Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated)

by SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

  723. WILLIAM GODFREY YOUNGMAN (25), was indicted for the wilful murder of Mary Wells Streeter. He was also charged on the Coroner’s Inquisition with the like offence.

  MESSRS. CLERK and BEASLEY conducted the Prosecution.

  JAMES BEVAN. I am a carman, and reside at 16, Manor-place, Walworth — I am the landlord of the house — I occupy the ground floor — the house consists of a first and second floor — the first floor is immediately above my rooms — on 31st July last Mr. Beard occupied the first floor — that consists of a front and a back room — there was Mr. Beard, his wife, and one son — the floor above that was occupied by Mr. Youngman — I believe his name to be John — he is the father of the prisoner — his family consisted of his wife and two little boys — the second floor consisted of two rooms, a front and a back one — I had known at that time that the prisoner had been there for a few days; for a holiday, I understood — I had seen him backwards and forwards before 31st July — I believed him to be sleeping there — I remember the morning of 31st July — I was disturbed about ten minutes to 6, or something like that — I was then in bed, in the lower back room on the ground floor — I was disturbed by hearing a lumbering, as I supposed, on the top of the house; a lumbering, or heavy fell on the floor; a lumbering noise, as if something had fallen on the floor — the noise proceeded from the top of the house, as I supposed at the time, the second floor — as soon as I heard the noise I immediately jumped out of bed to hear and see what was amiss, and, before I could get to the door, Mr. Beard, who has the first floor, tapped at the door and said, “For God’s sake come up stairs, here is murder;” that was before I had got out of my room — I immediately proceeded up stairs to see what was amiss — I went on to the top landing, the landing of the seoond floor, and I turned my head and saw the little boy — there is a staircase that ends with a landing, and a door on each side of the landing — a door opens on to the landing from each room; the doors front each other on the landing — I saw the little boy lying dead on the top floor — I did not take very particular notice of him — I believe him to be the eldest boy — I did not see any one else about — I came down stairs and dressed as quickly as I could, to get assistance — as I was about to proceed for the officer the prisoner was standing on the first staircase — that was the first time I saw him that morning — it was directly I came down stairs and dressed; after I had dressed — I was then about to proceed for the officers — I should think not two minutes had been occupied by my dressing — on coming out of my room dressed I saw the prisoner standing three parts of the way on the first staircase; the staircase leading from the ground floor to the first floor — he was standing at that time looking downwards; looking down stairs — that staircase does not face the front door — the stairs, face the passage which leads to the door — at the bot-tom of the stairs there is a long passage, quite through the house, and the staircase is in the middle of the passage — he had got nothing on then, only his shirt — he told me his mother had done all this.

  COURT. Q. What were the words he used, as near as you can say? A. He said, “My mother has done all this; she has murdered my two brothers and my sweetheart, and I, in self-defence, believe I have murdered her.”

  MR. BEASLEY. Q. Was that all he said at the time? A. Yes — I then went for the police — I believe I heard the prisoner’s father go out that morning about half-past five.

  COURT. Q. You heard somebody go out? A. Yes; and believe it was he.

  Cross-examined by MR. BEST. Q. Had the Youngmans lived long in your house? A. On 24th March they came to lodge with me — I am not much at home in the day-time — I go out in the morning and come back in the evening, calling in sometimes in the course of the day — I do not know but what Youngman and his wife lived on pretty tolerable good terms — perhaps occasionally I heard them have a word or two, but not enough for me to interfere.

  COURT. Q. They had a word or two occasionally, but nothing particular? A. Nothing particular.

  MR. BEST. Q. Did they seem to be pretty well off in the money way? A. Well, the man always paid me his rent, and so far I had nothing more to do with him; he paid me regularly 4s. a week — I was awoke by a lumbering noise — the noise was like a heavy fall on the floor, as if something heavy had fallen — I do not know how far the distance is from the room where I was sleeping to the landing where I saw the body of the boy; I never measured it — I cannot tell you — the floor of the second floor was not so high as this Court — I lived on the ground floor — I never measured the distance between the ground floor and this third floor where these people were living — it is about three parts of the height of this Court, I should say — when I went up to the landing the first time I saw no live person there; I did not go up on to the top of the landing, as soon as I saw the boy’s body I turned down stairs — I saw the prisoner afterwards, not at that time, some portion of the way down stairs — I cannot say much as to his being collected and composed at the time — I should not think he was very collected at that time; I did not stop long enough to make any particular observation of the man.

  FREDERICK HENRY CAIGER. I am a surveyor — I made this plan of the premises.

  COURT. Q. Is it made to a scale? A. It is; I have not measured any heights, but I should say that from the floor of the ground floor to the floor of the second floor was about from twenty to twenty-one feet.

  MR. CLERK. Q. I see by the plan there is a door to each room opening on to the landing? A. Opening inwards to the rooms from the landing — I am speaking of the second floor — the doors are exactly opposite each other — the two doors, when closed, are 5ft. 10 1/2 in. from one another, across the landing — from that landing of 5ft. 10 1/2 in. there is a narrow landing 2ft. 6in. wide — that goes toward the head of the stairs — that goes from the landing that is between the two doors towards the head of the stairs — 2ft. 6in. is the width of each stair.

  SUSANNAH BEARD. I am the wife of Philip Beard — I live with my husband at 16 Manor-place — we occupy the first floor — I have one little boy about 11 years old — I occupy the back room as a sleeping-room — the little boy slept in the same room — on the morning of Tuesday, 31st July, I should think it was nearly 6 o’clock when I awoke — a noise above my head awoke me — it was a sort of scuffling on the boards — I thought it was the children playing when I first awoke — I awoke my husband, thinking it was late — I heard a sort of lumbering as if something fell on to the boards after that; that was not till after I awoke my husband — I could not say what it sounded like, falling — it appeared to be as if something heavy had fallen on the boards — I thought it was in the bed-room; it seemed over my head — I could not say whether what I heard fall fell on the landing or in the room — my husband went to the bed-room door and went up the stairs — he then called out the “Murder!” and came down — he afterwards went up again with Mr. Bevan, the landlord — after he came down the second time I went to the door of our room and saw the prisoner on the stairs between the first and second floors — he either said, “Mr. Beard” or, “Mrs. Beard, my mother has done all this, she has murdered my sweetheart and my two little brothers, and, in seltdefence, I believe I have murdered her” — while my husband was dressing the prisoner called out from the stairs, “Mr. Beard, for God’s sake fetch a surgeon, I believe there are some alive now” — when my husband was dressed he left the house — he and I went down stairs into the lower parlour — I locked my bed-room door, and locked my child in, and we went down below to the landlord’s room, and my husband directly went for a doctor — I did not see the body of the young woman at all — I had seen a young woman come to the house on the previous day, Monday, 30th July; I think it was pretty well 11 o’clock in the morning when she came — she came with the prisoner — I saw them again about 7 in the evening, going out, as I thought for a walk; they went as if they were going to the Walworth-road — I afterwards saw them return about 10 o’clock; they returned together, by themselves — I saw them come down stairs
again about five minutes afterwards, that is I saw them outside the door as if they had come down stairs — I saw them come into the house again about a quarter of an hour afterwards; that would be about a quarter past 10.

  Cross-examined. Q. Had you seen this young man before that day? A. Oh, yes; he had been staying at the house for a short time previously — he and the young woman seemed very friendly when they were at the door together at 10 o’clock — they seemed on affectionate terms with each other — when the prisoner addressed me on the stairs, and said, “This is my mother’s doing,” he seemed very much excited — on other occasions he was generally calm and quiet in his manner.

  PHILIP WILLIAM BEARD. I am a carpenter and joiner — I and my wife occupy the first floor at 16 Manor-place — I remember the prisoner coming to the house, but I cannot say exactly what time he came — I had seen him there some days before 31st July — I had seen him in the house — I remember Sunday the 29th — I had some conversation with the prisoner that day in the yard — a little conversation passed on trivial affairs, and he told me that he had been a valet and footman, but that he had left that, and was going into the farming business — he did not say why he had left it — I did not see the young woman on the Monday night — on the Tuesday morning I was awoke by my wife early; it was about 5 minutes before 6, or something like that — after she had awoke me I heard a sort of rumbling noise on the stairs, it appeared to be on the landing over me, it was like children running about, or something like that, I had heard the noise frequently before — I was on my landing — it seemed to come from the top floor above me — when I came out of my room I heard a slight scream, when I got to the foot of the stain — I went up stairs — the first thing I saw was a spot of blood on the stairs, on the fourth stair from the top, I did not notice any on any other — I went a little higher, and the first thing I saw was the little boy lying on the landing — I thought he was dead, he had his throat cut, and was lying on his back with his head towards the stairs — I then went a little higher and there saw the female lying on the landing — I did not then know who she was — I found afterwards it was Mary Streeter — she was also lying dead, a little beyond the dead body of the boy — I did not observe any other body at that time — I was alarmed, and went down, and called up Mr. Bevan, the landlord — I then went up again with him, behind him; there was no one else with us; the inspector had not come at that time — when I had called the landlord I went up stairs and began to drees — I did not go up with him then, I went up to my own bed-room, I did not go up to the second floor then, not till the inspector came — he did not come till Mr. Bevan went for him — I did not go up any more till after the police had been — I went for a surgeon — I saw a policeman at the top of Manor-place, and I sent him down — I did not see anything more of the prisoner — he called me out of my bed-room after I had began to dress, he was then on the stain — he called me and said, “Mr. Beard, my mother has done it all, she has murdered my two little brothers and my sweetheart, and, in self-defence, I believe I have murdered her” — that was all he said then — I then went into my bed-room again, and finished dressing and he begged of me to go for a surgeon.

  Cross-examined. Q. Did he say to you, “For God’s sake go to a surgeon’s, I think there is some of them alive now?” A. Yes — I was about five minutes in my room dressing myself — I dressed as speedily as I possibly could — I do not know whether my wife was present at this conversation on the stain — she was present in one instance, I believe, I did not see her — I have not known the prisoner for any time — I only just saw him backwards and forwards in the house — I never had any particular conversation with him — I was not at home most of the day — I was always out at work from 6 in the morning till 8 or 9 at night — I had no opportunity of observing how Mr. Youngman and his wife lived towards each other.

  MR. CLERK. Q. Your wife used to be at home? A. Yes.

  JOHN YOUNGMAN. I am the father of the prisoner — I resided on the second-floor of the house, 16, Manor-place, Wai worth — I can’t say exactly how long I had been there — my wife, Elizabeth Youngman, also lived there, and my two sons, Thomas Neale Youngman, and Charles Youngman — Thomas was eleven years of age, and Charles seven — in the month of July the prisoner came to live with me — he had before that been at service at Dr. Duncan’s; that was the last place he had lived at — he was footman there — I do not recollect on what, day it was that he came to my lodgings, but I should suppose it was about a fortnight before the 31st July — he used to sleep in the back room, the same room that I slept in — Thomas, the eldest of the two boys, slept with him in the same bed — I slept on a bed made up on the shop-board — I am a tailor, but I work away from home along with a son who lives in the neighbourhood — my wife slept in the front room and the boy Charles with her — I am frequently away from home at my work, during the day; mostly all day — I go home to dinner very frequently; not at all times — I was away from morning till night, except sometimes when I went home to dinner — on Monday, 30th July, I came home about a quarter or twenty minutes after 10 at night, as near as I can bring it to mind — I did not see the young woman, Mary Streeter, at all that night — I saw my wife before I went to bed — the prisoner went, to bed that night as usual, in the room — I should think it wanted about twenty minutes to 11, at that time — I told him when he was ready I would put the light out, and he said he was all ready, and I put the light out and went to bed directly, and he at the same time — my boy, Thomas, was in bed when I got into bed; he was in the bed with the prisoner — I awoke in the morning, I consider, somewhere about 4 o’clock; I did not know the time because I had not a clock in my room; I imagine that was the time by the appearance of the morning — at that time I saw the prisoner at the foot of his bed — it was daylight; just the break of day — he was in the act of getting into bed — I supposed he had been to look at the clock — I believe the door of the room was not closed; it generally stood open, but I did not take that notice — I usually slept with the door about an inch open — I took no notice of it then — the door of the front room was always closed at night, to the best of my knowledge — I fell asleep again — I got up at 5 o’clock that morning — it was about twenty minutes after 5 when I left my room — I expected that the clock went 6, but in lien of that it was 5 I found when I got out — the prisoner and Thomas were in bed at that time — I went to my son John’s to work — I did not go into the front room before I left; the door of that room was closed — I was afterwards fetched from my son’s — I should think it was about twenty minutes after 6 — I came back to the house — I saw the body of the young woman, Mary Streeter — she was then dead — I had seen her before, three or four times, I believe — the first time I saw her I dare say might have been two years previous — she had not been in the habit of coming to our house then — I saw her two or three times since — I saw her once or twice in July; that was at Manor-place — I do not think I saw her more than once in Manor-place — I saw her once at my son John’s, along with William, and once at Manorplace with him — the prisoner had never said anything to me about his intended marriage — I understood it was to be the case, but he never acquainted me with it — a knife was shown to me on the morning of 31st July, by Lack the constable — this (produced) is it — I had seen that knife before that day — I saw it in my son John’s shop — it was in the prisoner’s possession — it was then quite whole, to the best of my knowledge; not broken as it is now — the prisoner was showing it to a man who was working at my son John’s, and the man said it was not a fit knife to carry — the prisoner said anybody had a right to carry such a knife, if they thought proper, for their own protection — I should think this was about nine days or a fortnight before 31st July — I never saw him use the knife for any purpose — I never saw him show it at home to my wife; not to my recollection — as soon as I got back to the house on the morning in question, I called out, “Where is William?” he was then brought down in to t
he passage by the police; he was in custody — he said, “This is all mother’s doings, father” — that was all he said — to the best of my knowledge the prisoner was not possessed of any property at this time; he had no money, except what he had from service — I believe he had been in Dr. Duncan’s service for half a year — he was out of employment for some time before he went there — I cannot say for how long — it was as long as a year — I learnt so from him.

  Q. Had he ever said anything to you about insuring the life of the young woman? A. I had heard it talked of; I don’t think he ever said anything about it to me — I am not certain he did not; I have heard it repeated and talked of at different times — I heard it talked about at my son John’s.

  COURT. Q. You say he never mentioned it to you; but did you hear him mention that he was about insuring the life? A. Oh, yes; at different times — I heard him mention it at my son John’s.

  MR. CLERK. Q. Do you know the prisoner’s handwriting? A. I think I should know it, but I am not sure; I am a very little writer myself — I saw the dead body of my wife and of my son Thomas, at the same time I saw the dead body of the young woman — I also saw the dead body of my youngest boy, Charles; I saw him last.

  Cross-examined. Q. You say this insurance was talked about at your son John’s; was that in the presence of several persons? A. Yes, openly — I should think that was something like nine days, or a fortnight, or a week before 31st July, and perhaps a day or two before, but I cannot bring it to mind — my wife’s maiden name was Golden — I knew her mother quite well — she was a lunatic at the latter part of her life — she died in Peckham Asylum — a brother of my own also died’a lunatic in Norwich Thorpe Asylum — none of my children have died in that way — my father, I believe, died tolerably sensible, but he had been in an asylum two or three times — I work for my son as a journeyman and receive journeyman’s wages — I receive a pound a week, on an average; I am sometimes short of work — I was not short at this time; I had plenty doing just then — my wife and I lived upon tolerably good terms; we used to have more words about the children than anything else; I thought that she talked to them a good deal more than there was any occasion for — we quarrelled occasionally about the children — I thought she interfered with them too much — she used to correct them more than I thought she had any occasion for — she did not correct them particularly severely, but she corrected Thomas more than I thought she ought, because I thought Charles was quite as much or more in fault than Thomas — my wife and I did not sleep together at all times — we had not slept together for the last week previous to William coming to the house — that was because I wished to get to bed always when I got home of a night; and not only that, my wife was troubled with an inward complaint — she had a cancer in the womb; that was the reason why we did not sleep together — I sometimes took my breakfast at my son John’s — I sometimes took my supper at home, not often — I supped at my son’s, and sometimes I had no supper at all — I always took my tea at my son’s when I was there — I did not go to any place of entertainment to spend my evenings, or to any public-house; and had not done so for a long time — I saw this knife when I was at my son John’s house — I do not remember the prisoner saying that it was a good sort of knife for eating meals with — I cannot say that I ever heard him say that — I have seen him take his meals in the house, but I never saw him use that knife at all — I did not sup in the house the night before 31st July — the front room was used for supper and meals; that was the room in which the family lived in the daytime — the point of this knife is broken off and the guard is also broken.