Capt. Anson and Mr. Edalji
Capt. Anson and Mr. Edalji is a letter written by George Edalji published in The Daily Telegraph on 24 may 1907, just below Arthur Conan Doyle's article: Case of George Edalji. Facsimile Documents. No. 1.
Capt. Anson and Mr. Edalji
To the Editor of "The Daily Telegraph."
Sir — As reported in to-day's Telegraph, Captain Anson says: "Suspicion finally became excited against Edalji, owing to his commonly-talked-of habits of wandering abroad late at night." It is plain now on what a flimsy foundation the charge was trumped up against me. But, as a fact, I never once did "wander abroad late at night," and unless returning by a late train from Birmingham, or from some evening entertainment in the district, I was invariably in by about 9.30 — as on the night of the outrage. I should imagine no person in the district was less in the habit of being out at night than I was, and apparently the police took seriously something meant only as a joke at my habit of always being home so early. Obviously, had I been often out late, the fact would have been known to the large body of police who were patrolling the parish.
There is another matter referred to by Captain Anson, which shows the Committee of Inquiry do not stand alone in making misstatements. He says: "There were no horse-hair adhering to the razor, and Sergeant Parsons did not say there were." Now, it was conclusively established that no hairs were on the razor, but yet Parsons did swear there were some. I have his evidence before me as I write. In conclusion, let me emphatically state that I wrote none of the anonymous letters. They only came to hand after the police began to watch my home, so it was not the letters which led them to suspect me. The letters were written in a clumsy imitation of my handwriting, in order to fabricate evidence against me.
I destine to thank the Press and all those through whose exertions my innocence has at last been acknowledged, and trust in time to obtain also an apology and compensation. — Yours truly,
G. E. T. EDALJI
May 23.
