 Whitehall 1212 for the first time in history Scotland Yard opens its secret files to bring you the authentic stories of some of its most baffling cases these are the stories the unvarnished facts just as they occurred reenacted for you by an all British cast only the names of the participants have for obvious reasons been changed the stories are presented with a full cooperation of Scotland Yard research on Whitehall 1212 is prepared by Percy Hoskins chief crime reporter of the London Daily Express the stories for radio are written and directed by Willis Cooper here are the participants in case number nine to one MR four to one Peter Williams who boxed at 135 pounds it's all right it looked like your duty Mrs. Jesse Fallowfield his mother-in-law it'll come out all right one of these days I'm sure Sir Brendan O'Neill home office pathologist Scotland Yard we're doing the best we can do Iris Williams who resembled her mother chief inspector Oscar Ford of Scotland Yard on the morning of 19th November 1943 two engineers employed by a Bedfordshire town discovered something floating half submerged in the waters of the River Lee if you'll come with me down the corridor here to the Black Museum I'll show you what they found come along please this is Scotland Yards Black Museum of which you may have heard Chief Superintendent John Davison doesn't seem to be here John ask the Ford John Chief Superintendent Davison is the custodian of the Black Museum has a long and distinguished record with the yard came in connection with the Williams case John oh yes 9 to 1 MR 4 to 1 appear on a shout so I hope you're not too disappointed and not finding skeletons and gory human bodies lying about in here but they're in short stock with us this is it Oscar actually this isn't the ground you know the articles filed away in here all of course at some connection with one crime or another but they're not particularly gory now we don't keep them here to inspire writers of penned dreadfuls on the world as a total now they're here for the use as reference items in our business of catching criminals examples you see of how certain crimes were committed and I think you'd be amazed how much they aid our people in solving of other similar ones now these things in this box a potato sex ordinary rough burlap sex but potatoes come in other things come in them too John yes a dead body came in this one me rain mixed with snow had been falling all day when I arrived at the riverbank 40 miles north of London thanks to the inclement weather no crowd had gathered and the huge local constable the unfortunate victim and I had the dismal landscape all to ourselves I showed my car to the constable thank you sir that's it I wouldn't look if you don't need to serve drowned a not only drowns oh doctors just left sir they'll be coming to take it to the mortuary her he thinks it was a woman it was of course patent that the woman had died of violent death to use the old cliche at the hands of a person or persons unknown our job was not only to find that person or persons unknown but first to establish the identity of the unfortunate young woman who had worn potato sacks as her ultimate garment a homicide is a very personal thing the relations between victim and killer that exists before the deed are most important in discovering the latter but lacking identification of the victim it's most difficult to establish what relations ever existed between the late unlimited and any other person in the world so one might think that the secret of successful murder is to render your victim unidentifiable but don't try it it can't be done we'll catch you so Brendan O'Neill the home office pathologist told me to what extent the killer had attempted to prevent identification of the victim and thus of himself there are no fingerprints of course I suggest that you have the bottom of the river lead dragged at once already see if you can find the missing hands already at that's a brandon no luck so far though well whoever she was she wore false teeth so there's no good trying that one teeth are missing of course they're up on all lower plate they might be at the bottom of the river to in a foot of mud somewhere you'll never find them never seen such a completely anonymous body in all my time Oscar no scars or moles birthmarks that sort of thing another thing I can tell you her height though five feet three inches and her weight assuming that the missing arms weight about 20 pounds that would make her 121 pounds say 120 quite average brown hair Bob can't tell you what color her eyes were no we're trying to type her blood now afraid that's all no her age sir I'd say about 27 oh yes and she'd had children it isn't much to go on is it first we can do chief inspector oh I know that sir those wounds on her head hit with something that has a sharp corner smashed the skull in three places dead when she was thrown into the water well we'll check every missing woman case of bedfisher way first see if we can find out which 120 pound five foot three woman is not accounted for had children dull brown bobbed hair that's all of it I should have listened to my father he wanted me to be a passenger well good luck now bloody well needed I muttered to myself as I closed the door I didn't have any though for a long time this is what we accomplished in the next six weeks 534 lorry drivers known to have passed the riverbank where the body was found during the 24 hours previous to the finding of the body were investigated and screened result nothing the movements of every soldier on daily from the nearby army camps during that period were traced result nothing every war factory worker in the vicinity in both day and night shifts was questioned result absolutely nothing 604 women throughout Britain who had been reported missing were checked on by Scotland yard and provincial police result all 604 women were found alive the banks and bottom of the river Lee was searched for two miles in both directions from the place where the body was found results quantities of mud and useless debris a photograph of the skull was given to an expert artist who carefully reattached it and to what we all hoped was a semblance of the dead woman's features and we caused copies of this photograph to be handed from house to house in this market city of 70,000 we had the photograph exhibited on the screens at all the local cinemas thousands of persons saw this retouched picture in the weeks before Christmas 1943 including the murderer himself we found out later but the results were still nothing at all on the day after Christmas the coroner's order for the burial of the remains was signed case number 921 MR 421 was about to be stamped unsolved as I was leaving the yard in the evening of that 26 I ran into Chief Superintendent John Davidson the black museum man have a good Christmas sir I asked not bad at all Oscar very pleasant you I worked what a pity understand the burying that girl tomorrow I expect that's the end of it going to the funeral well sir you'd hardly call it a funeral exactly you're going hardly sir oh have a cigar Canadian friend of mine sent me a box for Christmas real corona perfectors thank you sir well one more for me then I should think it would be an act of Christianity if you did attend the girls funeral well sir I remember once by 1910 if I remember correctly I think it was all smudgy steel inspector steel dead now he nabbed a man at a funeral that's also the murderer chap came to gloat I expect that his victims last rights steel wanted who this stranger was and got into conversation with him awesome wells or someone ought to get hold of that one make a corking good penny dreadful wouldn't it a stranger at the funeral of something but it really happened might happen again too you know well good night yes good night and so I rode 40 miles to a market town on a dismal day after Boxing Day to a grimy little cemetery not far from one of the hat factories for which the town is celebrated the two second assistant sextons were shoveling the frozen claws into the raw new grave as I walked away from there with a huge constable and the young army chaplain who had been summoned away from a nearby officers mess to officiate the cemetery was deserted except for us the murderer hadn't been in attendance after all the big constable and I walked on past the hat factory whilst the young chaplain left to go back to his unfinished lunch it was cold streets almost deserted the policeman talked about the tug-of-war the last summer's police game I give you my word sir I never saw such a team as them blokes from the city police not a man less than 15 stone amongst them and cute bloke that anger man well that chap weighed not a pound less than 17 stone and strong whoo-hoo a ruddy bull name of prior no prior from Galway originally I thought I should have died laughing sir the way that belt nearly cut him in two he sucked them great eels in any afternoon what's the matter with you young lady that didn't matter with their voice oh now what's the matter dear she's lost the best thing of the nearest police station a come along young lady she thinks he's on the floor in jail I'm not going to paint your sister you lost you see probably will indeed somewhere else planted in the cinema now what do we do constable what's your name well look up at me here let me let me see your face I have a hunch yes sir don't let that kid get away what she's done I'll show you in a second look keep it quiet before we run in I'll find it in a minute here here it is look at it look at it don't let her see it love a ruddy duck recognize the paper there we circulated thousands of these all over town well tell me what it is yes it's the picture of the missing woman you people at Scotland Yard had made up what else do you see sir I said what else do you see this little maniac whose mother is missing is a spitting image of the picture all right come on come on darling we'll take you home now dear your mummy can't come out now we accompany the little girl whose name we learned was Iris Williams age three to her home a short distance away was a modest three room flat occupied by a Mrs. Jesse Fallowfield the child's grandmother and her son-in-law Iris's father a member of the local National Fire Service unit little Iris recreated to the doorstep with an enormous slice of bread and while Bramble jelly while Mrs. Fallowfield talked with us yes I've been here only two weeks you see I didn't want to talk before little Iris her mother's away my daughter so we understand from Iris Mrs. Fallowfield quite I don't like to have to say it but Jesse my daughter she has the same name as mine and Peter my son-in-law didn't get on together where is your son at the fire station well to speak quite plainly my Jesse wrote to me at seven oaks and can't you know that she couldn't stand it here with Peter any longer and she was going away how long ago was that oh the 19th of November you haven't heard from her since oh yes indeed almost every week you've heard from us since she left oh yes but we're on the best of terms as long as we're not together you see I'm afraid she's a bit flighty well one can't live one's daughter's life can one and you say you heard from her recently oh yes as a matter of fact the reasons I came from seven oaks to live here is because she wrote asking me to need yes she insisted she couldn't live with Peter but he needs to be taken care of says she and won't you go and make a home for a mother so that's why I'm here Peter just moved in with me a week ago it's very cozy though I do wish she'd come home again though it would probably be the same thing all over again bicker bicker bicker now there's no peace in this world anywhere is there well I'm sure we're very sorry to have bothered you Mrs. Fallowfield but we were quite captivated by little Iris I do hope she didn't hurt you I better make you to come and fix that up ma'am Iris was quite upset that her mother hadn't come home for Christmas oh my yes though Jesse wrote both Peter and me saying she couldn't make it she was so busy there in Hampstead the Christmas rush and all hairdresser you said yes but I'm afraid I don't know the name of the place well it doesn't really matter since you're sure it was your daughter's handwriting in that letter well I should think I'd be able to recognize that handwriting of hers the hours I've spent trying to teach her to write tidily well I hope you'll pardon our intrusion Mrs. Fallowfield we were so taken with dear little Iris yes and rather alarmed about her mother oh and I'm afraid that we police officers suspicious I'm sorry well there's nothing at all to worry about my daughter gentlemen I'm quite sure that she's safe oh I'm quite sure of that madam but her husband your son oh I'm sure I wouldn't be surprised if that's Peter now Peter oh I'm sorry these gentlemen are from the police Peter the police about Jesse I'm happy to see you Mr. Williams oh I'm Chief Inspector Ford of Scotland Yard what's this about Jesse oh don't be alone Peter Iris was blubbering in the street about her mummy being lost and these gentlemen were afraid murders been done as something equally horrid and brought her home oh well well thank you gentlemen mother I must have tea early I'm fighting tonight my son is a boxer yeah you're a lightweight I take it mr. Williams 135 pounds yes didn't see your name on the card at the drill all a yes slasher Rifkin broke his wrist this afternoon I'm a substitute I should probably see you then too bad about slasher good man that saw him fight that Australian four weeks ago I've beaten him twice he can't stand up against a left-handed boxer you're left-handed yes another letter from Jesse Peter yes the postman was just passing and he got another example of your daughter's handwriting mrs. fellowfield oh yes oh yes of course did you ever see such writing the girl will never learn nobody could ever imitate that writing well gentlemen I'm sorry that you've had to get mixed up in all this my wife's a very charming girl but we quite understand I hope you'll forgive our intrusion all right look like your duty I suppose another one of those unfortunate affairs I'm sorry about it but well you're men of the world you understand oh yes it'll all come out right one of these days I'm sure though it's all right mother fellowfield the gentleman if you'll excuse me I've got my tea now of course of course so sorry to have disturbed you sir and mrs. fellowfield it's quite all right good night good night now Peter would you fancy a nice kipper perhaps well what did you think sure done a bit of boxy in my time too what one thing I learned many years ago yes never trust a left-handed boxer I went back to London completely baffled at this turn of events that had suddenly reopened a case that should have been closed in that wintry little graveyard here was almost indubitable proof that the woman we had buried was still alive and in constant communication with her husband and her mother the letter from her had arrived on the very day I had seen her body committed to the frozen ground was impossible obviously out of my desk at Scotland Yard the next morning I arranged to have every known hairdressing shop in Hampstead and the whole north of London investigated to find if any employed a girl named Jesse Williams or Jesse fellowfield I'd caught the return address on the envelope in the fellowfield flat and it said Jesse Williams Hampstead spelled that way without the p h a m s t e a d I remembered well I thought she spells as badly as she writes I dismissed it and picked up the telephone to make a routine inquiry Hayley I'd like you to look up a chap for me please I'm sorry even spectral Ford yes sir chap named Peter Williams a boxer by profession comes from Bedfordshire see if we've ever had any dealings with him before will you take some time sir oh good enough bring me when you find out will you that's all I know about him all right thank you I went upstairs to see Sir Brendan O'Neill the home office pathologist hello Oscar get her buried all right yes sir they'll sit down I want to dig her up again what for old boy can it be done well of course if there's sufficient reason I need to know one of you things it's unusual but case isn't closed yet I sort of that well if her relatives don't raise the ground we haven't been able to find any relatives oh that's right isn't it well that case bigger up right sir then we can have a send down here and I'll need your personal assistance of Brendan for what I want to find out some things I can't tell you her name Oscar perhaps I can what do you want me to do then help me to find a very clever murderer sir these things happen during the next two days first a report from the officer in charge of checking the hairdressing establishments we have checked every address in shop in the entire north portion London the special reference to Amstead sir 131 shops not one as any record of a woman named Jesse Williams or Jesse Fallerfield there was only one Jesse among them all and Mrs. Jesse Forest at age 61 she was obviously not the person we was after thank you sergeant yes sir a report from the criminal records office of Scotland Yard Sergeant Healey speaking sir we checked thoroughly on your box of Peter Peter Williams find anything on him yes sir he's been up twice convicted penal servitude in both instances good yes oh no what was he charged with a final visit to Sir Brendan O'Neill's laboratory here's the here's the report Oscar she was struck twice on the head with a flat object like a wide metal bar or a heavy narrow wooden plank the instrument was of undetermined length that the marks on the skull indicate that it was three and seven eighth inches wide at the point where it was struck into the skull very good indeed sir Brendan how about the other experiment well they're still working on that looks rather silly doesn't it I think you were right will you be able you think to swear to it if you find I'm right sir if results continue this way we shall you're sent for me sir Brandon oh yes yes your haze aren't you yes right or left handed haze left handed sir good over on that side they'll call you when they're ready haze yes would you like to take a little trip up to Bedfordshire with me sir Brendan my constable friend from the tug-of-war team had briefed me on how to find the little house where the box of Williams had lived with his wife Jesse before she went away as he said to Hampstead before he had gone to live with her mother it was a tiny cottage not far from his present flat I noted with interest that one of the windows looked out onto the graveyard where we had buried that poor woman a few days before we walked around the place staring at the neat rooms empty as they'd stood since Williams had moved out there was nothing at all at first to excite our interest subrennan O'Neill walked into the tiny stone floor scullery I watched with the other Scotland yard man who'd come with us so Brandon spoke from the other room and this strip of wood on this old bench here measure it three three and seven eighths inches all right well right with Oscar good the nailed on fairly recently sir these are new nails see if you can get it off carefully oh I can do it hand me the parcel Oscar what's that sir it's a skull never mind it the piece of wood you've been here before madam it's the scars perfectly Oscar I think we've got that him right inside mr. Williams if you please that's him back here in the scullery constable right sir good afternoon mr. Williams hello inspector Ford Scotland Yard sir I'm afraid I don't quite understand why we'll try to show you mr. Williams I really haven't much time I thought that's enough console what a few things mr. Williams now what's the name of that place that your wife writes to you from I am stead how do you spell that why H a m s t e a d how interesting that's the way it's spelled on those letters from your wife isn't it isn't that right that's the way I always spelled it I exactly this object is the skull of a woman shall we say resembled your wife in many ways I don't know what may I have the club sir Brendan thank you this heavy plank which has been once removed from this stool here and been replaced fits the scars on the skull exactly you see now look here I don't know about him constable I'm watching him sir and so Brendan O'Neill here conducted certain experiments with this poor relic of the woman who so closely resembled your wife mr. Williams a large number of men 141 141 men struck at this skull which was placed where a standing woman's head might be is his nonsense I'm afraid it's far from nonsense Williams none of the right-handed men were able to strike the skull at all in the region of the scars but every left-handed man could steady lefty Peter Williams I arrest you on a charge of willful murder of your wife Jesse Williams and I warn you that anything you may say will be taken down in writing and may be used in evidence you wish to make a statement at this time the evidence was incontestable at the trial the testimony of handwriting experts proved that Williams had written the letters perpetually coming from his wife after her death the days on which these letters had been posted were in every case the days on which Williams had been off-duty the only days on which he had been able to go to London for that purpose it was demonstrated in court that only a left handed man could have struck the fatal blows the testimony of more than a dozen acquaintances of the couple provided the motive for the murder and in a dramatic break with his counsel in open court Williams shouted out his confession that he had indeed committed the brutal murder he was sentenced to be hanged and the sentence was executed on May day 1944 you have heard another in the series Whitehall 1212 compiled by special permission from the official files of Scotland Yard only the names have been changed otherwise the story is true research for Whitehall 1212 is prepared by Percy Hoskins of the London Daily Express the stories for radio are written and directed by Willis Cooper three chimes mean good times on NBC