Some people will do anything for a little extra cash. Others will settle for murder in order to get what they want.
In 1906, Richard Clifford Brinkley was a 53-year-old carpenter by trade, and a sleaze bag by night, living in England. He often dealt in acquiring and selling dogs and fowl, and was often looking for the next get-rich-quick scheme. He was also described as “a man of respectable appearance but of the worst possible character”.
With work slowing down, Brinkley had to come up with a way to make money. And fast. In the end, he decided to befriend 77-year-old Johanna Blume. Johanna owned a house in Fulham, and the estate was worth a lot of money. Brinkley began setting up the finer details of his plan.
Brinkley presented Johanna with a sheet of paper one day, and asked her to sign her name. He told her that the paper was a list of the neighbours who wanted to take a trip to the seaside. Excited, Johanna signed the paper.
What Johanna didn’t know was that the paper was actually a new will that Brinkley had drawn up, naming himself as the sole beneficiary of Johanna’s savings and properties.
On December 17th, 1906, Brinkley had managed to fool Johanna into signing the new will. But he needed two witnesses to sign as well. Using the same ‘trip to the seaside’ ruse, Brinkley managed to attain the signatures of Henry Heard and Reginald Parker.
When Johanna passed away a few weeks later and the new will was presented, her granddaughter contested it right away. She knew something was fishy.
When Brinkley caught wind that Johanna’s solicitor was asking questions, he wanted to cut that off at the pass. He approached her granddaughter and offered to marry her so that she’d maintain her grandmother’s estate – on the condition that she not contest the will.
This plan failed. Miserably. Johanna’s granddaughter had absolutely no interest in marrying a man twice her age and living her life through him, rather than through her grandmother’s original wishes.
Brinkley was stuck. He knew that the solicitor would look for the two witnesses. Brinkley decided to deal with Reginald Parker, first.
On the pretext of buying a dog, Brinkley paid a visit to the Parkers’ lodgings in Croydon on April 20th, 1907. He took a bottle of stout with him – a little buttering up gift.
Leaving the bottle on the table, Brinkley and Reginald went into the yard to look at the dog. Shortly thereafter, the Becks (Reginald’s landlord) and their daughter returned home. The found the bottle, and decided to sample from it. Mr and Mrs Beck promptly died, while their daughter was rushed to hospital where she made a full recovery.
Brinkley was questioned – based on Mr Parker’s statement – but he claimed he’d never gone to Croydon. He also claimed he was a teetotaller. It didn’t take long for his lies to catch up with him.
Two witnesses came forward stating they’d seen Brinkley the night of the murders. One witnesses spotted him at Chelsea Station between 6 and 7 in the evening, presumably on his way to Croydon.
Another witness, a 13-year-old boy, said he’d seen Brinkley around 8PM. The boy worked in a shop in Croydon. He’d sold Brinkley a bottle of oatmeal stout.
Police also discovered that Brinkley had recently acquired prussic acid. He obtained the acid from a dispensary, claiming he’d needed to poison a dog. After this information had been brought to light, Brinkley earned himself a new moniker – The Croydon Poisoner.
Police also later discovered that poison seemed to follow Brinkley wherever he went.
In 1893, a young girl who had been living with Brinkley mysteriously died of arsenic poisoning. When questioned, it was found that Brinkley had a box of poisons, and arsenic was among them. In the end, it was decided that the girl had committed suicide, though it did raise suspicions.
Police soon uncovered a long history of horrendous behaviour. Brinkley had a history of beating women, including his wife. He was also suspected of having murdered his child, though no evidence had ever been brought forward.
But there was enough evidence against him for the murders of Mr and Mrs Beck, and the attempted murder of their daughter.
Richard Clifford Brinkley was arrested, and tried for murder at Guildford Assizes. He was immediately convicted and sentenced to death by hanging.
On August 13th, 1907, Richard Clifford Brinkley, the Croydon Poisoner, was hanged.
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Sources:
The Mammoth Book of Bizarre Crimes – Robin Odell
British Executions
Richard Clifford Brinkley Murderpedia page