John Tawell
Encyclopedia
John Tawell was a British murderer. In 1845, he became the first person to be arrested as the result of telecommunications technology.
Transported
to Australia
in 1820 for the crime of forgery, Tawell obtained a ticket of leave, and started as a chemist in Sydney
. There he flourished, and after fifteen years left it a rich man.
Returning to England, he married a Quaker lady as his second wife. He confessed to the murder of his mistress, Sarah Hart, by prussic acid, his motive being a dread of their relations becoming known.
, and a man had been observed to leave her house some time before. The police knew that she was visited from time to time by a Mr John Tawell, from Berkhamsted
, where he was much respected, and on inquiring and arriving at Slough
, they found that a person answering his description had booked by a slow train for London, and entered a first-class carriage.
The police telegraphed at once to Paddington Station
, giving the particulars, and desiring his capture. 'He is in the garb of a Quaker,' ran the message, 'with a brown coat on, which reaches nearly to his feet.' There was no 'Q' in the alphabet of the two-needle instrument, and the clerk at Slough therefore spelt the word 'Quaker' with a 'kwa'. 'Kwaker' was understood, and as soon as Tawell stepped out on the platform at Paddington he was 'shadowed' by a detective, who followed him into a New Road omnibus, and later arrested him in a coffee tavern. Tawell was tried for the murder of the woman, and revelations were made as to his character. His defense was handled by Sir Fitzroy Kelly
, who tried to make a plausible case that the prussic acid that killed Sarah Hart was from eating the pips (pits) of apples (a large barrel of apples was in the house). The rather silly nature of this argument led to the distinguished barrister to be known as "Apple-pip" Kelly for the rest of his life. Kelly also called a number of character witnesss to show that Tawell was well respected. One was the South Sea whale ship captain and explorer Peter Dillon
.
Tawell was hanged in public at Aylesbury
, and the notoriety of the case brought the telegraph into repute. Its advantages as a rapid means of conveying intelligence and detecting criminals had been signally demonstrated, and it was soon adopted on a more extensive scale. It was also, as far as we know, the first homicide case where the criminal attempted to flee the scene of the crime by a railway train.
Transported
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1820 for the crime of forgery, Tawell obtained a ticket of leave, and started as a chemist in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. There he flourished, and after fifteen years left it a rich man.
Returning to England, he married a Quaker lady as his second wife. He confessed to the murder of his mistress, Sarah Hart, by prussic acid, his motive being a dread of their relations becoming known.
Arrest by telegraph
Between six and seven o'clock one morning in 1845 a woman named Sarah Hart was found dead in her home at Salt HillSalt Hill
Salt Hill is a district within the unitary authority of Slough in Berkshire in the south of England, close to London. Before 1974, Salt Hill was part of Buckinghamshire...
, and a man had been observed to leave her house some time before. The police knew that she was visited from time to time by a Mr John Tawell, from Berkhamsted
Berkhamsted
-Climate:Berkhamsted experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Castle:...
, where he was much respected, and on inquiring and arriving at Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
, they found that a person answering his description had booked by a slow train for London, and entered a first-class carriage.
The police telegraphed at once to Paddington Station
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
, giving the particulars, and desiring his capture. 'He is in the garb of a Quaker,' ran the message, 'with a brown coat on, which reaches nearly to his feet.' There was no 'Q' in the alphabet of the two-needle instrument, and the clerk at Slough therefore spelt the word 'Quaker' with a 'kwa'. 'Kwaker' was understood, and as soon as Tawell stepped out on the platform at Paddington he was 'shadowed' by a detective, who followed him into a New Road omnibus, and later arrested him in a coffee tavern. Tawell was tried for the murder of the woman, and revelations were made as to his character. His defense was handled by Sir Fitzroy Kelly
Fitzroy Kelly
Sir Fitzroy Edward Kelly PC, KC , was an English commercial lawyer, Tory politician and judge.-Background and education:...
, who tried to make a plausible case that the prussic acid that killed Sarah Hart was from eating the pips (pits) of apples (a large barrel of apples was in the house). The rather silly nature of this argument led to the distinguished barrister to be known as "Apple-pip" Kelly for the rest of his life. Kelly also called a number of character witnesss to show that Tawell was well respected. One was the South Sea whale ship captain and explorer Peter Dillon
Peter Dillon
Peter Dillon was a sandalwood trader, self-proclaimed explorer, raconteur, and discoverer of the fate of the La Pérouse expedition.-Early career:...
.
Tawell was hanged in public at Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
, and the notoriety of the case brought the telegraph into repute. Its advantages as a rapid means of conveying intelligence and detecting criminals had been signally demonstrated, and it was soon adopted on a more extensive scale. It was also, as far as we know, the first homicide case where the criminal attempted to flee the scene of the crime by a railway train.
External links
- Tawell the Quaker — Glimpses into the 19th Century Broadside Ballad Trade