This article is the story of a long forgotten particularly callous murder and the subsequent Police investigation. The original case file has not survived so this account relies on a few original documents and newspaper articles that were published at the time.
In 1904 the Police had limited resources available to them, there were no Forensic Scientists, no DNA searches or CCTV available. Fingerprinting was very much in its infancy, not that it would have helped in this case anyway. Essentially all the Police had was a photographer, so it is not surprising that the victim was never identified and, consequently, no offender was ever arrested much less convicted for this crime.
The Victim.
The saddest part of this story is that the victim, “The Murdered Innocent” as a newspaper described them, was an infant female child variously described as being aged between 6 and 12 months. Her description continued to say she was a chubby little girl weighing 14 lbs, with a fat, full face and strongly marked boyish features, in fact, she could easily have been mistaken for a boy. She had brown hair, hazel eyes and was 2 ft 2 inches tall. All she was wearing were a pair of knee length brown socks. Her only identifying marks were from her vaccination on an arm.
The Facts.
Around midday on Saturday 16th April 1904 the body of a baby girl was found on a mud bank in the River Lea, near Ware Park Mill, Hertford. A local fisherman, examining the water, made the horrible discovery, and procuring a rake endeavoured to draw the body to the bank but found it heavier than he anticipated. This was explained when, after wading into the water and bringing the body to the bank, two iron weights, a 7 lb. and a 4 lb., were found attached by a length of copper wire around her waist.
Richard Taylor Foster, the Superintendent of F Division Hertford, was informed and took charge of the investigation. Local Surgeon Mr. Henry Stocker Wilson Hall carried out a post mortem and concluded that there was a mark on her throat possibly caused by a cord or some other pressure, and besides the mark caused by the copper wire, to which the weights were attached, there were no other marks of violence. From the condition of the lungs his opinion was she had been thrown into the water alive, although partly strangled, possibly three days before she was found.
The reasoning for this was that on the 13th April a portmanteau [a large travelling bag opening into two equal parts. Ed.] of a common make was found in the river near Hartham between where the victim was found and the railway station. It is suggested that this was used to carry the body, by rail probably from London, and that it was thrown away after the body had been hurled into the river. The portmanteau was described as being covered with black American cloth, bound at the corners with brown leather, and brown handles. It was of cheap manufacture. and probably bought for the purpose. The portmanteau measured 19 ½ in. long, by 19 ½ in. deep, and 8in. wide.
Next Steps.
Superintendent Foster instructed that details should be circulated to all Hertfordshire Police Stations by telephone. The Bishops Stortford Police Station Telephone Message Book, in use between the 11th August 1902 to the 27th April 1904, records an entry timed at 6.00 p.m. on the 16th April 1904 as follows: From Superintendent Foster to All Stations – Found drowned in the River Lea near Ware Park Mill today at noon the body of a female child from 6 to 9 months old, dark brown hair, heavy eyebrows, hazel eyes, fat full face, weighing 14 lbs, had on a pair of brown socks, tied tight round the waist was a piece of copper wire and two iron weights attached one a 7 lbs and one 4 lbs, body has been in water about 3 days it has vaccination marks on arm. The officer who received the message endorsed the entry in the book, “Transmitted to Sawbridgeworth,” indicating that he had forwarded the information to that station.
PC 166 Harry Saunders had copied the same message into the Bishops Stortford Guard Room Occurrence Book, in use between the 5th November 1903 and the 17th October 1904, and had added an endorsement of “Special enquiries to be made respecting the above.” Several colleagues had added their Warrant Numbers in the margin to acknowledge they were aware. It is not difficult to imagine the same happening throughout the County.
Superintendent Foster believed it was possible that a shopkeeper may remember the portmanteau being purchased and as many people had, within the last few years, left Hertford to reside in the Northern suburbs of London, he requested the Metropolitan Police to make inquiries in those districts indicating specially Tottenham, Edmonton, Ponders End, etc. At the direction of Superintendent Robinson, N Division, Metropolitan Police Detective Officers, were engaged in making inquiries in those districts.
Other Official Sources.
A letter from the Police Station Hertford dated 16th April 1904. Stamped Superintendents Office F Division Hertford 20/4/04 and Chief Constables Office Received 21st April 1904 reads:
Found drowned in the River Lea at Ware Park Mill near Hertford on the 16th inst the body of a female child aged 6 to 9 months, Hair brown, Eyes Hazel, fat full face, length 2 ft 2 inches, weighing 14 lbs, had on a pair of brown socks, the child had been vaccinated. Photograph can be seen on application.
A piece of copper wire was tied tightly round the waist and a 7 lb and 4 lb weight attached.
The 7lb weight bears a London County Council stamp Viz: a Crown on top of V.R.30.
The 4 lb weight bears the Essex Council stamp Viz: Three Cutlasses on Shield.
Please cause every possible enquiry to be made in your district and any information obtained communicate with The Superintendent of Police Hertford.
Also, a memorandum numbered 2679 of 1904 from Superintendent Foster Hertford 20th April 1904 to Lieutenant Colonel H. Daniell Chief Constable of Herts Hatfield stamped Chief Constables Office Received 21st April 1904 read:
Sir, I beg to enclose photographs of the female child found drowned on the 16th inst and to inform you that the Inquest was held at the Town Hall on Monday the 18th and adjourned till the 16th May 1904 for full enquiry to be made. I have the honour to be Sir your obedient servant R.T. Foster Superintendent.
The photograph referred to above has survived but is too graphic to be reproduced.
The Weights.
The copper wire and weights were examined. The wire was of a common type with nothing remarkable about it. The 7lb. weight was stamped with the London County Council stamp (a Crown over V.R.30) and the 4lb. weight had the stamp of Essex County Council (three cutlasses on a shield). They were both similar to those used in greengrocers’ shops. It was ascertained that the 7lb. weight was stamped at the Shoreditch stamping office prior to 1900 and was probably in use in the Shoreditch district, and someone may have realised it was missing.
The Inquest.
The Inquest was opened at Hertford Town Hall on Monday the 18th April before Mr. Thomas Joseph Sworder, Solicitor, and a Jury and disclosed facts that pointed to a deliberate and brutal murder of the little baby girl of between 6 to 8 months of age, a particularly healthy and well-formed child. The Inquest was adjourned until the 16th May 1904 to allow for enquiries to be made.
The Inquest was concluded on the 16th May. Despite the best efforts of the Police the baby girl remained unidentified, and no one had been arrested for her murder. Mr. Sworder provided information to the Registrar to record the child’s death. The date and place of death was recorded as the 16th April 1904, River Lea, Hertford, for her name it was recorded a female child whose name is unknown, age about 12 months, and the cause of death was recorded as wilful murder by some person or persons unknown.
The Victim.
The burial register for All Saints and St John’s Church, Hertford includes a burial record for an unknown female child, aged around 9 months, buried on the 18th April 1904. The grave is unmarked and it has not been possible to identify where in the graveyard she was buried.
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