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AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 1880
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 1:49 pm: | 
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Has anyone else seen this case before?
It is a belter.
Christmas Eve 1872.
A female 'dancer' is murdered in a 'low' boarding house, throat cut down to the bone, nobody hears anything, the murderer is seen but somehow not seen, there is fruit seller who makes wild claims, the murderer is never caught, Joe walks free to much applause...
Some uncanny stuff going on in this story.
Recommended reading for all.
'The Times, December 28th 1872.'
I'm still reading. |
Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1811
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 11:52 am: |
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Hi AP
Very interesting case. The basic facts can be seen in the first two Times articles about it:
The Times
26 December 1872
SUPPOSED MURDER
Yesterday afternoon, about 3 o'clock, a shocking discovery was made at No 12 Great Coram street, Russell square. The second floor back room was occupied by a girl named Clara Bruton, said to be connected in some way with a theatre. As she did not come downstairs, and as no answer was returned to calls, the landlady had the door broken open. The girl was then found to be quite dead, her throat having been severely cut. Spots of blood were detected in different parts of the room, the bed exhibiting a dreadful appearance. The door had been locked on the outside and the key removed, but no marks of blood could be seen there. On the forehead of the deceased there was an indentation apparently caused by a thumb and a little further down the print of a hand. It transpired that on the previous night the deceased was visited by a German, who left the house after the other occupants had gone to bed. Inquiries are being actively prosecuted by the police.
27 December 1871
THE CORAM STREET MURDER
The tragedy in Great Coram street, mentioned in The Times of yesterday, proves beyond doubt to be a most atrocious murder. The facts of it are given in a few words. The victim appears to have eked out a living on the stage as a member of the corps de ballet by aid of prostitution, and her murderer is supposed to be a man described as a "German gentleman" who met her in the street, and accompanied her to her lodgings. The girl's name is Clara Boswell (not Burton or Buswell), and she was 27 years of age. She was a good looking girl, and what is known is that she came home late on Christmas Eve and went direct to her room on the second floor back at No 12 Great Coram street. She returned to the lower part of the house and said that she brought a gentleman with her, and gave the landlady a half sovereign from which to take 9s rent. She received a shilling change and then went back to her room. Nothing more was heard until the morning, when the man was heard to go out early. The tenant of the room not moving hour after hour, the room was on Christmas afternoon burst open, and the woman was found in the bed with her throat cut. The murderer stabbed the poor girl under the left ear, and there is another wound on the left of the windpipe large enough to put a man's fist in. The object of the murderer was evidently to possess himself of what trinkets and money the girl possessed, for earrings which she had borrowed were not to be found; and a purse into which she was seen to put the shilling change was also missing. The murderer might have supposed that a person living in so respectable a locality would have some booty, hence the crime. Superintendent Thomson, who has had much experience as a detective officer, is in charge of the district in which the murder was committed, and he at once set upon the task of tracking out the murderer. It is believed that this will be accomplished, for the man is said to have gone into a fruit shop with the girl, and must have blood upon his garments, for the wounds inflicted are very awful. Death must have quickly followed, for the body is drawn up as from the convulsion of the sinews caused by pain. The murderer washed his hands, and, locking the door after him, took the key. The appearance of the person who left the house after the inmates had gone to bed is thus described:-
"He is about 25 years of age, 5ft 9in high, with neither beard, whiskers, nor moustache, but not having shaved for two or three days, his beard when grown would be rather dark. He has a swarthy complexion, and blotches or pimples on his face. He was dressed in dark clothes, and wore a dark brown overcoat down to the knees, billycock hat, and rather heavy boots.
The body was yesterday removed to St. Giles's workhouse, and was identified by the deceased's brother, who comes from Berkshire, of which county it is said the girl was a native. The inquest will be held today.
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Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1812
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 11:57 am: |
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Folk might like to know that a Dr. Henry James Bernard Gottfried Hessel was eventually charged with the murder and brought to trial In Jan. 1873.
Chris
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David O'Flaherty
Chief Inspector
Username: Oberlin
Post Number: 776
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 12:50 pm: |
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Hi Chris and A.P.,
Looks like it received a lot of press (at least in The Times). Hessel, a German Lutheran minister, was found to be innocent--most of the witnesses didn't identify him. It looks like he went on to become something of a celebrity; there was some kind of reform spotlight on him because he became ill due to the conditions of his confinement--there was some criticism of how unconvicted people were treated. He apparently wrote some sort of narrative of his experience.
The following July, another German wrote a letter to the editor at the Times (25 July 1873):
Sir,—Will you kindly oblige me by inserting the following account of what happened to me last night on the way from Sligo to Enniskillen, at a small village called Blacklion?
Being on a walking tour in Ireland I arrived last night at the above-named village, after having walked a little more than 26 miles. Just when I was preparing to go to bed two policemen—a sergeant and a private—made their appearance, and began asking me a great many questions, looked through my pocket-book (in which accounts of my journeys in this country and Scotland, besides some other things, are written in German), counted over my money, &c., and disappeared apparently satisfied that there was no reason for suspicion against me. I went to bed, and being very tired, was already falling asleep, when the same sergeant, with two men, entered my bedroom and declared that I had to get up and follow him; then, giving me an unpleasant knock on my shoulder, he said, “I arrest you on the very serious charge of murder.” Everything he thought fit was taken from me, and, notwithstanding my remonstrances that my pocket-book ought to satisfy everybody, and that my height was 5ft. 9in. German measure (nearly 6ft. English), whereas the height of the real murderer (Great Coram-street) was given as being only 5ft. 9in. English,--all was in vain; I was taken to the police station because the sergeant said he could not read German, and the height might not be given exactly right in the “Hue and Cry” (Police Gazette for Ireland). So I was treated as a prisoner from 9 o’clock yesterday evening till half-past 7 o’clock to-night, when a satisfactory answer as to my innocence arrived from England.
Now, I wish to ask you, Is it right to treat a foreigner, or any person, like a murderer for nearly 24 hours—I will not trouble you with details of my prison life—if there is no greater cause of suspicion than that he resembles in one or two points a suspected individual? Secondly, ought not the sergeant to have got an interpreter (say, from Enniskillen) to translate the contents of my pocket-book instead of treating me all that fearful time almost like a convicted murder?
I beg to remain, Sir, yours most respectfully,
ANOTHER ARRESTED GERMAN.
Eniskillen, July 21.
The Times (17 Jan 1873) seized an opportunity to criticize Coroner's Inquests as unnecessary, specifically going on to criticize the Coram-street inquest as overly-lengthy and sensationlistic, lambasting Coroner Lankester for "dabbling in the mire". Wynne Baxter would come in for similar treatment in 1888, and I think such criticism over the years is one of several reasons the MJK inquest was so short, relative to Baxter's inquests (I think Macdonald anticipated an arrest in the MJK murder and was concerned about duplicating the work of a trial court, another criticism of coroners' inquiries that I've seen).
Many thanks for lighting up this case, A.P.
Cheers,
Dave
(Message edited by oberlin on March 22, 2005) |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 1886
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 1:55 pm: |
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Thanks Chris & Dave
Yes the case was certainly a humdinger, so many twists and turns that I could barely keep up with it. After the German doctor had been released the case still made the press, when a young lady turned up with the child of the murder victim, claiming that she could no longer keep the child because the victim was no longer sending her the money.
The inquest was a bit of a farce, the court and the press already convinced of the German’s innocence, because he was ‘respectable’… remember that testimony to his favour was openly cheered in court and he finally left the premises to wild applause. A judge or coroner of the LVP would normally not have tolerated such behaviour in court.
Final lesson is that nobody was apprehended for this brutal murder.
Now, do we think that her trinkets were the cause of her murder?
Or do we believe them to be ‘trophies’? |
Phil Hill
Inspector
Username: Phil
Post Number: 227
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 10:10 am: |
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I am amazed at the similarities to alleged Ripper crimes, especially MJK.
Just as an exercise, I edited the Times pieces posted above to remove specifics. Tell me this could not be an account of Miller's Court, with one reference to Stide/Berner St...
Yesterday afternoon… a shocking discovery was made at …. The … back room was occupied by a girl named …
…as no answer was returned to calls, the land[lord] had the door broken open. The girl was then found to be quite dead, her throat having been severely cut. Spots of blood were detected in different parts of the room, the bed exhibiting a dreadful appearance.
The door had been locked … and the key removed, but no marks of blood could be seen there ...
The tragedy in … proves beyond doubt to be a most atrocious murder. The facts of it are given in a few words. The victim appears to have eked out a living… by aid of prostitution … She was a good looking girl…
The murderer stabbed the poor girl… and there is another wound … large enough to put a man's fist in.
…the [suspect] is said to have gone into a fruit shop with the girl, and must have blood upon his garments, for the wounds inflicted are very awful.
The murderer … locking the door after him, took the key.
I realise this is all evident from a reading of the text. I post this simply as an aid to others who might not have the time to redact the piece.
Amazing.
Phil
(Message edited by Phil on March 23, 2005) |
Andrew Spallek
Chief Inspector
Username: Aspallek
Post Number: 753
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 10:23 am: |
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I suspect that this type of scene was played out many, many times -- and indeed continues to be. No answer to a knock on the door, police or landlord force entry only to find a gruesome murder. Removing names and specific details, the accounts of any number of these murders could be interchanged.
Andy S.
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Phil Hill
Inspector
Username: Phil
Post Number: 229
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 1:18 pm: |
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You may be right Andy - but by the reverse argument, I wonder how much such reporting coloured contemporary perceptions and reporting of the Ripper crimes? |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 1891
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 1:20 pm: |
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Yes Phil
I did say when I posted the reference that it was 'uncanny'.
If you have access to The Times then it is well worth reading the entire story as it unfolds over a period of time.
The somewhat snide comments in the paper concerning the owner of the fruit shop put me particularly in mind of Matthew Packer.
I can't somehow imagine all fruit sellers to have been so inclined.
There is also something about the atmosphere of this crime that does somehow truly reflect the murder of MJK... for instance how the man manages to gain access to the house and bolts up the stairs to avoid recognition. The landlady saw him but somehow didn't see him. His silent departure, witnessed by none. The lack of very real noise associated with such dreadful murder.
Murder is usually a very noisy business.
There are many other similar points so it is worth a read.
I do agree with Andy to a certain extent, but there was something quite uncanny about this particular murder.
Dare I say I thought I saw the signature of someone else at work here? |
Phil Hill
Inspector
Username: Phil
Post Number: 230
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 1:32 pm: |
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Well, 16 years only separate 1872 and 1888 - a man of 20 would only be 36, a man of 30, 46. Within the error factor on descriptions.
But NO, it's not possible!!
Phil |
Jeffrey Bloomfied
Chief Inspector
Username: Mayerling
Post Number: 590
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 8:48 pm: |
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Hello all,
I first read of the Coram Street Murder in the 1893 edition of HAYDN'S DICTIONARY OF DATES, when it was mentioned as the murder of Harriet Buswell, "a gay woman". I take it that "Buswell" was a corruption of "Boswell", but it could be a "ticket name" she used. If she is a whore she would "kiss" well, or "buss" well. But that is just a guess.
The following is an account from Guy B. H. Logan's GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY (Duffield & Co., 1929), in the chapter XII "Mysterious Murders of Women" (P. 259 - 260):
"The tragedy of which Harriet Buswell was the victim on Christmas Day, 1872, has often been related. It occurred at a house in Great Coram Street, and the assassin was undoubtedly the man who accompanied the girl back to her lodgings. She was found in bed next morning with her throat cut, and though the house was full of people, no one had been disturbed in the night or heard a sound. The murderer went out into the street under cover of darkness, unseen, unheard. A ship's chaplain, of German nationality, was arrested and brought before the magistrates, and as he was identified by several witnesses as the man who had been seen with Harriet Buswll overnight, it did seem as though the police were on the right track. He was able, however, to prove a more or less satisfactory alibi, and was discharged from custody. One man, who had particularly observed the girl's mysterious companion, declared that if the suspect was not the man she had brought home that night "he must have an exact double." Some people at the time accounted the German clergyman a very lucky man."
Jeff |
AACR
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 12:59 pm: |
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It's a well known case and has been in several old crime books. |
donna newton
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2005 - 2:37 pm: |
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out of interest ,a murder took place in march 1884 at 12 burton crescent bloomsbury,a girl was found strangled,the crime which in several respects resembled the great coram st murder,was never brought home to anyone.i do believe no 12 was the house number at great coram street.a sinster number. |
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