A possible motive, for Maud being poisoned was supplied by Florence Rayner. In June 1902, Florence was employed as a barmaid at the Crown, and after only being there for two weeks, Chapman grabbed her, kissed her passionately, and asked her to be his sweetheart, and go to America with him. Florence pointed out to Chapman that he had a wife downstairs. Chapman, in reply, snapped his fingers and said: ‘If I gave her that she would be no more Mrs. Chapman.’ Soon after this, Maud had fallen ill, and Florence had left the Crown for a new position at the Foresters, in Twickenham.
Annie Chapman gave the court information, which showed what kind of a man Chapman really was. She confirmed that they had lived together as man and wife from November 1893, until around December 1894. Soon after she had left him, she had discovered that she was pregnant with his child. Chapman had told her that he was not interested.
Dr Grapel testified that, at Robert Marsh’s request, he had visited Maud, at the Crown on 21 October. Chapman was most displeased that another doctor had been sent, but Dr Grapel insisted on seeing the patient. Dr Stoker was there, and together the two examined Maud. Her skin was sallow, jaundiced, and muddy in appearance, her tongue was coated, her pulse fairly quick. Her breathing was shallow, and her stomach was extremely tender to the touch. Grapel consulted with Dr Stoker, and they agreed that Maud was suffering from some acute irritant poison, most probably ptomaine. Later, Dr Grapel changed his opinion, and concluded that it might well be arsenic.
Dr James Stoker told the court that Chapman had called at his surgery at 5.00pm on 10 October 1902, and asked for some medicine for his wife, who was suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting. Stoker gave Chapman some medicine and agreed to call on Maud at 10.30pm that evening. He found her complaining of severe stomach pains, and after making his examination, said that she was to have no solid food, but be given soda water and milk, boiled milk, brandy, beef tea and ice, the last item to stop the sickness she was feeling.
By 13 October, there had been no improvement in Maud’s condition. By the 15th, she was also suffering from spasms. Bismuth powders were administered, but they seemed to have no effect. Dr Stoker suggested that a nurse should be taken on and, a few days later, found that Chapman had engaged the services of Jessie Toon.
Maud’s condition grew steadily worse, and she died at 12.20pm on 22 October. Dr Stoker had been out of his surgery at the time, attending to another patient, and as soon as he received news of Maud’s death, he went to the Crown. To his surprise, the place was still open for business, and customers were drinking happily in the bar and being served by Chapman. After speaking to him, Dr Stoker said he was not satisfied as to the cause of death and wished a post-mortem to take place. Dr Stoker admitted that the only reason he had suggested the post-mortem, was because the cause of death completely baffled him. He had not, at that time, connected the death with that of Bessie Taylor, but did so very soon afterwards.
After Dr Stoker had performed his post-mortem, and the tests upon the samples removed had indicated antimony poisoning, a second post-mortem had been ordered by the coroner. This had been performed by Dr Thomas Stevenson. He found no natural cause for Maud’s death either. He immediately suspected that an irritant poison had been used. His tests confirmed antimony, and showed that a large dose must have been given, within a few hours of death. Having tested the various organs, Dr Stevenson found a total of 7.24 grains of antimony. This, in turn, meant that some 25 to 30 grains of tartar emetic must have been administered. The usual fatal dose was 15 grains.
The prosecution now turned to the other two cases against Chapman. The first witness here was Joseph Smith Renton. He confirmed that he had had a cousin named Mary Isabella Renton, who had married a man named Shadrack Spink. That relationship ended and Renton knew that some time afterwards, Isabella was living with Chapman, as his wife.
John Ward confirmed that he had offered a furnished room to Chapman, and that Isabella Spink was already lodging at his house. One day, not long after Chapman had moved in, Ward’s wife complained to him that she had seen Chapman and Isabella kissing on the stairs. Ward told Chapman that he did not approve of such behaviour in his house, but soon afterwards, Chapman had said: ‘Mr. and Mrs Ward, allow me to introduce you to my wife, Mrs. Chapman.’ He claimed that they had married at a Catholic church in the city. Soon afterwards, they moved to Hastings.
The prosecution next called Detective Sergeant Arthur Neil. He had examined the registers at Somerset House, and found no trace of any marriage between Isabella Spink and, either George Chapman, or Severin Klosowski.
Annie Helsdown had lived with her husband, Frederick, at 10 Hill Street, Hastings. At one stage, Chapman and Isabella had come to lodge at their house and whilst there, he had opened a barber’s shop in George Street. By all accounts, the business was a very successful one. It was Chapman who did all the haircutting and shaving, but Isabella helped out there. In 1896, however, Isabella fell ill. She had terrible pains in her stomach, and vomited a lot. The vomit always had a greenish tinge.
Martha Doubleday lived in Richmond Street, near Bartholomew Square, and knew the Prince of Wales public house there. Chapman had taken the tenancy of the pub in 1897, bringing Isabella Spink with him. Martha and Isabella soon became close friends.
Towards the end of that year, Martha had noticed that Isabella was rather pale and she seemed to lose a lot of weight. Two weeks before Christmas, Chapman approached Martha, and asked her to sit with his wife, as she was very ill in bed. Martha went up to the bedroom to see Isabella, and asked why there was no doctor in attendance. Chapman asked who the nearest doctor was, and one named Rogers was duly sent for.
Over the next few days, Isabella grew steadily worse, despite the ministrations of the doctor. Chapman was most attentive during this time, constantly bringing Isabella brandy but, every time she drank some, Isabella was violently sick immediately afterwards.
As Christmas approached, Isabella’s condition grew worse. On one occasion, Martha saw Chapman lean over the bed and say to Isabella: ‘Pray God go away from me.’ On Christmas Day, Isabella died, but Chapman still opened for business that day.
Jane Mumford had also nursed Isabella in her final illness, taking over from Mrs Doubleday occasionally. She saw Chapman often administer medicine to his wife, and after each dose she seemed to vomit.
The Dr Rogers referred to by Martha Doubleday and Jane Mumford had, by now, passed away himself but Elizabeth Waymark, a professional nurse, who the doctor sometimes employed, was able to give her testimony. She had been sent, by Dr Rogers, to minister to Isabella in the last two weeks of her life. She too reported that Isabella complained of violent pains in her stomach, and had bouts of sickness which produced green-tinged vomit.
Henry Edward Pierce was an undertaker, and he was called to the Prince of Wales on Christmas Day 1897. The funeral was arranged, and finally took place, on 30 December, at St Patrick’s Cemetery, Leytonstone. The coffin had a plate attached to it which read: ‘Mary Isabella Chapman, aged 41 years, died December 25th, 1897.’ Mr Pierce was present when the coffin was exhumed, in 1902, and was able to identify both the coffin and the body inside, since it was in a remarkably good state of preservation. The fact that antimony is one of the poisons that preserves the flesh, had already been noted by the various doctors involved in the case.
Dr Thomas Stevenson was then recalled. He too had been present at Isabella’s exhumation, and later had tested various organs from her body. His opinion was that she had died from antimony poisoning, finding a total of 3.83 grains still in the body. He went on to explain that when a dose of tartar emetic is given, the result is vomiting and much of the poison is then ejected. However, a proportion of the antimony is retained in the body, and repeated doses would cause it to accumulate until the person finally expires.
Finally, the prosecution turned to the death of Elizabeth Taylor. William Taylor told the court that the dead woman had been his sister. He recalled Bessie and Chapman living together as man and
wife at the Prince of Wales. Later they moved to Bishop’s Stortford before returning to London, and taking the lease on the Monument.
In December 1900, William heard that his sister was ill. He went to visit her and found her sick and shrunken, having lost a great deal of weight. Bessie told him that she had terrible stomach pains, and kept being sick. The next he heard of Bessie was when their mother wrote to tell him that she had died. Bessie was buried, on 15 February, in the churchyard in Lymm, Cheshire. William was also present, in 1902, when Bessie’s coffin was exhumed and recalled that her body was very well preserved.
The next two witnesses, Elizabeth Anne Painter and Martha Stevens, had both been friends of Bessie, and visited her at the Monument. They reported the symptoms that she displayed in the final weeks of her illness; symptoms that corresponded precisely with those displayed by Isabella Spink and Maud Marsh.
Once again, Dr Stevenson had tested organs removed from Bessie Taylor’s body. There was antimony present in all the major organs and the various figures gave an estimation that some 29.12 grains of tartar emetic had been administered.
The prosecution case rested. No witnesses were called for the defence, Chapman’s counsel choosing to rely instead on the argument that there was no apparent motive for Chapman to have poisoned these three women.
Although evidence had now been given on all three deaths, the jury were only asked to return a verdict in the case of Maud Marsh, the most recent victim. It took them just ten minutes to decide that Chapman was guilty as charged. The death sentence having been given, Chapman had to be supported by two warders before being taken down to the cells.
There was to be no reprieve and, on Tuesday 7 April 1903, George Chapman had to be supported a second time as he stood on the trap in the execution chamber at Wandsworth prison, where he was hanged by William Billington and Henry Pierrepoint.
It was the busiest year of the entire twentieth century for the hangman of Britain, with a total of twenty-seven people, twenty-four men and three women, dying on the gallows.
Chapter 28
Albert Bridgeman
1905
There were four people lodging on the second floor of the house at 37 Compton Street. In addition to John Ballard and his wife, Catherine, there were also their two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth.
In the early part of 1902, Mary started walking out with a young man named Albert Bridgeman, whose friends called him Alf. The couple fell in love, and were soon engaged to be married. Then, in February, Albert, a soldier, went off to fight in the Boer War. He did not return to England until the end of that same year, and almost immediately, Mary noticed a change in her fiance. Albert had taken to frequenting boxing clubs, a sport Mary did not approve of and, perhaps of more concern, he had taken to drinking rather heavily.
For two more years, Mary tried to maintain the relationship, but it soon became obvious that Albert wasn’t going to change. He was no longer the sweet, kind, gentle man, that Mary had first loved. It was for that reason that Mary broke off the engagement, on 27 December 1904. Albert appeared to take it well, though. He remained on good terms with the entire family, and still visited their home from time to time.
One of those visits took place on the evening of Friday 3 March 1905. Albert called at the house, and he and John Ballard sat down together, over a glass of beer. It was a very pleasant night and, in due course, Albert left to return to his own lodgings at 4 Dyott Street, near Shaftesbury Avenue. Soon after this, the Ballard family retired for the night.
At 12.30am on Saturday 4 March, John Ballard was woken by a noise on the landing, outside his bedroom. Thinking they might have burglars, John went to investigate, only to find Albert Bridgeman, creeping along the hallway. A surprised John said: ‘Hello Alf, what are you doing here at this time of night? Your place is at home, not coming here, and frightening me out of my life. You have been drinking. Why don’t you go home to your right place?’ Albert apologised profusely, and said he would see them tomorrow, actually meaning later that same day. He was then gently escorted from the premises.
At some time between 9.00am and 9.30am that same morning, Saturday 4 March, Albert Bridgeman walked into Walter Sharwood’s pawnbroker’s establishment, at 183 St John’s Street. He was attended to by George Mills, one of the sales assistants, and asked to see a silver chain, that was hanging in the window. Having inspected the item, Albert said he would take it. He then asked to see some silver medals, and purchased two. Next he said he had seen a razor, and wished to look at that too. Another purchase made, Albert then asked Walter if they sold revolvers. Walter replied that the usually did, but they had none in stock at that time. He also mentioned that when any came in, he would need to see Albert’s gun licence before he could sell him one. Albert, seemingly happy with his purchases, left the shop.
At 11.30am, Albert was back at 37 Compton Street. The door was opened by Esther Wheeler, who lived on the floor above the Ballards. She explained that all of the Ballards were out. Albert thanked her for her trouble, and walked off down the street.
Where Albert went to next is not known, but by 12.20pm, he had found Catherine Ballard. They were seen drinking together in the Wheatsheaf public house, by James Wheeler, Esther’s husband.
At 1.00pm Albert and Catherine were seen entering number 37 together. Emily Shadbolt, who lived with Mrs Wheeler on the floor above, saw them go into Catherine’s rooms. Minutes later, a bloodcurdling scream rang out. Rushing onto the landing to look over the bannister, Mrs Shadbolt saw Albert leaving the Ballards’ rooms. His hands and face were covered in blood, and as he ran down the stairs, he left bloody footprints behind him.
Esther Wheeler had also heard that terrible scream, and as Mrs Shadbolt ran out onto the landing, Esther ran to her front window. She was in time to see Albert leaving the house and she too noticed that his hands were covered in blood. As he left, Albert placed one hand on a gatepost, and a bloody print was left behind. Esther knew that something terrible must have happened downstairs. She pulled on her coat and went to the police station in Hunter Street.
Constable Reuben Roth was on duty at the police station and, having heard Esther Wheeler’s story, went with her back to Compton Street. Entering the Ballards’ rooms he found Catherine lying on the floor in a bedroom at the back of the house. She was partly beneath the bed, lying face down, and there was a great deal of blood around her body. Constable Roth sent for his inspector, and a doctor.
Dr Thomas Murphy, the Divisional Police Surgeon, arrived at Compton Street at 1.20pm. He confirmed that Catherine Ballard was dead, and then made an initial examination of her body. Dr Murphy noted five deep wounds on Catherine’s scalp, all extending down to the bone. These had, almost certainly, been made by a small shovel, found at the scene. This had broken in two. The handle had been thrown onto the bed, and the head lay on the floor, close to Catherine’s body. Dr Murphy also noted a large, gaping wound, on the left side of Catherine’s throat. This extended down to the spinal column, and had severed all the major veins and arteries.
The search was on for Albert Bridgeman, but he was not seen again until 10.35am on Sunday 5 March. Detective Constable Henry Gallard was in Hunter Street, when he saw Albert walking towards him. Gallard identified himself as a policeman, but, before he could say anything else, Albert replied: ‘Yes, I know what it is for. It is for murder. Here is the razor I done [sic] it with.’ He then put his hand into his jacket pocket, drew out the still bloodstained razor, and handed it over to Gallard.
Albert appeared at the magistrates’ court the following day, Monday 6 March. After he had been remanded he was, once again, placed in the care of Constable Gallard. Albert began to make a statement, and Gallard, quite properly, cautioned him again. Ignoring the caution, Albert said:
The job is done, I know that.
I went to Mrs. Ballard’s on Saturday, and intended to make her drunk, and then cut her throat on the bed. I treated her several times, but could not make her drunk, so I took
the poker when her back was turned, and was going to strike her, when she looked round and shouted ‘Murder!’ I then struck her on the head with the poker. She again screamed ‘Murder!’ but only faintly.
I struck her again, and she fell on the floor. I then took the poker with both hands, and struck her on the head with all the force I could, which was enough to kill a bullock. I then cut her throat and intended to put her under the bed to hide her, wipe the blood up, and wait for her husband. She always is very nice in front of your face, but has being saying a lot about me, and called me a name, which was disgraceful to my mother.
I looked out of the door, and Mrs. Shadbolt looked over the banisters and said, ‘Oh, Alf, what have you done? ‘I then ran away. Mrs. Shadbolt saved Ballard’s life, as I intended to kill him, and then cut my own throat.
Twenty-two-year-old Albert Bridgeman appeared at the Old Bailey on 5 April 1905, to answer a charge of wilful murder. The judge presiding over the case was Mr Justice Jelf. Albert was defended by Mr Cutis Bennett, whilst the case for the Crown was led by Mr Charles Mathews, assisted by Mr Arthur Gill.
John Ballard told the court of his daughter’s engagement to Albert, and that the engagement had been broken off by her, at Christmastime the previous year. He also spoke of his encounter with Albert, on the landing outside his bedroom, early on 4 March. He said he knew of no reason why Albert should wish to murder him, or his wife, or any of his family.
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