Views From The Audience Of A Victorian-Era Murder Trial

Jack the Ripper.Jack the Ripper remains England's most famous Victorian-era murderer. He killed five prostitutes in weeks in 1888. No one ever found his identity. He became a morbidly interesting public figure because of his unknown identity; he was not the first serial killer.This drew public interest.As Victoria started her reign fifty years earlier, police began cracking down on crime. Murders appeared more in the public eye. This allowed people like Sir William Percy Honeywood Courtenay, who shot a policeman after believing he was Jesus, to become mild celebrities.

Victorians doubted using science to find criminals. Yannick Bisson, an actor in the television show "The Murdoch Mysteries," spoke about his character.The Murdoch Mysteries.The show covers Victorian-era crime solving.He said of his character."My character Murdoch takes a lot of flak for his thought process and applying science to investigative work, which was usually done bare knuckled and with intimidation."

In the 19th century, science and forensics were not part of criminal investigation.This was not an integral part.Only in 1895 did Austrian Magistrate Hans Gustav Adolf Gross publish a book on scientific methods for solving crime. He was one of the first people to accept its merits.

To this day, Scotland Yard.Scotland Yard remains the London Police Department headquarters. In the 19th century, it was the city's top detective force. Founded in 1829, civilians did not like it; they viewed the plain-clothed policemen as "spies." However, its Criminal Investigation Department, created in 1878, gained public support.

This department was The detectives from Scotland Yard investigated murders.with solving murders and high-profile criminal cases. Since many murder cases carried the death penalty, only the best-trained and most experienced detectives were suited for the job.

Unfortunately, 19th-century courtrooms showed intense bias, matching England's class issues during the Victorian era. Many lower-class people appeared inherently criminal, and the term "criminal class" described them."Criminal Class"It described those people. The courts treated richer and poorer suspects with totally different attitudes.It was clear that courts treated richer and poorer suspects with completely different attitudes.In 1815, Eliza Fenning was accused and convicted of attempted murder by poison, then hanged for her alleged crimes. There was no evidence against her or victims—only that she was a servant accused by a middle-class family proved enough. However, in the 1850s, Madeleine Smith was also accused of poisoning her husband with arsenic. Smith was wealthy, educated, and a press darling. The jury never reached a final decision, leaving the case "not proven."

In 1815, Eliza Fenning faced accusation and conviction for attempted murder by poison, then hanged for alleged crimes. No evidence existed against her, and no victims. Still, she was a servant accused by a middle-class family; this proved enough. Later, in the 1850s, Madeleine Smith faced accusation for poisoning her husband with arsenic. Smith was wealthy, educated, and the press favored her. The jury never reached a final verdict; it remained "not proven."

Victorian trials rarely lasted more than two or three days. These trials felt like public shows, not the reserved courtroom behavior we see now. Newspapers generated interest, and courtroom tickets sold out quickly, mostly to rich and important people. Sometimes, a trial became so packed a diplomat stood right next to the accused.

Crime scene photography began its roots in Victorian England. However, detectives did not use this technique well on one Jack the Ripper victim. Detectives investigating Mary Kelly's 1888 death photographed her eyeballs, hoping the retinas would show the murderer. This effort failed.Roots of the case involve detectives using crime scene photography in a strange way with a Jack the Ripper victim.In Victorian England, detectives used crime scene photography. However, this method failed with one Jack the Ripper victim. Detectives investigating Mary Kelly's 1888 death photographed her eyeballs. They hoped the retinas would show an image of the murderer. This attempt did not work.

Nineteenth-century England opposed a Roman-style law, the type Napoleon implemented. They relied on what they called"Common law," existed in England. This law made equal sentencing hard.They believed common law was more tied to their "rugged" Britishness. Common law uses past judge decisions. This made having a common law hard. Judges held different views on justice. Basing laws on one judge's ruling did not always help.

Victorian trials had judges and juries, but judges held much more power now. The public felt crime could be "beaten." Judges imposed harshJudges held much power in the courts regarding punishments.The death penalty applied only to murderers and traitors to the crown. Many minor criminals went to penal colonies in Australia. Judge Baron Alderson gave the harshest sentence, hanging, to Sarah Dazley.Sarah Dazley was involved.Sarah Dazley received the death sentence for poisoning her husband and child (lacking proof), despite never being tried for the child's murder.Another judge held power.Another judge sentenced Lucy Ellis, or Lucy Lowe, to death by hanging for murdering her child, even after the jury asked for mercy.

People could be hanged for murder with little or no evidence. This happened based on a few neighbors' guesses and the jury's feeling. For instance, the servant girl, Eliza Fenning,Eliza Fenning observed the situation.Eliza Fenning only had the testimony of the middle-class family she served. They accused her of poisoning their food, even though she ate it and got sick too. Arsenic traces appeared, but tests couldn't find small amounts then. Fenning died because her bosses decided she should.

Poisoning by arsenic was one of the most common murder cases.Arsenic poisoning killed many women who targeted their husbands.Women frequently committed poisoning murders using arsenic. A bill proposed limiting arsenic sales to adult men. A House of Commons committee found 77% of women hanged for poisoning between 1843 and 1852. Only fifteen more women faced poisoning murder charges than men between 1840 and 1850. This suggests banning women from buying poison might be sexist.

Media offers one useful tool for finding criminals today. Plastering a suspect's image across television and newspapers helps investigations greatly. Victorian detectives did not view it this way. Those investigating Jack the Ripper's crimes did not see media's use.They scorned the media.Detectives feared reporters might share their knowledge with the criminal. The press, angered by being kept away, criticized the police and sought any information available.

Think of Victorian detectives; Sherlock Holmes is a famous fictional character. Holmes served as a great way to...subdue public fears about crime.Holmes first appeared in the 1887 story."A Study in Scarlet," and quickly became an icon of intelligence and deduction—traits the public projected onto real detectives."A Study in Scarlet," established Sherlock Holmes as an icon of intelligence and deduction. The public projected these traits onto real-world detectives.