Ernest Percival Key was a Yorkshireman from Hull. He led a happy, quiet life as a jeweller. The 64-year-old was well known and well respected to the locals after over 20 years of service in Surbiton, Surrey. No one was prepared for what was to come on a dreary Christmas Eve night in 1938.
Ernest was found in his lock-up-shop by his son Jack and his daughter Mrs. Arthur Bell. He was alive, but had suffered a savage knife attack – the most savage many of the officers on the scene had seen in their careers. He suffered a total of 31 stab wounds to his face, neck, and chest. He died on his way to Kingston County Hospital.
Investigators agreed that the murder was the secondary offence – the main motive had been robbery. Perhaps Ernest surprised the robber by being in his shop late at night on a holiday. Most likely the robber didn’t care – they were prepared for just such an occasion. Either way, large amounts of jewellery were missing from the shop, and Ernest had suffered from unnecessary violence.
Dr. Eric Gardner, the County Pathologist for Surrey, noticed a fallen bowler hat on the floor. He used the hat size and the hairs found within “to give the police investigating the murder some hints about its owner”.
As it turned out, Dr. Gardner’s observations were quite useful. The hat belonged to 29-year-old William Thomas Butler, and unemployed driver. He was a married man with two children and no way to support his family. He lived a mere 3 miles from Mr. Key’s shop.
The police also knew Butler very, very well. He had previous convictions on his record for housebreaking – an activity in which he was quite talented. It would stand to reason that, in desperate need to support his family, he’d escalated to robbery as well. Especially robbery of fine jewels. They’d fetch a pretty penny.
Roughly an hour after the attack on Ernest, Butler took a taxi to the Kingston County Hospital. He was bleeding from his hands. Butler’s attending physician was Dr. Day. In an effort to mask his identity, Butler told him his name was Charles Jackson. Coincidentally, and quite unfortunately for Mr. Butler, Dr. Day had also just attended to Mr. Key.
Butler explained the wounds on his hands as having come from working with a wood-cutting machine. Dr. Day was unconvinced. He alerted the officer’s investigating Ernest’s murder of his twitchy, fidgety patient.
In another attempt to save his hide, Butler told the police that he had cut up his hands after being knocked over by a motorcycle on the street. He claimed that he’d lied to Dr. Day because he couldn’t afford treatment fees.
Police determined that the cuts on his hands came from a dagger or knife without a guard. Such a weapon had been found near Ernest’s body. The edges matched the wounds on Butler’s hands.
And the bowler hat? Butler never admitted to owning but. But, the hat did fit.
William Thomas Butler was charged with murder on January 17th, 1939. He was tried at the Old Bailey. His trial date was set for February 15th, 1939.
“His contention that he acted in self-defence did not find favour with the jury.”
Willam Thomas Butler was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was hanged at Wandsworth Prison on March 29th, 1939.
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Sources:
Murder of the Black Museum – Gordon Honeycombe
The Mammoth Book of Bizarre Crimes – Robin Odell