Murders of Freda Burnell and Florence Little

Freda Burnell                         Florence Little

On the morning of  5 Feb. 1921 around 9 a.m. 8-year-old Freda Burnell went to buy poultry grit and spice at Mortimer's Corn Store on Somerset Street in Abertillery, Wales. She would arrive at the store where 15-year-old Harold Jones was working. He would be the last person to see Freda alive.

He would somehow get the girl to the chicken run shed belonging to Harold's employer. This was where he would attack and kill the girl. He would tie up her elbows behind her back, and ankles together. She would have been gagged, and he would attempt to sexually assault her. He would hit her in the head with an ax handle and strangled her with a cord.

Later Freda's father would go and search for the girl, but she could not be found. He would go to the shop and ask if she had been there. Harold would tell him that she had been there, but was only there for 10 minutes and said that she was going to ask her father if loose poultry grit was okay. By 3 p.m. police were informed of the girl's disappearance. For 6 hours they searched for her, but could not find her. At 10:20 to 10:30 Harold kept others from the shed and went to it on his own.

Freda's body would be found at 7:30 the next morning. She was concealed in a bag still bound with the cord still wrapped around her neck. It was noted that traces of corn Chaff was found on her body. The police would look at the shed that Jones and his employers only had access to. Inside the shed, the ax handle used to beat her and her handkerchief was found hidden among sacking.

Harold would soon be arrested and tried for Freda's murder on 21 June. He would remain calm at trial even during his testimony for his own defense withstanding rigorous cross-examination. His employer Hebert Mortrimer would provide an alibi insisting that his son and Harold were working in the store before they were sent to deliver a sack of potatoes to a customer around 10 a.m. His father would also testify that Harold did not leave the home that night and leave Freda's body where it was found. His testimony was corroborated by his wife's and it was noted that he exhibited good behavior with young girls.

Evidence showing that Freda was likely killed by Harold. He had contradicted himself on several occasions in the initial inquest. Despite this after the jury deliberated for 5 hours and he would be acquitted for Freda's murder.

There were numerous supporters for Harold at the time. Many believed that a 15-year-old could not kill and sexually assault a young child. After a private reunion with his parents, they would be escorted to a local restaurant to eat. At the service, Harold would state "I thank you all. I do not hold a grudge against the people of Abertillery for the horrendous ordeal I have been put through." One of those who would greet him would be George Little a neighbor who would say "Well done, lad. We knew you didn't do it."

This would be a statement he would soon regret.

On8 July and 17 days after Harold was acquitted he noticed 11-year-old Florence Little and her sister Flossie outside his home on 10 Darran Rd. Harold would ask the young girl into his home to help him run an errand. She would go inside the home and be attacked. He would instantly partially strangle the girl and dragged her to the kitchen. He would beat her in the head and temple with a plank of wooded before suspending her head and neck over the sick where he grabbed her by the hair and slit her throat with his father's pocket knife.

He would wrap Florence's head with a grey army shirt and concealed her partially dressed body in the attic. He washed all the blood he could find and then proceed to take a bath. Florence's mother would come to the Jones home in search of her. Harold would tell her that she was there at his front door, but had run off. 

At 11:15 p.m. police were notified of Florence's disappearance which led to the house to house searches, and woodland and mountains were searched. There were hundreds of volunteers including Harold Jones. 

Police would still suspect the boy of this killing. When asked he repeated the lies he told Mrs. Little. With his father's consent, the police searched the home at 8:30 a.m. and Harold would sneak out of the home knowing she would be found. 

Police found that the trapdoor for the attic and a table nearby was blood-stained and had evidence of an attempt of being cleaned. They searched the attic and found the little girl's body outstretched on the rafters. An extended search of the home led to the blood-stained knife, a small egg-saucepan filled with blood and water, a blood-stained plank 19 inches long beneath the boiler.

When Phillip Jones was informed of the girl's murder he left the home to perform a citizen's arrest on his son. The two would then go back to Darran rd where Harold was placed under arrest.When the public heard of Harold's arrest for a second murdered girl around 500 people case to the local police station requesting that he be let free.

This was when Superintendent Lewis would address the crowd. "I have found the body of a child in the attic of Harold Jones, foully murdered, and I have arrested Harold Jones. I think this is all I can tell you and it would help us if you disperse and go to your homes." 

On 11 Julyinquest into Florence Little's murder began. On 23 July the jury took 30 minutes to find Harold guilty of murder. During this inquest, Harold was adamant about being innocent. While waiting for his trial in November though on 17 September he made a statement about the motive for the crimes. He said it was " a desire to kill" that led to the deaths. 

On 1 November 1921, he was tried in front of  Mr. Justice  Bray. The trial only last one hour and was ordered to be detained at His Majestys Pleasure. Harold was under 16 at the time and couldn't be subjected to any capital punishment. He would state that he also killed Freda because of his "desire to kill".

The grocery store was relocated and the Mortimer's moved. He felt guilt and may people were blaming him for giving a false alibi and it helped allow Harold to be able to kill  Florence. 

Harold would get out of prison on 6 December 1941. He would go and join the Merchant Navy. By 1948 he would then reside in Fulham, London, England under the name Harry Stevens.  He would then go on and have a family and go by Harry. He would get bone cancer and die on 2 Jan. 1971 in London, England. At the time he was going by Harry Jones and before he died he would tell his wife to put Harold Jones on his death certificate. 

Both Freda and Florence were buried in Brynithel Cemetary. Over the decades their graves would fall into disrepair. In 2017 a local author Neil Milkins helped raise £4,000 to help restore the graves and in 2018 they were able to do that. Family members of the girls appreciated that the graves were restored.

Mugshot of Harold Jones on 14 November 1921

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Murderpedia

South Wales Argus 4 August 2018

Find a Grave (Florence)

Murder of Reverend George C. Haddock

In 1882 a law was passed in Iowa called the "Clark Law" making Liquor illegal. The frontier city of Sioux did not take kindly to the law as they ignored it. It also turned the town from being rough straight to a lawless frontier. The town had over 75 saloons, several breweries, and gambling houses.

Many were against the law, but some were for it especially after two murders had happened in drinking establishments. There were some who wanted changes to where Sioux City would follow the law. One of these people was 56-year-old Reverend George C. Haddock.

On August 3, 1886, the Reverend was going about noting the things about liquor. That morning he was seen noting the unloading of beer from one of the brewery wagons. Fred Lerch was standing in front of his business further up the street and screamed at the Reverend that he would cut his d-d head off if he came near there.

Shortly after 10 p.m. a shot was heard on 3rd and Waters street. Reverend George Haddock had been shot and killed. The person shot him from 25 feet away. It was no secret in why he was murdered he even told someone he expected death. He was more than likely killed for his fight against liquor.

John Arensdorf was a suspect that went to trial twice. First with a hung jury and second with a not guilty. Despite there having been witnesses that night that saw John kill the Reverend. It was said that John had gone to a bar after the trial with the jurors.

Soon after the Reverend's death liquor was completely banned fron Sioux City and the businesses were moved to South Sioux City in Nebraska. But five years later Clark Law was repealed allowing liquor to be legal again.

SOURCES:
Iowa Cold Cases 

Sioux City Journal 

Sioux City History

Murder of Michael Vengalli

On the evening of July 28, 1931, 5-year-old Michael Vengalli was playing on E. 107 St. in Manhattan, New York with some of his friends. At this time the Coll-Shultz gang war was happening and the place, a social club, they were playing in front of belonged to members of the Dutch Schultz mob. At the same time that Michael and his friends were out there a few men from the Dutch Schultz mob were too.

This was when a car with Mad Dog Vincent Coll and his men drove by. As they drove by they shot off a machine gun hoping to take out the men. Instead of taking out the men Michael and four of his friends were shot. Michael instantly died from his wound in his stomach and the other four were in serious condition but survived. 

On October 4th Coll was arrested. In December of 1931 Mad Dog Vincent Coll was taken to trial. People called the killers baby killers. He was acquited of this crime, but his freedom didn't last long as a few months later on Feb. 8, 1932, Schultz's men trapped him in a manhattan drugstore phone booth and machine-gunned him to death.


SOURCES:
Find a Grave
Youtube- Video of Michael's funeral
Daily News
Harlem World

Murder of Laura Foster

This murder ballad isn't much about the victim, but the possible murderer. It's about Thomas Dula (Tom Dooley) who was hung for the murder of Laura Foster.

Thomas Dula (his last name pronounced Dooley) grew up in Wilkes County, North Carolina. As they grew up he and Ann became intimate. Before his 18th birthday, he joined the Confederate army. Ann had married around 3 years before Tom left to a James Melton. It was unknown if the relationship was still going.

Thomas then started to date Laura Foster a cousin of Ann's. I0t's rumored he was actually dating 3 of the Foster cousins including Ann. It's believed that Ann was possibly still in love with Tom and may have been jealous of her cousins.

In the last week of May of 1866, Laura had disappeared with her father's horse. Her father stated that he did not care if his daughter returned, but he wanted his horse. Probably believing at the time she had run away.

Rumors began to stir that Laura had been murdered and hidden. Her cousin Pauline admitted to where Laura's body was and that Ann and Tom had killed the young woman. The next day the horse returned alone without Laura. Search parties were sent out but the young 22/23-year-old wasn't found, but a bloodied rope had been.

It's never known what had happened that evening, but Laura was seen riding the horse next to Tom. She told a friend that they were eloping and Laura was pregnant at the time. Tom tried to run but was found by the posse that brought him back which involved Grayson (who some wrongly assume was a love interest of Laura's.) Tom had made it to Trade, Tennesse before being found.

Tom professed innocence, but after the arrest of him and Ann, he was found guilty from circumstantial evidence. Former North Carolina Governor Zebulon Vance defended Tom pro bono. It's believed he possibly did this because of him believing in Tom's innocence or because he was a Confederate Veteran. There were rumors of a former connection between the two that were found to be false.

 He was executed by hanging. The night before his hanging Tom wrote a confession that made it seem like Ann had nothing to do with Laura's murder. He did state at his execution "Gentlemen you see this hand? I didn't harm a single hair on the girl's head."

He was acquitted in 2001 from the crime. It's unknown what happened that night Laura died or even if Tom and Ann were involved and if they were what was the motive? Ann's jealousy? Some claim Laura was killed because she had a venereal disease. Tom and Laura's unborn baby? No one is for sure.

SOURCES:
Find A Grave
Murderpedia
Legal Executions in North Carolina and South Carolina page 14
Wilmington Daily Dispatch
Wilmington Daily Dispatch
Statesville Record and Landmark
Statesville Record and Landmark
The Fayetteville News