The Crime
Forty-three-year-old Ethel Major poisoned her husband, 44-year-old Arthur, with strychnine on May 24, 1934, at their home at No. 2 Council Houses in Kirkby on Bain, near Horncastle, Lincolnshire.
Arthur was a lorry driver and, by all accounts, not a pleasant person—especially when he had been drinking.
Early Life and Marriage
Ethel Lillie Brown had a daughter at the age of 23, whom she named Auriel in 1914, but refused to tell anyone who the father was. Auriel was brought up by Ethel’s parents and passed off as Ethel’s sister.
Ethel married Arthur in the summer of 1918 and gave birth to a son, Lawrence, in 1920.
Marital Breakdown
In the early 1930s, Arthur found out about Ethel’s first child and demanded to know who the father was. Ethel refused to say, and their relationship began to deteriorate.
Ethel accused Arthur of receiving letters from another woman in the spring of 1934. It is possible that Ethel herself wrote them.
The Poisoning
After eating corned beef on May 22, Arthur complained of severe stomach pains and died two days later. The neighbour’s dog also died after eating the leftover corned beef.
Originally, the cause of death was given as epilepsy, and the funeral was set for the 26th. However, the police received a tip-off in a letter signed “Fairplay” and stopped the funeral, taking Ethel in for questioning.
An autopsy carried out by the famous pathologist, Dr. Roche Lynch, revealed that both Arthur and the dog had been poisoned with strychnine.
Investigation and Arrest
Ethel’s father kept some poisons at home for use in connection with his work as a gamekeeper, and these were stored in a locked chest. The key had gone missing but was later found in Ethel’s handbag.
When asked about the poisons, Ethel told Chief Inspector Young that she did not know about them or that her husband had died of strychnine poisoning—which, until then, had not been mentioned by the police. She was charged with murder.
She told the police she could not bear to sleep in the same room as him because of the smell. “I could not stand it. From the smell of him he had a disease.” She added, “He was a detestable man and I feel very much better in health that he has gone.”
Trial and Sentencing
Ethel was tried at Lincoln between October 28 and November 2, 1934, before Mr. Justice Charles. She was defended by the famous Norman Birkett QC. This was the first murder case he had lost, as the jury took just over an hour to find her guilty.
The court heard that Ethel suspected Arthur was having an affair and had told her doctor, “Now you understand why I have been ill. A man like that is not fit to live. I will do him in!” The doctor didn’t take her seriously.
They also heard that during police questioning, Ethel said, “I have never had any strychnine poison.” Chief Inspector Young replied, “I have never mentioned strychnine. How did you know your husband died from strychnine poisoning?” Ethel responded, “Oh, I am sorry. I must have made a mistake.”
Ethel was in a state of virtual collapse when the verdict and sentence were pronounced and had to be assisted, sobbing, from the dock.
Appeal and Execution
She appealed on the basis that the judge’s summing-up was biased, but this was dismissed.
Unusually, Mr. Justice Charles wrote to the Home Secretary, Sir John Gilmour, stating, “The jury recommended the prisoner to mercy, and I concur with the recommendation.” But, as was typical in poisoning cases, there could be no reprieve.
Ethel Lillie Major was hanged by Tom Pierrepoint, assisted by his nephew, Albert, at Hull Prison at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 19, 1934. This was the last of ten hangings and the only female execution at Hull. Ethel’s ghost is said to still haunt the prison where she is buried.
Legacy
The prison now hosts an exhibition called “Within These Walls,” which was opened by Ethel’s grandson, Lawrence, in April 2011.
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