 Good evening. This is crime classics. I am Thomas Highland with another true story of crime listen That's a cricket a Suffolk County cricket and he's chirping away at a merry pace Therefore, he's a male cricket for among crickets only this sex can chirp At the present moment this particular fellow happens to be in a hayloft in an English barn the year is 1827 and it's spring and it's evening and it's warm and if you're going to be a cricket now Is the time for the hay lies sleek against your antenna? Oh My yes dead cricket 120 pounds of country girl just fell on him girl's name Mariah Martin and she was a dead weight So tonight my report to you on the killing story of William Corder and the farmer's daughter Crime classics a series of true crime stories from the records and newspapers of every land from every time Your host each week. Mr. Thomas Highland connoisseur of crime student of violence and teller of murders Now once again, Mr. Thomas Highland England in 1827 was between periods a decade before Napoleon had met his waterloo and a decade later Victoria was to sit on the throne a true in this year Which concerns us the country was briefly stunned by the affair laverie Which almost cost England the continent of Australia until cooler heads and more honest bookkeeping prevailed And when the shattering was done and normalcy returned People returned to normal pursuits which included the young folk for instance, Mariah Martin Giggler five two one hundred and twenty pounds pretty Demure and the most chockable chin in Paul's Which chin chucking was being done by William Corder Mariah Pinklin Pinklin Mariah Twice over pink Yes, you be And sweet smelling you are too. Oh, did they you smell in the month of May in your dilly hair? Oh And just to think William to think what all the seasons from now on from May to December And then start a new year and all that near in the next what? What took you for every month for every season? Well Well, they were oh, I have not said that or Perhaps sometimes what I want to go. I'd want to leave here. I want to your dilly mouth move And says nothing at all You'll not go for me William. Oh Because you will marry me You must marry me William must I know yes else what I will tell I will tell what you did William I would For my poor dad Mariah cannot understand how he's poor money was dug up and taken away Mariah I want to say a word and should I say what happened to the jail you would go lad may be hung I Heard an hip switch. They did a hanging recent to a lad which stole a heifer Mariah Will you listen to me and I do so love you a Thiefly, but I love you Mariah. Will you marry me? Oh You've been trying to say it all the time, of course. I am of course you have I would like to read to you a description of William Corder has taken from a 19th century journal He was about five feet six inches in height Usually affected a drab great coat plaid lilac handkerchief a black dress coat and blue pantaloons And had rather a large nose a small face and a ring on the little finger of his right hand That was William Corder of course since this was spring and the warm one He took off his drab great coat especially on the evening when he left Mariah and went home and sharpened a knife He was a handyman That's why he was so useful around the various firms in Paul's stead Everybody loved him everybody needed him to mend the plow or stretch a thong the cry went up. Hi Billy Corder This with smiling affection and the next morning when he went to the farm of his betrothed I Billy Corder from Mariah's father From her mother Morning to each of you Come into the house now see you nice and with some dilly biscuit now ma he looks where it What you've been doing Billy a sharpening of what a sharp knife for the farmers all about I give you a hand whenever you'd want Billy Harrio, but I Come this morning with another favor to ask What favor Billy boy? Concern in Concern in what Billy boy my love my pink Lynn my dilly girl Mariah I'll be losing our Billy boy you'll be good to Billy Now ma just be good to him you here Then you'll be saying yes to what I'm asking. I'm saying it then Here's a thing that oh a dowry thing Well since there was the stealing Since my poor money was dug by robbers There's not very much I have but I got my farmer, but my ground is clay and rock And you are a mole catcher. I cannot run faster more come here to me Billy here I be but close as a mother to a son son Son yes, I have a fathering put aside for Mariah and for you Tario and There's a pistol. I like so much in the father for what a pistol which I must have Travelling as we are Mariah and me to London for the marriage London you go to be wed. Yes Village is every girl dreaming London to be married in you're my true love Mariah tonight. I'll fetch you and we'll go down to London Or better what better could there be the red bar? You know it I'll meet you there at the crossroads. Oh, whatever you say, love Ain't he a love? Oh, he's a love. All right. He's a real Doon back in this dark barn Willie why are we not off to London? I Showed you the jewels I got from Mar Willie. I made her give me the cameo necklace, too Now please can't we go to London to be wed? I do so want to wed with you Willie Lonsie, that's what you are. I bring you daddy's pistol like you asked in what you do. It goes off in your hand Now let's off to London Willie. It's a bride. I'm dying to be Willie are you there? I can hardly see you Willie. Where are you? Here I am With the knife he sharpened last night then he carried Mariah down from the loft into the empty corn room He left her there for a moment and ran down the road apiece Evening there. Can I borrow the use of a spade? Tario and Billy boy went back to the red barn and there he dug a hole six by three by three I put Mariah in it and Filled the hole again and Billy took the high road to London He also took the gun the jewels and the farthings not a care had he as he whistled his way down the road Or Mariah's parents thought Mariah was with him and in London step I'm just a country bumpkin trying to make my way in London town So step you up here. We have it. Here's a pea and he has three shells from walnuts I placed a pea beneath the shell in the middle and move the shells about Now who's a brave lad? Who's a clever lad? Tell me under which shell is the pea? Oh, not for free lad for a wager A pound a pound now watch your clothes It's one of the end. We shall see Well you lose was under this one in the middle now let's try it again and in six months William Quarter had enough money to purchase a house and a bakery shop a feather bed upstairs a parlor beneath it and beneath the parlor bread and buns He needed only one more thing So he went to the newspaper and he inserted an ad lady for matrimony wanted a private gentleman age 24 entirely independent whose disposition is not to be exceeded as lately lost his family to the end of Providence This meets the eye of any agreeable lady who feels desirous of meeting with a sociable tender Kind and sympathizing companion. They will find this advertisement worthy of notice Honor and secrecy may be relied on mr. X 68 lead in all street Here sir insert this in the next edition Sir at your service if there was an advertisement at your service are you the director X? Oh, yeah, me if such as you are seeking him out the advertisement said sociable You were comely it said tender and your air a shade of brown that will sweeten in the sunlight It said kind days alive It said a sympathizing companion. How could such as fair as you need a sympathizing gentle kiss your and clean That's how they did it in 1827 at least that's the way William quarter did it Quite a handyman wasn't a the way he got rid of one girl and found another and in his neighborhood when a pipe needed Mending or a bun bake. Hi Willie quarter the cry went up. Hi Willie quarter You are listening to crime classics and your host Thomas Highland This Saturday night on CBS radio's gangbusters here The exciting true story of the Golden Horn a kid who finds a gun and trades it for a trumpet Starts a chain reaction that leads to murder on gangbusters case file of the Golden Horn That's this Saturday night on most of these same stations Also this Saturday, you'll want to follow the latest adventure of United States Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke Remember Gunsmoke means Western adventures Saturday nights at the stars address Well spring came and one of the nicest sights on an April day on leadenall street in London Was the new mrs. William quarter? She would lean her head against her husband and arm and arm they would stroll Willie it's the truth every bit of it when wallington called for volunteers I stepped out of their ranks. Oh Willie. It's the truth birdie. I know it's the truth Willie It's just that my heart is something because you might have been killed me. Oh Willie But birdie I knew when I volunteered nothing was going to happen. I hadn't met you yet And I had to live to do that. So what else? What else happened to you before you met me? Well, uh before I met Right before I met you I was in Italy. You said France you said Before France I mean and the Italian women one of them Willie. Oh, I didn't have no time to bother with them I was on a secret mission. Oh, don't you tell nobody? You happy birdie happy is as happy do happy do indeed. Oh, yeah Willie yes, the jewels you're going to sell to my brother. How come you buy them by a gamble a game of cards But there are ladies do that isn't it obvious duck? I gambled with a lady Into nowhere it were while on secret assignment. God. I was like a gypsy. I would have lost to you too Downy bird Come Hi Willie quarter I led Lonnie brother Sidney twice and go to grass brother-in-law for what luck you had at the cards last night And will we cheat me at this transaction too? Isn't he priceless brother Sidney? He's a good brother-in-law, but oh good What price will you give me for these jewels to add to your stock? Hmm Midland goods you see wife your brother becomes a haggler when it comes to money be generous Sidney what you give us will buy a new oven 50 pounds done But is cameo necklace alone this other stuff not worth a shock for you 50 pounds then All right y'all to check Dario good brother and of me a duck a dilly duck a love The very jewels Willie had stolen from the late Mariah Martin and you remember where Mariah got them from her mother And you remember her mother Mariah writes such nice letters You we we can be proud. I never knew she could write. I guess Willie Cord is taught her That's right. Mr. And Mrs. Martin were getting letters from Mariah since the very first week She was away once every fortnight for a year now Letters written on santed stationery in a feminine hand by Willie Cord her Chattie letters having to do with the shops in London. Oh, I'd like stroll Piccadilly myself some time in Ribbons like my daughter D. Does newsy letters about trials and tribulations of her married life Or don't think that's very funny you You wouldn't warm letters. Oh Isn't that a sweet thing? She says here, Huey. I Miss you ma. She says I Miss you pa. She says and how's the farming she asks and how's the mall catching and the field of my father's play and Rocks Oh Good and a likely daughter only only what? Yeah, she says don't come to London Aggie what do you want Mariah could not write when she left here. She writes good now better than me Frightened you will No, oh no, no, what were you doing right in writing what nothing? Don't try to hide anything from me will oh Pinklin I I wouldn't do that then what writing were you doing promise not to tell what writing will promise I promise Check my brother gave you look again for a 150 pounds But he gave you a check for only 50. Uh-huh, then what you were right? I fix the check. Oh What a joke on your brother Bird not quite simply an extra hundred pounds clever Isn't it Now who could that be the tradesmen I think you're let's go to the window and see The tradesmen and see what he has for us a new bed warmer a new quilt a new feather quilt Look down there a new bed What a one what a one you are oh husband tradesmen And later on they chuckled about what a wonderful joke he had played on his brother-in-law Sydney History does not record Sydney's reaction It's true what birdie said what a one was William Corder especially what a one he was with the quill Not only had he taken up hiking checks, but he was still penning those letters I told you about only the scent had been changed this latest letter. I have here Huey Mariah says should I ever be so bold as to come to London? She would not receive me She never could right Go to sleep old man and according to court reports and testimony. This is what happened then go on Go to sleep old man Then Mrs. Martin said she fell asleep too Then what's terrible? Don't you like London? Not in London? Not in London. I Hagi, hey, hey, hey, London Not in London wake up, Hagi put the tea to a bubble. Not in oh Had me a fight here Terrible awful nightmare for the sheet you did now up to the tea lady Dremf she wasn't in London Up to the tea lady up. Yes. Yes. Yes, and the next night never got to London Where did you get to? Hardly away from here You dead. I'd be not far from here Where? Where I? Wake wake agi bubble the tea for me And on the third night Red Barn at the crossroads How come you're there? He put knife to me and dug my grave in what place? in the corn room and Really? Where cutters done? What? Our daughter dear She lies three feet under the corn room in the red barn To be done Mariah told me in a dream in a three-night dream She told me get trouble to you and dig Open get shoveled to you. He got up all right, and he got shoveled to him and together They went down to the red barn and they dug and they found a skeleton and Mariah's shawl and Mariah's shoes and Mariah's dress But the thing that clinched it the thing that made them sure the skeleton had the four front teeth Missing in its lower jaw exactly the four teeth that had been missing from Mariah's mouth when she was alive And again and again as she ran down the road toward Paul's dead Which was finally heard by Constable James Lee who viewed the body and rubbed his chin and took a trip to London Where he sought for and found William Corder who was tried and found guilty and A half hour before he was hanged wrote a letter in his own hand on unscented paper and of course signed in his own name Dear Birdie Good wife, I am fully aware of the shame and disgrace which I must have cost you So that there be some vestige of pride remain Such as a woman should have for her husband. I suggest you bury me in the finest vestment obtainable such as silk My coffin I do pray you for your own sake should be of me agony with molding of silver a cherubin on my tombstone of marble with some fitting sentiment such as Willem Corder of sweet and gentle memory Though not innocent of deed. I am innocent of heart Good boy dear wife Willem Corder on the scaffold there was some embarrassment because the trap would not work Corder who was you'll remember a very handyman affixed it About after the trap was sprung it took him 12 minutes to die, so he probably didn't do a very good job In just a moment Thomas Highland will tell you about next week's crime classic William Corder tonight's crime classic was adapted from the original court reports and newspaper accounts by Morton Fine and David Friedkin The music was composed by Bernard Herman and conducted by Wilbur hatch and the program is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis Thomas Highland is portrayed on radio by Lou Meryl in tonight's story Richard Peele was heard as William Corder Betty Harford as Mariah Alma Lawton as birdie Jeanette Nolan as the mother Joseph Kearns as the father and Donald Lawton as Sydney Gil Warren speaking and Here again is Thomas Highland next week Edinburgh Scotland during the rainy season of the year 1826 we will concern ourselves with used goods shoes cat skins and corpses to name a few The case in question is listed in my files as if a body need a body Just call Burke and Hare Thank you. 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