Old Catton Murders - Nellie Howard in 1908

 The young man stumbled
d into the public p
housse with mud on his co
oat, shakingg and dripp
ping blood. He orde
ered a half pint of ale;; drank som
me, spilt a loot. He orde
ered anothe
er, swearingg as he did so, claiming he had fallen from
m his bicyclee. An alarm
med landladdy refused tto serve him
m and told him to 'clear off'. He left, leavving blood o
on the floorr. Later thaat night thee police brought his girrlfriend to tthe public h
house on a cart. They laid her liffeless and d
disfigured b
body in the ccoach house. n Friday, 30
0 October 1
1908, the poolice had a clearer vie
ew of the boody in the coach housse of At ffirst light on
The Maid's Heaad Inn at Caatton. The young wom
man had be
een attractivve, now shee was frozen in death with glarring face an
nd shoulderr wounds, h
her clothingg heavily blo
ood‐stained
d. Policemeen studied what had o
once been beautiful. She was of medium
m height, prrettily dresssed in a darrk green skkirt and bod
dice with daainty white gloves, aall bloodied
d, wearing black stockkings and a a hat of chiipped straw
w decorated with artifficial flow
wers. Her d
delicate com
mplexion, now n
marredd by a vivid
d wound, was w topped by black eyebrows e
and a masss of black hair gatherred loosely over her foorehead. She appeare
ed to have ddressed in her best fin
nery. All w
who saw heer were movved by the tragedy thaat lay before
e them. Co
omment waas made upo
on the toucching sigh
ht of a little bunch of fflowers pinn
ned to her lleft breast. Those who
o commentted were no
ot to know that she had not plaaced that bu
uttonhole p
picture therre. Her wounds weere vicious. In the necck and shouulder a gapin
ng puncture
e wound waas large eno
ough to adm
mit a he knuckle, and her faace had beeen slashed downward
ds and acrooss the righ
ht cheek to
o the fingger up to th
corn
ner of the m
mouth. Blood had spilled from thhese wound
ds down her clothes, sttill oozing aas she lay in
n the coacch house. H
Her pocketss revealed aa handkerchhief, small kkey, packet of chocolattes and a purse containing a sh
hilling and two coppeers. She layy on a woooden cart, beautiful and a distorteed, and anonymous. The Easttern Daily P
Press of thatt morning d
described heer as a 'pain
nful and horrrifying sighht'. A yo
oung womaan dressed in her best, looking hher best, meant m
the company off a male friend, the po
olice thou
ught. She had probab
bly known h
her killer, ppleading witth him, hurrting and dyying in terrror and with
hout com
mprehension
n. Her earrly identification woul d be everyything to th
he investigaation. So it i proved. The pow
wer of spreaading bad n
news soon o
offered an identity, to
o be confirm
med at ninee twenty‐fivve that morrning by tthe man wh
ho had killed
d her. Eleaanor Elizabeeth Howard
d, sometime
es called Elllen, more ffrequently N
Nellie, was nineteen ye
ears of age and lived
d with her ggrandparen
nts at Radfo
ord Hall Farm
m at Hainfo
ord where they were inn service. T
The eldest o
of six child
dren she h
had lived with w
her grrandparentss since childhood, a seemingly unforced and a
accepttable arraangement to
o all concerrned. Her m
mother had been employed as a co
ook at Hainnford Hall. Nelllie, as we sh
hall call herr ‐ as she caalled herselff, had been
n in service in Norwich until eight months beefore her death. Desscribed as 'aa good, steady girl' shhe had been
n courting a
a young Noorwich man named Ho
orace Lartter for just over two yyears, but in
n the past ffew monthss, possibly iinfluenced by her gran
ndparents, they had been seein
ng less of eaach other. N
Nellie had toold her gran
ndfather that Larter haad threatened to shoott her if sh
he went with anyone else. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved Horace Larter w
was also nineteen years of age, ppresentable but rough in his mannner, given tto swearing and drin
nking. He lived with hiis parents aat Ber Streeet Gates in tthe city and
d worked inn his father's business as a fish dealer, keeeping a shelllfish stall ou
utside the A
Agricultural Hall at Ban
nk Plain. Nelllie died on the evening of Thursd
day, 29 Oct ober 1908, and the prreceding evvents of thaat day, morrning and afternoon,, were an aacceleration
n and culmi nation of h
her boyfrien
nd's festerinng thoughtss, his bitterness at aa waning relationship. Her death was no spuur of the mo
oment, unp
planned, unnforeseen trragedy. Ho
orace Lartter had mad
de his mind up. TThe victim's la
ast journey be
egan by tram ffrom Bank Pllain. The Agriicultural Hall is on the righ
ht. On the mornin
ng of that daay, he told George Hooward (co‐in
ncidental na
ame), a cabbman on the
e rank oppo
osite the Agriculturaal Hall, thatt he was haaving a dayy off to see his sweeth
heart and hhe got the cabman c
to look afte
er his stall w
while he weent into Lon
ndon Streett to buy a box of choccolates. Hee also wentt to the cuttler's shop of Pearso
ons in Bedfo
ord Street w
where he pu rchased a h
heavy spearr‐pointed claasp knife. Nelllie had thatt morning reeceived a le
etter from LLarter inviting her to m
meet him in Norwich, little knowin
ng its dreaadful impliccation. A po
ortion found
d by the pol ice reads:
So if we a
are to part we can part the very best of frieends so do come up, aand we can go to the exhibition
n together. Hope to m
meet you at two o'clockk as I shall come to meeet you. So
o do come up if for tthe last tim
me. Glad yo
ou like my cchocolates. So do com
me up to Noorwich for th
he sake of the time w
we have ha
ad. Hope you have timee to write. My motherr would like to see you Thursday, as father is out, and with my afffectionate llove to you, I remain, H
Horace. I shall com
me if you ha
ave not timee to write, sso I shall meeet you com
ming along. Start at tw
wo. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved Lettters from Neellie to Lartter were fou
und in his beedroom, the last, dated 19 Octob er, reads: My Dear Horace, jusst a few linees to let youu know thatt I arrived home safe laast Wednesday night. hese few lin
nes will find you well ass I am not g
going out to service justt yet, but I m
may come Hoping th
up to see you for thee day, that iis, if you wiish me too. You promiised me youu would sen
nd me that ring but yyou have no
ot fulfilled yyour promiise yet. Dea
ar Horace, I should veery much likke to have some cho
ocolate, as II have not h
had any off you lately. It will be a
a treat for yyou to send me some. Mabel seends her besst respects to you. Giive my love to your mo
other. I noow close witth fondest love to yo
ou ‐ I remain
n, your lovin
ng sweetheaart, Nellie Thiss letter hard
dly points to
o a disrupte
ed love affaiir and immiinent separation, yet thhat is how LLarter saw ttheir asso
ociation. Early in the afteernoon of h
her last day Nellie bid hher grandfather goodbye and set ooff walking to Norwich
h. At two
o forty‐five LLarter board
ded a tram in Magdaleen Street an
nd drew atte
ention wheen he threw a 'stick' he was carrrying at thee side of the tram, fo
ollowing whhich he we
ent to the footboard in an excitted state. The conductor askeed him to stand inside
e the tram aand he obliged, saying
g, `Oh dear! I've been o
on the juicee for thre
ee days.' The conductorr, William Knyvett, K
knew Larter aand said, `What, is th
he mussel ttrade looking up?' Laarter repllied, 'My traade is like yyours. Old w
women com
me and spend one‐and
d‐a‐halfpencce and want a clean to
owel, and think they''ve bought tthe ***** sshow.' He thhen said, 'I had six botttles of ciderr last night aand whisky.' Knyvett asked, 'What is th
he meaning of you goinng on the d
drink like this?' Larter thought be
efore replyin
ng, 'I have got wrongg with my m
missus. I will put an endd to this tod
day.' As tthe tram ap
pproached TThe Whaleb
bone publicc house at tthe bottom
m of St Clem
ment's Hill, Larter sudd
denly said
d, 'I'm goingg to have a d
drink before
e I go any fuurther; you can't get aw
way to com
me and have one?' nd watchedd Larter ente
er the publiic house. Iff Larter plan
nned to com
mmit Knyvett declineed to leave his tram an
murrder he had
d no thought of keepingg a low proffile, or did h
he care? of The Whaalebone, William W
Wrigght, remem
mbered Lartter coming in briefly at about three The landlord o
ock, and aggain at abou
ut half‐past three wheen he had a young ladyy with him. She drankk lemonade and o'clo
he h
had whisky. At 5
5.30 pm Larrter walked with Nellie
e to the cabb rank at the Agricultural Hall andd asked Geo
orge Howarrd to drivve them to Ber Street Gates. Howard obligeed and on the way they stoppedd at The No
orwich Armss for refrreshment. Nellie remaained in the
e cab while Larter and the cabma
an went ins ide. Larterr took a glasss of portt wine out tto her. They continued
d to Larter'ss home whe
ere Larter and Nellie w
went inside, the cab waiting five minutes fo
or their retu
urn. Back att the Agricu ltural Hall LLarter tried to persuadee Howard to drive them to The Maid's Heead at Cattton. Howard refused,, saying he
e had otherr orders, thhough he may m have been b
influ
uenced by LLarter not p
paying him ffor the serv ice he had aalready rendered. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved Lartter and Nelllie boarded
d a tram near the Ag ricultural Hall H and oncce again thhe conducto
or knew Larter. Geo
orge Chaplin
n recalled tthat Larter had obviouusly been drrinking and when the couple got off his tram
m at The Whalebone public ho
ouse, at abo
out six o'cloock, Larter insisted on shaking hiss hand, telling him he was abo
out to walk to Hainford
d, creating another in a trail of potential p
witnesses. Iff he was re
eally planning a murrder he wass not plann
ning to get away with it. Chaplin watched the couple w
walk into St Clement'ss Hill and stop at a sw
weet shop. Nellie's lovve of choco late had intterrupted th
heir journeyy. A litttle over an
n hour lateer Larter en
ntered The Maid's Heaad Inn in Spixworth S
RRoad (a con
ntinuation of o St Clem
ment's Hill),, excited, blleeding and
d spilling beeer, swearingg and gettin
ng himself eejected. Around 7.30 p
pm he entered The Whalebone, sstill excited
d, ordering a ‘small le monade'. William Wrright servved him, no
oticing and remarking upon the bblood on hiss hands and
d clothing. Larter said he had had an acciident with h
his bicycle. The sharp‐e
eyed landloord commen
nted upon tthe heavy cclasp knife p
protruding ffrom Lartter's waistco
oat pocket, asking if th
he opened bblade had ccut him whe
en he fell frrom the bicycle. Larter did not reply but ttook the kn
nife from his pocket, sseen by the
e landlord as a a 'buck‐hhandled claasp knife wiith a rath
her long poiinted bladee', closed the blade andd replaced tthe knife, in
n doing so rrevealing a deep cut to
o his righ
ht forefingerr. ore the inq
quisitive lan
ndlord coulld pose furrther questtions Larterr finished hhis drink, and said, `G
Good Befo
nigh
ht', adding `Perhaps I shall see yo
ou later.' H
He must haave known William Wrright was another a
witness against him. Horace Larter went on to
o create yett another w
witness, one
e he presen
nted with a confession
n. After leaaving The Whalebone he visited
d his sister, Florence Luudkin, in Sp
prowston Ro
oad, telling her he wass `boozy', w
which she could see ffor herself. He asked tto see Floreence's husbaand and was tersely infformed thaat he was in bed and was not to
o be disturb
bed. He the
en asked foor a cup of ttea and Florence said she had no
one. He said he nd and askeed if he coulld wash it. His sister re
eplied, 'No, you will meess the placce up, let me do had cut his han
or you.' She told him to sit still o
on the chai r or he wou
uld fall over but insteaad he walked to the d
door, it fo
sayiing, 'Will yo
ou shake haands with m
me for the last time? I've killed Nellie.' As he walked
d away from
m his thun
nderstruck sister he saaid, 'I shall ggive myself uup to the first Constable I come too.' He d
did not com
me upon a C
Constable aand arrived home at arround half ‐‐past eight, seen by hiss father and
d his younger brotheer with who
om he quarreled beforre going to bed. On the Spixworthh Road, a quarter of a mile from
m the neareest house, on what waas describeed as `an exxceedingly d
dark night',, Nellie How
ward lay on
n her side
e in the lee of a roadsside hedge, her head oon her left arm, blood
d running t hrough herr clothes to
o the chocolates in h
her pocket. At ten minutess to nine Po
olice Sergeant Walter SSlater, walkiing from Ca
atton to Spixxworth and
d probing ah
head with
h his lamp, lit up Nelliee's body. C
Closer exam
mination revvealed the ffull horror oof his find aand, taking into consideration tthe recentn
ness of the injuries andd the isolatio
on of the sp
pot, he dartted into the adjoining ffield, orace Larteer had by now reached
d his spraaying his lamp over wheat sheaves for a hidding murderer. But Ho
hom
me. Serggeant Slater made for the nearesst habitatio n, the blacksmith's shop of Josepph Laws, an
nd sent Law
ws to the city to obtaain a doctorr and inform
m the Countty Police Staation. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved Docctor Flack sset out from
m Magdalen Road on his bicycle
e but lost his h way an d did not arrive a
until ten minutes to eleven, and th
hen only by following aan Eastern Daily Press reporter. CConstable SSizeland arrrived earllier, followeed by Inspecctor Roy. The murde
er scene on thee Spixworth R
Road beyond Old Catton. The doctor exaamined thee body by lamplight l
uunder the in
ntent gaze of the poliice, press and a blacksm
mith, oung womaan had suffe
ered at leasst two terribble woundss and was dead, confirming whaat was obviious ‐ the yo
and not too long previoussly. They placed her onn the blackksmith's cart and took her to the coach housse at The Maid's Heaad Inn. At dawn d
the p
police searcched the ro
oad and adjjoining areaa. They found spots oof blood 15
50 yards in
n the Spixxworth direection from
m the body,, but no siggns of a sttruggle. It meant thee couple haad turned back tow
wards Norwich, Nellie possibly ru
unning, pos sibly wounded. Or had Larter ccut himselff at that po
oint? Bloo
od groupingg was too faar away for this 1908 caase. Ano
other spot o
of blood wass found on the roadsidde between where the body had faallen and Norwich and
d this can safely be attributed to
o Larter's cu
ut hand, likeewise blood
d on the floo
or of The M
Maid's Head Inn. The post‐morteem examinaation revealed a third wound upo
on Nellie, a knife wounnd in her back that had
d just misssed her spinal column
n. Doctor Flack F
said thhat the two
o inches de
eep puncturre wound in her neck and shoulder had severed an aartery and b
been the fattal wound. She had no
ot been sexuually mistre
eated. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved Two
o lines of morb
bid public lead
d to the spot w
where 'Nellie' ' Howard died. Preserving a
a crime scene was not a con
nsideration in those days. IIn fact the police took up a colleection to pay ffor the funerall. ound the scene of Camera conscious bysstanders and ppolice mill aro
on Spixworth R
Road. Sergeaant Slater dom
minates the roa
ad. death o
The Friday mo
orning saw the investiggation movving quicklyy to revelation on all ffronts. Insp
pector Roy and Serggeant Slateer took Nellie's grandffather to TThe Maid's Head coach house annd the grie
ef stricken man iden
ntified Nellie. He was ttaken home
e where herr grandmother collapse
ed at the coonfirming ne
ews. At B
Buxton Policce Station, a farmer's aassistant naamed Williaam Arnold h
handed in aa rattee can
ne and umbrella he h
had found o
on the Spixw
worth Road
d the previoous eveningg. He pinpo
ointed his fiind a quarter of a milee the Spixxworth sidee of wheree he had cycled c
past two police
emen standing over a young woman. w
Mabel M
Smithson, Nellie's cousin, also living at Radfordd Hall Farm, identified the umbreella as belonging to Neellie, take
en with herr when she went to me
eet Larter. (William Kyynvett, tram
m conductoor, would haave recalled
d the rattee cane). LLarter and N
Nellie had cllearly turneed back in so
ome disorder. At n
nine thirty‐ffive that mo
orning Larte
er presentedd himself att the Guildh
hall Police SStation in No
orwich and saw Insp
pector Williaam Ebbage.. Lartter said, in tthe form of a question,, 'You want to see me aabout that jjob last nighht?' Insp
pector Ebbaage didn't p
particularly want to seee Larter and
d all he kne
ew of the 'joob last nigh
ht' was whaat he had just read in
n the morning newspaaper headedd 'Terrible M
Murder Nea
ar Norwich' . But he no
oted that Laarter wass visibly excited and hiss hand was bound by aa handkerch
hief. Lartter blurted out, 'I was there, and
d I happeneed to ‐', he broke off, and then c ontinued, 'Well, we had a little
e bit of non
nsense. Thee old woman interferedd. Her peop
ple, I mean.. In a fit of jjealousy I suppose. I tthink thatt is the casee.' Insp
pector Ebbaage asked 'w
what job' Larter was rreferring to, though he
e now had a good idea, and receeived the reply, 'Thee murder ch
harge at Haainford, Cattton, last night. I havve made a good job of o it this tim
me: I thou
ught I would make a go
ood job of it whilst I waas about it.' © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved Lartter was takeen into custtody and se
earched. Bllood was fo
ound in larg
ge quantitiees on his jaccket and on
n the fron
nt of his trousers, goingg through to his thigh and knee. Small spotss were founnd on his rigght boot. W
When his h
hand was u
unbound cuts were fou
und at the bbase of the second and
d third fingeers and upo
on the tip off the little
e finger. Th
here were six fine scrattches acrosss the back o
of his left ha
and and a hhalf‐inch abrasion betw
ween the first and seecond fingeer with the sskin lookingg as if he haad been nip
pped or bittten out. Ne
ellie had fought for her life. Insp
pector Roy aand Sergean
nt Fuller of the county force, by now looking for Larter, were soon at the Guild
dhall whe
ere Larter ggreeted theem with, 'W
What's donee cannot be
e undone'. Inspector RRoy told him he would
d be charged with m
murdering EEleanor How
ward and Laarter replied
d, 'Yes, that is alright, bbut it is Nellie Howard,, not Eleaanor Howarrd.' He wass taken to th
he County PPolice Statio
on at Castle
e Meadow aand in his cell that eveening he vvolunteered
d a written sstatement tto Constabl e Poulter. TThis statem
ment requirees complete
e repetition: I met her about threee o'clock on
n Elm Hill. I hhad rather a job to gett her to com
me with me, because I could seee she didn't want me. I took her fo r a cab drivve round No
orwich, and went to The Norwich Arms in B
Ber Street. II treated heer to two gllasses of po
ort, and I alsso treated tthe cabman
n. I gave a man threepence to h
hold the horrse time thee cabman ca
ame inside w
with me. Shhe would no
ot come in the pub h
herself. I qu
uite intended enjoying m
myself as I knew she d
did not wantt me, and I had made up my miind to kill h
her. I wentt down to PPearsons the same morning and bbought a cllasp knife, which I g
gave a shillin
ng for. I feelt as if I coould have m
murdered an
nyone if I saaw them sp
peaking to her. I lovved her so, a
and this is a
all through llove and jea
alousy. Thiss is what haate and lovee will do. I intended her not to
o make a **** fool off me. Afteer we had enjoyed e
ouurselves in Norwich, N
I walked along the road to take her home. It was abo
out six o'clock when wee started qu
uarrelling. She told m
me she did not want m
me, and I saaid, "You sh
hall not ***
** have anyyone else." That was about 6.330 when I fe
felt like a m
madman. I ccaught her by the thro
oat with onne hand, and stabbed her twicee with the other. Just a
as she was tturning round when I tthought to w
walk away, I stabbed her again
n, when shee fell down and never spoke agaiin. I stood by her quitte five minu
utes, and I thought II would do myself in. Then a chaange came over me. II knelt dow
wn in a pooll of blood, which you
u will see on
n my trouseers, and kisssed her when she was dead. I liftted her hea
ad to see if she was rreally dead,, and then II pinned a bbuttonhole on her and left her. N
Never mind, I suppose her soul iis now in heaven. If it was not foor her peop
ple this neve
er would haave happen
ned. They have been
n saying thiings about m
me so I sho uld not havve her, and II think it is aabout the b
best thing I could havve done. I h
have had thiis on my miind a long tiime. The buttonholee flowers had been po
oignantly exxplained: on
nce again th
he killer of a loved one
e is moved to a toucching farew
well, tempeered by the callousneess of his conclusionss. And it is suggeste
ed that he has confused St Cleement's Hilll with Elm H
Hill. The inquest an
nd committtal by Maggistrates forr trial were
e formalitie
es in whichh Larter was attentive but ok place att the Maid’s Head Inn
n on the M
Monday und
der the County generally unmoved. The inquest too
Coro
oner, Mr H Culley. Nellie still repo
osed in the coach housse where sh
he was view
wed by the jury. Unusu
ually, Lartter appeareed at the hearing flanked by twoo prison waarders. Durring the reaading of his statemen
nt he fixed his eyes ffirmly down
nwards. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved The in
nquest takes p
place at the M
Maid's Head IInn in Old Cattton ‐ a short d
distance from
m the murder sscene. His sister Florence brokee down as she gave her eviden
nce and wh
hen she haad finished he called out, ‘Goo
odbye.’ Shee replied, ‘G
Goodbye Ho
orrie’ and teearfully left the room.
The inquest jurry returned a verdict o
of murder a gainst Larte
er and he called out, ‘TThank you ggentlemen, one and all.’ The funeral of Nellie How
ward took p
place on 4 N
November and once a
again the poolice sough
ht to defrayy the costt. A public subscriptio
on had been
n organised by Sergean
nt Slater, Co
onstable Sizzeland and Hainford’s own Con
nstable Merrry, the latteer showing great initiattive by colle
ecting from persons wiishing to vie
ew the scen
ne of Nelllie’s death. £5 19s wass given to N
Nellie’s granndfather. f
the co
oach housee to Radford
d Hall Farm
m and from
m there the tearful fun
neral Nelllie had beeen moved from proccession weended its way w through
h country l anes behin
nd the flow
wer coveredd wheeled bier contaiining Nelllie's coffin. Her moth
her was too
o overcomee to follow and her fa
ather collappsed and was w taken home befo
ore the pro
ocession reaached the n
new churchh at Hainforrd. After th
he service t he mourne
ers reassembled and walked a m
mile behind
d the trundling bier to Nellie's inte
erment at H
Hainford's oold church, the route lined with
h country fo
olk paying ttheir last respects, the fading light and swirling leaves oof a late auttumn aftern
noon adding to the ssombre occasion. Man
ny of those present, including the press, werre visibly mo
oved by Nellie's last journey. A
At the crow
wded grave
eside, after a prayer and a singing of a hymnn, the Vicarr expressed
d the fam
mily's thankss to all who had sympaathised, speeaking of the 'unselfish
h way in whhich membe
ers of the po
olice forcce had acteed', referrin
ng particulaarly to the kindness of o Constable Merry annd his actio
on in making a colle
ection of th
hose wishingg to 'view th
he scene off this dreadfful deed'. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved The funeral oof Eleanor 'Ne
ellie' Howard
d
The committall by Magisttrates took place on 77 Novembe
er with Larter once aggain calm and a compo
osed, spending mostt of the heearing with his arms folded acro
oss his che
est. He maade one interruption. As Insp
pector Ebbaage gave hiss evidence LLarter leaptt up and announced, 'Iff I had madde a good jo
ob of it, as I told the policeman I intended, I should no
ot be here nnow.' Histtory was m
made at thee committaal when Ch arles Aldou
us, a photo
ographic arrtist of White Lion Strreet, prod
duced phottographs sh
howing whe
ere Nellie diied. Photoggraphing a m
murder sceene for evidential purposes wass a glimpse iinto the futture, let dow
wn in this caase by the p
pictures reappearing foor sale as po
ostcards. The police calleed addition
nal medical evidence. Doctor Riviiere of Beth
hel Street hhad examine
ed the cuts and abraasions on Laarter’s hand
d, finding th
he cuts had uneven and
d lacerated edges. Eviddence of a struggle? Nellie but m
made no com
with the mu
urder Docctor Flack gaave evidencce of the wounds infliccted upon N
mparison w
weaapon; and P
Pearson's sh
hop assistant gave eviidence of selling the w
weapon butt didn't identify it. Where had the clasp kknife, last sseen by William Wrighht, got to? The police seemingly did not haave it. Yet they ng owner annd user whaat he had done with it . Records aand accounts of musst have askeed the freely confessin
the inquest an
nd committtal are not forthcominng on this point and the case ddepositions are not in the ot found, disposed of bby Larter after he left The National Archivves. We haave to pressume the knnife was no
Whaalebone public house. Lartter was com
mmitted to N
Norwich Prison to awa it his Assize
e trial ‐ to be
e a most exxtraordinaryy affair. The Assize Cou
urt was paccked on 27 January 19909 when Larter L
appeared beforee Mr Justicce Lawrencee. A crow
wd of curious sightseers waited o
outside tryinng to snatch
h a glimpse of the prissoner arrivin
ng in the prrison van. Mr H Lawless aappeared fo
or the prose
ecution andd the judge requested Mr A Taylorr to conducct the prison
ner's defe
ence. Neith
her barrister found him
mself emplooyed. Lartter stepped briskly into
o the dock, neatly dresssed in a bllue suit, and
d listened i ntently as tthe Clerk off the Cou
urt read the charge of m
murder. He
e was asked for his pleaa. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved 'Guiilty' called LLarter in a loud voice.. A mixturee of surprisse and conssternation rrippled thro
ough the Co
ourt. The press repo
orter noted tthat Larter was 'coldly indifferentt'. The Judge: 'Do you know w
what you arre pleading guilty to?' Larter: 'Yess, my Lord.' Judgge: 'Do you know the cconsequencces?' Larterr: 'Yes, my LLord.' Judgge (obvioussly in an incrredulous vo
oice): 'You w
wish to pleaad guilty?' LLarter: 'Yes, my Lord.' Judgge: 'There is a learn
ned counse
el who is kkind enouggh to say he will deefend you. Under th
hose circumstances do you wish to plead gguilty? I doon't wish to interfere. You know w
what you are doing?' (The last sentence aagain pitcheed to incredulity.) Lartter: 'I beg yo
our pardon..' The Judge tried
d again, offeering 'learne
ed counsel''. Larter said he 'would
d sooner pleead guilty'. The judge again
n drew atteention to the consequeences and got the now standard reesponse of 'Yes, my Lord.' The Judge weaarily noddeed to the Clerk C
of thee Court wh
ho stood up
p and addrressed Larter. 'You sttand convicted on your own co
onfession off the crime of wilful mu
urder. Have
e you anythhing to say w
why judgem
ment of d
death should
d not be pro
onounced o
on you accoording to law
w?' Lartter replied ffirmly, 'No, my Lord.' The Courtroom
m, buzzing w
with excitem
ment, was ccalled to sile
ence to hear the deathh sentence. With the b
black cap upon his h
head the jud
dge spoke o
of the sequuence of evvents on the
e fateful Thhursday, telling Larter 'you de up yourr mind to take t
that girl's g
life', a nd 'anythin
ng more crruel, more hard‐heartted, it is haardly mad
possible to con
nceive'. Hee sentenced
d him to de ath and as he solemnly intoned ''May the Lo
ord have m
mercy on your soul.' Larter trrembled. W
With a partinng glance at the judge he left thee dock. A m
murder case had upo
lasted just six m
minutes. Lartter may nott have been
n legally represented aat his trial but local so
olicitors Mi lls and Ree
eve presented a petiition for rep
prieve to th
he Home Se
ecretary. Thhey received a reply da
ated 9 Febrruary 1909 which said that 'afte
er medical enquiry into the men
ntal conditiion of the prisoner' the Home SSecretary 'h
has advised
d His Majjesty to resspite the capital sente
ence, with a view to the immediate remooval of the convict to the Broaadmoor Criminal Lunaatic Asylum
m'. Two dooctors appo
ointed by the Home SSecretary had agreed that Lartter was insaane. On Friday, 12 FFebruary, hee was placed on a trainn at Norwich
h Thorpe Sttation unde r prison esccort. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved The last touching scene in a touchingg case camee from Larte
er’s mother. She wrotee to the press thus: Dear Sir. Will you be kind enou
ugh to let m
me offer thrrough your paper a moother’s mosst grateful and hearttfelt thankss to those kind friends through wh
hose effortss a reprieve e has been g
granted to my unhap
ppy son, Ho
orace Larter. I remain yyour gratefu
ul and obed
dient servannt, Elizabeth Larter. Murrder createss many victims. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved Finally, a note of our sin cere thankss and ackno
owledgemennt. The account off the murdeer of Eleanor 'Nellie' Hooward was rreproduced
d from the bbook, Norwich Murders, by Mau
urice Morso
on. We are extrem
mely gratefful to Mr Morson M
andd to the bo
ook's publishers PEN &
& SWORD BOOKS LTD
D for publish thiss article. allowing us to p
Mau
urice Morso
on was Detective Chief Superinttendant and
d Head of Norfolk CID
D. Since retiring from the police force, hee has used h
his long exp
perience as a detective
e to reinvesttigate excepptional crim
minal cases ffrom the past. Norrwich Murders is an in
n‐depth acccount of m urders thatt have gripp
ped the puublic imagin
nation over two centturies. Theey include n
notorious m
murders thatt have left milestones in criminal history which can now
w be rein
nvestigated using modern researcch techniquues. Readers of this bo
ook will actt as a new judge and jjury, refle
ecting on lo
ong‐gone po
olice practicces and appplying up‐to‐date thinking to old caases. Amo
ong the crimes reconsstructed in vivid detai l are murders of lovers, murderss motivated
d by passio
on or rage
e or during a robbery, aa double murder, the m
murder of aa policeman
n and the m
murder of a judge. A se
election of gruesome, despicable, sad, pitifuul and harro
owing crimiinal tales iss recorded in this bookk for mod
dern readerrs who will gain an unforgettablee insight into
o the greatest of crimees: the taking of anoth
her's life. © oldcatton.
©
.com – all rigghts reserved