Original subtitles

it's disgusting i'm insulted i pace

without

parallel and i'm to be allowed three

pounds five shillings and six months

think think the prestige treasure for

justice it couldn't be expected to

defend a dog on that

all set

come to think of it i did defend a dog

once said bernard it was

i've got a dump site more for doing it

too

good morning is it well if you say so

do i detect to fit a peek marshall you

detect

podkin a man about to open an oyster

with a pin

oh god

all rise

problems marshall's being paid out of

the poor prisoners defense fund

not our problem he could step down

rather unfair on the prisoner at this

late stage

even this prison

why does smith fascinate them so much

two kinds of people should never try to

fathom

judges and

you're women

i see come on

it's all right

somebody help me

yes

you lucky girl this is a dangerous part

of the river

my name's henry williams

my name's beatrice thank you you've been

so kind

beatrice it's a lovely name

my friends call me bessie then i'll call

you bessie

i haven't seen you out here before no

i'm on business

what do you do i'm a picture of store

what kind of pictures do you restore

pretty ones

i better get back to my friends

am i going to see you again

i don't know well how about here

tomorrow same time

bessie you really should learn to swim

you know

you're very beautiful did anyone ever

tell you you've got stunning ankles

have another sandwich no they're like

fine works of art

well you know i'm surprised you're not

married

my family don't think i'm responsible

enough and are you responsible enough

i'm 31. i can do whatever i like

i like defiance in a woman

what's this victim of the shake

i only read them because i'm bored i

prefer tennis on myself

so why don't you run away with

money my father had everything put into

trust for me

i have an income but it's barely

sufficient to live on

they think i'd escape to south america

or somewhere taking all my

guilted securities with me do you know

what they are

what what guilt edge securities

the united kingdom government fixed

interest stock the price of which

depends on prevailing interest rates

i believe you sound just like my brother

howard

well it's a man's job to know about

these things

i'd invite you back for tea

of course but i don't think my landlady

would approve

she acts as a spy for my brother

then why invite me back

marry me i hardly know you

hmm i think we know each other very well

bessie mundy

well mrs williams

may i take you home you may

23rd of july 1910

dear howard i got married today

and we have taken lodgings here in

weymouth

i am so happy and excited about my new

life with henry

who was quite quite wonderful love

bessie williams

eight pounds a month mr wilkinson is not

enough for my husband tonight to live on

we need a house of our own mrs williams

under your father's settlement

there is an amount of 138 pounds

put aside for emergencies but the main

sum

of two and a half thousand pounds is in

trust

and mrs williams is not permitted to

touch that even though we're now married

the only way would be for your family to

revoke the settlement

i'm sorry but the monthly income and the

138 pounds for emergencies is

all miss monday i'm sorry mrs williams

can have access to her mr wilkinson

my husband and i are living in one room

in a boarding house doesn't

that constitute an emergency

138 pounds

let me see wrestling

oh what are we gonna do with the money

don't be so impatient can't we go away

somewhere

like paris i've never been to paris you

heard what you said you said the money

was for an emergency well henry can't we

have an emergency now please

then at least we can spend it on

something yeah you listen to me

i'm gonna put the money in the bank why

don't you wait for me

don't be long

so

he must have made a mistake let me see

the letter he says

i wasn't clean when i married him but i

was i was

a bad infection he says he'll come back

when he's cured

listen to me will you listen to your

brother look he's gone and he's not

coming back

he was a rogue and if he could have got

his hands on your settlement he would

have done

i'll catch him you can bank on that he

will come back i know he will he just

made a mistake

that's all you married in secret to a

man who scarcely knew

he gets 138 pounds of your father's

money

he steals your clothes he loves me he

will come back i know he

your family loves you we wouldn't hurt

you for the world just

trust us i want henry

there's a stain

is

finally and only two letters from you

there's business has business

how's our marriage more to the point

if look i bought a few pieces

i'm a young man

yeah well you know most have sold

privately

at this rate there's barely any purpose

in keeping the shop open

so i have to take in this oh look

i thought we could sell these

they're quite fashionable so i'm told

i missed you george i missed you too

george hmm

will you let me read you a novel you

wouldn't understand it edith

you used to write me poetry

will you be going away again

well next time i may have to go to

canada canada

must you go so far i have to go where my

business takes me you know that

just hate the thought of you traveling

over the sea

if anything should happen

besides if i didn't go away i will be

able to come back home to you would i

what have you done with

old man you're throwing it down the

stairs hasn't he boys and girls

yes i know what i'll do i'll go

downstairs and get

the big stick to you oh

you take that you wish you know man

is there something funny going on around

here

i don't know where to begin how to

apologize don't

i wasn't the only bestie i was mistaken

i was horribly mistaken

to accuse you of such a thing is just it

was unforgivable

it was i needed the money to powerful

death

i was afraid ever to face you again you

needn't have been afraid

i'd have lent it to you and

the clothes really don't matter at all

you are the only woman i have ever loved

and i treated you so badly how can you

ever forgive me

all that matters henry is that i have

you

that's all i back wanted

and what about your family i'd like them

to forgive me too

we'll write to them tell them

we're reconciled tell them everything

that happened in the past was just a big

mistake it was henry

wasn't it the biggest mistake of my life

uh

mr monday your sister never lost her

affection for the prisoner

she was not competent at managing her

own affairs

with respect that's not the question i

asked you

when your sister met the defendant again

a year and a half later she was just as

much in love with him as she was on the

day he left

i i suppose sir and did he not write to

you i refer him a lot

to exhibit mark number 89

offering you his humblest apology

and did he not use the words forgiveness

and reconciliation yes

what's a nice letter is it not well that

one is

powerful words forgiveness and

reconciliation are they not

thank you

you're not from hernday no my wife and i

were recently married

i will need some references

i don't have any i'm afraid everybody

must have references well i've been

living abroad how much is a yearly

tenancy

18 pounds which does not

include furnishings of course so you

would have to supply those for yourself

it's very expensive you know well you

must take that up with the land agent

not me

i'm only mr wilbur's secretary of course

so bathroom miss rappler there's no

bathroom in the house

nor is there any water laid on upstairs

why don't you go upstairs

and if you like it we'll take it

the kitchen

i will need details of your banking

account

this is a post office savings book what

i mean is a proper bank account

so that i can write to the manager for

references

you'll find i have sufficient capital

i've never heard of such a thing taking

a property with no references

no bank account it's tell me

have you lived in on by law all my life

then you can tell me where i can buy a

bath

left

any insanity mental trouble among your

relatives

didn't you said it was starting

somewhere in the past i don't remember

have you had a fit before mrs williams i

don't believe so

do any of your families suffer from

epilepsy by any chance

no thank you

how long did your wife lose

consciousness for well it was

only for a few seconds she doesn't

remember of course

you have no memory my husband says i

lost consciousness

i lost consciousness one moment we were

in bed

she was awake and then

now it was very alarming

i'll give her this it's bromide of

potassium

there are six doses one to be taken

three times a day

it's a sedative it should calm her

let me know the moment there are any

reoccurrences

thank you doctor i will

so

are you fast ready

now have you taken your sedative

yes i thought i'd go and get some fish

for supper that would be nice

what kind of fancy you choose

good girl

uh

henry

um

what

um

help me

take our teeth out percy come on please

please

come on what's this

i told you she had a feet

i am sorry mr williams

cruiser

it was your opinion was it not dr french

that the defendant's wife suffered from

an epileptic seizure

it was at the time at the time you've

changed your opinion

but that was your honest opinion freely

expressed before the coroner

yes yes now these events took place in

1912 we are today 1915.

would you say your recollection was

better in 1912 than it is today

i suppose so yes and there were no marks

or bruises on the body

no no signs of violence of any kind

none no now in your opinion dr french

would it be possible to drown anybody in

this bath unless they were already

unconscious without signs of violence on

the body

melody is my understanding that one of

the jury has expressed a wish that

someone be put in the bath for an ocular

demonstration

this is a court mr bodkin not a circus

please remember that this is not france

where they reconstruct crimes

the jury can try it out for themselves

in their private room

perhaps my learned friend mr bodkin

could provide us with someone the

correct height

dr french when you found the defendant's

wife

she was holding a piece of soap like

this

would you clutch a piece of soap if you

were drowning in the mouth

i await your answer

i'm sure mr hill will understand because

the bath was only used once i have no

intention of paying for it

dr french said i should get away quite

my nerves

excellent idea mr williams do you have

any places for sounds frankly

somewhere in the country

and now as we commit the body of

beatrice williams

to the ground ashes

to ashes dust to dust

death we are as in life

mr williams one moment please i have a

business appointment i'm sorry

my sister's death is my business

god took her from me too don't forget

that why weren't my family informed in

time to attend the inquest

you know the verdict was death by

misadventure

bess's biggest misadventure was marrying

a bastard like you i know what you did

you made mutual wills to get in her

money we were married mr monday

now what belongs to her belongs to me

yeah well i'll challenge it i'm damned

if you'll get your filthy hands on my

sister's settlement

if you'll excuse me

they made mutual wills that makes him

legally entitled to everything in the

settlement she died only five days after

she made her will out

it's immaterial the verdict of the

inquest jury was that it was an accident

an accident my

you're telling me that there's nothing i

can do to stop that man getting better's

two and a half thousand pounds

i'm sorry well so am i

put it down there for me

thank you

how was the voyage

it was um longer

first tiring

my lord i strongly protest this new line

of inquiry from my learned friend

i was under the impression that in

english law a defendant could only be

charged with one

murder at a time i am of course aware of

that blood but surely

any evidence proving a system to obtain

money by murder

is admissible why don't you also add

prejudicial

in this instance i agree with you mr

bodkin the evidence of a system

could be very valid in this case my lord

there is no precedent for such a saying

in a murder trial

as gentleman of the lord it is sometimes

reassuring

to be able to set a precedent

all right smith fine thank you mr all

good

well it's all going rather well so far

really

yeah at present you're only being tried

for the murder of bessie mundy

and i do not consider betsy monday's

murder proven

what happens to god if i'm not guilty

it's not as simple as that

you believe i'm innocent don't you miss

though what the barrister believes is

unimportant

unfortunately the prosecution are going

to try to bring in evidence from the

other deaths

i thought you said i could only try for

one murder at a time absolutely

but they want to show that you had a

system

system yeah system with

the other wives there's no precedent for

it and i i will continue to argue

against it of course

but i just thought i'd warn you now

the next bride where did you meet her

hmm

oh happy bridesmaid make a happy bride

and oh what a pleasant truth i learned

for while the tender surface made thee

weep i loved it

i impressed thy hand and knew the press

returned

you know tennyson maybe that's a poem

that should wait until after we're

married

we're there

let's hope they like me

three bags here just don't get farther

talking about fruit and crops are going

all night

and what about his most precious there

he is

good journey yes father meet my fiance

george

mr burnham sir alice has told me a lot

about you she's told me a lot about you

too

only my good points i hope sir i look

forward to getting better acquainted

how was your journey

i see mrs pankhurst has been arrested

again did i tell you i went to a

demonstration in london

no you didn't you're not going to throw

yourself under a horse or anything

stupid like that were you alice

oh i might why shouldn't a woman have

the right to die for her beliefs

i don't know who put all this

suffragette nonsense into your head

i think so it's only a matter of time

before women get involved

and are treated as responsible adults

women are silly

giddy creatures well most of them

you insult your daughter sir well this

is my daughter i'll insult her all i

like

did you meet alice at the methodist

champ all in chelsea

you're a methodist well i never to

attend wherever i am to be

do you live in south sea no i was just

staying there

business what business are you in

the business of being a gentleman mr

burnham quite a business that

being a gentleman well i have

independent means

i understand your fruit grosser yeah i

got 70 acres

i'm sure father will show you around his

orchard later

these are independent means

how did you come by them i was left

money by richard

i have my bank books and my private

papers for you to inspect later sir

i've no need to do that i think i'm a

better judge of people

it's character that makes a man not

who's got in the bank

what's the matter i'm sorry i just don't

like people probing into my business

he has every right to ask if you're to

marry me alice

let's get married next week away from me

george we can't

we must get married here in the village

george if there's something you're not

telling me about your past i'd rather

you tell me now

i was sent to a reformatory when i was

nine years old

my father

died when i was inside what did you do

it's not important

it was just a small theft let's just

leave it on that

george you were nine years old

alice can i have a word please

yes

you like fruit mr smith i use it

occasionally

it's god's goodness he puts it on the

bow

and he can make it with her he's a

remarkable aggravated

tell me what you think of that

cox's orange pippin fine english apple

the best

now try that one

she's got grubs in it you see one of the

skills of being a fruit grower is to

spot a rotten apple before it

affects the rest of the crop

oh alice please i am not listening to

you or would you rather listen to your

father

you don't know anything about this man

his background

where he got his money from his aunt

left it to him i thought you said his

father was a commercial traveler don't

you dare tell him i told you

and he's from the east end of london and

in this family is a wealthy aunt who

leaves him two and a half thousand

pounds it's none of your business well

if you're going to marry this man it is

our business very much

you're so vulnerable and defenseless i

am not vulnerable and defenseless

just because i'm living away from home

which makes you even more our

responsibility

this man is a a charlatan a

your father and i can see through him

seaside towns are full of men like that

preying on young girls like you

girls like me what is a girl like me

you just think all women are too stupid

to think for themselves

alice i want this man out of the house

oh i see you've both conspired against

me have you no

we've done no such thing you just don't

like me having my liberty

what do you know all you know about is

growing apples get out

i'm leaving and i'm taking my future

husband with me

it made their minds up not to like me

you do know that

they said you were a charlatan and is

that what you think i am

you think i'm a fraud

alice i have one thousand three hundred

pounds with lloyd's bank i have

enough money to keep you in comfort for

the rest of your life

dude it's not important

my mother was a bus horse driver

my father a cab driver

my sister a rough rider over the arctic

regions

my brothers were all gallant sailors on

a steamroller

this is the only information i can give

to those who are not entitled

to ask such questions

your despised son-in-law

g smith was this the card you received

yes it was

hmm

mr burnham could you please look at

exhibit mark number 197

is that a postcard from your daughter

yes

would you read it to the court please

my dear mother we arrived here last

wednesday

a very nice comfortable apartments my

husband does all he possibly can for me

in fact i have the best husband in the

world

with fond love from both of us

alice

and that postcard was from blackpool

and was sent on the 12th of december

1913.

yes

i have the best husband

in the world

excuse me you're edith aren't you i'm

caroline thornhill i'm covering the

trial for the quebec herald

i was wondering excuse me

mr and mrs smith

mrs crosston come on in out the cold the

two of you look perished

welcome to blackpool thank you

it's only a bed sitting raw but it's

large and sheary

how long would you be wanting it for

probably a week

as i said in my letter that would be ten

shillings i hope that's all right

perfectly is there a bath there is a

bath

plumbed in the first in the street

my daughter amazing she'll take you up

and show you the room

will you have some tea no thank you mrs

grossly

it's upstairs the room

thank you maisie thank you

do we have to stay somewhere like this

oh it's only for a week

we can find a proper house of our own

well then

it's got blackpool tower this afternoon

the winter gardens this evening

and i would love to go to a picture

panel uh i thought you had a headache

it's still there but it was only the

journey

come here are you sure you're right

yes you're burning up no i'm fine

no no believe me

let me see your tongue this really isn't

necessary doctor

your husband thinks it's necessary now

open your mouth

tongue i feel fine

i am a nurse

pulse is a little fast i think you're

probably right

long train journey can be stressful give

her these

they'll relieve the headache and cure

the stomach is it a sedative

yes kind of well i'm not taking it i

told you there's nothing wrong with me

would you recommend she rests for a dare

so

well i'll be getting on my way mrs

crossley

mazie see the doctor out

thank you sir

you can't be at all careful in this

weather

mrs hodgkin snapped the road caught a

chill and she was dead in three days

drink your tea

mrs smith

this is smith your boss ready

mrs smith i said your bath's ready thank

you

just coming

all right you enjoy your bath i'm just

gonna go out for a walk get some fresh

air

will you be long no only half an hour

and don't lock the bathroom door

don't want anything to happen to you die

what do you think i'm going to do

dive into it

um

hmm

it's nice to have a proper gentleman and

lady staying

he's not a gentleman you'll hold your

tongue

he's not posh gentlemen should be posh

what would you know about gentleman your

father was far from being one i can tell

you that but nothing

and get your elbows off the table

um

besides

well they've executed crippen he got

what he deserved

what sort of man could cut off his

wife's head and bury her in the cellar

he took out a visceral

where did you get that word it was in

the paper

he cut it out with a knife

and i'm a doctor too

mum mum look

should i tell her to turn it off you'll

do no such thing

oh it's getting worse sit where you are

but mom look i'll not have them thinking

that we're the types that complain at

every simple thing

i'll say something in the morning

mr smith i bought some eggs while i was

out mrs crossley

thought it might come in useful for

breakfast that's very thoughtful of you

while i was in town i heard about new

motor fire engine they say it's to be

drying out on monday

it's not fire we're worried about it's

water nobody's asking you

well it's um progress i suppose is mrs

smith enjoying her bath

thanks bexo i better check

i hope he doesn't have a bath

alice don't forget to turn the lamp out

when you're finished

alice

this is my friend it's my wife

run affects the doctor the doctor again

quickly well go on man

what happened i walked in i found it

like this she did

okay

mrs crossley is this the bath from

number 16

regent road blackpool yes and it was a

fitted bath

i assure you it will be returned and

refitted

first one in the street and this the

height of the holidays too

quite mrs crossley i put it to you that

you are coloring your evidence

i am not did you tell the coroner at the

inquest about the water coming from the

ceiling

i was not asked the question if you had

a suspicion

that the husband was concerned in the

wife's death was it not your duty to

tell the coroner

it was none of my business and now today

you say that after the wife's death when

you suggested to the defendant that he

should not sleep under your roof

that he replied and i quote when they're

dead

they're dead still maintain you're not

colouring the evidence i told him he was

very callous

this woman is a lunatic well she is

she's completely mad

order please

to continue i didn't see any of her

people at the inquest

your wife's people they're too poor to

make the journey

the country people well they must come

to the funeral tomorrow surely

i don't know i wrote to them

i've arranged for mrs hayne next door to

give you a bed tonight

that won't be necessary mrs crossley

really

well you can't sleep here another night

not after the shock you've had

and you only married five weeks

i'd like you and your daughter to come

to the funeral

you've been very good to us she was a

lovely

lady

yes she was

mr burnham sir where is our daughter's

body well

the mortary

i'm afraid so the inquest was this

morning

i know it was but we only got your

telegram last night

when's the funeral tomorrow

mrs crossley would you mind leaving us

we should have been at the inquest

i'm so sorry the verdict was one of

accidental death

she was probably seized with a fit or a

faint

she did have heart diseases no no she

was as healthy

as i am no dr billing did a post-mortem

he said her heart was um well it was

slightly enlarged

what's this

an insurance policy

that's her signature you had our

daughter insured for

500 pounds that's what any responsible

husband would do

now if you don't mind i'd rather be left

alone

what the goodness said don't tell them

that

he's going off with all your alice's

possessions

it's got a tear in it but these are

really nice clothes

i belong to a poor country girl she had

some nice spanish jewelry too have a

look

what happened to her oh she got gored by

a ball

well

you will stay home for christmas won't

you

i made you a promise didn't i

morning

so

merry christmas it's very wicked to

drink

alcohol in the bath

you never told me what your book was

called

it's called the man who saw his own

funeral

what's it about it's about a man who

dies

goes to the top of a hill and sees his

own funeral cortez go past

how unpleasant

everyone has to die edith

the man in your book did he live happily

he achieved what he wanted but was he

happy

well that's what i said he achieved what

he wanted

find women find things

even a veneer of respectability

was he good man no

he began with nothing and he made

something of himself

so

morning

gentlemen of the jury do consider this

this is the second lady who was a

stranger in a house

and who has a bath with the door

unlocked

all rise thank you

i'm sorry i tried still

mustn't give up the jury won't be told

exactly how many wives you had

it's very strange mr horn

thousands of people are dying every day

in europe

and here you are trying to save my

worthless life

it's my job tell me your wife's

gentleman sir

yes must be difficult for you

it is overcoming the prejudice of other

people is always a problem

still the battle on

mr hall

they're saying about me in the papers

do you think i'm that bad no man is too

bad to save

to try to save

is this seat taken

i don't think so

it's fascinating to watch the great

edward marshall hall in action

have you been in to watch now

i've heard he sits on a cushion

i was told by someone up in the gallery

apparently he suffers from piles

um

i suppose you're waiting to give

evidence

yes they may not call you sometimes they

don't

where have you come from where is it

canada

i was born over here but i left england

13 years ago

i knew one of his wives

you do know there were other wives don't

you once he didn't kill i don't want to

discuss it

just made off with all their possessions

they were the lucky ones if you ask me

how many were there all together

eight one legally in the rest vigorously

why did you stay with him

because he needed me

you still love him don't you

he always came back isn't that enough

have you got it yes i will give it here

then

oh no no this is the wrong one this is

not the one that i asked before oh i'm

so sorry mrs faraday i shall go upstairs

and fetch me another cup of tea yes mrs

faraday

impossible girl

that motifs

hello hello

would you like to dance the tango

i'm afraid i can't do it but i can

always teach you

i'm with someone yes i saw

she's my employer i'm her companion

and my name's john lloyd

margaret margaret lofty

yourself

you're not fighting for your country no

my country needs me here

i'm a land agent ah cross

for the warriors

how long have you been um mrs faraday's

companion

six months and why'd you stay

she took me in after i was

off the world

i'm sorry i really have to go well am i

gonna see you later

yes i'd like to

i'm sorry mrs faraday

i told you not to talk to any soldiers i

wasn't talking to a soldier

i was talking to that gentleman over

there but he should be in uniform what's

wrong with him

he's a land agent that is no excuse

this tea is cold

well you must have a day off i have an

afternoon which is my own tomorrow

could that be all right

sure we said one o'clock by the

bandstand o'clock

do you think you're doing here looking

for you why are you wearing those

clothes never mind now i said what do

you think you're doing it

looking for you i went to lloyd's where

you said i could write to you but they

didn't have your address and i don't

know i don't want you coming here

following me around

there's nothing to sell in the shop i'm

meeting a fellow in half an hour

we're going off to london now why don't

you go up

why don't i stay here and meet him if

we're talking

about business you're gonna feel out of

it just go home i will write here

is this the fellow you went to canada

with or the one that you went to spain

with

oh i've had enough of this don't you

think i've had enough

sitting home for weeks on end nothing to

sell in the shop not knowing when you'll

be back

you leave me 16 shillings a week which

is barely enough to live on

i am your wife george or have you

forgotten that then go out and find

yourself a situation

and stop bothering me situation

yes a job in another shop an office

anything just leave me alone

stop interfering in my business do you

understand me

and i'll go but don't you expect me to

be there when you get back

so

oh john it's beautiful

oh thank you so much does it suit me

you look wonderful marriage

impossible it is out of the question

no it isn't and what about me

i'm sorry

you're a very stupid girl i'm not a girl

i'm a woman

and i won't be spoken to that way

anymore you are a stupid girl

because you were engaged once before and

look what happened you have scarcely

known

this man for two weeks i'm sure of him

you were sure of the last one you became

engaged and he turned out to be married

well i only hope you know what you're

doing that is all i have to say

oh i know what i'm doing all right he's

taking me to london

for my honeymoon

it's such a pleasure to have newlyweds

thank you

and where was the wedding just yesterday

just yesterday i'm afraid my wife hasn't

been feeling too well

she caught a chill on the journey i had

to take her to see a doctor

oh nothing serious i hope no nothing at

all

i'm absolutely fine really i think we'll

retire to bed if you don't mind mrs

blatcher

of course

i wonder first

could my wife have a bath

sorry you should have had a hot part

like i told you to

and i told you i don't like baths don't

believe in them

it would ease your chill it would give

me one

i'm fine honestly i didn't need to be

taken to the doctor

please just let me go to sleep

so

asked mrs pletch to land some hot water

this morning

i told you i don't need a bath i'm not

having your chill get worse

look you are my wife if i tell you to

have a hot bath you will have a hot bath

if that's what you want

i only have your interests at heart

darling

so

margaret i told you not to lock the door

it's dangerous i suppose

so

how did you get in

why don't you just relax

good girl

let me do your feet for you

dude

so

oh

uh

are you dead

he did

sorry

i don't know who you are anymore george

i don't know what your business is

i don't know what you want adif

i'm nothing without you

mom mom

what do you think george very nice

i won't go away tomorrow it's only for a

day

gotta see solicit what about i'll

collect some money to sign to me

are you john lloyd no no never heard of

him

detective inspector neil of scotland

yard i believe you were married to a

margaret elizabeth lofty on the 17th of

january

no no no no you made a mistake this is

my wife

she had an accident in her bath very

tragic

very similar to another death we've been

informed about

what's this all about george i also

believe you're identical with george

smith

whose wife was found dead in a bath in

blackpool a year ago

well i am george smith but i know what

you're talking about

i think you do mr smith would you mind

coming with us sorry edith

it might be a little bit longer than i

intended

you expect to make the charges stick sir

i don't know

three coroner's juries had all the facts

there wasn't a shred of evidence that he

was in the bathroom with any of his

wives

well he made a tidy summer money out of

all of them

two and a half thousand out of the first

one over seven hundred quid out of each

of the arms that ain't a crime

and how possible was it for him to drown

him just like that without a struggle

and it's our job to find out

thanks for coming i didn't think i'd

ever hear from you again

life's funny like that i didn't laugh

when we parted

hey you don't have to do this helen you

know that

let's just get on with it shall we

before people start to talk

lay down in the bath and

attempt to relax

miss stanley is a champion swimmer and

is accustomed to holding her breath

also remember that smith's wives were in

all probability

surprised

sure sir

get back

downtown

has that major case offer

so

inspector neil this is exhibit number 23

the bath which was removed from bismarck

red highgate

yes it is you were telling us about the

prisoner's reply when you charged him

with murder

he made no reply whatsoever

he's mine i told you before i was

innocent

prisoner you're doing yourself no good

now sit down he's lying

i'm innocent

leave it to me but please sit down

there's a good chap

edith

so

i swear to tell the truth the whole

truth

and nothing about the truth so help me

god

well i'll protest the evidence of this

witness she hasn't given it yet mr hall

then allow me to protest the evidence a

witness is about to give

the jury will hear it mr hall proceed

you are edith may smith

i am the wife of the prisoner we were

married on the 30th of july

1908. and may the witness be passed

exhibit number 162

this is a copy of our certificate of

marriage

did you at any time have any knowledge

that he went subsequently through a

marriage ceremony to miss bessie mundy

under the name of williams no i did not

or under his real name to miss alice

burnham

no i did not or to miss margaret lofty

under the name of john lloyd no i did

not

i always loved her

i did you lived as man

and wife together and knew nothing of

these subsequent marriages

that he's correct

you were fond of him and he had been

kind to you

yes had he ever been cruel to you

no had he ever shown you violence

no he'd always treated you kindly

yes so you loved him

yes

members of the jury including your

consideration this possibility

the possibility at least in the last two

cases possibly in the first

of this having happened wife to husband

i'm going to have a bath husband to wife

all right i'm going to turn the water on

for you husband goes to the bathroom and

turns on the water

the wife comes in in her dressing gown

or

nightgown the newly married husband

stays in the room

strips her or she strips herself

picks her up an h-10 woman a nine-stone

woman

and lowers her into the bath

but holds the knees up

hang me at once and be done with it

there is no evidence of it

but consider all the possibilities

will the defendant please rise

gentlemen of the jury have you agreed

upon your verdict

yes and do you find george joseph smith

guilty or not guilty of the willful

murder of bessie

annie constance mundy

guilty

george joseph smith

judges sometimes use this occasion to

warn the public against the repetition

of such crimes

they sometimes use such occasions to

exhort the prisoner to repentance

i propose to take neither of those

courses

i do not believe there is another man in

england who needs to be warned against

the commission of such a crime

and i think that exhortation to

repentance would be wasted on you

the sentence of this court is that

you'll be hanged by the neck

until you are dead and that your body be

afterwards bedded

within the precincts of the prisons

why are you doing this you've got my

story for the paper is that it i don't

want your story

time you heard mine

i'm his wife his first and only legal

one

i married george on the 17th of january

1898

10 years before you did he called

himself love then

oliver george love you mean

we were the lucky ones there was another

one between you and me and no idea what

happened to her

i don't believe you this is a photograph

of our wedding

he left me with nothing nothing but the

clothes i had on

i'm sorry to break it to you like this

but i had a real reason for coming

he's my sapper my tom

we're gonna be married as soon as i'm

free

i know what you're thinking i could have

married him in canada and no one would

have been any the wiser but can you let

me out now please

we should look after each other you and

me

it seems you already have someone to

look after you what will you do

i don't know

go home i suppose

you know i would really like it if you

were to come to our wedding

you and i have so much in common you

could have married in canada

you didn't have to wait for now no one

would have been any the wiser

or maybe i was like you

still in love with him

dear edith dearest of all

i am naturally too downcast and

depressed to cover much ground in this

time of writing

i have not asked for a reprieve nor made

a petition

and do not intend doing so

my property i give to you

you are the only dazzling star left to

cheer my life

if ever a man was sorry for his

treatment towards his lady love

then it is me may an old age

serene and bright and lovely as a

lapland knight

lead thee to thy grave

now my true love goodbye

until we meet again yours

with immortal love joy

there is a table

my life

i didn't think you'd come i brought you

something

i haven't read it

i can't

i don't know what to say i know it's an

odd sort of present

but now at least you have something

so

may an old age serene and bright and

lovely as a lapland knight lead thee to

thy brave

you