The Croydon Poisonings

[m_w_r]

But we'd better not spoil it for Caz any more than it's already been spoiled ...

Hi,

I think I've already spoiled it for Caz by talking about it with her on Saturday. I'm in Whittington-Egan's camp on this one, and Janes's book made me rather annoyed.

Regards,

Mark

[Chris]

I think the theory that Violet committed the first two murders then suicide has been around since soon after her death.

However, that's not what Janes suggests. But we'd better not spoil it for Caz any more than it's already been spoiled ...

[sdreid]

The first account of the case I read was written by Julian Symons from around 1960.

I think the theory that Violet committed the first two murders then suicide has been around since soon after her death. This would seem extremely unlikely in my view. The TV program also mentioned it if I'm recalling correctly.

[louisa]

Caz

I live in Farnborough, Kent so I'm quite near to you, as the crow flies. I used to pass Birdhurst Rise on my way to Makros off Purley Way and one day I decided to stop and have a look around, just to get the feel of the road. Of course these days it's very much different to the way it was in the 30's. No 29 has been replaced by a smallish block of flats.

Regarding the latest book about the case. I emailed Diane Janes because I thought her theories were flawed. I didn't think the book was well written either (although I didn't tell her that). If somebody wasn't already familiar with the case (from R.W.Egan's book) then it would be quite difficult to make sense of it. It's quite a convoluted case at the best of times.

I suppose that somebody wishing to write another book on the subject has to find a different slant on the events, and this is what Diane Janes did.

I won't spoil the book for you Caz but the part I found so totally ridiculous was Ms. Janes' suggestion that the old lady, Violet Sidney, committed suicide.

We are supposed to believe that she kept a secret cache of arsenic powder in her face powder box. Then we are expected to believe that the old lady took this powder, put it onto a spoon, poured it into her medicine bottle, then poured this mixture into a wine glass and drank it.

All this, of course, was after poor Mrs. Sidney had already witnessed her beloved daughter Vera dying in agony (from arsenic poisoning) just a couple of weeks prior.

I wrote a very polite email to Ms. Janes and she was good enough to reply. I still have both my email to her and Ms. Janes long reply back to me.

I'll wait for you to read her book. I'll be interested to know what you think.

[caz]

Wow! Louisa, I live not far away in Shirley! I've read RWE's terrific book too (Stewart Evans very kindly gave me a spare copy he had) and found myself agreeing that Grace was the most likely suspect.

A year or so ago I made a detailed list from the RWE of all the names and addresses mentioned, and meant to do a personal tour of the local area to see which houses, shops and businesses etc had survived. I still haven't got round to it and have not yet read the recently published book that Rob Clack (another Croydonian) gave me! One day maybe...

Love,

Caz
XXX

[louisa]

I live very near to Birdhurst Rise and have visited the road. An elderly lady who lived next door to the Sidneys saw me taking photos and came out and invited me in for tea. I declined, but she told me that she knew the case because her mother had been interviewed by Inspector Hedges.

I've also visited the graves and taken photos - just to get the general atmosphere.

[sdreid]

Yes, Grace is my top suspect and the John angle is brought up in the TV program.

Years ago, I wrote a brief account of the case as part of an article in America's Most Wanted News Magazine.

[louisa]

Hi sdreid.

I haven't seen that yet, so I'll be trying to find it.

My view, and that of most people, is that the obvious suspect - Grace did the murders.

Tom was a wealthy man already and seemed to happy to co-operate with the police.

I spoke to somebody a while ago who suggested Grace's son John as the murderer. The timings seem to fit with his school holidays.

Another book on the murder was published earlier this year and I wrote to the author to raise a few points with her, that I thought was erroneous. She wrote me a six page email back, remonstrating with me!

[sdreid]

Although I don't particularly agree with the conclusion that Tom did it, there is a well done account of the case depicted in an episode of A Most Mysterious Murder.

Over on another site, I placed the case at #33 on my list of top 200 classic unsolved murder cases.

[louisa]

Hello

I was wondering if anyone here is intrested in the Croydon Poisonings? A case from around 1930.

Since reading the fascinating book on the murders 'The Riddle of Birdhurst Rise' by Richard Whittington-Egan, I have been quite enthralled by this murder.

Three members of the same (genteel middle class) family were all poisoned by a person or persons unknown.

The police never solved the murders.

This is one of those cases that has the 'whodunnit' element to it, although - to my mind - the culprit is obvious.

I'd like to know what others think.