The Murder of Julia Wallace (1931) - Full DPP case files

[barnflatwyngarde]

It's edited down by Brown to leave out what he felt was unimportant testimony. I managed to get every page photographed so that will be getting uploaded.

There's a part where Crewe says the police have taken £18 (of the company's money) and he wants it back. I'm sure that's not in Brown's transcript, as one example.

I photographed literally everything in the files even random telegrams that are basically worthless. And importantly the unabridged trial and full appeal trial.

Thanks Wallace, I'm sure that I'm just one of many who appreciate your efforts.

[WallaceWackedHer]

Hi Wallace,
If what you say re the amount of material not included in Wynham Brown's "transcript" of the trial is true (and I have no reason to doubt you)
how the hell did Brown decide what to include and what to leave out?

Really looking forward to perusing the full document.

It's edited down by Brown to leave out what he felt was unimportant testimony. I managed to get every page photographed so that will be getting uploaded.

There's a part where Crewe says the police have taken £18 (of the company's money) and he wants it back. I'm sure that's not in Brown's transcript, as one example.

I photographed literally everything in the files even random telegrams that are basically worthless. And importantly the unabridged trial and full appeal trial.

[barnflatwyngarde]

Omfg I have the FULLLLLLLL trial. IT'S HUGEEEEEEEE. It's like 3 War and Peaces stacked on top of each other.

I literally might have to come back a few times just to photograph all this. You guys have no idea I've never seen a document this thick in my entire life LOL. It's so thick it rises above the dividing board things at the side of the reading table.

This has AT LEAST 5x more testimony than Wyndham Brown's text. AT LEAST. I've flicked through some and there's SO MUCH new testimony. Merry mega-early Christmas everyone. This case has just been blown open.

Hi Wallace,
If what you say re the amount of material not included in Wynham Brown's "transcript" of the trial is true (and I have no reason to doubt you)
how the hell did Brown decide what to include and what to leave out?

Really looking forward to perusing the full document.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Just photographed over 300 pages, the entire main trial.

I now also have the full appeal trial and I will now be photographing this. I don't believe any transcription of this appears online.

You’ll be the first to make this available WWH

[Herlock Sholmes]

Omfg I have the FULLLLLLLL trial. IT'S HUGEEEEEEEE. It's like 3 War and Peaces stacked on top of each other.

I literally might have to come back a few times just to photograph all this. You guys have no idea I've never seen a document this thick in my entire life LOL. It's so thick it rises above the dividing board things at the side of the reading table.

This has AT LEAST 5x more testimony than Wyndham Brown's text. AT LEAST. I've flicked through some and there's SO MUCH new testimony. Merry mega-early Christmas everyone. This case has just been blown open.

Sounds like you might need to take food and a sleeping bag if you go down there again? You might even be be better of finding digs and staying overnight. Try The Savoy or The Ritz The site that you’ve set up is going to be an invaluable research facility WWH (especially if you manage the full trial transcript) You’re saving any future author the hassle of sifting through.

[WallaceWackedHer]

Just photographed over 300 pages, the entire main trial.

I now also have the full appeal trial and I will now be photographing this. I don't believe any transcription of this appears online.

[WallaceWackedHer]

Dude these witnesses are USELESS. Alan Close is so scared he can't even speak and the judge agrees with Oliver it's difficult to understand wtf Alan's talking about because he keeps saying no then yes to the same questions. They have to ask him if he's ill because he can't even speak half the time and keeps contradicting himself every sentence.

Lily Pinches (the newsagent manageress) says he DIDN'T mention Qualtrough to her, then says he did and she's sure he did, then that he didn't mention Qualtrough, then that she's sure he didn't, then that she swears he didn't.

These witnesses are utterly shambolic.

The phone box guy says there's no light in that box he's certain, then that there might be, then that there isn't, then that he's not sure.

You won't even believe this it's ridiculous. Every witness is like this.

[WallaceWackedHer]

Omfg I have the FULLLLLLLL trial. IT'S HUGEEEEEEEE. It's like 3 War and Peaces stacked on top of each other.

I literally might have to come back a few times just to photograph all this. You guys have no idea I've never seen a document this thick in my entire life LOL. It's so thick it rises above the dividing board things at the side of the reading table.

This has AT LEAST 5x more testimony than Wyndham Brown's text. AT LEAST. I've flicked through some and there's SO MUCH new testimony. Merry mega-early Christmas everyone. This case has just been blown open.

[WallaceWackedHer]

As a little preview 'cause I found this amusing, I have the list of books Wallace requested he be sent at prison:

Mans Place in the Universe
Natural History of Selborne
The Carolinian
Microscopy in the Service of Man
Astronomy (Arthur R Hinks)
Ether and Reality
Chess Sacrifices and Traps
Modern Chess Strategy (Daily Express Series)
Fabres Book of Insects
The Mysterious Universe
The Stars in their Courses
Essays of a Biologist
Some Diversions of a Naturalist
The Universe around us (Sir Jas Jeans)

Speak to you all later!

[WallaceWackedHer]

I’m genuinely baffled that you think that going into the Parlour first would have been unnatural. If your searching for a wife in danger as Wallace was you’d simply search the rooms in the order that he came to them. Finding her a minute or so earlier might in theory have made a difference had she still been alive. They couldn’t have asked why he went in their first because a) he didn’t go in there first as he’d already been in two rooms, and b) he could actual touch the door from where he’d stood. This is confirmed as it was a point raised at the time as something suspicious.

I think that he avoided the Parlour for a reason. We just don’t know that reason. We can make suggestions though

• He wanted to check that he hadn’t made any mistakes or left any clues.
• He had to take something upstairs (I’ve suggested previously that he might have used a chemical to clean up and left the bottle on the kitchen which he noticed when he got back. Maybe he’d already remembered that he’d left it out and this is why he didn’t ask Johnston to come inside with him? Wallace doesn’t strike us as the heroic type and yet according to him at the time he’d suspected that there was someone in the house so why did he go in alone?)
• Maybe as he got to the door he felt himself start to panic and so he wanted a bit of time to try and compose himself? Maybe a few drags on a cigarette?
• Maybe when he’d left the house the front room was in order but on the way back he’d had the idea of making a bit of a mess up there to muddy the waters and leave the police believing that the killer had gone upstairs?

Actually they could have questioned why he beelined straight to the parlour first because he HAD to go into the other two rooms mentioned, since going through them is the only way to get to the parlour.

Exactly as you said, it might make sense if he was searching for a wife IN DANGER. But he didn't know she was in danger. Remember at this stage, he's unsure of what's happening, second guessing himself, suggesting innocent explanations etc.

If he knew she was in danger that also would be the assumption needed to support the other point of the prosecution that he didn't bash hard on the door when knocking etc.

Knocking lightly, however, is again a very strong pointer at innocence. What does a man gain from lightly knocking on a door when his objective is apparently to be noticed by neighbours? What exactly is the point of knocking and nobody at all hearing it or knowing you're doing it except yourself. There is absolutely no gain to himself, and it's by chance the Johnstons heard his knock at all... I seem to recall he might have called Julia's name at the door though? My memory is just SO bad though, hence it's a good job I'm photographing everything I see lol, so I need some confirmation on that.

As to your suggestions I agree creating disorder upstairs is a reason to go up there.

Checking he hadn't left clues implies he'd been up there around the commission of the murder, which I'm not sure any killer did. There is the possibility, but in any scenario relying on speed, the less he does before leaving the better. Certainly using chemical cleaners would add considerable time - in fact I think something like that would add more time than he had.

The Johnstons said they would stay outside anyway, Wallace didn't ask them to wait. There is some back and forth on that point but Gannon seems to think it was indeed the Johnstons who said they'd wait.

Essentially the whole parlour thing is not good evidence as there is clear duality. I am not the only person who does not see it as good evidence.

[Herlock Sholmes]

On the train now. New case files coming soon. Watch this space.

Have a good day WWH

[Herlock Sholmes]

I’m genuinely baffled that you think that going into the Parlour first would have been unnatural. If your searching for a wife in danger as Wallace was you’d simply search the rooms in the order that he came to them. Finding her a minute or so earlier might in theory have made a difference had she still been alive. They couldn’t have asked why he went in their first because a) he didn’t go in there first as he’d already been in two rooms, and b) he could actual touch the door from where he’d stood. This is confirmed as it was a point raised at the time as something suspicious.

I think that he avoided the Parlour for a reason. We just don’t know that reason. We can make suggestions though

• He wanted to check that he hadn’t made any mistakes or left any clues.
• He had to take something upstairs (I’ve suggested previously that he might have used a chemical to clean up and left the bottle on the kitchen which he noticed when he got back. Maybe he’d already remembered that he’d left it out and this is why he didn’t ask Johnston to come inside with him? Wallace doesn’t strike us as the heroic type and yet according to him at the time he’d suspected that there was someone in the house so why did he go in alone?)
• Maybe as he got to the door he felt himself start to panic and so he wanted a bit of time to try and compose himself? Maybe a few drags on a cigarette?
• Maybe when he’d left the house the front room was in order but on the way back he’d had the idea of making a bit of a mess up there to muddy the waters and leave the police believing that the killer had gone upstairs?

[WallaceWackedHer]

On the train now. New case files coming soon. Watch this space.

[WallaceWackedHer]

Quote: If he did go upstairs I'm not entirely sure what this accomplishes for him unless he's trying to put on a facade of innocence (like "see, I didn't even know she was in the parlour!").

If he went upstairs? I thought the Johnstones knew he had ,from hearing his clambering up there, and didn’t they see the light come on?
A facade of innocence, yes, precisely the object of his exercise I would assume.

Yes they did. I was going to write that if it wasn't for them seeing the lights going on upstairs, I'd think perhaps he wasn't really up there and just wanted to give himself time to do stuff downstairs (downstairs being where things really mattered). But due to the lights, I guess he really was upstairs...

We are of the same mind in regards to the avoidance of the parlour: Either faking innocence, or real innocence.

Going in there first is unnatural. I think that probably if Wallace had gone in there first the same people who think he should have, would argue: "How did he know to check the parlour first?" which is what I would think too. Unless you KNEW she was dead in there, it's the last place you'd expect her to be except for maybe the lab.

[moste]

Quote: If he did go upstairs I'm not entirely sure what this accomplishes for him unless he's trying to put on a facade of innocence (like "see, I didn't even know she was in the parlour!").

If he went upstairs? I thought the Johnstones knew he had ,from hearing his clambering up there, and didn’t they see the light come on?
A facade of innocence, yes, precisely the object of his exercise I would assume.