The Croydon Poisonings

[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.

[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]

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]

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]

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.

[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]

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.

[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.

[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 ...

[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

[louisa]

That's the same as me then Mark.

[Penny_Dredfull]

the Croydon Poisonings

This has always been one of my favourite classic unsolved mysteries- it has so many interesting facets to it, one of the reasons that I find poisoning cases such as this so intriguing.
I've read the Whittington-Egan book and seen the A Most Mysterious Murder Episode version- however, I'm not familiar with what some of you refer to here as "Jane's book".
I must say that for some time I found Whittington-Egan's solution to be the correct one, considering Grace Duff to be some kind of cold, ruthless sufferer of Munchausen's by Proxy. However, after viewing Julian Fellowes's take on the case, I reconsidered and changed my mind. I think he made a very logical and compelling case for the brother Tom as the murderer. I think his insight into Tom's potential motivation, the order in which the deaths occured and their timing, and his use of Grace as a scapegoat are spot on. Tom's throwing the finger of suspicion onto his nephew and mother are also telling. As was his insistence to travel himself some distance and at some inconvenience up to Newcastle( wasn't it?) to inform the aunt of his mother's death- affording another opportunity to implicate Grace and distance himself.
I never considered either the young son or Violet to be the culprit- any attempt at arguing the opposite strains logic in the extreme.

[louisa]

Hi Penny

This is also my favourite case. It has all the ingredients of a whodunnit.

I am going to have to find the Julian Fellowes book, or at least find out what he had to say about the case.

Tom Sidney had independent means and wasn't hard up like Grace. His demeanour throughout the case was exactly as one might expect, whereas Grace seemed rather sneaky. They say that poisoning is a 'woman's crime' and in this instance I think it was.

Grace had the motives and the opportunities. The only thing that stopped her going to trial (although Inspector Hedges was pressing for her arrest) was her demure and convincing demeanour that seemed to hoodwink and beguile the Coroner and the jury (all male). Nobody could believe that this sweet faced genteel lady with the big blue eyes could possibly be capable of murdering members of her own family.

Tom seemed far more open about everything, and frankly I can't see him as the murderer.

[Penny_Dredfull]

the Croydon Poisonings

Louisa- if you're interested in the Julian Fellowes take on the case, it's not a book but rather an episode in his TV series entitled Julian Fellowes Investigates A Most Mysterious Murder . I'd be interested to see if you change your mind about Tom as I did after viewing it! I watched the series when it aired originally on the BBC, but viewed it again recently by checking a copy out on DVD from my local library- and copying it, of course! You may also enjoy some of the other episodes in the series, which includes the Bravo case, the Peasenhall murder, George Harry Storrs, and the Earl of Erroll.

[louisa]

Hi Penny

Thanks for that information. I'm going to try and track down that DVD and I'll post again with my (maybe) revised opinion.

I am interested in the Bravo case and the Storrs case but I don't know the others you mention. I'll be Googling those. Are they interesting cases?

I'm mainly interested in crimes of the last century. Anything further back than that doesn't seem real to me.