Causes Célèbres Archives - Famous Crimes and Trials

March 26, 2023March 25, 2023

George Joseph Smith: Bridegroom Makes for Unusual Serial Killer

Last week, I told you about Annie Le, a Yale graduate student whose promising career was cut short by murder. This week, I have a classic crime from across the Atlantic. It’s the story of George Joseph Smith and the notorious “Brides in the Bath” case.

George Joseph Smith

Crime was an integral part of George Joseph Smith’s life from his early years. Born in London in 1872, he ended up in a reformatory at Gravesend by the age of 9. Later, he served time for theft and fraud. In 1896, he convinced a woman to steal from her employers, which earned him 12 months in prison.

Two years later, in 1896, he married Carolyn Beatrice Thornhill in Leicester. Despite many subsequent marriages, this was the only one that was legal. Soon after the wedding, the couple moved to London.

Carolyn worked as a maid for several employers, stealing from all of them at Smith’s behest. Eventually caught, she served 12 months and, upon her release, outed her husband. He went to prison for two years in January 1901.

Carolyn departed for Canada when Smith got out of prison. Unfazed, Smith married Florence Wilson in June 1908. A month later, he left her, but not before taking £30 (about $1,126 in 2023) from her savings account. He also sold the contents of their Camden Town residence in London.

George Joseph Smith during his murder trial

Smith continued to marry and steal from women. Between 1908 and 1914, he contracted seven marriages, all of them bigamous. For a time, as with Florence Wilson, he stole what money they had and disappeared. But that was about to change.

George Joseph Smith Turns to Murder

In December 1910, Smith married Beatrice “Bessie” Mundy (using the name Henry Williams) in Weymouth, Dorset. The couple rented a house at 80 High Street. The house had no bathtub, so Smith rented one seven weeks later.

The new couple consulted a physician, Dr. Frank French, where Bessie complained of headaches. Smith told French a different story, that his wife suffered from epileptic seizures, even though she had no memory of them afterward.

The 'Brides in the Bath' murderer George Joseph Smith (1872 - 1915) standing in front of a painted backdrop with the first of his murder victims, Beatrice "Bessie" Mundy, (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) — The ‘Brides in the Bath’ murderer George Joseph Smith (1872 – 1915) standing in front of a painted backdrop with the first of his murder victims, Beatrice “Bessie” Mundy, (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

On July 12, 1912, Smith called Dr. French to attend to his wife, saying she’d had another seizure. The doctor gave her some medicine and promised to check on her in the afternoon. However, Smith informed the doctor the next morning that Bessie had drowned in the bathtub during an epileptic seizure.

French found Bessie in the tub, her head underwater, her legs stretched straight, and her feet protruding from the water. With no visible trace of violence, he attributed her death to epilepsy. The inquest jury awarded “Williams” £2,579 13s 7d (almost $461,000 in 2023) as dictated by her will. She’d drawn up the will a mere five days before her death.

George Joseph Smith Arouses Suspicion

In January 1915, Division Detective Inspector Arthur Neil received a letter from one Joseph Crossley. Crossley owned a boarding house in Blackpool, Lancashire, and enclosed two newspaper clippings in his letter. One was from News of the World, dated Christmas 1914, which recounted the death of Margaret Elizabeth Lloyd (née Lofty). Mrs. Lloyd died at her home in Highgate; her husband and their landlady found her in the bathtub.

The second clipping, dated December 13, 1913, recounted the coroner’s inquest into the death of Alice Smith (née Burnham) in Blackpool. Her husband found her dead in the bathtub. In addition to her savings, Alice had a £500 ($78,487 in 2023) life insurance policy.

Crossley’s letter, dated January 3, expressed his and his wife’s suspicions over the striking similarity of the two deaths. He urged the police to investigate.

The Investigation Begins

DI Neil visited the house where Margaret Lloyd died. He found it difficult to believe a healthy adult woman had drowned in such a small tub. Investigating further, he found Margaret had made a will on December 18, 1914, three hours before she died.

Neil contrived to have the coroner, Dr. Bates, issue a favorable report to the insurance company. Expecting Lloyd/Smith to contact his lawyers, he had their offices watched. On February 1, a man matching Smith’s description appeared. After a few questions, the man admitted to the inspector that he was Lloyd and Smith. Neil promptly arrested him for bigamy.

By now, news of the “Brides in the Bath” case had begun to appear. On February 8, the police chief of Herne Bay, Kent, notified Neil of another death similar to Margaret’s and Alice’s. That was, of course, the death of Bessie Mundy.

The Solution

The question that needed an answer was, how did the two women drown? Neil asked the eminent Home Office pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury to find a solution.

Spilsbury began by exhuming Margaret Lloyd’s body and conducting a second autopsy. He confirmed drowning as the cause of death, although the evidence was not extensive. He then ruled out poisons or diseases.

Home Office pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury in his laboratory

Given the dimensions of the tub and the size of the women, Spilsbury concluded that they couldn’t have drowned during a seizure. The muscular activity during an episode would have pushed them out of the tub.

Spilsbury suspected someone had grabbed the women by the feet and pulled them underwater. The sudden influx of water into the nose and mouth might cause shock and unconsciousness.

Reconstruction of the Brides in the Bath murders in Madam Tussauds Chamber of Horrors, London

To test this theory, DI Neil hired several experienced female divers similar in size and build to the victims. Try as he might, he could not force the women underwater without leaving signs of a struggle. Then without warning, he pulled the feet of one of the divers. Her head glided under the water before she knew what was happening. Neil pulled the diver from the tub when she failed to get out of the water. It took him and a doctor more than half an hour to revive her. It was a close call, but it confirmed Spilsbury’s theory.

Trial and Conviction

Smith’s trial for murder at London’s Old Baily on June 22, 1915. Under English law, prosecutors could only try him for Bessie Mundy’s death. However, prosecutors used the other two murders to establish the pattern of Smith’s crimes. Smith’s counsel, the noted barrister Sir Edward Marshall Hall, protested, but Mr. Justice Scrutton allowed it. Smith decided not to testify in his own defense.

Handwritten note by George Joseph Smith to his counsel, Edward Marshall Hall, indicating that he did not wish to give evidence in his own defense

It took the jury about 20 minutes to convict Smith, and Mr. Justice Scrutton sentenced him to death.

Epilogue

Marshall Hall appealed the verdict on grounds that Mr. Justice Scrutton improperly admitted evidence of a “system.” Lord Chief Justice Lord Reading dismissed the appeal.

George Joseph Smith went to the gallows at Maidstone Prison on August 13, 1915.

The Smith case is significant because it was the first instance of introducing past crimes to prove a system or pattern. Although some have criticized the technique, it is a feature of many modern criminal cases.

The “Brides in the Bath” case appears in several biographies of Spilsbury and anthologies of famous crimes. Among these are The Father of Forensics by Colin Evans and Robin O’Dell’s Landmarks in 20th Century Murder. George Joseph Smith: Brides in the Bath, a book in the True Crimes series, and Jane Robins’ The Magnificent Spilsbury and the Case of the Brides in the Bath also chronicle the case.

Don’t Miss Out! Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to True Crime in the News, a monthly email newsletter that looks at recent news stories that will interest any true crime fan. There is also a summary of the previous month’s blog posts. You won’t want to miss this. Sign up for the newsletter today.

March 5, 2023March 5, 2023

John Lee: Amazing Killer, “The Man They Couldn’t Hang”

Last week, I covered the sad case of Gloria Pointer. Gloria was a 14-year-old Cleveland girl who was abducted and murdered on her way to school. This week, we look at the mysterious case of John Lee, a condemned prisoner who survived three execution attempts.

John Lee, Condemned Murderer

John Henry George Lee was born on August 15, 1864, in the English village of Abbotskerswell in the county of Devon. His early life was a mystery, although he was known to have served in the Royal Navy. He also had a reputation as a thief.

In 1884, Lee worked for a woman named Emma Keyse in Babbacombe Bay near the seaside town of Torquay. On November 15, Keyse was killed with a knife, and Lee was charged with murder.

Lee went on trial the following year. There was little evidence against him other than his prior record and an unexplained cut on his arm. However, he was the only male in the house at the time of the crime. Weak as the case was, and despite his claims of innocence, a jury convicted him of murder. His sentence was death by hanging.

They Can’t Hang John Lee

Lee’s execution date of February 23, 1885, arrived, and warders at HM Prison Exeter led him to the gallows. Everything was routine until the executioner, James Berry, pulled the lever to open the scaffold’s trapdoor. The trap failed to open. A puzzled Berry, who had tested the apparatus earlier, tried again, and again the trapdoor refused to open. Berry tried once more with the same result.

At this point, the medical officer refused to participate in further attempts to hang Lee.

The execution chamber of HM Prison Shrewsbury. The prison was decommissioned in 2013 and is now open to the public.

Executioner Berry couldn’t explain why the trapdoor failed to open. He describes the incident in detail in his memoir, My Experiences as an Executioner, although he only mentions two attempts.

John Lee's would-be executioner, James Berry — John Lee’s would-be executioner, James Berry

The Home Office ordered an investigation into the malfunction. It revealed that the drawbar became misaligned when the gallows moved from the old infirmary to the coach house. As a result, the trapdoor hinges did not drop cleanly through.

Epilogue

Home Secretary Sir William Harcourt commuted Lee’s sentence to life in prison. After serving 22 years, the Home Office agreed to release him.

John Lee shortly after he survived three attempts to hang him

After his release, Lee traded on his celebrity, lecturing on his life and becoming the subject of silent film. His whereabouts after 1916 are murky, but recent research concludes lived in the United States as “James Lee.”

John Henry George Lee died on August 15, 1945.

Don’t Miss Out! Subscribe to the Newsletter

February 12, 2023February 9, 2023

Arnold Rothstein: Big Man Behind World Series Gambling Scandal

Last week’s case told the story of Michelle Mockbee, a mother of two brutally slain in the warehouse where she worked. This week, we look at Arnold Rothstein, a gambling kingpin known as “The Brain.” We briefly met Rothstein in a blog post from December about throwing the 1919 World Series.

Arnold Rothstein

Arnold Rothstein was a notorious gambler, businessman, and racketeer best known for fixing the 1919 World Series. He had an impressive gambling career spanning more than two decades. Despite his shady dealings and criminal activities, he was respected in New York City.

Rothstein was born in 1882 in New York City to a family of Jewish immigrants from Poland. His father owned a successful garment business, which allowed young Arnold to live comfortably and attend private school. At 17, he began working as a clerk for one of his father’s business associates but soon became bored with the mundane job and decided to pursue gambling instead.

Arnold Rothstein in his office (Jack Benton/Getty Images) — Arnold Rothstein in his office (*Jack Benton/Getty Images*)

Rothstein quickly developed a reputation as a master gambler and began amassing wealth through high-stakes poker games. He soon expanded his operations to include illegal activities such as bootlegging, loan sharking, drug trafficking, and prostitution rings. Despite these illicit activities, he kept out of trouble with law enforcement until 1919, when he became embroiled in the infamous Black Sox scandal.

Arnold Rothstein and the 1919 Black Sox

In 1919, Rothstein became involved in fixing the World Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. It is believed that he bribed some players on the White Sox team to throw the game in exchange for cash payments from gamblers who were betting on the series’ outcome. Although Rothstein denied any involvement with fixing the game, several players later admitted that they had received money from him for their efforts.

The 1919 Chicago White Sox (Chicago Tribune) — The 1919 Chicago White Sox (*Chicago Tribune*)

After the bribery scandal came to light, Major League Baseball appointed Kennesaw Mountain Landis, a respected judge, as Commissioner of Baseball. Landis had almost unlimited power over the sport and banned eight former White Sox players from the game for life.

Rothstein continued to engage in illegal activities until his death in 1928 at age 46 following an altercation at Manhattan’s Park Central Hotel. He died two days after being shot by an unknown assailant during an argument over a large amount of money owed to him by another gambler, who had lost it playing craps. To this day, no one has been able to identify Rothstein’s killer, and the case remains officially unsolved. However, many believe it was someone close to him due to their familiarity with his daily routine.

Epilogue

Although there is still much debate over how much truth there is behind some of Arnold Rothstein’s most infamous stories—such as his involvement in fixing the 1919 World Series—there is no denying that he left an indelible mark on American culture both during his lifetime and long after his death. From inspiring characters like Meyer Wolfsheim in F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby to becoming part of pop culture references today (like “A Bigger Gamble” episode on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire), without question that Arnold Rothstein will remain a significant figure for a long time to come.

Arnold Rothstein's grave in New York's Union Field Cemetery (findagrave.com) — Arnold Rothstein’s grave in New York’s Union Field Cemetery (*findagrave.com*)

Several books portray the life of Arnold Rothstein, while others focus on the 1919 World Series scandal. Three biographies are Arnold Rothstein: The Life and Legacy of the Notorious Mob Kingpin Accused of Fixing the World Series, produced by Charles River Editors, The Big Bankroll by Leo Katcher, and Rothstein by David Pietrusza.

Don’t Miss Out! Subscribe to the Newsletter

December 25, 2022December 25, 2022

Black Sox: Baseball’s First Big Gambling Scandal

My last blog post covered Howard Unruh’s 1949 “Walk of Death” in Camden, New Jersey. This week’s case concerns the Chicago “Black Sox” scandal. In 1919, the Chicago White Sox were favored to win the World Series against Cincinnati. But mobster Arnold Rothstein concocted a scheme to bribe Chicago players to throw the Series.

The 1919 “Black Sox”

Charles Comiskey owned the Chicago White Stockings (shortened to the White Sox in 1904) from 1900 to his death in 1931. A former major league standout player himself, Comiskey was known as miserly (his supporters called him “frugal”). The Sox were one of the top teams in the American League. Still, Comiskey had a reputation for underpaying his players. Despite his stingy reputation, Comiskey was probably no worse than most team owners of the period. The team payroll for the 1919 Sox, winners of the 1917 World Series, was the largest in baseball.

Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey, "The Old Roman" — Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey, “The Old Roman”

Two factions emerged in the clubhouse. One group resented the more straightlaced players, who included second baseman Eddie Collins, catcher Ray Schalk, and pitchers Red Faber and Dickie Kerr. The two groups seldom spoke to each other, united only in their hatred of Comiskey.

The 1919 Chicago White Sox official team photo before scandal turned them into the "Black Sox" — The 1919 Chicago White Sox official team photo before scandal turned them into the “Black Sox”

The “Black Sox” Fix is In

On September 21, 1919, several White Sox players met in Arnold “Chick” Gandil’s room in New York’s Ansonia Hotel to discuss a fix. They would intentionally lose the Series in exchange for cash from a gambling syndicate reputed to be headed by mobster Arnold Rothstein. Some attendees were ready to proceed, while others were there only to listen.

Black Sox first baseman Charles Arnold "Chick" Gandil ca. 1917 — Black Sox first baseman Charles Arnold “Chick” Gandil ca. 1917

When the Series opened on October 1 at Redland (later Crosley) Field, rumors of a fix abounded. When these rumors reached the press box, several correspondents agreed to compare notes on any players and plays they deemed suspicious. Most fans, though, took the games at face value.

Pitcher Eddie Cicotte, one of the conspirators, started Game One for Chicago. After throwing a strike to leadoff batter Morrie Rath, his second pitch hit Rath in the back. This was the signal that the fix was in. Cicotte made a bad throw to second in the fourth inning, and Cincinnati went on to win 9-1.

The “Black Sox” Have Second Thoughts

After Game Five, Chicago had a single win to Cincinnati’s four (the World Series was a best-of-nine series in 1919). But by then, the “Black Sox” players, angry at not having received the promised money from the gambling syndicate, attempted to double-cross the gamblers. “Clean Sox” pitcher Dickie Kerr won Game Six, while “Black Sox” pitcher Eddie Cicotte won Game Seven.

White Sox pitcher Richard Henry "Dickie" Kerr — White Sox pitcher Richard Henry “Dickie” Kerr

Alarmed by this rebellion, the gamblers threatened violence against the Chicago players and their families. “Black Sox” pitcher Lefty Williams started Game Eight, which Cincinnati won 10-5. Williams set an unenviable Series record by losing three games. Dickie Kerr, on the other hand, won his two starts.

Black Sox pitcher Claude Preston "Lefty" Williams — Black Sox pitcher Claude Preston “Lefty” Williams

For their efforts, the players involved in the fix received $5,000 each (more than $86,000 in 2022). Chick Gandil, as the ringleader, received $35,000 (over $602,000 in 2022).

Fallout from the “Black Sox” Scandal

Throughout the 1920 season, rumors of the fix followed the Chicago White Sox as they fought the Cleveland Indians for the American League pennant. With the regular season almost over and the Sox and the Indians tied for first place, Comiskey suspended seven players. “Chick” Gandil, the purported ringleader, left the White Sox in 1920. The suspensions cost the White Sox the pennant. Cleveland went on to win the American League championship and the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The eight men of the Black Sox scandal banned from organized baseball for life: (1) P Eddie Cicotte; (2) P Lefty Williams; (3) 3B Buck Weaver; (4) 1B Chick Gandil; (5) SS Swede Risberg; (6) LF Joe Jackson; (7) CF Happy Felsch; (8) IF Fred McMullin.

In September 1920, a grand jury convened to investigate the scandal. Eddie Cicotte confessed on September 28 (he later recanted, as did “Shoeless” Joe Jackson). On October 22, the grand jury handed down its decision, implicating eight players and two gamblers. Comiskey, the supposed skinflint, gave bonuses of $1,500 (more than $22,000 in 2022) to the ten players not involved and to manager Kid Gleason. The checks represented the difference between the winners’ and losers’ share of the 1919 World Series.

The players went to trial in the summer of 1921. Former White Sox pitcher “Sleepy Bill” Burns, who was under indictment, testified for the prosecution. The trial lasted ten days. The jury deliberated only three hours before returning verdicts of not guilty.

Epilogue

Desperate to clean up baseball’s image, team owners solicited respected federal judge (and baseball fan) Kennesaw Mountain Landis to head a reformed National Baseball Commission. Landis agreed to accept, but only if he were the sole commissioner. The owners agreed, giving the judge unprecedented control over the major and minor leagues.

Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis in a photo that appeared in the March 1922 edition of Illustrated World — Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis in a photo that appeared in the March 1922 edition of *Illustrated World*

Despite their acquittal, Landis banished all eight Sox players for life. Buck Weaver, who never received money, was banned for knowing about the fix and not reporting it. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson received a lifetime ban despite not attending the Gandil meeting. Jackson’s 12 base hits set a Series record that stood until 1964. He led both teams in batting with a .374 average, hit the Series’ only home run, and made no errors. His participation in the scandal remains controversial today.

Joseph Jefferson "Shoeless Joe" Jackson. Baseball historians debate his participation in the scandal today. — Joseph Jefferson “Shoeless Joe” Jackson. Baseball historians debate his participation in the scandal today.

Arnold Rothstein, the mob figure allegedly behind the plot to fix the Series, died on November 6, 1928, after being shot two days earlier. Rumors linked the shooting to debts owed from a days-long high-stakes poker game.

Arnold "The Brain" Rothstein — Arnold “The Brain” Rothstein

One of the first and best-known books about the 1919 World Series is Eliot Asinof’s Eight Men Out. First published in 1953, it remains a valuable resource, although later writers contend Asinof’s analysis of the players’ compensation is flawed. Dan Helpingstine’s 2019 book, The 1919 Black Sox Scandal, is a more recent treatment of the scandal. Turning the Black Sox White by Tim Hornbaker is a biography of team owner Charles Comiskey.