A prisoner of the notorious character indicated above, was, of course, the object of special care and precaution. As a consequence it was found that there were marks on him of a singular description, and a word or two which he had dropped to a fellow-prisoner gave rise to a suspicion in the minds of the authorities that “John Ward” was not altogether what he professed to be—a half-caste American, and a juvenile in the art of thieving.
Inspector Phillips took the matter in hand, and as a result of his searches, came to the conclusion that the prisoner was no other than Charles Peace, of Sheffield, the murderer of Mr. Dyson.
He examined the prisoner more closely, and found the numerous discolourations and disfigurements on his body to coincide with the police description.
The photograph of the missing Peace was evidently that of this prisoner, and a number of other circumstances tended to prove the identity of the guilty man; so the police came to the conclusion that the man in Newgate was none other than the Bannercross murderer; indeed, it was generally understood that the prisoner did not attempt to deny that he was Charles Peace.
In addition to all this Mr. Jackson was in possession of some valuable information which he was not at liberty to divulge till the inquiry assumed a more definite shape.
Certain legal forms had to be gone through before Peace could be removed from Newgate to answer the charge made against him in the county in which the crime had been perpetrated.
One difficulty, however, stood in the way. The question at this time was, how to find out Mrs. Dyson; without her evidence the case would break down.
Mrs. Dyson was now “wanted” as badly as Peace had been. Some time after the murder she left this country to return to Ohio, United States, and was indeed seen on board the vessel at Queenstown by Sub-inspector Walsh.
There were persons who thought she would not remain long in America, and that she had returned to this country.
The question was, where was Mrs. Dyson? This was a query which naturally suggested itself.