FDSD Islington

by John Eddleston

  I remember we were all right when we passed the Brewers’ public house, but I don’t remember anything after that, only drawing the razor across my own throat. I suppose I must have cut her throat; but, my God, I should not like to think I did. We were going to call at my father’s house, in Annette Crescent.

  The Frank Cannon who Alfred had referred to, was the next witness. He said he lived at 30 White Lion Street, in Clerkenwell, and had known the prisoner for some five years. On the night Maria was killed, Frank was not at home, so could not say why Alfred had wished to see him.

  The medical evidence at the trial was to prove highly contentious, and formed the basis of Alfred Chipperfield’s defence. The first doctor called to the stand was Dr Malachi Joseph Robinson. He had arrived back at his surgery to find Dr Gray treating Alfred for a wound to his throat. Maria was also there, but she was quite dead by this time. Dr Robinson had been with Dr Gray when the post-mortem was carried out on Maria’s body. He reported a wound three and a half inches long, which had divided the carotid artery on the left side, and the windpipe. In Dr Robinson’s opinion, the wound was self-inflicted, by a left-handed person.

  The second medical witness was Dr Thomas Underwood Gray. After stating that he agreed with Dr Robinson’s post-mortem report, he went on to say that he also agreed that Maria’s wound was most probably self-inflicted, and again by a left handed person.

  The third, and final medical witness, was Dr Thomas Bond, a surgeon at the Westminster Hospital, and a lecturer in forensic medicine. Whilst not actually insulting the previous two witnesses, Dr Bond gently pointed out that whilst they might well be excellent general practitioners, they had not had experience of murder cases before, and were not used to dealing with such crimes of violence. Dr Bond, on the other hand, had years of such experience and had worked with the police on dozens of murder cases. He testified that whilst Alfred’s wound was undoubtedly self-inflicted, Maria’s was not. There was also the fact that Maria’s family had stated that she was right-handed.

  The jury only took a few minutes to decide that Alfred had murdered Maria and he was then sentenced to death. Twenty-two days later, on Tuesday 25 February 1896, Alfred Chipperfield was hanged at Newgate, by James Billington and William Warbrick. It was said that he showed no fear, and marched to the gallows like a soldier.

  Chapter 25

  John Grande, Charles Barrett and Alfred Jones

  1899

  At around 4.20pm, on Wednesday 30 August 1899, William Button, a ‘carman’, was driving his trap down Caledonian Road towards Albion Street, in Islington. It was just as he passed the Queen’s Head public house that he noticed a group of four men, in conversation, and an elderly gentleman walking down the street towards them.

  After the man had passed them, the four men began following him and, since Button was driving at a mere walking pace, it meant that they kept pace with his vehicle. He was able to see clearly as one of the group of four dashed behind his trap, ran up beside it, and then ran in front, so that he was now positioned in front of the old man. He then stopped the man, and the other three piled into him and began to jostle him. Button saw the first man snatch a watch, and then all four men ran off, as the elderly gentleman fell to the ground, his head catching on the pavement.

  William Button jumped down from his trap, and went to help the injured man. He was later taken to the Royal Free Hospital, where he was identified as sixty-three-year-old Henry Benbow, the identification being made through items he was carrying on his person.

  Henry was attended to by Dr Thomas Percy Legg, the House Surgeon, who first saw his patient at 5.00pm. He was suffering from a large cut, some two inches long, at the back of his head. There was a good deal of dirt in the wound and Dr Legg dressed it carefully, before telling him to wait. When the doctor returned, however, Henry Benbow had left the hospital.

  A dazed Henry had returned to his home, but he was still suffering from the effects of his fall. That same evening, his family physician, Dr Thomas Walter Coffin, was called to see him. When the doctor arrived, Henry was in bed. An examination showed that he was suffering from a compound fracture of the skull. Once again, the wound was dressed.

  The next day, Thursday 31 August, Dr Coffin called on Henry again. He was now complaining of a severe headache and this was followed, over the next day or so, by fits and convulsions. As part of his treatment, Dr Coffin trepanned the area around the wound, and this did seem to give some relief, but it was only temporary. At 1.40am on 4 September, Henry Benbow died.

  William Button, and other witnesses, had given excellent descriptions of the men they had seen attacking Henry Benbow, and the police felt sure that they knew the names of at least three of them.

  Detective Constable Walter Selby saw the first of the wanted men on 6 September, at the Barnet Horse Fair. The man, twenty-three-year-old John Grande, was standing outside a booth, when Selby approached him and said he wished to speak to him, in connection with assaulting and robbing a man in Albion Street. At this stage, no mention was made of the fact that Henry had died, so Grande most probably believed that the charge he would face, would be a relatively minor one. He made no attempt to hide his involvement asking only: ‘How many have you got?’ When Selby informed him that he was the first, Grande replied: ‘It is just my luck. I am first again.’

  It was Constable Selby who also made the second arrest, later that same day. Acting on information he had received from Grande, Selby went to the Old King’s Head beer house in Euston Road, where he found Charles Barrett standing outside, enjoying a pint. When told he was to be arrested, Barrett replied: ‘I know nothing about it.’

  On the same day, 6 September, again acting on information received, Detective Constable George Godley visited an address in Robert Street, where he arrested the third man, Alfred Jones. He also denied knowing anything about the attack upon Henry Benbow.

  The trial of the three prisoners took place on 23 October, with each man being charged with robbery and manslaughter. All three pleaded not guilty to both charges.

  William Button told the court what he had seen in Albion Street. After Henry Benbow had fallen to the ground, he had gone to his aid, cradling his bleeding head in his lap and placing his handkerchief around the wound. Since that date, he had been to attend three separate identity parades. He had had no trouble in picking out the three men now standing in the dock. On 7 September, he had picked out Grande and Barrett and at a later date, 6 October, he had picked out Jones.

  George Frederick Barnes had been passing down Albion Street, when he saw four men abusing an old man, who he now knew to be Henry Benbow. As Henry fell, the four men ran directly past Barnes, who got a good look at all of them. Barnes too had picked out all three men at identity parades.

  Thirteen-year-old Ellen Hagan was coming home from school on 30 August, when she saw three men running from the direction of the Queen’s Head. She testified that Barrett was the one who had hit Mr Benbow before he fell. Ellen had identified two of the men since: Barrett and Jones.

  Charles Jared, who was also aged thirteen, was another of the people in Albion Street at the time that Henry Benbow was attacked. The men had run quite close to him as they made their escape, and Jared had later picked out two that he knew from the district: Barrett and Jones.

  Asked if they had anything to say in their own defence, Barrett said that he was at Waterloo Station at the time of the attack. Grande merely replied: ‘I am innocent.’ Jones claimed that he had lived in the area for about twenty years, which is how people knew him. He then tried to discredit one of the witnesses, Charles Jared, by saying that he knew the family well, and they were all brothel keepers.

  All three were found guilty of manslaughter and only now could it be revealed that Grande had four previous convictions for violent theft, whilst Jones had nine. All three were then given terms of imprisonment. John Grande and Alfred Jones were both given ten years whilst Charles Barrett, as this was his first known offence, received just
five, even though the evidence had indicated that he was the man who had struck Benbow. The fourth man who had been involved in the attack, was never traced.

  Chapter 26

  Other Crimes

  1851-1900

  (1) Peter Leggatt, 1853

  On Monday 3 October 1853, a gang of men was working on the new market in Copenhagen Fields. A rather elderly gentleman was in charge of the gang and, as a load of rubble arrived, to be used for filling, a man approached, and asked if he could have some.

  The ganger said that he wasn’t able to give out any of the rubble, whereupon the man, Peter Leggatt, suggested that they should fight. Then as if to emphasis the seriousness of this request, Leggatt lashed out and struck the ganger in the eye.

  It was at this point that one of the workmen, George Drew, marched forward and told the stranger that he was a coward, for challenging such an old man and, if he really wanted to fight, then he would be more than happy to accommodate him.

  The other workmen formed a ring as Leggatt and Drew began to fight. It was decided that each knock-down would signal the end of a round and both man fell at various times, during the fight, though Drew seemed to be getting much the best of his opponent. It was not until the seventh round, that Leggatt finally landed a severe blow, striking Drew beneath his ear. Drew staggered, then pulled himself up onto one knee, before falling back again. His workmates picked him up, and carried him to the City of London Tavern.

  Fortuitously, one of the men passing by this scene happened to be a doctor. Dr Thomas Murphy saw the group of men, towards the end of the fight, and observed one of the protagonists being carried into a nearby tavern. Dr Murphy followed, to see if he could offer any professional help, but, upon arrival in the public house, discovered that he was too late. George Drew was already dead.

  The post-mortem was carried out by Dr Edward Cousins, who stated that the cause of death was certainly the blow beneath the ear. This had, in turn, caused acute pressure on the brain, at the top of the spinal column.

  Charged with manslaughter, Leggatt appeared before Mr Justice Williams, at the Old Bailey, on 24 October. Found guilty, he was, nevertheless, strongly recommended to mercy. Witnesses to the fight had stated, that in each round, Drew had grabbed Leggatt by the hair, and punched him, and it was not really until the end of the fight, that Leggatt had even struck a blow. That recommendation was given weight and, consequently, Leggatt received just one month’s imprisonment.

  (2) James Saywood, 1864

  James Saywood managed to commit his crime in front of, arguably, one of the best witnesses available, a policeman.

  On 19 September 1864, Constable William Pearce was in Elder Walk, when he saw two men, Saywood and Michael Dunn, exchanging heated words. Even as Pearce walked towards the two men, to see what the problem was, Saywood struck Dunn in the chest, knocking him to the ground. He then kicked out, striking Dunn in the head. He was immediately taken into custody.

  In fact, Constable Pearce was in the vicinity because of an earlier problem, at Dunn’s house. Eliza Sticks, a woman, who lived with Saywood as his wife, had been accused of assaulting Dunn’s sister, Margaret. Pearce and another constable, had gone to Saywood’s home, to arrest his lover, and it was as Eliza was pulling her boots on to go with the officers, that Saywood had shouted that he would go out and give that bastard Dunn his bloody oats. Pearce had followed Saywood outside, leaving his brother officer to take the Eliza into custody.

  That brother officer was Constable George Taylor. Once the attack upon Michael Dunn had taken place, Pearce called him outside to assist. By the time Taylor arrived, Dunn was lying unconscious on the ground. Saywood, meanwhile, had been arrested, without a struggle.

  Michael Dunn was taken to the infirmary, at the Islington workhouse, and it was there that he was seen by Dr Joseph Ricksby Donald. He saw a deep, contused wound on the top of Dunn’s head. The injured man was kept in the infirmary for treatment, but died on 15 October, making this now a case of manslaughter. However, when Dr Donald did the post-mortem, he ascribed the death of Dunn to a disease of the lungs. The wound to his head had, in Dr Donald’s opinion, caused a fever, which had worsened the condition of Dunn’s lungs. In short, if he had not been injured in the fight, Dunn would, in all probability, have recovered from the fever that killed him.

  James Saywood appeared at the Old Bailey on 24 October 1864. The prosecution only called the two policemen sent to the house, and Dr Donald, before the defence called their own witnesses.

  Sarah Cunningham said that she had heard the original argument between Saywood and Dunn, out in Elder Walk. It was Dunn’s brother, Frederick, who first stripped off his shirt, ready to fight. Moments later, it was Michael Dunn who started the fight. Finally, Saywood was very drunk at the time, and did not seem to know what he was doing.

  Henry Wilkinson lived in Elder Walk, and he told the court that he had heard Michael Dunn using the foulest language, before the altercation started. Henry also said that he had known Saywood for twenty years or more, and had always considered him to be a quiet chap.

  Despite this testimony, James Saywood was found guilty of manslaughter. However, it appeared that the trial judge felt that this crime was not entirely Saywood’s fault, for he sentenced him to serve just four months in prison.

  (3) Savena Tompkins, 1869

  In June, 1869, Susannah Nevill, a servant-girl living in Alma Street, Hoxton, gave birth to a baby, a heathly boy, whom she named James. The father of the child was MrWallace, Susannah’s master, and he agreed to pay for the upkeep of the boy. However, the child could not remain in his house, so had to be sent out, for a nurse to take care of. A suitable woman was found in Mrs Davis, of 14 Dean Street, also in Hoxton, and a sum of seven shilling per week was agreed.

  At around 8.30pm, on Monday 5 July, Mrs Davis told one of the other lodgers at her house, Savena Tompkins, that she had to go out for an hour or so, and asked Savena if she would keep an ear open in case the baby cried. Savena was happy to oblige.

  Mrs Davis did not return home until 10.00pm and, going to check on the baby, found that he was not in his cot. There was also no sign of Savena. The alarm was raised but, by this time, James Nevill had already been found. His dead body had been discovered, wrapped in a bundle, in Canonbury Place, Islington. As for Savena Tompkins, when she returned home, she was arrested on a charge of murdering the child.

  The inquest opened at the Old Parr’s Head Tavern, in Upper Street, on Thursday 8 July. By this time, medical evidence had shown that James had died, as a result of suffocation, but the doctor was unable to say if this had been deliberate. It was equally likely that he might have suffocated in his cot, a condition we now refer to as cot death syndrome.

  An important witness was Elizabeth Westerham. Not only was she Mrs Davis sister, but she also employed Savena Tompkins. This meant that her testimony was crucial for both women.

  Elizabeth testified that on the night in question, Savena had called at her home at around 9.00pm, with some linen. At 10.00pm, her sister, Mrs Davis called and asked if Savena had had the baby with her, as it was now missing. Half an hour later, Savena was back saying that she had returned home, and found James gone.

  The coroner said that he found this to be a most curious case. He could think of no person, who had a motive to deliberately kill James Nevill. Mrs Davis had an interest in keeping the child alive, as she was being paid for his upkeep. Savena had nothing to do with the child, and had no reason for wishing him dead. A more likely scenario was that the child had died naturally, been found by someone, and then dumped in Islington out of fear. The question was, who had dumped the body?

  The police had, by now, come to believe that Savena had played no part in this. They now suggested that Mrs Davis had found James dead, had asked Savena to look out for him, dumped the body in Islington, and then visited her sister to implicate Savena in his death. At this, Elizabeth Westerham shouted that it was wicked to accuse her sister of killing the child. The co
roner replied that he had made no such accusation.

  The jury had to decide if the child was murdered and if so, who had committed the crime. In the event, they returned the verdict that James had died from suffocation but, how it occurred, and who had then conveyed the child’s body to Islington, there was not sufficient evidence to show. Savena Tompkins, almost certainly innocent of any involvement, was then released from custody.

  (4) Charles Morgan, 1883

  On the afternoon of Saturday 1 September 1883, Charles Morgan was in the Favourite beer house, playing dominoes with William Cummings, and two other men named George Butterfield and a Mr Harris. Money was changing hands, on the outcome of the various games, and everyone appeared to be friendly enough.

  At one stage, Cummings wife called him out of the tavern, as she wished to speak to him. Cummings left the game, and asked Morgan to play his hand for him. That hand carried a side bet, of a round of drinks.

  When Cummings returned he found that Morgan had lost the hand, meaning that he had to pay 4d for the round. Angry at this, he insisted that Morgan should pay it for him, as it had been who had lost the hand. Morgan refused, and after arguing about the matter for some time, the two men went outside to fight.

  It was Morgan who was getting the better of the match, and at one stage, just as Cummings was falling, Morgan lashed out and caught him with another punch. The force of that blow increased the speed with which Cummings fell and caused his head to be dashed against the kerbstone, killing him instantly.

  Charged with manslaughter, Morgan appeared at the Old Bailey on 15 October, and after hearing the evidence, Morgan’s defence barrister, MrThorne Cole, told the judge, that he could offer no argument against the prisoner being responsible for the death of William Cummings.