1907 - Proceedings of the Old Bailey (2)

From International Robin Hood Bibliography
Record
Date 1907
Topic Criminals seen at the Pindar of Wakefield (Grays Inn Road)
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The Pindar of Wakefield (328 Grays Inn Road), now The Water Rats.

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2018-01-16. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2021-01-08.

Record

[23 Oct. 1876:]
ELLEN LAWRENCE, wife of Joseph Lawrence, 60, Albert Street, Barnsbury Road, printer. I have known the deceased girl eight or 10 years, and that she for some time lived an immoral life as her means of livelihood. She lived in Bidborough Street, 12, Manchester Street, 15 months ago; 30, Liverpool Street, Gower Place, College Street, Judd Street, and then with Shaw at 29, St. Paul's Road. I know prisoner well by sight. I first saw him when Dimmock lived in Manchester Street in the "Pindar of Wakefield" public-house, Gray's Inn Road, in conversation with Dimmock—they seemed very good friends. I have also seen them, both there separately. Frederick Street, in which the prisoner lives, is very near the "Pindar of Wakefield." I have not seen them together since until the Friday before the murder, September 6, in the "Rising Sun." At about 8.30 p.m Dimmock came into the bar where I was having a drink with Mrs. Smith. Prisoner came in and teemed on friendly terms with Dimmock. On Monday Smith and I when there at eight p.m. We were going to the Euston Music Hall for the second house at nine p.m. Prisoner came in. He stood Mrs. Smith and me a drink. We spoke to him, and he asked if we would have something to drink. He asked if we had seen Dimmock he called her "Phyllis." She has been known by that name ever since sue came to London. Mrs. Smith passed a jovial remark to him, "Don't tell Phyllis we have had a drink with you—she might be jealous." Shortly after Dimmock came in. said "Good evening" to us, and passed direct over to prisoner. She put a penny in the gramophone which prisoner gave her. They staved a little while and came out at the same time as we did. She said they were going to the Ho'born Empire; they crossed the road and got into a bus. Dimmock seemed nervous, as if she did not want to go with prisoner—

[...]

JOHN WILLIAM CRABTREE. I have no fixed abode at present. I was living at 1, Bidborough Street about May twelvemonth. I purchased the lease of that house. Previous to my going there Phyllis Dimmock stayed there as well as alter. The other people were respectable people. While living there I have seen prisoner there. I once say him coming down from the first floor towards the cellar; in fact, I saw him on several occasions. One night as I opened the door I met Wood in the passage and he passed down into my kitchen, and while I was putting my bicycle away Dimmock followed him down and got hold of his arm and wanted something from him. What the something was I do not know. I said, "What it all this bother about?" Dimmock says, "Give it to me." With that prisoner said, "Oh, she is only a common prostitute, and you know so." With that he went through my door up the area steps. He used to stop there on several occasions. On another occasion I was called up into the bedroom early in the morning, and Phyllis was in a nude condition except for a sheet thrown over her shoulders. This would be before seven in the morning; about half-past six. Dimmock asked me when I wet going out would I take a silver cigarette case and pawn it for her. Wood was there in bed. She gave me the case, and I said to Wood, "Is this yours?" He said, "Yes." They then asked me to hand it back and never mind pawning it, and I gave it to Wood. Wood remained in bed. I afterwards went to Manchester Street, and Dim mock also lived there. That would be about the latter end of June last year. On the Saturday after we moved I saw prisoner there. On a subsequent occasion I saw Wood at the corner of Gray's Inn Road and Manchester Street, and saw him again in the "Pindar of Wakefield." One day prisoner came to Manchester Street while Dimmock was at Portsmouth, and asked for her. I told him she was not in, and he asked me when I expected her. I did not know. When she came back he came to the house again. I was convicted for keeping a brothel at Manchester Street in July last year and sentenced to three months' imprisonment. I came out on May 24, as I had had a ticket to serve. After that I went to 30a, Argyll Square. In May this year I was sentenced again for keyring that house at a brothel, getting four months. The sentence expired about ten days ago.

[...]

Prisoner. No. I made her acquaintance in the "Rising Sun" on the Friday mentioned in my statement, which is perfectly true. I have heard the evidence of the man Crabtree. It is utterly false; in fact, it is dastardly. I hope God will destroy me this minute if I ever knew Crabtree or have ever been in his house. I live within a stone's throw of the "Rising Sun." I knew Ruby Young when she was living in Liverpool Street, but I did not know that Phyllis Dimmock lived nearly opposite. On the Friday night deceased asked me fore penny for the gramophone, and I gave her one. I paid for drinks. Later a boy offered some postcards for sale. They were of a very common, inartistic kind. I produced some more artistic cards from my pocket, and Dimmock chose the card which has been produced. She said she collected them, and asked me if I would send it to her, and write something pleasing on it to give it interest. I signed the card with the name "Alice" at her request. She said that was the name of a friend. I saw her again the following night in Great College Street, as I was on my way to the Gas Company's offices in Camden Road. On the Sunday night I did not see her, but on the Monday night I saw her for some tune in the "Rising Sun." The man Roberts was there. Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Lawrence were there also. We had drinks and were all very friendly. I did not take Dimmock to the Holbom Music Hail that night. I had a sketch book, and she amused herself looking through it She had some intelligence, and I may say that appealed to me. I did not hear Dimmock say that we bad spent the evening in the "Adam and Eve" public-house. I have never seen Dimmock in the "Pindar of Wakefield." It would be some time after 11 that I left the "Rising Sun" on the Monday night. She called my attention on the Saturday night to the fact that I had not sent the postcard. I posted it on the Sunday night, I think, in the pillar box in Museum Street, alter I had left my brother's place. On the Tuesday night I was not in the "Rising Sun" at all. I was on my way to Red Lion Street to see about some ink for a style pen when I met my brother in Theobald's Road. After we had been to the public library and to the barber's, I accompanied him home and had supper, and he afterwards came back with me to Frederick Street to see father. I did not go out again after that. On the following evening, September 11, I was in the "Eagle" public-house with Dimmock, whom I met in the Camden Road. Lambert came in, and I introduced her to him as a "merry girl friend." I only knew her a a Phyllis, and did not mention her name. I addressed the postcard to "Mrs. B. Shaw" at her dictation.

[...]

Cross-examined. Yesterday was the first time I made an admission in public that I was in Dimmock's company on September 11—I have nor spoken in public before. I did not mention it to Ruby Young nor to my brothers Charles and James, nor to Tinkham. I had nothing to fear from publicity being given to my association with her. Naturally it looked very bad that I was so late in her company the night she was killed. The "Rising Sun" postcard is on its face a letter of assignation. It is written by me signed in the name of "Alice" and addressed to the woman in the house in which she lived and where she was killed. It was hardly an appointment; there was no seriousness attached to it. Prior to September 6 I had never seen Phyllis Dimmock in my life. I did not say on Friday, September 6, to Smith, "Have you seen Phyllis?"—that is a mistake. I did not beckon to Dimmock. The postcard was lightly penciled out in the "Rising Sun" on my sketch-book, while sitting by her side, and retained by me. I had no fixed intention of posting it. I intended that I might look in by the way at the "Rising Sun." I was there about an hour on Friday. I went there about 10 p.m. and left about 12; I was in Dimmock's company practically all that time. I did not go to the "Rising Sun" on Saturday, but met Dimmock quite accidentally in Great College Street. I was in the "Eagle" with her that evening. I have been in the "Eagle" about once before. I do not use the "Pindar of Wakefield." The only occasion I recollect being there was before Christmas, 1906, with Tinkham. I have been in the "Adam and Eve," and was there for about an hour with diseased on the Saturday. I did not see her on the Sunday, but late that night I posted the "Rising Sun" postcard. I cannot recall when I actually lined it—completed it—possibly on Sunday. [...][1]

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IRHB has silently regularized the use of spaces before punctuation marks in the quotation and corrected the HTML text at Proceedings of the Old Bailey from the PDF of the original printed edition.

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