Move to Murder: Who Killed Julia Wallace?

[cobalt]

I think that the mackintosh found under the body does deserve more attention. I am not sure if it is the thin, plastic mac that was around during my childhood, or a more substantial 1930s version. The mackintosh is one of these iconic features of the Wallace Case, locking the murder into a time period and rainy environment, whilst suggesting something about the character of Wallace. The song The Ballad of John and Yoko has a dismissive reference to 'The man in the mac.' There appears to be a cultural link between the wearer of a Mackintosh and a dull, pettifogging bureaucrat. I think the character Blakie, an officious inspector from the UK comedy series On the Buses, wore one too.

What function, if any, did it have in the murder of Julia Wallace? One theory is she had it on her shoulders at the time of the attack which is probably the most likely explanation. To answer the door maybe, or nip outside to put rubbish in a bin perhaps. The problem has always been why she did not take another coat, particularly one of her own.

Another theory is that it was used as a shield against blood spatter by the attacker. For me this is simply too cumbersome a procedure, especially if actually worn by him. It would restrict movement of the arms and even if worn inside out (I’m not sure why that would make a difference) could not guarantee against blood spatter. Taking it off after the attack would be an awkward business as well, with the danger of leaving fingerprints. Unless gloves have to be added to the growing bundle that Wallace needed to take away with him after the crime. Might have been an idea to add the mac to that bundle as well.

I am not sure I understand the idea of placing the mac underneath Julia’s head to smear the blood spatter. It would hardly matter if there was spray over the floor, so long as the killer was protecting himself from contamination. Would it not have made more sense to wrap the mac around her head and hit through it with the iron bar? Presumably that would have been picked up by forensic examination had it happened.

I sense that there is a division by commentators over the mac. Those who see it as a shield believe in Wallace’s guilt; those who believe it was merely worn by Julia when she was attacked believe in his innocence.

[cobalt]

CCJ,

If Wallace planned it, this was always his problem.

He had to kill Julia late enough in order to give himself some sort of credible alibi; but not so late that he was delayed in his quest for Menlove Gardens East.

[Herlock Sholmes]

So, you're suggesting his plan was always to leave at about 6:50PM? But, of course, if Close called on time at 6:20PM this means Wallace would have been in the house for 30 minutes before leaving and his defence is severely weakened. Perhaps I've missed your point.

Hi Antony,

What I’m saying is that if Close had called at 6.20 he might have left a little earlier than he actually did.

If Wallace used the mackintosh and gloves he might still have felt that there was a chance of him getting blood on his face (as the only uncovered part of his body.) Close turning up at 6.20 (usual time) affords Wallace more time for a clean-up if required. Of course if Wallace got no blood on him (requiring no clean up) then you’re right he has a fair bit of time on his hands.

Going out earlier than he actually did surely wouldn’t have been seen as particularly suspicious as he was going in search of an unknown address and might be seen as allowing himself extra time.

[Herlock Sholmes]

What function, if any, did it have in the murder of Julia Wallace? One theory is she had it on her shoulders at the time of the attack which is probably the most likely explanation. To answer the door maybe, or nip outside to put rubbish in a bin perhaps. The problem has always been why she did not take another coat, particularly one of her own..

It’s difficult to envisage how a coat got from over Julia’s shoulder to being bunched up beneath her body. It seems unnatural to me. If she’d have been struck whilst it was over her shoulders it would simply have fallen to the floor or into the fire (hence the singeing.) This leaves us with the proposition that the killer deliberately placed it beneath her body. I can’t think of a reason why a stranger killer might do this but I can see why a person who had used the mackintosh as part of his murder plan might want to hide that fact.

Why would she use William’s coat when her own coat was probably on the next hook. Rod (in one of his flights of fancy) tried to suggest the ‘comforting smell of William’ as a reason but I think that we can bin that one.

Another theory is that it was used as a shield against blood spatter by the attacker. For me this is simply too cumbersome a procedure, especially if actually worn by him. It would restrict movement of the arms and even if worn inside out (I’m not sure why that would make a difference) could not guarantee against blood spatter. Taking it off after the attack would be an awkward business as well, with the danger of leaving fingerprints. Unless gloves have to be added to the growing bundle that Wallace needed to take away with him after the crime. Might have been an idea to add the mac to that bundle as well.

I don’t see how the putting on and taking off of a mackintosh could be cumbersome. A mackintosh reversed allows easily enough arm movement and would cover the front of the body from the throat downward. To the floor if the killer was kneeling. For me, it’s by far the best explaination for the presence of the mackintosh in my opinion.

I don’t understand your ‘growing list’ Cobalt. The weapon and a pair of gloves if he used them (or if they they became contaminated.)

I am not sure I understand the idea of placing the mac underneath Julia’s head to smear the blood spatter. It would hardly matter if there was spray over the floor, so long as the killer was protecting himself from contamination. Would it not have made more sense to wrap the mac around her head and hit through it with the iron bar? Presumably that would have been picked up by forensic examination had it happened.

If there were blood spatter marks on the mackintosh this might have suggested the use that the killler had made of it. This would have pointed to Wallace.

~

An experiment for anyone. Place a coat over your shoulders and try and come up with away of falling onto the floor, ending up lying on your front, with the the coat bunched up beneath your body. And then tell me it’s ridiculous that the mackintosh was deliberately placed beneath the body for a reason. If you then agree that this was a deliberate act (and you may not) can you think of a reason why anyone other than Wallace might have done this?

[cobalt]

HS,

I agree with your proposed timings if Wallace had planned the murder; a 20 minute time slot was probably ideal. If the milk boy had arrived too early then presumably Wallace would have had to create some pretext for Julia to be seen nearer his time of departure- maybe going next door to borrow some sugar or the like.

I still don't think he had enough time though. For all they have been criticised, the Liverpool Police in 1931 did seem to investigate the bathroom area pretty thoroughly. According to what has been reported, there was no evidence that the bath had been used recently, nor any traces of blood found in u-bends or drains.

For those outside the UK it may be worth pointing out that heating has always been extortionately priced for the average citizen, and that hot water was not easily available unless a boiler was being heated from the draught of a coal fire. Otherwise, a boiled kettle of water poured into a sink or tub was considered sufficient.

Bedrooms and bathrooms in the UK were probably the coldest in the developed world. Waking up on a winter morning to discover frost inside the window pane was a common enough experience for children in even the recent past. Any towel used by Wallace as part of his clean-up operation would most likely still have been damp when the police arrived on the scene.

[cobalt]

HS,
Thanks for detailing your thoughts on the mac. I realise that you are arguing from the position that Wallace purposefully intended to mislead the police about his use of the mac, placing it underneath her after the attack to suggest she had it on her shoulders. It is certainly not a ridiculous scenario in my view. I agree that an intruder/visitor would not have been likely to have adopted the mac as a protective barrier.

What we don’t know enough about is the attack itself. There was, I think, a bruise on one of Julia’s arms which indicated that she may have put up some limited resistance. Although we can assume the first blow came from behind, it may be that she turned to face her attacker and the mac on her shoulders was twisted around in the struggle.

I refer to my earlier point. Instead of arranging the mac in a deceptive manner, which must have taken up some precious time, why would Wallace not just roll it up and dump it at his secret hiding place, along with the iron bar and gloves?

[RodCrosby]

So, you're suggesting his plan was always to leave at about 6:50PM? But, of course, if Close called on time at 6:20PM this means Wallace would have been in the house for 30 minutes before leaving and his defence is severely weakened. Perhaps I've missed your point.

So Wallace would be left with no 'alibi' (plenty of time for him to kill a number of people), and a shaggy-dog story about Qualtrough...

That was the chess genius's original murder plan?

[OneRound]

I do mean this quite genuinely, OneRound.

What do you find suspicious?

I believe moste's post #1072 of 28 December 2018 covers matters well. For me, Wallace's repeated behaviour around Menlove Gardens comes across more as attempting to establish an alibi than find an address. Add to that, as also covered by moste, the total absence of any checking beforehand by the normally thorough Wallace as to where he was going.

As always in the murder of Julia Wallace, a case of opinions.

OneRound

[moste]

HS,
We’ll have to disagree on the amount of time it would have taken Wallace to murder and then clean up. I have never been convinced by the mackintosh as a splash guard employed by the killer, any more than the naked Wallace scenario. Why bother to put it under the body after the attack?

I can see how a plastic screen would help greatly in avoiding blood staining, but some would surely have found its way on to clothing, particularly shoes and sleeves. Then there are the inevitable splashes on to the hands, wedding ring, face, moustache and glasses, if worn. For me that adds up to more than a quick 10 minute clean up. No showers in these days either, and even a quick dip in the bath must have led to a damp towel at the very least. The police were quite thorough with checking the bath and sink but came up with nothing.

As I see it, to clean up effectively Wallace would have needed more than a briefcase when he left his house. He would have been carrying a fair bundle out of the house had he been depositing a damp towel, bloodstained clothing and an iron bar, along with some insurance papers. The former three of those all had to be successfully hidden from scrutiny, in an urban environment, without attracting any undue attention and probably before he caught his first tram. The police combed the immediate area, as I understand, and drew a blank.

Hi Cobalt
Good points. It is a puzzler, I may have an idea in another post, that may improve on the scenario.
(Meanwhile don't let a certain someone hear of the 'mackintosh and plastic screen' to fool forensics, from an other thread,or we'll all be ridiculed for a couple of years. LOL. ) sorry private joke, don't mind me .

[moste]

HS,
Thanks for detailing your thoughts on the mac. I realise that you are arguing from the position that Wallace purposefully intended to mislead the police about his use of the mac, placing it underneath her after the attack to suggest she had it on her shoulders. It is certainly not a ridiculous scenario in my view. I agree that an intruder/visitor would not have been likely to have adopted the mac as a protective barrier.

What we don’t know enough about is the attack itself. There was, I think, a bruise on one of Julia’s arms which indicated that she may have put up some limited resistance. Although we can assume the first blow came from behind, it may be that she turned to face her attacker and the mac on her shoulders was twisted around in the struggle.

I refer to my earlier point. Instead of arranging the mac in a deceptive manner, which must have taken up some precious time, why would Wallace not just roll it up and dump it at his secret hiding place, along with the iron bar and gloves?

Hey Cobalt, I mentioned the bruise in post 1197 yesterday, tis interesting.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi Cobalt and Moste,

On the subject of the bruise my suggestion, and that’s all it is, is that if Julia fell onto or against the fire after the initial blow, Wallace might have grabbed her arm to pull her away. As we know, older people bruise easily, and Julia was 70. Or maybe she hit her arm in some way as she fell?

[moste]

Hi cobalt all
Apparently he told julia of the meeting at 7:30. I wonder if she was wondering why he was taking so long to leave for this appointment?
He was supposed to be a puntual/ early type guy no?

I think before she had time to consider that 'time was getting on,' she was dead.
The chess club arrival , well, arriving dead on time IS punctual. No?

[Herlock Sholmes]

I think before she had time to consider that 'time was getting on,' she was dead.
The chess club arrival , well, arriving dead on time IS punctual. No?

The problem is that no one, no matter who they are, plans to arrive exactly on a deadline. Wallace only had to be a few seconds later and his opponent could have claimed the game.

Wallace would have known the tram times well. Arriving spot-on 7.45 suggests that Wallace had caught a later tram than usual. Therefore we have to ask “what made Wallace late?” He didn’t mention being late or being delayed by anything.

Question: So what could have caused Wallace to have been late on that Monday night that didn’t normally occur?

Answer: The Qualtrough phone call.

[ColdCaseJury]

The problem is that no one, no matter who they are, plans to arrive exactly on a deadline. Wallace only had to be a few seconds later and his opponent could have claimed the game.

Wallace would have known the tram times well. Arriving spot-on 7.45 suggests that Wallace had caught a later tram than usual. Therefore we have to ask “what made Wallace late?” He didn’t mention being late or being delayed by anything.

Question: So what could have caused Wallace to have been late on that Monday night that didn’t normally occur?

Answer: The Qualtrough phone call.

Hi HS, but we should point out that we only know Wallace arrived at "about 7:45". And we do not know what time he normally arrived at the chess club, or indeed what time he normally left to go there. It's more of your "endless complications" point.

But, assuming he was later than usual, what else could have made Wallace late?

A. The fact that there was not a normal tram service running on 20.1.31. It was only the No. 14 with a frequency of 8-9 minutes.

[OneRound]

The problem is that no one, no matter who they are, plans to arrive exactly on a deadline. Wallace only had to be a few seconds later and his opponent could have claimed the game.

Wallace would have known the tram times well. Arriving spot-on 7.45 suggests that Wallace had caught a later tram than usual. Therefore we have to ask “what made Wallace late?” He didn’t mention being late or being delayed by anything.

Question: So what could have caused Wallace to have been late on that Monday night that didn’t normally occur?

Answer: The Qualtrough phone call.

Hi Herlock - whilst I appreciate much of your reasoning indicating Wallace's guilt, do we actually know this would have been the case? From my slightly similar experience (albeit not chess), the latecomer usually just gets moaned at and then the game gets underway.

Do we know if Wallace's opponents always arrived in decent time? Although I'm punctual in most walks of life, I don't tend to be too fussed for a game when I know others are likely to be late. Maybe Wallace felt the same.

Best regards,
OneRound