Move to Murder: Who Killed Julia Wallace?

[etenguy]

He would invent one to show that someone else killed her and not himself.

But if it was Wallace, he had already done that by inventing Qualtrough. Suggesting there was an intruder still there on that night serves no purpose as once in the house, it would be discovered there was not - and Wallace would know that. I think it would only be if he were not aware the house was empty would he suggest an intruder inside.

More compelling as to Wallace's guilt, for me at least, is that the back door was locked - why would an accomplice of Parry lock the back door on his escape?

[etenguy]

There seems to be confusion here. My reading is the back door was not locked, in the sense of a key-lock. It was closed, but the knob would not turn correctly for Wallace to release the catch. He thought initially it might be bolted from the inside. At no point did Wallace say he tried a key in the back door. The Johnstons offering their key is a red-herring. The door was not "locked" in that sense.

That is possible, but it is not my reading of the situation. It appears to me that the door was locked and a key was needed. not just because of the Johnstons offering their key (which I hope would not have worked else there goes security) but also the locksmith checked the lock (my reading is he did this because of the problem Wallace said he had with the lock). I don't think we can assume it was just the handle that wouldn't turn - different language would have been used if that had been the case IMHO.

[etenguy]

The backdoor wasn’t actually locked but it might be worth asking why it wasn’t ?
Wallace left by the backdoor and Julia knew that Wallace always returned via the front door. The backdoor wasn’t going to be used again that night and Julia was in the house on her own so I wonder why she didn’t lock the door after William left?

Hi Herlock

Rod suggested this too. See my post above. I think I have to go back and re-read. On my first reading I certainly was left with the impression the back door was locked with a key. I'll go back and check.

[Herlock Sholmes]

But if it was Wallace, he had already done that by inventing Qualtrough. Suggesting there was an intruder still there on that night serves no purpose as once in the house, it would be discovered there was not - and Wallace would know that. I think it would only be if he were not aware the house was empty would he suggest an intruder inside.

More compelling as to Wallace's guilt, for me at least, is that the back door was locked - why would an accomplice of Parry lock the back door on his escape?

The backdoor wasn’t actually locked. According to Wallace he just couldn’t get in at the first attempt. When he at first couldn’t get in by the front door he tried the back and couldn’t get in. If he did this to give the impression that there was someone inside the house he might have been trying to suggest that the intruder exited by the backdoor when Wallace returned to the front door. When he returned to the backdoor the Johnston’s were just going out and so the intruder ‘escaped’ just before they exited their back door.

[etenguy]

The backdoor wasn’t actually locked. According to Wallace he just couldn’t get in at the first attempt. When he at first couldn’t get in by the front door he tried the back and couldn’t get in. If he did this to give the impression that there was someone inside the house he might have been trying to suggest that the intruder exited by the backdoor when Wallace returned to the front door. When he returned to the backdoor the Johnston’s were just going out and so the intruder ‘escaped’ just before they exited their back door.

I agree with the part about an intruder escaping from the back while Wallace was at the front - possibly. But at the trial Wallace did state the door was locked - not that he just couldn't get in (extract below)

When he met the Johnstons
at the door of the back yard, he said to them, “ Have you
heard anything unusual to-night ? ” And then he said,

I have tried the back door and the front, and they are
locked against me.” It was suggested that he should try
the doors again, and he then went up the yard, and,
apparently without any delay, opened the back door and
said, “ It opens now,” and entered the house.

However, when reading Wallace's statement it is not entirely clear, but he seems to be saying the door may have been bolted against him (possibly rather than key locked against him). If that were the case and Wallace was innocent, then there was someone else in the house. Of course, if lying, he is guilty. The locksmith though checked both key locks - so I infer Wallace had suggested the key wouldn't turn as well as the possibility of the door being bolted (of which he claimed not to be sure).

[RodCrosby]

And my justification for my comment.....where is Antony then? He came back to the thread to initiate a debate but because of your attitude he decided that he couldn’t continue. And yet he’s quite happily discussing the case with me in a civil manner.
And so my comment about Antony and yourself is entirely based on facts and therefore justified.

No it is NOT. It is malicious, unwarranted LIES.

[RodCrosby]

I agree with the part about an intruder escaping from the back while Wallace was at the front - possibly. But at the trial Wallace did state the door was locked - not that he just couldn't get in (extract below)

When he met the Johnstons
at the door of the back yard, he said to them, “ Have you
heard anything unusual to-night ? ” And then he said,

I have tried the back door and the front, and they are
locked against me.” It was suggested that he should try
the doors again, and he then went up the yard, and,
apparently without any delay, opened the back door and
said, “ It opens now,” and entered the house.

There was never any mention of a key being tried. I think "locked" is being used in its broadest sense, or Wallace perhaps initially thought it was locked (with the key) from the inside. He and the Johnstons clarified that he was just turning the knob in an attempt to gain entry.

When I lived in houses with a similar back door, it was usual to simply leave the key in the lock on the inside. I never carried it with me.
The one key just lived in the lock...

[etenguy]

There was never any mention of a key being tried. I think "locked" is being used in its broadest sense, or Wallace perhaps initially thought it was locked (with the key) from the inside. He and the Johnstons clarified that he was just turning the knob in an attempt to gain entry.

When I lived in houses with a similar back door, it was usual to simply leave the key in the lock on the inside. I never carried it with me.
The one key just lived in the lock...

I use the key in my backdoor the same way you describe. As I was re-reading, Wallace stated he left by the back door - something I would never think to do. And of course, the Johnstons left by their back door. So it seems to me that in that street the back door was more used than we might today. It strikes me that people might return by the back door also in those circumstances and so they would carry a key with them.

The turning the handle only scenario seems odd to me. By the time of the trial, Wallace was no longer talking about an intruder in the house but still stated the door was locked against him. That could only mean the key lock, and indeed the locksmith checked the locking mechanism.

[RodCrosby]

People in those streets in those days might leave by the back way in daylight, and/or if there was someone to lock the yard gate after them.

They would not normally try to re-enter that way, because they would expect the gate to be bolted, for security reasons. [unless, unusually, they had replaced the bolt with a lock on the back gate, with a key-hole on the outside. I have seen such, but very rarely. The nature of the Johnstons' back gate is not recorded]

Wallace indeed tried the front door first, and was surprised he could not gain entry (he later discovered it bolted)

He was then surprised to find the yard gate unbolted.

Then he had difficulty with the back door. Confused and by now a little disturbed, he thought it might be locked or bolted also.

He tried the front again, and the back again, and finally gained entry.

Murphy's law and a criminal's traces operating against an upset man?

Just on another point. I've only been burgled once, when I was in my 20s. After entering the property it took me about five minutes to realise that I had in fact been burgled...
They hadn't taken much. I didn't have much to take, in those days.

[Abby Normal]

So the back door wasnt locked, the handle/ knob just stuck. Thanks all for clearing that up.

I was going to nail his ass to the wall if the back door was actually locked, but alas no such luck. Par for the course with this case. Lol.

[RodCrosby]

a Case in point:
I've just been having a shave in my bathroom. My razor cartridge needed replacing.

I struggled and struggled but the mechanism would not release the cartridge.

In disgust, I threw the thing down. Then tried one more time.

It released with no problem whatsoever...

[Abby Normal]

a Case in point:
I've just been having a shave in my bathroom. My razor cartridge needed replacing.

I struggled and struggled but the mechanism would not release the cartridge.

In disgust, I threw the thing down. Then tried one more time.

It released with no problem whatsoever...

And just as the johnstons appeared? ; )

[RodCrosby]

[RodCrosby]

[INTERLUDE]

John Bull magazine, April-May 1932

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gpdhlzfnbae2ekc/JohnBull1.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0zozj4ja2xlq7ny/JohnBull2.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vzgdvkl5csixsxl/JohnBull3.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ssjpnxpu92rxh56/JohnBull4.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ti2brjcryxon65q/JohnBull5.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4dd2cpqv1ud6ho1/JohnBull6.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e134kvdrzh...Bull7.jpg?dl=0

[/INTERLUDE]

One or two errors in the facts by the ghostwriter, but Wallace's own story is well worth the read...

[Herlock Sholmes]

Ok so it’s its agreed that the backdoor wasn’t actually locked or bolted. So we have either a) a tricky/faulty lock that didn’t open first time (and we know that the lock was defective to some extent.) or 2) Wallace was fumbling around nervously and so didn’t crack it first time. Or 3) Wallace was faking being unable to get in.

My question is still: why, when Julia knew that William would return via the front door (because he said that he always did at night) and it being night time and her alone in the house, did she not lock the back door after William left. This would seem to me the natural and probably the usual thing to do?