et news of his family that Peace wrote to Brion. But
the letters are sufficiently ingenious. Peace represents himself as a
truly penitent sinner who has got himself into a most unfortunate and
unexpected "mess" by giving way to drink. The spelling of the letters is
exaggeratedly illiterate. He asks Mr. Brion to take pity on him and not
despise him as "his own famery has don," to write him a letter to "hease
his trobel hart," if possible to come and see him. Mr. Brion complied
with the request of the mysterious "John Ward," and on arriving at
Newgate where Peace was awaiting trial, found himself in the presence of
his friend and colleague, Mr. Thompson.

In the meantime the police were getting hot on the scent of the identity
of "John Ward" with the great criminal who in spite of all their efforts
had eluded them for two years. The honour and profit of putting the
police on the right scent were claimed by Mrs. Thompson. To her Peace
had contrived to get a letter conveyed about the same time that he wrote
to Mr. Brion. It is addressed to his "dearly beloved wife." He asks
pardon for the "drunken madness" that has involved him in his present
trouble, and gives her the names of certain witnesses whom he would wish
to be called to prove his independent means and his dealings in musical
instruments. It is, he writes, his first offence, and as he has "never
been in prison before," begs her not to feel it a disgrace to come and
see him there. But Peace was leaning on a broken reed. Loyalty does not
appear to have been Susan Thompson's strong point. In her own words she
"was not of the sentimental sort." The "traitress Sue," as she is called
by chroniclers of the time, had fallen a victim to the wiles of the
police. Since, after Peace's arrest, she had been in possession of a
certain amount of stolen property, it was easier no doubt to persuade
her to be frank.

In any case, we find that on February 5, 1879, the day after Peace had
been sentenced to death for the murder of Dyson, Mrs. Thompson appealed
to the Treasury for the reward of L100 offered for Peace's conviction.
She based her application on information which she said she had supplied
to the police officers in charge of the case on November 5 in the
previous year, the very day on which Peace had first written to her from
Newgate. In reply to her letter the Treasury referred "Mrs. S. Bailey,
alias Thompson," to the Home Office, but whether she received from that
office