PARTY’S TRAGIC SEQUEL

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 196, 16 May 1936, Page 24

PARTY’S TRAGIC SEQUEL

Death of Young Author

Dramatic accounts of the events thatled up to the death at a party of a young author, who was alleged to have been murdered by a book reviewer armed witli a sculptor’s hammer, were given at North London. Frequent mention was made of a woman formerly well known in. society who had been sharing a fiat with the author, and it was said, had been ill-treated by him.

“During the evening,” the book reviewer was alleged to have told the police, “tlie swine who had beaten her up made an appearance. I sprang at him and felled him with a hammer.” In the dock, wearing a well-cut brown suit, and with his black hair carefully brushed back, stood Douglas Burton, 30, book reviewer, of Hungerford Road, Holloway, North London. He was charged with the murder of Douglas Bose, 21, an author, at a house in Alwyne Road, Canonbury. Bose, who had been at Oxford University, lived in Percy Street, Tottenham Court Road, W. He died in St. Leonard’s Hospital, Shoreditch, from shock, haemorrhage and laceration of the brain.

Dr. Bailey, senior medical officer at the hospital, told the magistrate that the injuries were consistent with blows from a hammer. He found the skull abnormally thin. Blows which might have been fatal in Bose’s case might not have been fatal with a person with an ordinary skull.

Inspector Wheatley gave evidence that Burton surrendered to the police of his own accord. He then, it was alleged, made the following statement: — “On Wednesday I went to the Marquis of Granby, where I met Sylvia Gough and conversed with her. She said that she had had a nervous breakdown, and felt another imminent. Later I went to the Fitzroy Tavern and saw her. She was in a ghastly state and helplessly drunk. She complained that she had been beaten up by a young man with whom she lived and could bear no more. “I tried to take her to her own address, but she would not go, so I took her to mine. The following day, I suggested dinner with a mutual friend, thinking that . contact with others would bring her to to calmer state. “During the evening the swine who had beaten her up made an appearance. Pure coincidence. I sprang at him and felled him with a hammer which happened to be there.” Mrs. Sylvia Gough was then called. Smartly dressed in black and wearing a fur coat, with a string of pearls round her neck, she was a tragic figure. Her address was not disclosed.

She told the magistrate that her real name was Williams. She had been married, but had divorced her husband. She had known Bose about a year, and during that period they had been sharing a fiat, but not living as man and wife.

Just prior to February 13 there had been frequent quarrels between them. “A day or two before February 13 he threw a brazil nut at me and gave me a black eye,” she added. Burton, whom she had known for some months, was aware of those quarrels. On February 14 she arranged to go with Burton to a house of a friend of hers named Mrs. Watson, in Alwyne Road, Canonbury. They arrived at the house shortly after 7 o’clock. Mrs. Watson was in, and they went down to the sitting room in the basement next to the studio. Later, Bose turned up, and then a Mr. Cant and a Mr. Graham. Before these last two arrived a conversation took place between Burton and Bose.

“Mr. Burton said that it was a mistake to throw nuts and things at females and that it was hardly the thing to do,” went on Mrs. Gough. “I told them to shut up, and they did.” When Cant and Graham arrived they had supper and there was a general conversation. “After the meal,” Mrs. Gough continued, “Mr, Graham went, into the kitchen to make some coffee. Mrs. Watson was standing by the table. I

was, I think, sitting on the right-hand side of the fireplace, smoking a cigarette. “Mr. Cant was near the window, and Burton was standing on the opposite side of the fireplace, leaning on a cupboard. Bose was leaning up against the door, smokin'-' a cigarette. There was rather a tense atmosphere. Then I saw Burton suddenly turn. There was a sculptor’s hammer ou the top of the table, which had been previously used for hanging a picture that afternoon. “Mr. Burton dashed at Bose and hit him, I did not see where. I thought lie was giving him a crack with his fist —I did not see the hammer. I thought he had had a brain-storm and had been infuriated.” Mrs. Gough added that she did not know whether Bose was struck more than once. “It was all so terribly quick and sudden,” she declared. Burton, she added, left the room without saying a word. The other members of the party then gave the court vivid descriptions of what they declared had happened. Mrs. Janet Watson, who stated that she was living apart from her husband, alleged that as they were smoking cigarettes she saw Burton strike Bose with a sculptor’s hammer, which belonged to Mr. Graham. “I thought at first they were grappling,” stated Mrs. Watson. “As far as I know, nothing had been said leading up to it.” Later on, she added, Burton made a remark to the effect that human life was of no importance. James Cant, an artist, of Alwyn Road, alleged that he saw Burton pass quickly behind him, go straight to Bose, and hit him with a hammer. Louise Janes, a fair-headed young woman, who stated she had known Burton about two years, told a dramatic story of his visit to her flat on the night of February 14. She threw the key out of the window’, she explained, and told him to get a drink before coming in, but he said he wanted to talk to her. He came to the flat, went through into the bathroom, and then came to her in the sitting room. "He came over to me,” she continued, “knelt down on the floor, put his head in my lap, and started to cry. He said, ‘Louise, I‘have always admired and respected you, and I have something to tell you. I killed a man to-night, or I believe I have.’ “'When he told me that.” she added, “I did not believe him. There had always been a kind of standing joke between us, and I said, ‘the sooner I take you to a lunatic asylum the better* it will be for all of us.’ I think he said. ‘No, I am not jesting. I am telling you the truth.’ “I cannot remember what he said afterwards. He was there between ten minutes and a quarter of an hour.” Mr. Vincent Evans, prosecuting: Did he say, when he was leaving, what he was going to do?—-Yes. He asked me to put him up for the night and said, “if you do, I can get across to Belgium.” “I was laughing at him. I did not take any notice of him. I did not believe it until I read the paper next day. I said, ‘Don’t be silly.’ He went to the door and said, ‘Don’t do anything about it. I shall give myself up in my own way and time.’” P.O. Ronald Rushmer gave evidence that, shortly after midnight on February 15 two men, one of whom was Burton, came into the lobby at Tottenham Court Road police station. He spoke to Burton, who was walking up and down, muttering to himself, and asked him why he did not either sit down or stand still.

The officer went on: “He replied that he wanted to go into the office and make a confession. I said jokingly, ‘Have you killed somebody?’ and Burton replied, ‘I hope not. I do not know yet.’ ” Burton, who pleaded not guilty, and reserved his defence, was committed to the Old Bailey for trial.