Ratcliff Highway murders
Gli omicidi della Ratcliff Highway (a volte gli omicidi della Ratcliffe Highway) sono stati due attacchi viziosi a due famiglie separate che hanno provocato sette morti. I due attacchi avvennero entro dodici giorni, nel dicembre del 1811, in case a mezzo miglio di distanza vicino a Wapping a Londra.Primo attacco
Il primo attacco avvenne il 7 dicembre 1811 negli alloggi di un negozio di biancheria da letto a 29 Ratcliffe Highway, sul lato sud della strada tra Cannon Street Road e Artichoke Hill. Ratcliffe Highway è il vecchio nome di una strada nell'East End di Londra, ora chiamata The Highway, quindi una delle tre strade principali che lasciano Londra. Era in una zona pericolosa e malandata di imprese squallide, vicoli oscuri e appartamenti fatiscenti.
Le vittime dei primi omicidi furono la famiglia Marr. Timothy Marr, di età 24 o 27 anni, aveva già prestato servizio per diversi anni presso la Compagnia delle Indie Orientali a bordo del Dover Castle, e ora aveva un negozio di biancheria e un negozio di calzetteria. Aveva una giovane moglie, Celia, un figlio di 14 settimane, Timothy (che era nato il 29 agosto), un apprendista, James Gowan, e una serva, Margaret Jewell. Tutti vivevano lì dall'aprile di quell'anno.
I coniugi erano nel loro negozio e residenza per prepararsi agli affari del giorno dopo quando un intruso entrò nella loro casa. Era poco prima di mezzanotte di sabato. Margaret Jewell era appena stata mandata ad acquistare ostriche come pasto , Marr voleva fare un regalo alla sua giovane moglie, che si stava ancora riprendendo dalla nascita del loro unico figlio. Margaret doveva andare in un panificio vicino a John Hill e pagare una bolletta . È così sfuggì all'assassino. Un rapporto affermava che quando aprì la porta del negozio vide la figura di un uomo incorniciato dalla luce. Dato che l'intera area era di solito occupata dopo il normale orario di lavoro, lei non fece caso e proseguì con la sua commissione. Trovando chiusa la bottega di ostriche, tornò a casa di Marrs, dove vide il suo datore di lavoro dalla finestra, ancora al lavoro, e andò a pagare il conto del fornaio. Trovando chiuso il fornaio, decise di andare in un altro negozio nel tentativo finale di trovare alcune ostriche, ma, dopo aver scoperto che anche quel negozio era chiuso, tornò a mani vuote.Arrivata al negozio venti minuti dopo mezzanotte, trovò l'edificio buio e la porta chiusa a chiave. Pensando che i Marrs si fossero dimenticate che lei era ancora fuori, bussò, ma non ricevette risposta. Non sentì prima alcun movimento all'interno, poi un rumore che sembrava un rumore di passi sulle scale, quindi pensò che qualcuno stava venendo per farla entrare. Sentì il bambino che al piano di sopra gridava. Tuttavia, nessuno è venuto alla porta.
Sentendo i passi sul marciapiede dietro di lei, si spaventò e sbatté il batacchio contro la porta "con violenza ininterrotta", attirando l'attenzione su di sé. George Olney, il guardiano notturno che chiamava il tempo ogni mezz'ora, venne a scoprire chi fosse. Olney, che conosceva bene le ragazze, bussò alla porta e chiamò, ma notò che le imposte erano a posto, ma non erano bloccate. Il rumore ha risvegliato John Murray, un prestatore di pegno e il vicino di casa di Marr. Allarmato, saltò oltre il muro che divideva il suo cortile da quello delle signore, e vide una luce accesa e la porta sul retro aperta. Entrò e salì i gradini del retro, chiamando le Margie che avevano dimenticato di chiudere le imposte. Non ha sentito nulla.Ritornando al piano di sotto ed entrando nel negozio, Murray vide "la carneficina della notte stesa sul pavimento". Le "ristrette premesse ... erano così gonfie di sangue che era quasi impossibile sfuggire all'inquinamento del sangue nel scegliere un percorso verso la porta principale". [2] Per prima cosa ha visto James Gowan, l'apprendista, disteso sul pavimento a circa un metro dalla scala, appena dentro la porta del negozio. Le ossa della faccia del ragazzo furono distrutte, il suo sangue gocciolava sul pavimento, e il suo cervello era stato polverizzato e gettato intorno alle pareti e attraverso i banconi.Murray andò alla porta principale per far entrare Olney, ma inciampò in un altro cadavere, quello di Celia Marr. Giaceva a faccia in giù, la testa martoriata, le sue ferite che ancora emettevano sangue. Murray fece entrare Olney e insieme cercarono Marr. Lo trovarono dietro il bancone del negozio, martoriato a morte. Murray e Olney si precipitarono negli alloggi e trovarono il bambino morto nella sua culla, che era coperta di sangue. Un lato della sua faccia era stato schiacciato e la sua gola era stata tagliata in modo che la sua testa fosse quasi staccata dal suo corpo.
Quando trovarono il bambino, più persone del vicinato si erano radunate fuori e la polizia del Tamigi fu convocata. Il primo ufficiale sulla scena era Charles Horton. Dato che nulla sembrava essere stato prelevato, il denaro era nella cassa e 152 sterline erano state trovate in un cassetto della camera da letto, sembrava non esserci alcun motivo. Un ladro avrebbe potuto essere spaventato prima che finisse, ma l'altra possibilità era una sorta di attacco di vendetta da parte di qualcuno che conosceva Timothy Marr.
Horton credette per la prima volta che l'arma usata fosse uno scalpello. Uno è stato trovato nel negozio, ma era pulito. Nella camera da letto trovò un pesante martello da marinaio dal lungo manico, o maul, coperto di sangue, appoggiato a una sedia. Immaginò che fosse l'arma del delitto, abbandonata quando il colpo di Jewell spaventò l'assassino. I capelli umani erano conficcati nel sangue essiccato sulla parte piatta e pesante, e l'estremità rastremata, usata per guidare le unghie nel legno, era scheggiata.
Due serie di impronte sono state poi scoperte sul retro del negozio. Questi sembravano appartenere agli assassini, in quanto contenevano sia sangue che segatura derivanti da lavori di falegnameria effettuati nell'antichità. Un gruppo di cittadini ha seguito le tracce fino a Pennington Street, che correva dietro la casa, e ha trovato un possibile testimone che ha riferito di aver visto un gruppo di una decina di uomini scappare da una casa vuota in direzione di New Gravel Lane (ora Glamis Strada) poco dopo che l'allarme era stato alzato. La speculazione ora sorse che il crimine era il lavoro di una banda.Horton portò il maul sporco di sangue alla sua stazione, per scoprire che tre marinai, che erano stati visti nella zona quella notte, erano sotto custodia. Uno sembrava avere macchie di sangue sui suoi vestiti, ma tutti e tre avevano alibi convincenti e furono rilasciati. Altri uomini sono stati arrestati nell'area sulla base di rapporti di testimoni, ma i casi contro di loro sono andati in pezzi. Una ricompensa di 50 ghinee fu offerta per l'arresto del criminale. e, per informare i residenti dell'area, un volantino è stato abbozzato e bloccato sulle porte della chiesa.
I corpi, le loro ferite non suturate e gli occhi non chiusi, erano disposti sui letti della casa. La stampa del penny assicurò che le notizie sensazionali si diffondessero in tutta la Gran Bretagna, e il pubblico arrivò a frotte per attraversare la casa e vedere i cadaveri. Non era insolito in quel periodo.SignificatoI londinesi avevano familiarità con gli attacchi violenti in strada di notte, e Ratcliffe Highway aveva una reputazione particolarmente negativa . Tuttavia, questi omicidi hanno scioccato il pubblico perché le Marrs erano state una famiglia laboriosa senza apparenti legami con elementi criminali. Sembravano vittime del tutto casuali.IndagineIl 10 dicembre una giuria del coroner ha saputo che qualcuno doveva aver osservato il negozio e la residenza per un'opportunità. Il crimine era stato commesso tra le 23.55, quando Margaret Jewell se ne andò, e alle 12:20, quando tornò. Murray ha dichiarato di aver sentito rumori di botte intorno alle 12:10, quindi è stato deciso che gli assassini erano ancora in casa quando Margaret Jewell è tornata ed era fuggita dalla porta sul retro.
Un tentativo è stato fatto per analizzare il maul dal manico alla sua lama. Non c'era sangue sullo scalpello, ma poiché Margaret Jewell ha dichiarato che Marr ne aveva cercato uno prima quella sera, si è pensato che fosse stato usato come arma, poiché se fosse stato in bella vista, avrebbe trovato. Cornelius Hart, uno dei carpentieri che aveva lavorato nel negozio quel giorno, è stato detenuto, ma non è stato possibile presentare alcun caso contro di lui e lui è stato rilasciato. Il fratello di Marr era sotto esame, poiché si diceva che avesse avuto un disaccordo con lui, ma dopo essere stato interrogato per quarantotto ore, fu esonerato perché aveva un alibi fermo. Fu interrogata anche una ragazza di servizio che era stata precedentemente lasciata andare, ma mancava di motivazioni e compagni criminali, ed era troppo piccola per aver eseguito gli omicidi da sola.Le quattro vittime ricevettero un servizio funebre, poi sepolte sotto un monumento nella chiesa parrocchiale di San Giorgio in Oriente, dove il bambino era stato battezzato tre mesi prima.Quando il maul fu pulito giovedì 19 dicembre apparve che alcune iniziali furono incise sul manico, forse con un pugno di rame da marinaio: "I.P." o "J.P.". Coloro che stavano lavorando sul caso ora avevano un modo per provare a rintracciare il proprietario.
Secondo attaccoLa stessa notte furono scoperte le iniziali sul maul, e dodici giorni dopo i primi omicidi, il secondo gruppo di omicidi avvenne, a The King's Arms, una taverna di 81 New Gravel Lane (ora Garnet Street). Le vittime erano John Williamson, il pubblicano di 56 anni, che aveva gestito la taverna per 15 anni, Elizabeth, la moglie sessantenne, e la loro domestica, Bridget Anna Harrington, che aveva circa 50 anni. Il King's Arms era un alto edificio a due piani, ma nonostante la sua vicinanza all'autostrada non era una struttura turbolenta, dato che ai Williamson piaceva ritirarsi presto.Qualche giorno prima Williamson aveva detto a uno dei poliziotti della parrocchia che aveva visto un uomo con una giacca marrone che si aggirava per il luogo e ascoltava la sua porta. Ha chiesto all'ufficiale di tenere d'occhio lo straniero e arrestarlo. Non molto tempo dopo lo stesso agente udì un grido di "Omicidio!" Mentre una folla si radunava fuori dalle King's Arms, un uomo quasi nudo scese dal piano superiore usando una corda di lenzuola annodate. Mentre scendeva in strada, stava piangendo incoerentemente. Era John Turner, un inquilino e un operaio che era stato lì per circa otto mesi.
La folla ha forzato le porte della taverna aperte e ha visto il corpo di John Williamson a faccia in su sui gradini che conducono nella sala dei giochi. La sua testa era stata percossa e la sua gola era stata tagliata, e al suo fianco c'era un piede di porco di ferro. Mentre il piede di porco sembrava essere l'arma usata per colpirlo, un attrezzo più preciso era stato usato per tagliargli la gola e quasi tagliargli la mano. Elizabeth Williamson e la cameriera sono state trovate nel salotto, i loro teschi sono stati abbattuti e le loro gole tagliate. I piedi della cameriera erano sotto la griglia, come se fosse stata colpita mentre preparava il fuoco per il mattino seguente. Il collo della sua padrona era stato reciso fino all'osso.La folla si armò e prese d'assalto la locanda alla ricerca di possibili criminali. Hanno poi scoperto la nipote quattordicenne di Williamson, Catherine (Kitty) Stillwell, nel suo letto, viva e intatta. Dato quello che era successo alla famiglia Marr dodici giorni prima, sembrava miracoloso che avesse dormito durante l'intero attacco e non avesse idea di cosa fosse appena accaduto al piano di sotto.
I corpi sono stati collocati sui loro letti e la ragazza è stata portata in una casa più sicura. Furono suonate campane di fuoco per chiamare i volontari, mentre il London Bridge fu sigillato. Agendo su resoconti di testimoni oculari che un uomo alto si era bighellonato fuori dalla taverna quella notte, con indosso un cappotto di colore (un ampio abito con cappuccio), diversi Bow Street Runner furono incaricati di dare la caccia all'omicida. Secondo un rapporto, John Turner, l'inquilino che è fuggito, ha affermato di aver gridato aiuto, spaventando l'assassino. [4] Secondo quanto riferito, ha anche riferito di aver visto un uomo alto con un cappotto sciacquone scuro vicino al cadavere della signora Williamson, ma è stato anche considerato come un sospetto e il suo rapporto non ha ricevuto tutto il suo peso. Si è scoperto che l'accesso ai locali era stato acquisito forzando l'apertura dello sportello della cantina. Una finestra aperta fu scoperta, con macchie di sangue sul davanzale che indicavano la via di fuga dell'omicida e un'impronta nel fango esterno sembrò confermarlo. L'assalitore sconosciuto è apparentemente scappato correndo lungo un pendio coperto di argilla, così è stato assunto dalla polizia che avrebbe avuto argilla sui suoi vestiti, rendendolo facile da identificare.È stato sottolineato che questo tipo di via di fuga era simile a quello preso dalla persona che aveva assassinato la famiglia Marr. Non c'erano connessioni note tra le due famiglie, e non c'era neanche un motivo apparente per questo secondo massacro. Poiché l'orologio del signor Williamson era scomparso e entrambi i reati erano stati interrotti, avrebbero potuto comunque iniziare come semplici rapine.È stata riunita una task force a caso, composta da agenti di vari distretti e un gruppo di Bow Street Runner. Hanno rapidamente arrestato un sospetto che viveva nella zona, aveva acquistato recentemente un gallone di brandy e aveva recentemente pulito i pantaloni per sbarazzarsi di quello che un medico locale sosteneva fossero macchie di sangue. Non esistevano test forensi per testare la sua teoria, ma l'uomo fu comunque arrestato. Altri testimoni affermarono di aver visto due uomini correre su Ratcliff Highway quella notte, un uomo alto e un uomo più basso, ma le descrizioni erano vaghe e non risultavano in alcun modo chiare. I magistrati locali si sono riuniti e hanno rapidamente offerto un'altra ricompensa di 100 ghinee, il doppio dell'importo della ricompensa nel caso delle Marrs, per informazioni che hanno portato alla cattura del colpevole, e i volantini sono stati redatti e pubblicati entro un'ora. I premi sono stati offerti da tre diverse parrocchie per informazioni, tra cui due altre offerte di £ 50.
Testimonianza del superstite
Richard Ryder, l'Home Secretary, ha risposto al panico e alle pressioni del pubblico, e ha nominato Aaron Graham, un magistrato di Bow Street, per l'inchiesta. I giornali della città si concentrarono sui crimini per circa tre settimane e un'inchiesta del coroner fu convocata a The Black Horse, una taverna di fronte a The King's Arms. John Turner affermò che era entrato a The King's Arms verso le 10:40 di quella sera ed era andato nella sua stanza al piano superiore. Aveva sentito la signora Williamson chiudere a chiave la porta, poi sentì sbattere la porta d'ingresso "forte" e Bridget gridò "Siamo tutti uccisi!". Williamson ha poi esclamato: "Sono un uomo morto". Mentre giaceva a letto ascoltando, Turner sentì diversi colpi. Sentì anche qualcuno camminare, ma così silenziosamente che credeva che le loro scarpe non avessero chiodi. (Lo scarpone esterno era fatto da una scarpa con chiodi sotto.) Dopo alcuni minuti lasciò il letto e andò a indagare. Mentre scendeva le scale, sentì tre sospiri e vide che una porta era aperta, con una luce che brillava dall'altra parte. Guardò dentro e intravide un uomo che, secondo lui, era alto un metro e ottanta, con indosso un cappotto sciaquato, si chinò su Mrs Williamson e si frugò nelle tasche. Turner vide un solo uomo prima di risalire le scale. Piuttosto che diventare una vittima, ha poi legato due lenzuala nella sua camera da letto e si è calato fuori dalla casa. Sapeva che l'orologio del signor Williamson era scomparso e lo descriveva, ma non riusciva a ricordare che nella taverna si fosse mai trovato un piede di porco come quello trovato accanto al cadavere. La conclusione era che doveva essere stato portato lì dall'assassino.Coloro che avevano visto i cadaveri hanno testimoniato e il chirurgo che li aveva esaminati ha dato il suo rapporto. La giuria ha emesso un verdetto di omicidio volontario da parte di una persona o persone sconosciute.
SospettiUn sospettato principale degli omicidi, John Williams (noto anche come John Murphy), era un marinaio irlandese o scozzese di 27 anni, e un inquilino al Pear Tree, una casa pubblica su Cinnamon Street, fuori dall'autostrada, a Old Wapping. Il suo compagno di stanza aveva notato che era tornato dopo la mezzanotte della notte degli omicidi della taverna. Thomas de Quincey affermò che Williams era stato un conoscente di Timothy Marr e lo descrisse come: "un uomo di media statura, magro, piuttosto magro ma muscoloso, tollerabilmente muscoloso e chiaro di ogni carne superfluo. colore straordinario e vivido, cioè, un giallo brillante, qualcosa tra un arancio e un colore giallo. " Il Times era più specifico: era alto un metro e novanta, aveva un'espressione "piacevole" e non zoppicava. Aveva nutrito un risentimento nei confronti di Marr da quando erano compagni di viaggio, ma i successivi omicidi al Kings Arms rimangono inspiegabili. L'ufficio di polizia di Shadwell ha esaminato Williams e diversi altri sospetti. Aveva due biglietti per la sua persona, alcune monete d'argento e una banconota da una sterlina. Il suo ultimo viaggio era stato sulla Roxburgh Castle, una nave commerciale della Compagnia delle Indie Orientali, e lui era sfuggito per poco a far parte di un fallito tentativo di ammutinamento. Era educato e aveva la reputazione di essere onesto, dato che pagava sempre le sue stanze ed era popolare tra le donne. Williams era stato visto bere con almeno un altro uomo al King's Arms poco prima degli omicidi, quindi fu sottoposto ad un intenso interrogatorio. Williams aveva un'altezza media e una corporatura minuta, quindi la sua descrizione non corrispondeva affatto alla descrizione di Turner di un uomo di grandi dimensioni in un cappotto di colore scuro. Williams disse che quella sera non aveva mai negato di essere al Kings Arms, ma i Williamson lo consideravano un amico di famiglia. La signora Williamson gli aveva persino toccata la faccia quella notte con un gesto materno. Ciò che destava sospetti era la sua precedente menzione del fatto che non aveva soldi, sebbene fosse visto che ne aveva alcuni dopo gli omicidi. Williams ha affermato di aver impegnato gli articoli di abbigliamento in seguito e che i biglietti dei pegni erano la prova di ciò. Sosteneva che dopo aver lasciato la taverna quella sera aveva consultato un chirurgo su una vecchia ferita, oltre a una donna con una certa conoscenza della medicina. Nessuno ha indagato su questo alibi o controllato le date sui biglietti dei pegni.Nonostante la sua insistenza sul fatto che fosse innocente, Williams fu rinviato alla prigione di Coldbath Fields, conosciuta anche come Clerkenwell Gaol, dove fu anche incarcerato un altro sospetto. La polizia non era ancora sicura di quanti uomini fossero coinvolti e arrestò tre sospetti in tutto.
Break in the case
Il 24 dicembre, più di due settimane dopo che le Marrs erano state assassinate e cinque giorni dopo l'uccisione dei Williamson, il maul fu identificato come appartenente a un marinaio di nome John Petersen, che era in mare. Le informazioni sono state fornite da un certo signor Vermiloe, il proprietario di The Pear Tree, che è stato incarcerato nel carcere di Newgate per debiti. Gli agenti hanno perquisito i locali e hanno trovato il baule di Petersen, a cui mancava un maul. Vermiloe ha ricordato che non solo il maul era nel petto, ma che lui stesso l'aveva usato ed era responsabile per scheggiarlo. Questo è stato un vantaggio significativo. È stato notato che il notevole premio in denaro per le informazioni che portano all'arresto degli assassini avrebbe cancellato i debiti di Vermiloe.Prima di un forum aperto di testimoni, quel giorno, a John Turner fu chiesto se poteva identificare John Williams come l'uomo che aveva visto in piedi su Mrs Williamson. Turner non poteva, ma affermò di conoscere Williams da precedenti visite alla taverna. La lavandaia di Williams fu chiamata per vedere se avesse lavato qualche vestito insanguinato. Ha detto che due settimane prima si era accorta che una delle sue camicie era strappata e un'altra che aveva il sangue sul colletto, come da dita insanguinate. Assunse che Williams era stata in lotta. Non gli aveva mai lavato gli abiti da prima che i Williamson venissero uccisi. Williams ha affermato che le camicie strappate e macchiate di sangue sono il risultato di una rissa dopo un gioco di carte, ma è stato messo a tacere dai magistrati e riportato in prigione. Il giorno dopo era il giorno di Natale.I fatti in evidenza contro John Williams erano che aveva avuto l'opportunità di prendere il maul, che aveva soldi dopo gli omicidi ma non prima, che era tornato nella sua stanza subito dopo che l'assassino era fuggito dalla scena del secondo crimine, e che aveva avuto camicie sanguinanti e strappate. Sebbene sia stato fatto un tentativo per identificare il maul e accertare se una qualsiasi delle camicie di Williams avesse delle macchie di sangue su di esse, i giudici non hanno potuto valutare le prove forensi e hanno dato grande importanza alle dichiarazioni dei testimoni oculari.
Suicidio
Williams non è mai andato in tribunale. Il 28 dicembre usò la sua sciarpa per impiccarsi ad una sbarra di ferro nella sua cella. Nessuno l'ha scoperto prima di essere portato a un'altra udienza davanti ai magistrati di Shadwell. Un ufficiale ha annunciato alla corte che l'imputato era morto e che il suo corpo era freddo. Il suicidio di Williams ha sorpreso tutti quelli che gli avevano parlato. Diversi prigionieri e un direttore hanno detto di essere sembrato di buon umore solo il giorno prima, credendo che presto sarebbe stato scagionato e rilasciato. Ciò ha portato a successive speculazioni sul fatto che Williams sia stata assassinata per impedire alle autorità di guardare altrove.L'udienza continuò nonostante l'incapacità del morto di difendersi. Il Times riferì che una corrispondenza segreta della prigione era stata scoperta tra Williams e uno degli altri sospettati, "che li collega chiaramente alle transazioni scioccanti". Un altro uomo che aveva diviso la stanza al Pear Tree con Williams disse che aveva trovato le sue calze infangate e nascoste dietro un baule, e concluse che Williams aveva indossato le calze quella sera e le aveva sporcate. Affermò che dopo aver affrontato Williams li portò immediatamente nel cortile e li lavò. La loro padrona di casa ha confermato queste affermazioni e ha aggiunto che, mentre le calze erano piuttosto fangose, aveva visto anche il sangue su di esse. Spiegò che non aveva detto niente a nessuno prima della morte di Williams perché temeva che lui potesse ucciderla. Una testimone femminile che conosceva Williams lo aveva ben collegato con uno scalpello che era stato sottratto allo stesso petto del marinaio come il maul.La corte alla fine dichiarò Williams colpevole dei crimini, prendendo il suo suicidio come una chiara dichiarazione della sua colpevolezza. I casi contro altri sospetti crollarono e, sebbene Williams non fosse stato precedentemente collegato agli omicidi delle Marrs, fu considerato l'unico autore di entrambi.
Alcuni sospetti alternativiL'arresto di John Williams avrebbe interessato altre due persone coinvolte: Cornelius Hart e William "Long Billy" Ablass.
- Hart, che aveva fatto lavori di carpenteria nel negozio degli onorevoli il giorno degli omicidi, dichiarò di aver perso uno scalpello e fece diverse indagini su dove si trovasse Marr. Margaret Jewell ha testimoniato che Marr ha perquisito il suo negozio quella notte, ma non ne ha trovato traccia. Quando Harriott aveva visitato il negozio la mattina dopo gli omicidi, trovò lo scalpello posto in una posizione prominente e lo rimosse come prova. Hart ha sempre negato ogni particolare rapporto con Williams, sebbene altri testimoni abbiano fornito un collegamento tra i due. Dopo l'arresto di Williams, Hart ha chiesto a The Pear Tree se Williams fosse trattenuto in custodia.
- Ablass era un marinaio che aveva navigato con Williams a bordo del Roxburgh Castle. Aveva una storia di comportamento aggressivo ed era stato coinvolto nell'ammutinamento infruttuoso a bordo della nave, ed è stato messo in prigionia in seguito, mentre Williams si pensava che fosse semplicemente stato portato fuori strada dai suoi compagni di nave. Stava bevendo in compagnia della Williams al Kings Arms la notte degli omicidi, ed era un abbinamento molto migliore per la descrizione di Turner dell'assassino. Era anche zoppo, facendo corrispondere la precedente descrizione del testimone oculare di uno degli uomini che correvano lungo l'autostrada dopo i primi omicidi, e non era in grado di spiegare un po 'del suo tempo nelle notti di entrambi gli omicidi. È stato detenuto come sospetto. Quando sono emerse prove del fatto che Timothy Marr, John Williams e William Ablass avevano prestato servizio insieme come marinai prima che Marr entrasse in affari da solo, è stato suggerito che ci fossero collegamenti, e probabilmente vecchi punteggi da regolare, tra i tre.
Motivazione sconcertante
Il motivo per gli omicidi di Ratcliff è rimasto un mistero e una causa di speculazione per detective e criminali. Colin Wilson teorizzò che Williams era sifilitico e nutriva rancore contro l'umanità. P.D. James
e Critchley, tuttavia, ritengono che i procedimenti siano stati
condotti rapidamente per chiudere il caso e placare il pubblico
spaventato. Un
primo testimone oculare affermò che i due uomini visti sulla strada
davanti a The King's Arms avevano parlato, e uno aveva chiamato quello
che sembrava un nome, forse "Mahoney" o "Hughey". Il nome di Williams non suonava così, ma una volta in custodia il rapporto fu ignorato. Mentre
Williams si era travisato occasionalmente e avrebbe potuto usare un
alias, seguendo un indizio su due uomini che camminavano per strada
insieme, che non avevano dimostrato di avere nulla a che fare con gli
omicidi, ignorò i fatti sulla finestra aperta della taverna e l'impronta nel fango esterno. Credono che sia stato possibile che qualcun altro abbia perpetrato gli
assalti, rendendo Williams semplicemente una pedina tragica e
sfortunata.Nel gennaio 1812 le autorità sentirono ancora il bisogno di dimostrare che Williams aveva commesso gli omicidi. L'arma,
un rasoio o un coltello, che era usata per tagliare le gole delle
vittime, e chiaramente collegata a Williams, divenne la prova richiesta.
Un
agente di polizia ha dichiarato di aver originariamente trovato un
coltello simile nella tasca del cappotto di Williams, ma da allora non
l'aveva più visto. I
resoconti dei giornali di questa testimonianza sono passati dal
chiamare l'arma come un rasoio, che hanno preso dai rapporti del
chirurgo, per sostenere che le ferite erano state chiaramente fatte con
un coltello affilato. Alla
fine fu trovato un coltello, e si diceva che avesse del sangue, ma se
fosse effettivamente appartenuto a Williams o fosse stato piantato nella
sua stanza per confermare la sua colpevolezza è ancora sconosciuto.
Media
I fiorenti giornali economici, o "penny press", diffondono le notizie in tutto il paese, mentre i macabri dettagli della violenza trapelano nei giorni successivi ai due incidenti. Questa divenne una delle prime storie di shock nazionali a circolare in Gran Bretagna. Speculazioni su chi ha ucciso le famiglie innocenti, e perché, ha tenuto viva la storia fino alla sepoltura dell'uomo alla fine accusato.Gli omicidi sono ripetutamente citati nel graphic novel di Alan Moore From Hell, dove Sir William Gull ipotizza che gli omicidi fossero una falsa operazione di bandiera commessa dai massoni per stimolare la creazione della moderna forza di polizia e quindi ulteriormente l'autoritarismo dell'organizzazione ordine del giorno.Gli omicidi hanno fatto da sfondo ai primi due episodi della terza serie della televisione britannica Whitechapel nel 2012.Nel 2012 hanno anche ricevuto un trattamento romanzato nel primo romanzo di Lloyd Shepherd, The English Monster.Gli omicidi sono al centro della trama del thriller di David Morrell, Murder as a Fine Art, pubblicato nel 2013.
The Ratcliff Highway murders (sometimes Ratcliffe Highway murders) were two vicious attacks on two separate families that resulted in seven fatalities. The two attacks occurred within twelve days in December 1811, in homes half a mile apart near Wapping in London.
Post
mortem sketch of John Williams, suspected murderer in the Ratcliff
Highway murders, after he committed suicide by hanging himself in his
cell in Coldbath Fields prison, London December, 1811
First attack
The first attack took place on 7 December 1811 in the living quarters behind a linen draper's shop at 29 Ratcliffe Highway, on the south side of the street between Cannon Street Road and Artichoke Hill. Ratcliffe Highway is the old name for a road in the East End of London, now called The Highway, then one of three main roads leaving London. It was in a dangerous and run-down area of seedy businesses, dark alleys and dilapidated tenements.The victims of the first murders were the Marr family. Timothy Marr, whose age was reported as either 24 or 27, had previously served several years with the East India Company aboard the Dover Castle, and now kept a linen draper's and hosier's shop. He had a young wife, Celia, a 14-week-old son, Timothy (who had been born on 29 August), an apprentice, James Gowan, and a servant girl, Margaret Jewell. All had been living there since April of that year.
The Marrs were in their shop and residence preparing for the next day's business when an intruder entered their home. It was just before midnight on a Saturday, then pay day for many working people and the busiest day of the week for shopkeepers. Margaret Jewell had just been sent to purchase oysters as a late-night meal for Marr and a treat for his young wife, who was still recovering from the birth of their only child. Margaret was then to go to a nearby bakery at John Hill and pay an outstanding bill. She thus escaped being among the victims. One report stated that as she opened the shop door she saw the figure of a man framed in the light. As the entire area was usually busy after normal business hours, she took no notice and went on with her errand. Finding the oyster shop closed, she walked back past the Marrs' home, where she saw her employer through the window, still at work, and went to pay the baker's bill. Finding the baker's closed, she decided to go to another shop in a final attempt to find some oysters, but, after finding that shop shuttered as well, she returned empty-handed.
Arriving at the shop at twenty minutes past midnight, she found the building dark and the door locked. Thinking that the Marrs had forgotten that she was still out, she knocked, but received no answer. She first heard no movement inside, then a noise that sounded like footsteps on the stairs, so she assumed that someone was coming to let her in. She heard the baby upstairs cry out. However, no one came to the door.
Hearing footsteps on the pavement behind her, she became frightened and slammed the knocker against the door "with unintermitting violence", drawing attention to herself. George Olney, the night watchman who called out the time every half-hour, came to find out who she was. Olney, who knew the Marrs well, knocked at the door and called out, but noticed that the shutters were in place, but were not latched. The noise awakened John Murray, a pawnbroker and Marr's next-door neighbour. Alarmed, he jumped over the wall that divided his yard from the Marrs', and saw a light on and the back door standing open. He entered and went up the back steps, calling to the Marrs that they had neglected to fasten their shutters. He heard nothing.
Returning downstairs and entering the shop, Murray beheld "the carnage of the night stretched out on the floor". The "narrow premises ... so floated with gore that it was hardly possible to escape the pollution of blood in picking out a path to the front door". First he saw James Gowan, the apprentice, lying on the floor about five feet from the stairs, just inside the shop door. The bones of the boy's face were smashed, his blood was dripping onto the floor, and his brains had been pulverised and cast about the walls and across the counters.
Murray went to the front door to let Olney in, but stumbled across another corpse, that of Celia Marr. She lay face down, her head battered, her wounds still emitting blood. Murray let in Olney and together they searched for Marr. They found him behind the shop counter, battered to death. Murray and Olney rushed to the living quarters, and found the infant dead in his crib, which was covered with blood. One side of his face had been crushed and his throat had been slit so that his head was nearly severed from his body.
By the time they found the infant more people from the neighbourhood had gathered outside and the River Thames Police were summoned. The first officer on the scene was Charles Horton. As nothing appeared to have been taken, money was in the till and £152 was found in a drawers in the bedroom, there seemed to be no motive. A thief might have been scared off before he finished, but the other possibility was some sort of revenge attack by someone who knew Timothy Marr.
Horton first believed that the weapon used had been a ripping chisel. One was found in the shop, but it was clean. In the bedroom he found a heavy, long-handled shipwright's hammer, or maul, covered with blood, leaning against a chair. He assumed this was the murder weapon, abandoned when Jewell's knocking scared the killer away. Human hairs were stuck in the drying blood on the flat, heavy end, and the tapered end, used for driving nails into wood, was chipped.
wo sets of footprints were then discovered at the back of the shop. These appeared to belong to the killers, as they contained both blood and sawdust from carpentry work done inside earlier in the day. A group of citizens followed the tracks to Pennington Street, which ran behind the house, and found a possible witness who reported that he had seen a group of some ten men running away from an empty house in the direction of New Gravel Lane (now Glamis Road) shortly after the alarm had been raised. Speculation now arose that the crime was the work of a gang.
Horton took the bloodstained maul back to his station, to find that three sailors, who had been seen in the area that night, were in custody. One appeared to have spots of blood on his clothing, but all three had convincing alibis and were released. Other men were apprehended in the area on the basis of witnesses' reports, but the cases against them also fell apart. A reward of 50 guineas was offered for the apprehension of the perpetrator. and, to notify area residents, a handbill was drafted and stuck on church doors.
The bodies, their wounds not sutured and their eyes not closed, were laid out on beds in the house. The penny press ensured that the sensational news spread throughout Britain, and the public came in droves to go through the house and view the corpses. That was not unusual at the time.
Newspaper sketch of the Marr mercer shop and residence
Newpaper
sketch of the residence and mercer shop of the Marr family. "The
residence of the late Mr. Marr, Ratcliffe Highway, where he was
dreadfully murdered with his wife, infant child, & apprentice, on
the 7th day of December, 1811.
Significance
Londoners were familiar with violent attacks in the street at night, and Ratcliffe Highway had a particularly bad reputation for robbery. However, these murders shocked the public because the Marrs had been a hardworking family with no apparent ties to criminal elements. They seemed to be entirely random victims.
Contemporary newspaper illustration of the pen maul used in the first murders, showing the initials "IP" or "JP"
Newspaper illustration of the seaman's maul found at first Ratcliffe Highway murder scene, of the Marr family, Wapping, London,
"The Pen Maul that was used in the atrocious Deed" Drawn, engraved and published December 26, 1811 by J.Girtin
11 Charles Street, Soho Square, London
Investigation
On 10 December a coroner's jury heard that someone must have been watching the shop and residence for an opportunity. The crime had been committed between 11:55 p.m., when Margaret Jewell left, and 12:20 a.m., when she returned. Murray stated that he had heard bumping noises around 12:10 a.m., so it was decided that the killers had still been in the home when Margaret Jewell returned and had fled out the back door.
An attempt was made to trace the maul by the chip in its blade. There
was no blood on the chisel, but since Margaret Jewell stated that Marr
had been looking for one earlier that evening, it was thought that it
was brought to be used as a weapon, since if it had been in plain sight,
he would have found it. Cornelius Hart, one of the carpenters who had
worked in the shop that day, was detained, but no case could be made
against him and he was released. Marr's brother came under scrutiny,
since he was rumoured to have had a disagreement with him, but after
being interrogated for forty-eight hours, he was exonerated because he
had a firm alibi. A servant girl who had previously been let go was also
questioned, but she lacked motive as well as criminal companions, and
was too small to have performed the murders by herself.
The four victims were given a memorial service, then buried beneath a monument in the parish church of St. George's in the East, where the infant had been baptised three months earlier.
When the maul was cleaned on Thursday 19 December it appeared that some initials were carved into the handle, perhaps with a seaman's coppering punch: "I.P." or "J.P.". Those who were working on the case now had a way to try to trace the owner.
Earlier that night Williamson had told one of the parish constables that he had seen a man wearing a brown jacket lurking around the place and listening at his door. He asked the officer to keep an eye out for the stranger and arrest him. Not long afterwards the same constable heard a cry of "Murder!" As a crowd gathered outside The King's Arms a nearly naked man descended from the upper floor using a rope of knotted sheets. As he dropped to the street, he was crying incoherently. He was John Turner, a lodger and journeyman who had been there for some eight months.
The crowd forced the tavern doors open and saw the body of John Williamson lying face up on the steps leading into the taproom. His head had been beaten and his throat had been cut, and there was an iron crowbar lying at his side. While the crowbar appeared to be the weapon used to beat him, a sharper implement had been used to slit his throat and nearly hack off his hand. Elizabeth Williamson and the maid were found in the parlour, their skulls smashed and their throats cut. The maid's feet were beneath the grate, as if she had been struck down while preparing the fire for the next morning. Her mistress's neck had been severed to the bone.
The crowd armed themselves and stormed through the inn in search of possible perpetrators. They then discovered the Williamsons' 14-year-old granddaughter, Catherine (Kitty) Stillwell, in her bed, alive and untouched. Given what had happened to the Marr family twelve days earlier, it seemed miraculous that she had slept through the entire attack and had no idea what had just occurred downstairs.
The bodies were placed on their beds and the girl was taken to a safer home. Fire bells were rung to call out volunteers, while London Bridge was sealed off. Acting on eyewitness accounts that a tall man had been loitering outside the tavern that night, wearing a flushing coat (a loose-fitting, hooded garment), several Bow Street Runners were assigned to hunt down the murderer. According to one report, John Turner, the lodger who escaped, claimed that he had shouted for help, scaring the killer away. He also reportedly stated that he had seen a tall man in a dark flushing coat near Mrs Williamson's corpse, but he was also viewed as a suspect and his report was not given its full weight. Entry to the premises was found to have been gained by forcing open the cellar flap. An open window was discovered, with bloodstains on the sill indicating the murderer's escape route, and a footprint in the mud outside seemed to confirm this. The unknown assailant apparently escaped by running along a clay-covered slope, so it was assumed by the police that he would have got clay all over his clothing, making him easy to identify.
It was pointed out that this type of escape route was similar to the one taken by the person who had murdered the Marr family. There were no known connections between the two families, and there was also no apparent motive for this second slaughter. As Mr Williamson's watch was missing and both crimes had been interrupted, they might still have started off as simple robberies.
A haphazard task force was assembled, composed of constables from various parishes and a group of Bow Street Runners. It quickly arrested a suspect who lived in the area, had recently purchased a gallon of brandy and had recently cleaned trousers to get rid of what a local doctor claimed were bloodstains. No forensic tests existed to test his theory, but the man was detained anyway. Other witnesses claimed that they had seen two men running up Ratcliff Highway that night, a tall man with a limp and a shorter man, but the descriptions were vague and did not result in any clear leads. Local magistrates convened and quickly offered another reward of 100 guineas, double the amount of the reward in the case of the Marrs, for information leading to the capture of the culprit, and handbills were drafted and posted within the hour. Rewards were offered by three different parishes for information, including two other offers of £50.
Those who had seen the corpses testified and the surgeon who had examined them also gave his report. The jury returned a verdict of willful murder by a person or persons unknown.
The four victims were given a memorial service, then buried beneath a monument in the parish church of St. George's in the East, where the infant had been baptised three months earlier.
When the maul was cleaned on Thursday 19 December it appeared that some initials were carved into the handle, perhaps with a seaman's coppering punch: "I.P." or "J.P.". Those who were working on the case now had a way to try to trace the owner.
Reward notice for ₤50 for information regarding the Marr murders. James Gowan, Marr's apprentice, is misidentified as "Biggs".
Ratcliffe Highway Murders Reward poster offering 50 pounds for information on the murders of the the Marr Family, December 1811
Second attack
The same night the initials were discovered on the maul, and twelve days after the first killings, the second set of murders occurred, at The King's Arms, a tavern at 81 New Gravel Lane (now Garnet Street). The victims were John Williamson, the 56-year-old publican, who had run the tavern for 15 years, Elizabeth, his 60-year-old wife, and their servant, Bridget Anna Harrington, who was in her late 50s. The King's Arms was a tall two-storey building, but despite its proximity to the Highway it was not a rowdy establishment, as the Williamsons liked to retire early.Earlier that night Williamson had told one of the parish constables that he had seen a man wearing a brown jacket lurking around the place and listening at his door. He asked the officer to keep an eye out for the stranger and arrest him. Not long afterwards the same constable heard a cry of "Murder!" As a crowd gathered outside The King's Arms a nearly naked man descended from the upper floor using a rope of knotted sheets. As he dropped to the street, he was crying incoherently. He was John Turner, a lodger and journeyman who had been there for some eight months.
The crowd forced the tavern doors open and saw the body of John Williamson lying face up on the steps leading into the taproom. His head had been beaten and his throat had been cut, and there was an iron crowbar lying at his side. While the crowbar appeared to be the weapon used to beat him, a sharper implement had been used to slit his throat and nearly hack off his hand. Elizabeth Williamson and the maid were found in the parlour, their skulls smashed and their throats cut. The maid's feet were beneath the grate, as if she had been struck down while preparing the fire for the next morning. Her mistress's neck had been severed to the bone.
The crowd armed themselves and stormed through the inn in search of possible perpetrators. They then discovered the Williamsons' 14-year-old granddaughter, Catherine (Kitty) Stillwell, in her bed, alive and untouched. Given what had happened to the Marr family twelve days earlier, it seemed miraculous that she had slept through the entire attack and had no idea what had just occurred downstairs.
The bodies were placed on their beds and the girl was taken to a safer home. Fire bells were rung to call out volunteers, while London Bridge was sealed off. Acting on eyewitness accounts that a tall man had been loitering outside the tavern that night, wearing a flushing coat (a loose-fitting, hooded garment), several Bow Street Runners were assigned to hunt down the murderer. According to one report, John Turner, the lodger who escaped, claimed that he had shouted for help, scaring the killer away. He also reportedly stated that he had seen a tall man in a dark flushing coat near Mrs Williamson's corpse, but he was also viewed as a suspect and his report was not given its full weight. Entry to the premises was found to have been gained by forcing open the cellar flap. An open window was discovered, with bloodstains on the sill indicating the murderer's escape route, and a footprint in the mud outside seemed to confirm this. The unknown assailant apparently escaped by running along a clay-covered slope, so it was assumed by the police that he would have got clay all over his clothing, making him easy to identify.
It was pointed out that this type of escape route was similar to the one taken by the person who had murdered the Marr family. There were no known connections between the two families, and there was also no apparent motive for this second slaughter. As Mr Williamson's watch was missing and both crimes had been interrupted, they might still have started off as simple robberies.
A haphazard task force was assembled, composed of constables from various parishes and a group of Bow Street Runners. It quickly arrested a suspect who lived in the area, had recently purchased a gallon of brandy and had recently cleaned trousers to get rid of what a local doctor claimed were bloodstains. No forensic tests existed to test his theory, but the man was detained anyway. Other witnesses claimed that they had seen two men running up Ratcliff Highway that night, a tall man with a limp and a shorter man, but the descriptions were vague and did not result in any clear leads. Local magistrates convened and quickly offered another reward of 100 guineas, double the amount of the reward in the case of the Marrs, for information leading to the capture of the culprit, and handbills were drafted and posted within the hour. Rewards were offered by three different parishes for information, including two other offers of £50.
The Marr funeral procession on Sunday, December 15, 1811
The
Funeral of the Murdered Mr. and Mrs. Marr and infant Son
The interment of this Murdered family was at St. Georges in the East on
Sunday Dec, 15, 1811. The deceased were attended to the grave by Mr.
Marr's father, Mother and brother and Mrs. Marr's four sisters and other
relatives. this shocking murder was committed on Dec. 7, 1811.
Published Dec 24, 1811 by G. Thompson No. 43 Long Lane, West Smithfield
Survivor's testimony
Richard Ryder, the Home Secretary, responded to public panic and pressure, and appointed Aaron Graham, a Bow Street magistrate, to the inquiry. The city's newspapers focused on the crimes for some three weeks, and a coroner's inquest was called at The Black Horse, a tavern across from The King's Arms. John Turner claimed that he had entered The King's Arms at about 10:40 that night and had gone to his room on the upper floor. He had heard Mrs Williamson lock the door, then heard the front door bang open "hard" and Bridget shout, "We are all murdered!". Williamson then exclaimed, "I am a dead man." As he lay in bed listening, Turner heard several blows. He also heard someone walking about, but so quietly that he believed their shoes had no nails. (The shoeprint outside was made by a shoe with nails.) After a few minutes he left his bed and went to investigate. As he crept down the stairs, he heard three drawn-out sighs and saw that a door stood open, with a light shining on the other side. He peered in and caught a glimpse of a man he estimated was six feet tall, wearing a dark flushing coat, leaning over Mrs Williamson and going through her pockets. Turner saw only one man before going back up the stairs. Rather than become a victim as well, he then tied two sheets together in his bedroom and lowered himself out of the house. He knew that Mr Williamson's watch was missing and described it, but could not recall there ever being a crowbar in the tavern like the one found next to the corpse. The conclusion was that it must have been brought there by the killer.Those who had seen the corpses testified and the surgeon who had examined them also gave his report. The jury returned a verdict of willful murder by a person or persons unknown.
Newspaper illustration of the escape of John Turner from the second murder scene at the King's Arms.
Newspaper
illustration depicting the escape of John Turner from the second floor
of the King's Arms after he discovered the second murders December 1811
Suspect
A principal suspect in the murders, John Williams (also known as John Murphy), was a 27-year-old Irish or Scottish seaman, and a lodger at The Pear Tree, a public house on Cinnamon Street off the Highway in Old Wapping. His roommate had noticed that he had returned after midnight on the night of the tavern murders. Thomas de Quincey claimed that Williams had been an acquaintance of Timothy Marr's, and described him as: "a man of middle stature, slenderly built, rather thin but wiry, tolerably muscular, and clear of all superfluous flesh. His hair was of the most extraordinary and vivid colour, viz., a bright yellow, something between an orange and a yellow colour." The Times was more specific: he was five-foot-nine, slender, had a "pleasing countenance," and did not limp. He had nursed a grievance against Marr from when they were shipmates, but the subsequent murders at the Kings Arms remain unexplained.The Shadwell Police Office examined Williams as well as several other suspects. He had two pawn tickets on his person, some silver coins and a pound note. His last voyage had been on the Roxburgh Castle, an East India Company trading ship, and he had narrowly escaped being part of a failed mutiny attempt. He was educated and had a reputation for being honest, as he always paid for his rooms, and was popular with women. Williams had been seen drinking with at least one other man at The King's Arms shortly before the murders, so he was subjected to an intense interrogation. Williams was of medium height and slight build, so his description in no way matched Turner's description of a large man in a dark flushing coat. Williams said that he had never denied being at The Kings Arms that evening, but the Williamsons considered him a family friend. Mrs Williamson had even touched his face that night in a motherly gesture. What aroused suspicion was his earlier mention that he had no money, although he was seen to have some after the murders. Williams claimed that he had pawned articles of clothing afterwards and that the pawn tickets were proof of this. He claimed that after he had left the tavern that evening he had consulted a surgeon about an old wound, as well as a woman with some knowledge of medicine. No one investigated this alibi or checked the dates on the pawn tickets.
Despite his insistence that he was innocent Williams was remanded to Coldbath Fields Prison, also known as the Clerkenwell Gaol, where another suspect was also incarcerated. The police were still not sure how many men were involved and confined three suspects in all.
Burial procession of John William[sic], showing the cart stopping before the King's Arms.
Newspaper
coloured illustration:
Procession to interment of John William the wretched suicide and reputed
murderer of the Marrs and Williamsons families who hanged himself and
was buried in a four went way Cannon Street Ratcliff on Dec 31, 1811 it
is here stopping before the murdered Mr Williamson's house.
Published Jan'y 10 1812 by G Thomson no 45 Long Lane Smithfield
Break in the case
On 24 December, more than two weeks after the Marrs had been murdered and five days after the killing of the Williamsons, the maul was identified as belonging to a sailor named John Petersen, who was away at sea. The information was volunteered by a Mr Vermiloe, the landlord of The Pear Tree, who was incarcerated in Newgate Prison for debt. Constables searched the premises and found Petersen's trunk, which was missing a maul. Vermiloe recalled that not only had the maul been in the chest, but that he himself had used it and was responsible for chipping it. That was a significant lead. It has been noted that the substantial reward money for information leading to the arrest of the murderers would have cleared Vermiloe's debts.Before an open forum of witnesses that day John Turner was asked if he could identify John Williams as the man he had seen standing over Mrs Williamson. Turner could not, but he did state that he knew Williams from earlier visits to the tavern. Williams's laundress was called to see if she had washed any bloody clothing. She said that two weeks earlier she had noticed that one of his shirts was torn and that another that had blood on the collar, as if from bloody fingers. She assumed that Williams had been in a fight. She had not washed any clothing for him since before the Williamsons were murdered. Williams claimed that the torn and bloodstained shirts were the result of a brawl after a card game, but he was silenced by the magistrates and returned to prison. The next day was Christmas Day.
The facts in evidence against John Williams were that he had had an opportunity to take the maul, that he had money after the murders but not before, that he had returned to his room just after the killer had fled the second crime scene, and that he had had bloody and torn shirts. Although an attempt was made to identify the maul and ascertain whether any of Williams's shirts had bloodstains on them, the courts could not assess forensic evidence and gave great weight to eyewitnesses' statements.
Sketch
of John Williams' corpse on the death cart, along with the murder
implements of pen maul, ripping chisel and iron crowbar. This
representation of a stocky labourer was published 4 years after the
event and does not match his physical description, that of a slender
man. The date of the first murder is also incorrect.
Contemporary
sketch of John Williams corpse on the death cart
"A correct likeness of John Williams, the supposed murderer of the
Marr's and Williamson's Families, December the 8th and 19th, 1811
Published March 16th, 1815 by R.S. Kirby 11 London House Yard St. Pauls
Suicide
Williams never went to trial. On 28 December he used his scarf to hang himself from an iron bar in his cell. No one discovered this until just before he was to be taken for another hearing before the Shadwell magistrates. An officer announced to the court that the accused was dead and that his body was cold. Williams's suicide surprised everyone who had spoken to him. Several prisoners and a warden said that he had appeared to be in good spirits only the day before, believing that he would soon be exonerated and released. This led to later speculation that Williams was murdered to prevent authorities from looking elsewhere.The hearing continued despite the dead man's inability to defend himself. The Times reported that a secret prison correspondence had been discovered between Williams and one of the other suspects, "which clearly connects them with the shocking transactions". Another man who had shared the room at The Pear Tree with Williams said that he had found his own stockings muddied and hidden behind a chest, and concluded that Williams had worn his stockings out that night and got them dirty. He claimed that after he confronted Williams he immediately took them into the yard and washed them. Their landlady confirmed these statements and added that, while the stockings were quite muddy, she had also seen blood on them. She explained that she had not told anyone about this before Williams's death because she feared that he might murder her. A female witness who knew Williams well connected him with a chisel that was proved to have been taken from the same seaman's chest as the maul.
The court finally declared Williams guilty of the crimes, taking his suicide as a clear statement of his guilt. The cases against other suspects collapsed and, although Williams had not previously been connected with the murders of the Marrs, he was deemed the sole perpetrator of both.
The Home Secretary was more than happy to agree with the opinion of the bench, and decided that the best way to end the matter was to parade Williams's body through Wapping and Shadwell so that the residents could see that while he had "cheated the hangman", he was indeed dead and no longer a menace. The Thames Police, the Bow Street Mounted Patrol, and local constables and watchmen were ordered to oversee the event.
On New Year's Eve Williams's body was removed from the prison at 11 a.m., with "an immense concourse of persons", said to total 180,000, taking part in a procession up the Ratcliff Highway. When the cart carrying the body drew opposite the Marrs' house the procession halted for nearly a quarter of an hour. A drawing was made that shows, not the slender man described in newspaper accounts, but a stocky labourer. In his pocket was a piece of metal that he had apparently ripped from the prison wall to stab himself with, in the event that he was unsuccessful at hanging himself.
When the cart came opposite the late Mr Marr's house a halt was made for nearly a quarter of an hour. ... The procession then advanced to St George's Turnpike, where the New Road [now Commercial Road] is intersected by Cannon Street Road. Those who accompanied the procession arrived at a grave already dug six feet down. The remains of John Williams were tumbled out of the cart and lowered into this hole, and then someone hammered a stake through his heart. – Thomas de QuinceySuicides could not be buried in consecrated ground. The stake was meant to keep the restless soul from wandering, while the crossroads were meant to confuse whatever evil ghost arose from the grave. In addition, the grave was deliberately made too small for the body, so that the murderer would feel uncomfortable even in death. Quicklime was added and the pit was covered over.
The procession also stopped for ten minutes in front of The King's Arms, where the coachman reportedly whipped the dead man three times across the face.
In August 1886 a gas company began to excavate a trench in the area where Williams had been buried. They accidentally unearthed a skeleton, reportedly buried upside down and with the remains of the wooden stake through its torso. "It was six feet below the surface of the road where Cannon Street Road and Cable Street cross at St George's in the East." The landlord of The Crown and Dolphin, a public house at the corner of Cannon Street Road, is said to have retained the skull as a souvenir. The pub has since been renovated and the whereabouts of the skull are currently unknown.
Some alternative suspects
John Williams's arrest would have interested two other people involved: Cornelius Hart and William "Long Billy" Ablass.- Hart, who had done carpentry work at the Marrs' shop on the day of the murders, claimed to have lost a chisel and made several enquiries about its whereabouts to Marr. Margaret Jewell testified that Marr searched his shop that night, but could find no trace of it. When Harriott had visited the shop on the morning after the murders, he found the chisel placed in a prominent position and removed it as evidence. Hart always denied any particular dealings with Williams, although other witnesses provided a link between the two. Following Williams's arrest Hart enquired at The Pear Tree whether Williams was being retained in custody.
- Ablass was a seaman who had sailed with Williams aboard the Roxburgh Castle. He had a history of aggressive behaviour and had been involved in the unsuccessful mutiny aboard the ship, and was placed in confinement afterwards, while Williams was thought to have simply been led astray by his shipmates. He was drinking in company with Williams at the Kings Arms on the night of the murders, and was a far better match for Turner's description of the killer. He was also lame, matching the earlier eyewitness description of one of the men running up the Highway after the first murders, and was unable to account for some of his time on the nights of both murders. He was detained as a suspect. When evidence emerged that Timothy Marr, John Williams and William Ablass had all served together as seamen before Marr went into business on his own, it was suggested that there were links, and possibly old scores to settle, between the three.
Puzzling motivation
The motive for the Ratcliff Murders has remained a mystery, and a cause for speculation for detectives and crime buffs. Colin Wilson theorised that Williams was syphilitic and harboured a grudge against humanity. P.D. James and Critchley, however, believe that the proceedings were conducted quickly in order to close the case and appease the frightened public. An early eyewitness insisted that the two men seen on the road outside The King's Arms had spoken, and one had called out what sounded like a name, possibly "Mahoney" or "Hughey". Williams's name did not sound like that, but once he was in custody the report was ignored. While Williams had misrepresented himself on occasion and could have been using an alias, following a lead about two men walking up the street together, who were not proved to have had anything to do with the murders, ignored the facts about the open tavern window and the footprint in the mud outside. They believe that it was possible someone else had perpetrated the assaults, making Williams merely a tragic and unfortunate pawn.In January 1812 the authorities still felt a need to prove that Williams had committed the murders. The weapon, either a razor or knife, that was used to cut the throats of the victims, and clearly linked to Williams, became the sought-after piece of evidence. A police officer stated that he had originally found a knife like that in the pocket of Williams's coat, but had not seen it since. Newspaper accounts of this testimony shifted from calling the weapon a razor, which they took from the surgeon's reports, to claiming that the wounds had been clearly made with a sharp knife. Eventually a knife was indeed found, and was said to have blood on it, but whether it had actually belonged to Williams or had been planted in his room to confirm his guilt is still unknown.
Media
The thriving cheap newspapers, or "penny press", spread the news round the country, as the gruesome details of the violence leaked out over the days after the two incidents. This became one of the first national shock stories to circulate in Britain. Speculation on who killed the innocent families, and why, kept the story alive right through to the burial of the eventually accused man.The murders are repeatedly referenced in Alan Moore's graphic novel From Hell, where Sir William Gull speculates that the murders were a false flag operation of sorts committed by the Freemasons in order to spur on the creation of the modern police force and thus further the organization's authoritarian agenda.
The murders provided the backdrop for the first two episodes of the third series of British television drama Whitechapel in 2012.
They were also given a fictionalised treatment in Lloyd Shepherd's first novel, The English Monster, in 2012.
The murders are central to the story in David Morrell's thriller, Murder as a Fine Art, published in 2013.
SECRET CITY - The Ratcliffe Highway Murders (ITV), 1999 - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkevse8DODU
26 nov 2009 - Caricato da GuildfordGhost
A short piece on the notorious serial killings of the early 19th century.SECRET CITY - Clerkenwell House of Detention (ITV), 1999 - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TodOBmw1fgU
26 nov 2009 - Caricato da GuildfordGhost
A short piece of Adam-Hart Davies going around the defunct Clerkenwell House of Detention in London.Ratcliffe Highway (Lyrics) - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm66s7rtbkw
8 ott 2010 - Caricato da guarunteedubliner
I am unsure as to who penned this song, but certainly it is a tune with eerie undertones. Ratcliffe Highway is ...
Pubblicato il 8 ott 2010
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