Murder of Georgiana, William, Cary, Harriet, Henry, and George Brough

Queen Victoria ruled Great Britain for 63 years. For all nine of her children, that she had in 17 years, she had wet nurses for each one. On November 9, 1941, future King Edward VII was born, and by the bedside was his wet nurse, Mary Ann Brough.

She would be dismissed soon after because she did not seem to follow instructions and did not seem to be able to provide proper nutrients for the future king. Even though she was dismissed no one would have known that she would have killed her own children 13 years later. 

Mary was married to her husband George. He worked for the Royal family just as his father before him had. Their family lived in Esher, England. They had 7 children together,19-year-old Mary, 11-year-old Georgiana (Georgy), 8-year-old William, 7-year-old Cary, 4-year-old twins Harriet and Henry, and 2-year-old George, and an unnamed child.

 

In 1854 he would suspect her of an affair as she would go out often. He would hire a private detective to follow his wife. On May 29th she would be seen meeting another man at the tavern The two would also be seen entering a questionable house. George would accuse her of cheating. Feeling betrayed by the woman he loved he left on June 6th. He also told her that he was going to come back for the children and take them away from her.  He would refuse to talk or communicate with her. 

On the night of June 9th Mary was in a bad place. She would put the children to bed and try to go to sleep in a chair. Her oldest daughter would ask her to go to sleep in bed around 9 pm. She would go to bed. The children would ask her to bring them barley water up until midnight. 

Mary would look for a candle though she had one lit by the chair. She said there was a black cloud above her. She could not see, however. She then would think about slitting her own throat and would search in the dark for her husband's razor. She would find his keys and then find his razor. 

With the razor, she would go to her daughter Georgy and slit her throat without looking at her. There was no resistance. She would then go to Cary and do the same. The next victim was Henry and he would say "Don't mother" and she would tell him "I must" before slitting his throat. She would move onto Bill turn him over and do the same. He never woke up. Harriet and George were the last ones and there was no resistance. Harriet however struggled the most as she died. Mary would then slit her own throat. 

She said that she lay there for a long time and then went to get a drink. She said that the black cloud was gone. It then hit her on what she did so she placed something bloody in the window because she could not call out to anyone. She then undid the bolt to the front door.

On the morning of June 10th two men, Mager and Peasley, were walking past the Brough home and spotted something shocking. There was a blood-soaked pillow on the second-story back window sill. The two men would notify neighbors of there being possible trouble at the home. They would first try to ring the doorbell, but no one answered. The landlady would come and do the same, but more urgently. 

Mary would then come up to a window and wave to them with a towel. One of the men would scale the wall and let the others in. They would come up to the house. Mary would not let them in as the door was locked. The man would see a ladder and climb through the window with the bloody pillowcase. 

Mary would come up to the top of the stairs to the man's sight and see her more clearly. She was a mess covered in blood. When she turned to him he saw that there was a wound on her throat. He went back down the ladder and someone went to get the doctor. 

John Crockford was in his garden when this happened. he spotted the commotion and they explained to him what had happened. He would also climb up the ladder and would go into the room of the bloody pillow. 

Mary was lying on her side in the room. In one of the beds was one of the children. The house was a bloody mess. He would then make his way to the front door to unlock it. Passing one of the rooms he would see two dead at the end of a bed. He would notice that there was a pair of bloody boots and stockings under a table by the door. The lock and door handle also was covered in blood. He would leave the house and inform them that the children were dead.

 Mary was still alive and bleeding out. She would be saved from her attempted suicide. 

19-year-old Mary and her father would then see the children at their funeral. They were both extremely saddened by the tragedy. Mary would have been another victim if she had been in the home that night. Mary Sr would will all of her items to her remaining child.

While recovering she would be charged with murder. On August 8th she would go to the Surrey Assizes. She would admit that she did not want her children taken away from her. She would use a defense of insanity and the jury agreed with this as they returned with a verdict of not guilty on the grounds of insanity. 

She would be ordered to be detained at her Majesty's Pleasure. 

SOURCES:
Murderpedia
Ranker

Newcastle Weekly Courant June 16, 1854

Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser June 17, 1854

The Halifax Courier and Guardian August 12, 1854
The Sun April 24, 2018

Murder of Lena and Wilhelm Riedel

In 1888 36-year-old Charles Henry Riedel his wife 37-year-old  Lena and their son 7-year-old Wilhelm "Willie" moved to Wilmington, Delaware from Philadelphia. Charles was German and spoke broken English. Unbeknownst to those around him he was depressed due to a lack of work and prospective want. 

On the morning of September 17, 1887, both mother and child were sleeping in the same bed. Lena was sleeping on her back facing up and Wilhelm was on his side facing away from his mother. Charles would go up to both. He first shot at the wall twice, but neither woke up. He would then shoot Lena and then Wilhelm in the head.  Witnesses heard Lena moaning and saying "Willie". Even if she talked evidence showed that she did not move after being shot but could have lived up to 3 hours afterward. 

Charles tried to kill himself by shooting himself in the temple, but he failed. Later that morning he would go to his door and shout that he would shoot everyone. He would then yell at Mrs. Gottilieb Wachter to see what he had done upstairs. This scared her and she rushed to her husband who was working at the mill at the time. 

The two would return and enter the home. Upstairs they would see the bodies of the mother and child still in bed. He would then be asked what he had done by them. "Just what I said I would." When they left the house Charles locked the door behind him. This was when someone was sent to get an officer. 

Later that morning Officer Sherry and Gustave Kolock would go to the home. The front door to the house was locked so the back of the house to peer in to see Charles smoking. The officer wanted someone to distract Charles briefly as he snuck in through the back to arrest him. Gustave's brother did so as he joined the party. They did this  and Charles willingly went with the officer and only asked to get his money before leaving. It was $21.70 (Around $667) one of the $5 bills was stained with blood. He grabbed it from the mantel and left with the officers. As he was put in the carriage Charles stated "I shot my wife. I shot my child. I'll shoot everybody."

He was found guilty and on August 10, 1888, Charles would be executed. He was welcoming the execution. One reporter would ask how Charles would feel if the governor would let him live a little longer. Charles would respond with "I will kill myself. I do not want to live this way. " He was religious but refused spiritual consolation. 

SOURCES:

Legal Executions in Deleware, The District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Page 9

The Morning News September 19, 1887

Daily Republican September 21, 1887

Daily Republican May 16, 1888

The Morning News August 10, 1888

Murder of Herbert and Kate Rapson

 

By 1905 59-year-old William Rapson was frequently arguing with his son 25-year-old Herbert and Herbert's wife 28-year-old Kate. They would fight over the farm of H.N. Nottingham where they were tenants. In early January William agreed to leave the farm. Accounting of the farm started and fights still ensued and they nearly threw fists. Kate would get involved siding with her husband. They all lived in Joilet, Illinois together.

The morning of January 7, 1905, started out normally as the two would take care of the farm together. William and Herbert would go to the barn and feed the cattle and horses. Herbert would climb the hayloft and pitched hay down to the animals.

While Herbert was doing this William brought out a shotgun he had hidden the night before. While Herbert was coming down the ladder William would shoot his son once his head was visible. His death was sudden as the buckshot entered the base of the head and without even a groan Herbert fell to the pavement dead.

William would hide the gun behind the barn door and go to the home and ask Kate for help. She and her mother-in-law did not hear the gunshot. He told her that one of the cows was sick and he and Herbert needed her help with it. So unknowning of her fate she came into the barn first spotted Herbert on the ground.

She would run to her husband as William grabbed the gun. She initially thought he had been hurt, but she noticed that he had been shot she screamed and looked at William horrified. He pointed the gun at her and he was between her and the only exit. He told her "I'm going to kill you". She tried to run the other way away from him. 

The chase ended when they were at the far corner of the stable. There was no way out. She  tried to cover her face to protect herself. He held the gun a few inches from her head an fired. After he killed her he walked out of the barn not bothering either body. He would make his 

He would walk straight to a neighbors home, Lewis Grouger, and tell him "My son and his wife are in trouble." He gave no further explanation and Lewis and William rushed to the barn. Lewis was disturbed by the sight of the murders and rushed to another neighbor for help. Inside the home William's wife had no idea of his crime.

William would reload his gun and take off his boot. He placed the muzzle in his mouth and used his toes to shoot the gun. This did not kill him. When Lewis returned he would find William and William would tell him "I killed them both. I raised the boy and I loved him. Him and his wife were mean to me. They wanted to throw me out to beg."

William would be sent to the hospital and would survive. William would plea guilty. Against what Kate's family wanted William would get life in prison. Because of his injuries from his attempted suicide and his old age even with the minimum of 14 years for both would mean he would die behind prison.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave Herbert

Find a Grave Kate

Chicago Tribune January 8, 1905

Matoon Morning Star January 8, 1905

The Worthington Advance January 13, 1905

The Tamaroa Times January 18, 1905

The Joliet Evening Herald-News March 2, 1905

The Joilet Evening Herald-News March 27, 1905

The Champaign Daily News March 28, 1905

The Joilet Evening Herald News March 30, 1905

The Joilet Evening Herald News April 1, 1905

Murder of Reinhold Deske

I could only find the same article in several papers. The murder would have happened before Jan. 10, 1882 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

SOURCES:
St. Louis Globe-Democrat January 10, 1882
The Greeley News January 12, 1882
Kingman County Citizen January 19, 1882
The Patron of Husbandry January 21, 1882

Murder of Emily and William Cockin

26-year-old George Cockin and his wife separated In September 1878. It wasn't said why the two separated, but it could be because his wife was an alcoholic at the time. The residents at the place they l lodged with Mrs. Hubbarks on Philidelphia Street in Bristol, England did not like her. She had been stealing curtains and linen from their landlord to sell for alcohol. When she left George was living with his five-year-old daughter Emily and 3-year-old son William. By October they had been living there for 5 months.

It was known that his wife would try to see the children while George was not home. He never saw her, but knew she was going to try to take the children away from him.  On October 13, 1878, the children's mother came to the home again. This time she brought toys with her for the children. He told someone else lodging there that to tell her she was unwelcomed and to go back to the man she was with.

The next morning on October 14 George went out and bought a frock and boots for his son. He did not go to work this day and seemed to be going in and out of the house constantly. He seemed sober for most of the day though. He then went out with the children for dinner. They arrived back home about a quarter to 5. He was witnessed holding his children's hands saying; "Come on Emmy and Willie; come with dada upstairs."

Another witness said that the children had seemed upset before going up. They had heard George take off his boots and then told the children to go to bed.

They then followed their father upstairs. William had come downstairs several times within 10 minutes and Emily came down each time to get her brother. About 5 or so minutes later George came downstairs crying. He did not have his boots or coat on anymore. He was also bleeding from his neck as he had tried to slice it. He said, "Mrs. Fowler do go up; I have killed my children."

Mrs. Fowler scared for the children rushed upstairs to find the children. Emily was lying on the floor of the landing and William was lying on the bed. Both of them had their throats slit, but were still alive. The room was said to be covered in blood.

The two children were carried to the infirmary. It was said that William's wounds were worse, but Emily was close to death. So they tried to work on Emily first, but she died within minutes. They then worked on William, but unfortunately, he also died 30 minutes later from his wound.

Witnesses claimed that George never mistreated his children. That he seemed to actually take great care of them. They noticed that he was sober most part of the day and seemed to be sober when he went upstairs with the children. He was drunk when he came back downstairs though.

His family was interviewed and asked if there was a history of mental illness in the family. His brother responded with a yes. They had several family members who were put in an asylum including a brother named William who died in one in 1869. A servant of his sister stated that she had once witnessed him 6 years before putting his head in a boiler hole saying he wanted to destroy himself and he was miserable.  He did have a history of acting strange.

He pled guilty for his daughter Emily's murder, but pleaded not guilty for William. His defense didn't claim that he didn't murder the children, but did so in a fit of insanity due to intoxication. The jury found him not guilty on that ground.

SOURCES:
The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, Western Countries and South Wales Advertiser (Oct. 15)

The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, Western Countries and South Wales Advertiser (Nov. 9)

The Lancaster Gazette 

Mrs. Colley Murdered Her Three Youngest

On May 28, 1837, The George Colley, his wife Ann and their family lived in the Police station-house in Fenton England. That night their father was out of the home. Anne the mother of 5 children the oldest being 11 and the youngest 5 months put them all to bed in the room they shared with their parents. The two oldest George (11) and Josiah (9) were laid to sleep together. Their mother put James (5 months) in his cradle. Ann and Charles slept in their bed with their mother Ann.

 No one expected what was to happen that night.

The two older boys George and Josiah were screaming running down the streets. The boys were injured and were only wearing their shirts. The first person they saw they told them that their mother Ann Colley was killing their siblings. They had escaped through a window after being attacked. George and Josiah had injuries to their head and neck causing their shirts to be blood-soaked. George has one of his ears almost taken off and Josiah had a deep gash in his neck.

The boys had woken up to their mother trying to stab them. Josiah was able to escape first and then George through a kitchen window. At the time they had no idea what had happened to the younger siblings.

John Beardsworth who lived next door was one of the first to enter the police station-house the family inhabited. They went upstairs to the room the family slept in. That was where the horrors lied. Three other children two boys and a girl laid on the ground with their heads nearly severed. Their mother on the floor with them with her throat cut, but still alive.

When the Dr. arrived on the scene he tried to sew up her neck wound. She struggled and even bit the surgeon's hand in an attempt to keep him from saving her. With the assistance of three others he was able to sew it up and save her.

It had seemed as of recently her husband and the children's father had been discharged from his position. This lead the family to live in poorer conditions. They were only living day to day on the earnings from their household goods. Before her husband's discharge, she seemed to be of good character and went to church regularly.

She claimed they it wasn't her husband's fault that she had done this. She said that he was a good husband and father to the children. It was the distress from life that had caused her to want to end the childrens life. Wanting them in the good lord's hands.

When in the hospital she would pray to god and begged the nurses to read the bible to her. She was mentally unstable. When she was told that her two sons were doing well she stated: "God will take them for when they survive they must come to want."

It was brought out that George a few weeks prior caught his wife trying to harm the children (isn't specifically what she did) and threatened to send her to the asylum if she hurt them. He believed this set her straight, but unfortunately did not.

She was brought before a jury and they returned with the verdict of Willful Murder against her.

SOURCES:
The Morning Chronical
The Morning Post
Jackson's Oxford Journal