove them. He made an appoint ment for that purpose to meet her on the Embankment the next evening at eight o'clock. This rendezvous she kept accom panied by Harvey, her paramour, who fol lowed at a distance. Cream handed her some long capsules. These she took in one hand and made a pretense of swallowing, but in reality transferred them to the other. Cream was suspicious and asked her to show him her hands. She did this, letting the pills drop to the ground. He then hastily bade her good night and offered to call a cab. She refused, but expressed a wish to visit a music hall. Her acquaintance said that he had an appointment at St. Thomas' Hospital, but promised to join her at eleven o'clock. She kept the appointment and was at the hall, but he did not appear. He un
