|
Kill Total: |
1 |
Kill place: |
London |
|
Kill date: |
22nd June
1900 |
Victim(s): |
Catherine
Irwin |
|
Date of Birth: |
unknown |
Marital Status: |
Single |
|
AKA: |
Unknown |
Occupation: |
|
Catherine was the second wife of William Irwin and they
had married in 1888. Before they then parted, in May 1899,
they had had four children, the last being born in
February of that year.
The parting had been amicable enough and the couple still
saw each other quite frequently. As William was not
working, Catherine would help him out with gifts of money
whenever she could, but William was jealous of a mutual
male friend named Sexton who, in his opinion, seemed to be
spending rather too much time with Catherine, although
Sexton would later deny that any impropriety had taken
place.
There is little doubt that this jealousy was an important
factor in the break up of Catherine and William's
relationship. It was Sexton who visited her in hospital
when she was confined with her last child and it was also
Sexton who found rooms for her when she first left
William. Indeed, on June 20th, Sexton was with Catherine
until eleven thirty at night and William was fully aware
of that fact as he had been waiting and watching, outside
her home.
On the night of 21st June 1900, William had again tried to
borrow money from Catherine but she had said she had none
to give him. Angry words were exchanged and William was
heard to say that she had just driven the last nail into
her coffin. William left the house in Great Titchfield
Street, where Catherine was living, and stormed off into
the night.
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The following morning, at eight o'clock, Catherine was
leaving home for her job as a draper's assistant at Mesrs
Peter Robinson's of Oxford Street, when she was accosted
by her husband.
William demanded to speak to Catherine, even though she
was in the company of a fellow worker, Emily Wright.
Catherine pulled away, saying she had to get to work and
at that point William again demanded to speak to her but
emphasised the words by plunging a knife into Catherine's
breast.
Catherine was rushed to hospital and William was arrested
and charged with attempted murder. Later that same day,
Catherine died, from a pierced right lung, at the
Middlesex Hospital. Before dying she had made a
deposition, outlining what had happened to her. In that
statement she said that William had asked to speak to her
and upon being told that she was on her way to work, he
had replied; "Tahe that, then." and had stabbed her.
William's defence at the Old Bailey was that he had
inflicted the fatal wound in a moment of passion. It was
true that he had been jealous of Sexton, and the
relationship he believed existed between Sexton and
Catherine. When William had been in work, Sexton had been
in the habit of visiting Catherine during the day and had
carried on seeing her after the marriage had failed. Under
these circumstances, William held that he could only be
guilty of manslaughter.
The jury though found him guilty as charged, but added a
recommendation to mercy. It was to no avail.
William James Irwin was hanged on 14th August 1900, at
Newgate..
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