THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 22, 1939.
TO-DAY'S STRANGE STORY OF REAL PEOPLE
THE NIGHTMARE MURDER CASE
By VANCE WYNN
"Don't drink that, Tyrell! For God's sake, don't drink it!"
It was a young woman, living in Woodstock, Ontario, who shieked these words. To add to the terror of it they came from her lips while she ap- peared to be in a sound sleep. She awoke, trembling and frightened. She told her family she had just had a ter- rible dream. She was looking in the doorway of a home and saw her re- lative, the late Tyrell Tilford, seated at the breakfast table. A cup of hot coffee was before him. While his at- tention was distracted a woman had silently entered and poured a quantity of white powder into his coffee cup. It was when he lifted the cup to his lips that the dreamer had let out the shrieks which wakened her.
The curious part of it was that her relative, Tyrell Tilford, had been dead and buried for weeks. He had died mysteriously, but a doctor had furn- ished a death certificate testifying that he had passed away from na- tural causes. Yet this nightmare had the effect of reviving suspicions which had tormented brothers and sisters of Tilford ever since he had been bur- jed.
It was the intense realism of the dream that made it so impressive. The girl said the tragic scene was as real as if she had actually been present.
As a result a formal application was made asking that the body be exhum- ed and examined. Mrs. Elizabeth Til- ford, the widow, was naturally annoy- ed at such a proceeding, particularly as the application had been without her knowledge.
made
|
A Detective Grills Mrs. Tilford..
In the meantime the detectives sub- jected Mrs. Tilford to almost contin- uous grilling. They learned that she had been married three times and that two of her husbands had died suddenly,
Another interesting
had
Mrs. Tilford's hair showed traces of The doctors in the case testified that arsenic. Public opinion was
about evenly divided. Half the population of Canada was sure she was the vic- fact tim of unfair gossip, while the other was the discovery that she was six-half was positive that she was the pro- teen years the senior of her late hus-totype of Lucrezia Borgia, the wick- band, a sturdy young teamster of 35. edest woman of her time.. His illness was peculiar, but he lingered for several weeks.
The highlight of the trial came when a little black-coated stand.
man took the He was Victor King, a drug
ity. He was timid and hesitating, but clerk, not unknown in the commun-
his testimony was given in a way that He said that a few weeks before Ty- was convincing to the court and jury.
rell Tilford was taken ill, Mrs. Til- ford had called him on the telephone and ordered a quantity of powdered arsenic.
After the body had been dug up, Dr. E. R. Frankish, medicolegal pert of Ontario, was called upon to ex- make a post-morten.
A circle of eager spectators sur- rounded the eminent man, waiting for the verdict. He finally reported grave tones:
in
of
"I find traces of more than a lethal quantity of arsenic in the organs this man."
HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORPORATION.
Authorised Capital
Issued and Fully Paid-up..820,000,000 Reserve Funds:--
Sterling
Hong Kong Currency Re-
serve
Reserve Liability of Pro-
prietors
$50,000,000
£ 0,500,(8¢
$10,000,00
$20,000,00
HEAD OFFICE: HONG KONG,
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
A. L. Shields, Esq. Chairman.
W. H. Lock, Esq.,
Deputy Chairman.
Hon. Mr. J. K. Bousfold, G. Mlakio, Bay. A. H. Compton, Esq.. K. 8. Morrison, Esq.. Hon. Mr. 8. H. Dodwell, Hon. Mr. T. E. Pesroo D. P. Landalo, Esq., II. V. Wilkinson, Esq.
Sir Vandeleur M. Grayburn, Chief Manager.
AMOY
BANGKOK
BATAVIA BOMBAY
CALOUTTA
CANTON
CHEFOO
COLOMBO DAIREN FOOCHOW HAIPHONG HAMBURG HANKOW HARDIN HONGKEW ILOILO IPOH код
JOHORE
КОЛЕ
KOWLOON
BRANOHES:-
KUALA LUMPUR
LONDON LYONS MALACOA MANILA MUAR (Jobore) MURDEN
NEW YORK PEIPING PENANG BANGOON BAIGON SAN FRANCISCO SHANGHAI SINGAPORE SOURABAYA BUNGEI PATANI SWATOW TIENTSIN
TOKYO
TSINGTAO
YOKOHAMA
Current Accounts opened in Local Currency and Fixed Deposits received for one shorter periods in Local
Your K and other an terms which will be quoted on application.
ourrencies ALSO up to date SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES in variona aires TO LET.
Hong Kong, 25th February, 1980.
HONG KONG SAVINGS BANK.
At these words there was a stir in the courtroom and leaned forward expectantly. Accord- the spectators
The Business of the ing to some, Mrs. Tilford's lips quiv- HONG KONG AND BHANGHAI BAND abore Bank is conducte ING CORPORATION. Bules ered and she showed emotion for the first time.
on application.
Mrs. Tilford was placed under ar- The authorities hesitated about rest, and the body of her second hus- granting such an unusual request, es-
band William Walker was exhumed, pecially a request based on a dream. but no traces of poison were found. But at this stage of the pro- The trial attracted great crowds, but ceedings another relative came for the accused wife conducted herself ad- ward and said that Tyrell Tilford mirably,
It was on this final note that the She denied all knowledge twelve good men once told her that his wife had tried of the poisoning, but the testimony in-
and true left the to poison him. Mrs. Tilford, on hear-dicated that quantities of arsenic had cide whether Mrs. Tilford should be box and went to the jury room to de- ing this, withdrew all objections to been seen around the house. The sug-acquitted or whether she should be the the exhuming of her husband's body. gestion that it had been used to rid first woman in sixty-five years to be So the attorney-general of the pro- the place of rats made no impression executed for murder in the Province vince issued the required order.
upon the jury.
of Ontario.
HE'LL TELL NAZIS WHAT BRITISH PUBLIC
REALLY THINKS
FOUR YEARS AGO, MR. A. 8. WILLMIN, BRIGHTON, WAS RES- PONSIBLE FOR FOUNDING A FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN HIS OWN TOWN AND THE DISTRICT OF WESTPHALIA, GERMANY,
Since then parties from Westphalia and Brighton have exchanged `visits at least once every year.
But this year no party from West- phalia will visit Brighton. And from Brighton the only visitor to West- phalia is Mr. Willmin.
He is making the trip so that the spirit of friendship will not be entire- ly broken.
to
In Westphalia he will be enter. tained by the friends he has made in Germany through his efforts to establish a closer understanding between the people of Germany and England. The Germans who have tried foster the frienship with England have arranged for Mr. Willmin a series of meetings, at which be will try to concey the feelings of ordinary Englishmen on the troubled state of international politics.
He will speak to audiences of Ger- man ex-Servicemen, to German wo- men and to German schoolchildren.
The friendship between Westphalia and Brighton was founded when Mr. Willmin rendered a service to a Ger- man mother who lost her son during the war. The son died in a prisoner of war camp at Brighton.
PRIVATE PHONES FOR POLICE
for
A Home Office, scheme linking up by private telephone lines all police, headquarters in England will shortly be put into operation.
Sub-divisional stations will themselves be in direct commu- nication with their local head- quartors. When the new system Is completed immediate commu- nication will be possible with every police station in the coun- try. The sohome is part of the A.R.P. precautions, but it will bo principally used for tracing. criminals who are attempting to evade capture.
Many thought that after debating for fifteen or twenty minutes the jury would come in with a verdict of ac- quital. They reasoned that the ac- cused woman would be given the be- nefit of the doubt.
But at the end of the sixth hour the jury filed into court. The foreman with emotion pronounced the word: "Guilty!"
An appeal for a new trial was den- ied, and when a higher court declin- ed to interfere Mrs. Tilford went to the gallows, which ghastly fate would have been spared her had her hus- band's relative in Woodstock not had her celebrated nightmare.
(Copyright, by Watkins Syndicate, Inc.).
may
KONG AND
FOR THE HONG BANKING CORPORATION.
+
obtaina
SHANGHA
V. M. GRAYBURN, Chief Manager.
Hong Kong, lat March, 1987.
THE CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA, AUSTRALIA & CHINA Incorporated by Royal Charter, 1985. Paid-up Capital
.£3,000,000. Reserve Liability of Pro- Reserve Fund
.£8,000,000. prietors
HEAD OFFICE: LONDON: 38, Bishopsgate, E. C. 2. Sub-Agencies in London: 117/122, Leadenhall Street, E, C. ? West End Branch: 14/16, Cockspur Street, S. W. 1.
› Manchester Branch:
£8,000,000.
52, Mosley Street, Manchester, 2.
Alor Star
AGENCIES AND BRANCHES:
Harbin Hongkong Iloilo
Valoutta Agencias: Klang
Cabu
Manila
Penang
Amritsar
Bangoon
Bangkok Batavia Bombay
Balgon
.
Parachi
Beremban
I
Shanghai
Bingapore
Clive Stroes
Koba
Bitiawan
Fairlie Place
Kuala Lumpur
Bourabaya
Canton
Kuching
Taiping
Dawnpore
Madras
Tientsin
Tongkah
Colombo
Medan
(Ebaket)
Delhi
New York
Taingiao
Halphons
Peiping
Tokokama
Hamburg
(Paring)
$10,000,000.00 5,598,000,00
Hankow
2,883,932,01
THE BANK OF EAST ASIA, LTD.
Authorised Capital Paid-up Capital Reserve and Undivided
Profits
HEAD OFFICE:-HONG KONG, 10, Des Vaux Boad, Central,
FOREIGN EXCHANGE and General Banking Business transacted.
CURRENT ACCOUNTS
opened and VIIEA DEPOSITS roosived for One Year
or shortor periods in Local or Other Currencies ai
ratoa which will be quoted on application.
SAVINGS ACCOUNTS also opened in Loos! Currency and Sterling with interest allowed raton-clczimble on application,
ab
The Bank's Baad Cc in London andartakas Kasditor and Trustee business, and claima re-
BOARD OF DIRECTORS (~~~ Hon. Bir Shou-son Chow, Chairman; Li Бой Chun, Esq., P. K. Kwok, Ing., Wong Yu- Tong. Eaq. Chan Oking Bhak, Esq., Li ta Bang, Eng. Wong Chu Bon. Esq., Kan Ying Dry of British Income Tax prerpaid, on terma Esq. and Fung Ping Wak, Esq. ·
Kan Tong Po, Esq., Chief Manager Li Tae Foug, Esq., Manager.
Branches And Agencies:-
Melbourne
6
Amoy Batavia Bombay Calovita
Mahlia
Nagioski
New York
Haiphong
. Parin
Hanka Honolulu
Felping
Pannog
Kobe
Bangoon
Kowloon London
Saigon
San Francisco
The mother wrote to Mr. Will- min, who was then secretary of the British Legion, Brighton Branch, and she asked him to locate her son's grave. The grave was located, and the bereaved mother with a party of friends visited Brighton to pay their Mouss homage to the dead soldier.
Then the suggestion of yearly visits was made; an idea which appealed strongly to both English and Ger-
mans.
Beattia Samarang Shanghai Singapore Sourabaya. Gwałow Sydney
Tientsin Vancouver
Every description of Banking and Exchang business transacted. Loans granted co-approve
Current Accounts, opened in Local Currenc and Find Deposits received for one year aborter ploda In Local and Foreign Currencies on terms which will be quoted on application.
Eafe Deposit Boxes To Las.
KAN TONG PO,
Chief Manager:
which may be escartalund at any of the Agencies and Branches.
R. A. CAMIDGE,
Manager.
THE WING ON BANK, LTD.
Head Office: Hong Kong. 26, Des Voeux Road, Central. Authorised Capital $10,000,000 LONDON BANKERS:— Westminster Bank, Ltd. Foreign Exchange and every descrip- tion of banking business transacted.
Current Accounts and Sayings Ac counts opened. Fixed Deposits receiv èd at rates which will be quoted or npplication.
Trusteeskinand, Executorship undes taken. Safe Deposit Boxes for hire. PHILIP GOGKCHINES