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Name: |
George Joseph Smith |
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AKA: |
Brides in the Bath |
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D.O.B. |
11
January 1872 |
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Kill
Total: |
4 + |
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Kill
date: |
1912
- 1914 |
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Kill
Place: |
London |
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Status: |
Married |
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Occupation: |
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Victim: |
Bessie Mundy
Alice Burnham
Margaret Lofty
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Court: |
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Judge: |
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Prosecution: |
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Defence: |
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FACTFILE
Born in Bethnal Green, East
London , he was hanged in Maidstone prison on Friday 13th
August 1915, at age 43.
Smith was a stereotypical
cockney, full of charm and wit, with a wicked sense of
humour. But this cockney had a darker side, a distain for
women that led him to drown three women in as many years.
It is not known if Smith did kill anymore than the three,
but it is certain that he would have killed again if he
had not been caught. Smith had been a petty criminal in
his youth, and after marrying his first, and only legal,
wife 19 year old Barbara Thornhill in 1898, he discovered
that women were easy prey. Several years and several
beatings later in 1910 he met 33 year old Beatrice
(Bessie) Mundy. He married Bessie, who was intelligent,
attractive, and had a bank balance of £2,500, at Weymouth
in the name of Henry Williams.
They settled in Herne Bay, Kent, and after Bessie had made
a will leaving everything to her supposed husband, Smith
visited the local ironmongers to buy a bath. He the took
Bessie to a doctor stating that she suffered from fits.
On the 13th July 1912 the
doctor was called to the house. He found Bessie dead, she
was in the bath naked, but with her head under the water,
Smith claimed that she must have had a fit. All her assets
went to Smith after an inquest recorded a verdict of death
by misadventure. Smith moved on, this time to Southsea,
there he met 25 year old Alice Burnham, they married on
4th November 1913.
The "Happy" couple moved to Blackpool, after finding
accommodation, with a bath. Smith took his new bride to
the doctors, claiming she suffered from fits. On 12th
December, just a month after the wedding, Alice was found
dead in the bath. Smith quickly collected the £500 life
insurance policy and moved on.
Next Smith married wealthy Clergyman's daughter Margaret
Lofty, his seventh bigamous marriage, once she had taken
out a life insurance policy for £700. They were married
in, Bath! on 17th December 1914, and settled in a
dwelling, with a bath, in Highgate, London. On this
occasion Smith used the name of Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd, he had
used many name for his many marriages, including, Lloyd,
Love, Rose & Williams The next day followed the trip to
the doctors, but the doctor could find nothing wrong. Once
they got home Lloyd (Smith) suggested she have a nice warm
bath> He got the landlady to fill the bath and then sat
and played the harmonium, the landlady later recalled that
the tune he had been playing was "Nearer My God to Thee".
Fifteen minutes later there was a knock at the front door,
it Was Smith, "Just popped out to get some tomatoes for
Mrs. Lloyd's supper" Smith claimed. Smith asked if his
wife was yet out of the bath, the landlady said she had
heard nothing, the two of them went upstairs and found
Margaret Lloyd dead in the bath. Again a verdict of death
by misadventure was recorded at the inquest.
The case received huge publicity, and even made the "News
of the world". Reading the Article was the father of Alice
Burnham who thought the case was remarkably similar to
that of the death of his daughter. The police were
informed and after a lengthy investigation into George
Joseph Smith and his various aliases the death of Bessie
Mundy was also discovered. On 22nd June 1915 Smith stood
trial at the Old Bailey in London charged with the murder
of Bessie Mundy at Herne Bay.
Although not charged
with the other murders, they were given as evidence, the
jury took just 22 minutes on 1st July 1915 to find George
Joseph Smith guilty of murder. On Friday 13th July 1915 he
was hanged in Maidstone prison by hangman John Ellis. The
other four wives having given a huge sigh of relief.
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