Was there Poison in the Dundee Cake?

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22250, 26 October 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

Was there Poison in the Dundee Cake?

Unsolved Crimes

THK case of Dr. Lamson, who met his death on the scaffold at Wandsworth Gaol for the murder of his brother -in - law, Percy John, may well be included in this series of Unsolved Crimes, because the case for the Crown was based upon speculative theories of niedical men. Indeed, a greater mass of scientific details bad never before been presented for sorting iu any court of law. If the verdict was true and just, then Lamson deserves a place with the Borgias as a cunning and subtle poisoner. But was the verdict a fair one? Make a close study of the trial and these questions are bound to arise in your mind. Bid Lamson administer the poison? If so, —Did he do so deliberately jtith intent to kill? Also—<lo'w was the poison administered? The prosecution wore able to present not only motive for the crime, but also evidence of such damning character against the prisoner that the verdict of wilful murder seemed inevitable. Indeed, at the end of the sixth day of the trial, the jury took only half an hour to consider their verdict of "guilty," although their opinions might well have been shaken by the forensic eloquence of Mr. Montague Williams for the defence, who has placed on record in the book "Leaves of a Life" that it was the most difficult case he ever had to deal with, because it required so much medical knowledge—and knowledge of a poison whose properties the medical faculty of those days wero profoundly ignorant. Let us review the facts, after which, ijf you think Lams#n was guilty, you

must allow that this crime ist one of the most sinister in the grim annals of the Old Bailey. In the year 1881, at Blenheim House School, Wimbledon, there lived as a boarder a crippled youth named Percy John. He was 18, the youngest of a family of five, one of whom —a girl—died before a her parents. This left two boys and two girls, all of whom, at the death of their parents, became wards in Chancery and entitled to small sums of money. In 1878 the elder girl, by marrying a doctor named George Henry Lamson, was able to draw her share of the money which she handed over to her husband. Her younger sister had married a year previously a civil servant, William Chapman, who acted as guardian to the unfortunate scholar at Blenheim House. A year after the Lamson marriage, Herbert John (the elder brother) died suddenly, amd once more Lamson benefited by his wife's share of tho money, which enabled him to purchase a medical practice at Bournemouth. This proved such a failure that Lamson was forced to sell up. After this he mad* two trips to America, obviously to no purpose, since ho returned to England in straitened circumstances and was compelled to pawn his few belongings. It was now that Lamson took desperate steps to obtain money. He drew cheques on a bank which had closed down his account. As soon as ho received tho money he would write Egging the party who had cashed the chequo not to present it, as ho had stupidly made it out from tho wrong cheque-book and that ho would put it right on his other account. This he never did, as he had no other account. The cheques, needless to say, were dishonoured. In the midst off this financial and criminal muddle he writes a most affectionate note to his brother-in-law, promising to call at tho school and see bim the next day (December 2) on his way to Paris. He went to Wimbledon, in company with Mr. Tulloch, a medical student whom he had known for some time and to whom he had shown many kindnesses, in return for which Tulloch had cashed cheques for him. At Wimbledon Tuljoch wa* told to wait at the station while Lamson went o\*er to Me his brother-in-law.

CASE BASED UPON SPECULATIVE THEORIES RESULTED IN AN EXECUTION

In 20 minutes he returned, telling I'ulloch that poor Percy was ill and that lie did not think ho would last long, as the curvature of his spine was getting worse. He also said that the headmaster, Mr. Bedbrook was a director ot the South Eastern Railway, and had warned him not to go Co Paris that night as there was a bad steamer on the service. All this was pure fabrication on Lamsou's part, for it was proved that he never called at the school, nor had Mr. Bedbrook any connection with tho South Eastern Railway. Why did Lamson tell these lies? That night ho returned to London accompanied by Tulloch, who cashed him a cheque (subsequently dishonoured). We no.v come to tho tragic events of the next day, December 3, 1881, and our scene is Blenheim House School.

J RUSSELL THORNDIKE Examine* the Evidence 1 produced in : THE FAMOUS TRIAL ! of DR. LAMSON :

Since Percy John was crippled with curvature of the spine, which caused paralysis to his. legs, he could not take part in the healthy games of his companions, and this, at times, made him depressed. On tho whole, however, he was cheerful and very grateful to masters and pupils who went out of their way to make his life amongst them as happy as possible. He was provided with two wheelchairs, one upstairs and one down, in which ho could move himself about, and there was always some strong lad ready to lift him up or down stairs. On the morning of December 3 he was carried downstairs as usual. In spite of his infirmity he enjoyed pretty good health, and on this day his appetite was normally good.

i Before tea in excellent spirits, he took part in a game of charades. .After tea, he wan employed in looking through the examination papers of another pupil., named Banbury. While thus occupied, a message was brought to him that his brother-in-law, Dr. Lamson, had called to see him and Banbury accordingly carried him upstairs to the headmaster's dining, room. Banbury left the invalid talking to Dr. Lamsoc: and Mr. Bedbrook. Lamson's greeting was certainly different from the usual opinion he gave of his young relative's looks. He was in the habit of telling people that he didn't think Percy was long for this world, but he now said cheerfully, "How fat. you are looking Percy, old boy." Percy and Mr. Bedbrook could not say the same for their visitor, for both thought Lamson much thinner and pallor than usual.

Knowing that his visitor was fond of sherry, the headmaster poured him out some in a generous claret glass, whereupon Lamson asked if he might have some sugar in it, stating that sugar counteracted the strength of alcohol. Mr. Bedbrook, thinking it would havi quite the opposite effect, nevertheless sent for it, and Mrs. Bowles, the Matron, brought some "castor" in a glass basin. Lamson put a spoonful of .uhis into his wine, stirring it with his pen-knife. He then opened a small black handbag ho had brought with him. From this he took "some" Dundee cake "already cut," and some sweets. According to Mr. Bedbrook's evidence, Lamson cut some of the cako with his penknife. Therefore wo may presume that the cake had already a slice cut out of it, or Mr. Bedbrook would have said "a" Dundee cake and not "some." There seems to bo some confusion over

this detail in the reports. The cake may have been "already cut" in order to get in into the bag. Certain it is, however, that Lamson handed round the slices. One to Percy, one to tho headmaster, and one which ho proceeded to eat himself. He also produced some sweets which thoy also took. While the eating was thus general, Lamson said, "Oh, by the way, Mr. Bedbrook, when I was in America I thought of you and your boys. I thought what excellent things these capsules would be for your boys to take nauseous medicines in." He then produced two boxes containing capsules from his bag and passed one to Mr Bedbrook, who was standing by him, saying, "I should like you to try ono to see how easily they can be swallowed " Mr Bedbrook took the empty capsule and swallowed it, while Lamson, taking another one, opened it, and to demonstrate how easily it could bo charged with a dose, ho filled it with sugar in front of him. Having closed it, ho then showed them how tho capsule should be shaken. Handing it to Lis brcther-in-law he said, "Here, Percy, you're a swell pill-taker; take this and show Mr. Bedbfook how easily it may be sfallowed." Percy at once took it and swallowed it. Almost immediately Lamson got up, saying that he had to catch the next London train, in order to get the boat train for Paris. As he seemed anxious to leave immediately, Mr. Bedbrook accompanied him to the door, when Lamson repeated an observation he had made before that he didn't think Percy would last much longer. In view of what followed this remark becomes sinister. While waiting for the London train to start Lam .on put some money in an envelope, addressed it to his brothor-in-law, and asked the porter to take it across the road to Blenheim House. This ths porter did. Mr. Bedbrook opened it inadvertently and found it was 4s 6d for Percy John from Lamson. Was this sent as a blind? A few minutes after Lamson was speeding to Londou Percy complained of heartburn. He said he felt as ill as he had once done after his brother-in-law had given him a pill in August when he had come from Ventor to Shanklin to see him. The boy became worse, and was carried to his room, where he lay fully dressed on his bed. He was seized with violent sickness and tetanic convulsions. He threw himself about with pain and had to be forcibly held down. Hour after hour his friends at Blenheim Houso witnessed his agony.

Two doctors happening to visit the headmaster that evening attended on him, but- they soon realised that nothing could save him, and finally gave him injections of morphia to ease his passing. The end came at about twenty past eleven. In the opinion of the doctors Percy John had been poisoned, and suspicion was at once turned to his relative, who was then fleeing to the Continent. The doctors secured necessary specimens for analysis, and next morning Mr. Bedbrook informed the police, who posted Lamson as "wanted." His description was a man of 29, of a sallow complexion, with a moustache and beard. Dark hair. Of slight stature. Dressed in a rusty suit of black. Shoes, socks and necktie indicating impecuniosity. His piercing dark brown eyes were not cruel, but rather tender and profound. His pallid face and lofty forehead highly intelligent. But Lamson did not run away. He returned to face the music, and with his wife, who to the end believed in his innocence and stood by him, he reported himself at Scotland Yard. When charged with murder he seemed surprised that he was refused bail. # • • • • In March, 18S2, the trial opened at the Old Bailey, causing a great sensation. Medical evidence made manifest that the deceased had died from a somewhat rare poison called aconite. This is the plant known in England as "monk's-hood" or "wolf's-bane," and in Ireland as "Blue-Rocket." Its root closely resembles the horseradish and its leaves are like parsley. Relentlessly the prosecution produced a detailed description of this very poison in Lamson's handwriting. They proved that he had purchased aconite from a chemist at Ventnor before visiting the deceased at Shanklin, when he gave him a pill that caused illness. They also proved that he made a further purchase in November from a Lombarcl-street firm. Also that he had sent from America pills and powders for Percy to take, maintaining that they would do him good. Though most of these were quinine, aconite as found in some of. them. The prosecution urged the motive that by Percy's death Lamscn would get which would relieve his poverty, and hence he had deliberately put poison into the capsule. The defence argued that such a crime was beyond the nature of h man who was known to a wide circle of friends at home and abroad as "most humane." He had done splendid work to allay suffering in others. His brother-in-law loved him and liked being with him. Lamson had acted throughout like an innocent man. He had not run away. He would stress the fact that the capsule was filled with sugar right under the eyes of Mr. Bedbrook. Who would take such a mad risk P

But all this argument was of no use. The jury brought in "Guilty," and Sir Henry Hawkins ("the hanging judge") put on tho black cap. Twice was tho prisoner respited in consequence of a plea from the United States to prove insanity. A mass of evidence arrived which only proved that Lamson had for years been addicted to drugs, and his eccentricities were put down to that cause rather than insanity. Lainson's so-called confession in a letter to a friend is really no confession, for he only stated that since being deprived of drugs in prison a cloud was lifted which showed him that in his norma! stato of mind such a crime would have been impossible to compass. Did he, therefore, under tho influence of drugs, mix tho fatal dose, thinking that it might effect a cure? Or, turned by tho drugs into a fiend, did ho do it* deliberately, as tho prosecution affirmed < And was tho prosecution correct in giving tho capsule as the means? Hero is another theory not mentioned in tho trial. Although.the Dundee cako was analysed and proved free from poison, tho skin of a raisin was found in tho deceased's stomach impregnated with aconite. Was this raisin "doctored" and put into tho cake? Was that the reason for the cake being "already cut"? Was the capsule really harmless and drawn as a red herring of seeming innocence across the path of guilt? This seems to me the more feasible. Lam so ti was hanged on April 28, 1882, by Mar wood.