MURDER BY HYPNOTISM?

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 4 (Supplement)

MURDER BY HYPNOTISM?

BRIDES-IN-THE-BATH THEORY,

SMITH'S UNCANNY SPELL—SECRET POWER OVER WOMEN—HELD UNDER MYSTERIOUS INFLUENCE—DID HIS BRIDES END THEIR OWN LIVES?—NO MARKS OF VIOLENCE OR STRUGGLES—NOTORIOUS SLAYER REMAINS A HUMAN ENIGMA—QUESTION OF INNOCENCE DISCUSSED.

George Joseph Smith, the Brides-in-the-Bath murderer, was executed at Maidstone Prison in August, 1915. His last words were, "1 am innocent." lie killed three or his "brides," was "married" to many others, and swindled still more women. What was the secret power that this coldblooded slayer—with his love of poetry, music and jiaintiug—held over women?

Marshall Hall believed he hypnotised thein, and held them in such sway that they ended their lives at his command. That, perhaps, is the explanation of the fact that, none of his victims bore any marks of struggle*. But this is only a theory. Smith : remains to-day, as in the days of his tris.l, an enigma.

To condemn {Smith merely as an unspeakable hypocrite and a human monster, without a single redeeming feature, is the easiest course, •writes the late Edward Marjoribanks in his book, "Marshall Hall's Murder Trials."' Yet, perhaps, after all, there was something more interesting and more dreadful in him than this.

jJoth Marshall Hall and the clergyman who came into even more intimate touch with him than his advocate, formed this view. The chaplain of the prison found him intelligent and very well read, and Ihe most interesting of all the 50 men under sentence of death to whom he had administered.

Smith protested his innocence to the 3,ist, but this, in view of the Bishop of Croydon's letter below, cannot be explained, as the late jVEr. George R. Sims sought to explain it. Tjy the fact that his statements, to his knowledge, would be reported to the authorities and add to the possibility of a reprieve. Smith's one interest in life during his last days seemed to be for Miss I'egler. Smith's Last Letter. Smith wrote on the eve of his execution: ''Hear Lore, —Your pure heart and conscience free from stein helps me to believe that, whilst memory holds a seat within your sacred brow, you will remember me. You are the last person in the world to whom I shall write, inasmuch as this is my last letter. I could write volumes of

Bible against him, I knew that the ease was hopeless, as no jury, and very few men, will ever accept a theory of triple coincidence to explain what otherwise has a criminal aspect attaching to it. The motive in all three eases was so strong and the series of similarities in all three cases overwhelming.

"Personally, I have seen some most extraordinary coincidences happen in every-day life—for instance, 1 have seen the same number turn up five times consecutivcly on a roulette table. Some years ago at Bournemouth, P. H. Morton (an old Cambridge colleague of mine), playing golf with me on the public course, holed out tha first hole twice the same day in one stroke. The odds against both these events are incalculable. Only a few days ago Lord Carnarvon tells me that he and two friends were playing cards at the club, and they had to cut for deal; all three cut a three. They cut again; all three cut a 6even. They cut a third time; all three cut an ace. My mathematics are rusty, but I believe the odds (52 x 51 x 50) 3 to 1 would represent them.

"Therefore I have not eliminated the coincidence theory, more especially as in the Highgate case —Lofty—l am extraordinarily sceptical of the cause of death. But alas, allowing for all this, I have most reluctantly come to the conclusion that Smith was responsible for the deaths of all three women, directly or indirectly. Convinced He was a Hypnotist. "That he did not drown them in any of the ways suggested by the evidence, or the ex parte suggestions of the judge, I am convinced; but I am equally convinced that it was brought about by hypnotic suggestion. I had a long interview with Smith, under very favourable circumstances, and I was convinced that he was a hypnotist. Once accept this theory, and the whole thing, including the unbolted doors, is to my mind satisfactorily explained, and _ it also accounts for liia very firm assertion of innocence of murder, he having satisfied his conscience that the act was induced by his. will, and

pathos prompted by the cruel position wherein I am now placed. But I have too much respect and love for your feelings to do so. I have not asked for a reprieve, nor made a petition, and do not intend doing so. Since we have failed to obtain justice from the earthly judges, I prefer death rather than' imprisonment. So an innocent man goes to his untimely end, a victim of cruel fate. God -alone is my Judge and the King of Icings. It was He who gave me life, who ordained our coming together. My property I give to you. Don't be alone on the last day, when I shall have left this weary ark behind, where perjury, malice, spite, vindictiveness, prejudice and all other earthly ills will have done their best, and can liarin me 110 more. My time is occupied in solemn and deep meditation. I am preparing my soul for Him to receive. I return to the tcacliing which I received from my mother

. . . I have gone to God with all my sins with true repentance, and asked His forgiveness and mercy orLjny soul. I truly believe and feel that my faithful and sincere prayers have been answered. ... .

J shall have an extraordinary peace, perfect peace.

'"May an old age. serene and bright, and as lovely as a Lapland night, lead thee to thy grave. Now, my true love, good-bye until me meet again.—Yours, with immortal love, George." A Courageous Death. It is very easy to say with Mr. Sims that this is a "farrago of hypocritical cant." But was this so? • The prison chaplain thought otherwise; he has,writton that Smith, coining into prison as a professed atheist, become, before ho left it, a sincere convert and penitent. In the interval between his sentence and his execution his hair turned almost white.

Hypocrisy could not achieve this; fear might. and so might an agony of remorse and despair. He professed li is innocence to the last, both to the chaplain and to the Bishop of Croydon. His death was not cowardly, as was written , at the time, hut courageous. He died after par•t;iUilof the Holy Sacrament. His last words to the chaplain were: '• 1 beg of you to believe me whan I say 3 am inuQcent. Xo one else docs, .except my wife. 1 don't care now; I shall soon be in the presence of God, and 1 dcclare before Him L am innocent.'"' As the noose was around his neck and the trap door fell, lie again said, "I am innocent." Hi* body fell into the pit, and George Joseph Smith died, as his three brides hud done, by suffocation. The Question of Smith's Innocencc. 'I'll-; following very interesting correspondence passed alter the execution of Smith between Marshall Hall and the Bishop of Croydon (Dr. l'crcira, who died in KJIiC). Marshall Hall wrote to the Bishop: August 17. "My Lord, —Your letter re CI. Smith has interested me very much. I am afraid you had not all the material upon which to base a satisfactory opinion as to his guilt or innocence. On li is own admission lhe man was abnormal; and the admitted ; :'d undisputed evidence against him, ix, ccially two letters in his own handwriting, only one of which j ever been made public, proved conclusively that he was a thief, a jiar, and utterly devoid of any sense of decency in his treatment of women. Ic was because I knew of the overwhelming prejudice against him, and the history behind the ease, that I. most reluctantly, acceded to his request lliat I should defend him. But the man was so unlike any other of his type that, after 32 years' experience. I felt interested; and, up to a point, I hoped to save him from the extreme penalty of the law. The moment, however, that the judge, and the Court, of Criminal Appeal, decided that the e-. idcuce of ..'1 three deaths was admis-

became to all intents a voluntary act on the part of the woman. "I wrote Smith a letter, in reply to one he sent me protesting his innocence, and I implored him to take the chaplain or someone into his confidence before the end came. I also told him that I was convinced, as well as I could be convinced of

anything, that he was responsible for the deaths of all three women, and I further told him that to my mind the means he employed was some form of hypnotic suggestion. This letter was, of course, private, fie did not answer it. I am indeed glad that you saw him, and did all, I am sure, you could do for a man in his position.

"The value of human life has, alas, been gravely reduced by the lamcntaLle slaughter that is going on of our bravest and best at this moment. But it is a great tribute to our judicial system that, at a time like this, this man was tried with all the care and precision as if we had been in the. midst of peace.

"I judge no man: I know my own life too well to dare to judge others; but in my heart I feel that it was better for this man to die, even df he were technically innocent, though morally guilty. He apparently died bravely, though witli his morbid and abnormal nervous system he must inevitably have suffered acutely, and, though you and I probably look on a future state from a different point of view, I am convinced that lie has passed from one x>laue of existence direct to another, where he will have the chance to prepare for that ever-upward movement that our immortal being must eventually attain to. —I am, mv lord, yours very sincerely, E. Marshall Hall." In reply the Bishop of Croydon wrote: "August 18, 1015.—My Dear Sir,—When the chaplain of Maidstone Prison wrote and asked .me to go there to confirm Smith, I found, that lie was deeply impressed with a conviction of the. man's innocence. Ho told me that whereas Efmith, when ho first saw liim, was aard, impenitent, and a professed unbeliever in a future state, he had become a completely changed man. He was softened, penitent, and a convinced believer in the Christian faith. My own experience with him was precisely the same. He told me—not under the seal of confession- —that for twenty years he had been a most wicked and abandoned man; that he had been steeped in every villainy, but never of murder. lie knew that there was no i hance of a reprieve, nor did he desire it. lie deserved his fate. But; again lie asserted, with the tears coursing down his cheeks, that he had not had anything to do with the murder of these three women. He left a statement tc- this effect in his cell; and the last words lie spoke, just as lie was about to be executed, were 'I am innocent.'

"I cannot, with a long experience of penitents, believe that he was not sincere in his declaration. lie knew perfectly well that he had nothing to gain by deceit then. Tic declared he was beyond all consideration of what the world might think, and that he desired to make himself right with God above all things; but, without a complaint as to the injustice of his sentence, he always came back to this: 'I am innocent of murder.' As you truly point out, the circumstantial evidence was overwhelmingly against him. I can only conclude that if he was indeed guilty—even of having hypnotised his victims to their deaths—lie must have been mad, for lam absolutely convinced that he believed himself innocent of this crime.-—Believe mo. very truly yours, H. IT. Croydon."

■ Thus we see that the only defence that even Marshall Hall could find for Smith was that of insanity.

Whether Smith killed his victims by virtuo of some hypnotic power, or whether it was merely that his strong attraction as a. man delivered t' >m b-lplcrs into his hands, ho was eqw ly guilty of murder.