Camden Town Murder
Encyclopedia
The Camden Town Murder was a murder
which took place in Camden Town
, London
in 1907. Robert Wood, an artist, was tried for the murder of Emily Dimmock, a prostitute and acquitted after a brilliant defence by Edward Marshall Hall.
On 11 September 1907, Emily Dimmock (known as Phyllis), a part-time prostitute cheating on her partner Bertram Shaw, a railwayman, was murdered in her home at Agar Grove (then 29 St Paul's Road), Camden, having gone there from the The Eagle public house, Royal College Street. After sex, the man had slit her throat open while she was asleep, then left in the morning. On the 12th, Shaw returned home during the evening to find his room locked. He borrowed a key from a neighbour, but upon entering found Phyllis lying naked on the bed, throat cut from ear to ear. It was a savage but skilful attack on her from the nature of the wound. Nothing much had been taken from the flat, and the motive was a mystery; the case quickly became a sensation.
After initial difficulty the police investigation led by Inspector Neill centred on Robert Wood, an artist. Wood was in a relationship with Ruby Young, who recognised his handwriting on a postcard found in Dimmock's room. Wood was put on trial for the murder, during which Marshall Hall displayed the kind of effective and dramatic cross examination that he was known for. Marshall was convinced of Wood's innocence, and also of the fallibility of the prosecution case. The judge Mr Justice Grantham departed from the pro-conviction stance he was expected to take mid-summing up, and made it clear he thought the jury should acquit. That they did, after retiring for only 15 minutes between 7.45 and 8pm.
The artist Walter Sickert
adopted the phrase The Camden Town Murder
for a series of etchings, paintings and drawing in 1908-9, in each of which the subjects are a clothed man and a nude woman. A television play based upon the case, "Killer In Close-Up: The Robert Wood Trial", written by George F. Kerr, was produced by Sydney
television station ABN-2
, airing on September 4th 1957.
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
which took place in Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1907. Robert Wood, an artist, was tried for the murder of Emily Dimmock, a prostitute and acquitted after a brilliant defence by Edward Marshall Hall.
On 11 September 1907, Emily Dimmock (known as Phyllis), a part-time prostitute cheating on her partner Bertram Shaw, a railwayman, was murdered in her home at Agar Grove (then 29 St Paul's Road), Camden, having gone there from the The Eagle public house, Royal College Street. After sex, the man had slit her throat open while she was asleep, then left in the morning. On the 12th, Shaw returned home during the evening to find his room locked. He borrowed a key from a neighbour, but upon entering found Phyllis lying naked on the bed, throat cut from ear to ear. It was a savage but skilful attack on her from the nature of the wound. Nothing much had been taken from the flat, and the motive was a mystery; the case quickly became a sensation.
After initial difficulty the police investigation led by Inspector Neill centred on Robert Wood, an artist. Wood was in a relationship with Ruby Young, who recognised his handwriting on a postcard found in Dimmock's room. Wood was put on trial for the murder, during which Marshall Hall displayed the kind of effective and dramatic cross examination that he was known for. Marshall was convinced of Wood's innocence, and also of the fallibility of the prosecution case. The judge Mr Justice Grantham departed from the pro-conviction stance he was expected to take mid-summing up, and made it clear he thought the jury should acquit. That they did, after retiring for only 15 minutes between 7.45 and 8pm.
The artist Walter Sickert
Walter Sickert
Walter Richard Sickert , born in Munich, Germany, was a painter who was a member of the Camden Town Group in London. He was an important influence on distinctively British styles of avant-garde art in the 20th century....
adopted the phrase The Camden Town Murder
The Camden Town Murder
The Camden Town Murder is a title given to a group of four paintings by Walter Sickert painted in 1908. The paintings have specific titles, such as the problem picture What Shall We Do for the Rent or What Shall We Do to Pay the Rent....
for a series of etchings, paintings and drawing in 1908-9, in each of which the subjects are a clothed man and a nude woman. A television play based upon the case, "Killer In Close-Up: The Robert Wood Trial", written by George F. Kerr, was produced by Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
television station ABN-2
ABN
ABN or abn is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* IATA airport code for Albina Airport in Albina, Suriname* ABN AMRO, sometimes referred to as "ABN" in shorthand* ABN AMRO Group* ABN Andhra Jyothi, a Telugu language news channel based in India...
, airing on September 4th 1957.