Original subtitles

[Music]

I Miriam Jane chromer wife of Howard

chromer

wish voluntarily to state that on the

afternoon of Monday 12th of March 1888

at Park Lodge Q green I murdered one

Josiah peral photographic assistant in

my husband's

employment I added potassium cyanide to

a decanter of why knowing that he was

likely to drink from it and be fatally

poisoned my reason for committing this

act was that for a period of several

months Josiah P had subjected me to

Blackmail in the summer of 1882 I was

was 20 years of age living at my family

home in

Hamstead we were members of the Highgate

literary and artistic

Society one day I injudiciously agreed

to take part with two friends in some

photographic

sittings the lady who affected the

arrangement was dartha davant a leading

member of the

society we had been advised that the

photographs were to be used for a

painting to be exhibited at the Royal

Academy this was not the truth we were

asked to adopt various Grecian style

poses for which we wore dous

clothing 3 years later in September 1885

I married and left hamster to live in

Q my husband Mr Howard chromer was the

proprietor of a reputable photography

studio at Park Lodge Q Green in his

employment was Mr Josiah

peral I was filling the decanter when Mr

peral surprised me by stating he had a

matter of business to discuss with me he

produced one of the photographs taken in

Highgate some years

before one of the unclad figures was

unmistakably

myself he bought it at a notorious shop

in Hollywood Street and was now offering

to sell it to me for

£10 I realized that I would have to pay

him I couldn't confide in my

husband I had to go to a porn broker to

pledge some jewelry the next day I paid

peral before handing me the photograph

he made a number of offensive remarks

he'd been drinking my husband's madira

when at last he handed me the photograph

I burned it I knew it was possible that

he had other photographs in his

possession and my fears were confirmed a

month later he told me that he intended

to buy the original plates from which

the photographs were printed then he

asked me to Advance him the sum of £150

I knew he would be able to persecute me

for as long as he wanted we had a large

number of distinguished clients people

who would be outraged if they knew that

I had posed for pictures of that

kind I devised a plan to administer

potassium cyanide to Mr peral in such a

way that his death would be taken for

suicide please continue potassium

cyanide you see is one of the chemicals

occasionally used in the developing of

photographs on Monday 12th of March my

husband left for Brighton where as Vice

chairman he was to attend a Convention

of the portrait photographers League we

had no sittings that day and Mr peral

was working alone in the

studio the weekly order of wine arrives

at noon on Mondays on its arrival I took

the bottles to the studio and filled the

decanters Mr peral went out for lunch

soon

afterwards I unlocked the poison cabinet

and poured about a third of a bottle of

potassium cyanide into a decanter of

madira knowing that Mr peral would help

himself liberally to the contents during

the

afternoon I replaced the cyanide bottle

in the poison cabinet and locked it the

action of cyanide my husband had often

impressed on me was practically

instantaneous and quite fatal I left the

house confident that I would find peral

dead on my return I would then create

the appearance of suicide placing the

cide bottle beside the wine glass and

emptying the contents of the decanter

refilling it with fresh madira

my plans went irretrievably wrong he did

not die at once two servants found him

in

convulsions when the doctor was called

he diagnosed cyanide poisoning and asked

me where the poison was kept I unlocked

the cabinet and showed him the bottle of

potassium

cyanide I pretended to have no knowledge

of the events leading to Mr peral's

death but I now confess that I murdered

Josiah

Bal I swear that this is a true

statement and you hereby sign it this

first day of June

1888

Miriam

[Music]

Jane

chroma

[Music]

James

haven't you finished that yet James it

has to be right woman I don't want him

to think I'm looking for

charity

listen to J tcod Esquire proprietor

Madame tuc's exhibition of wax Works

malborne Road

London dear

sir I have not had the privilege of

meeting you but I understand that my

predecessor the late William marwood

Esquire whose likeness in wax occupies a

place of honor in your exhibition

transacted business with you on a number

of

occasions you will have read in the

newspapers of the unexpected confession

of Miriam croma the Q poisoner prior to

her trial you'll be aware that the trial

was expected to be one of the most

celebrated Trials of this

decade when senten is passed I will be

visiting London in connection with this

case it would seem likely that after the

the due enactment of the law you will

exhibit a model in wax of the

perpetrator of the crime for exhibition

in your chamber of

Horrors as you were certainly aware it

has long been a perquisite of the office

of executioner to take possession of the

clothing last worn by those on whom he

has performed his invidious Duty I

should therefore be prepared to discuss

the purchase by two swords of the

clothes of the person in this case

should you be

interested your humble servant James

Berry

executioner mind you I'm not looking for

charity of course you're not it's me

who's going to dictate terms to

them you know I've waited a long time

for a chance like

this bill Mard were

lucky yeah Charlie peace Kate Webster

and Dr Lamson how much are you going to

ask thank you

Sarah I thought 20 that's not exorbitant

really if you reckon the number of

people will pay to look at her

tickets for the trial were selling at 5

guine until she

confessed I think 202 ought to be about

right for the

clothes Miriam Jane Cromer you have

confessed yourself guilty of the willful

murder of Josiah peral have you anything

to say why the court should not

pronounce sentence upon

you you must

answer I I have nothing to say my

Lord then the law leaves me no

discretion and I must pass on you these

sentence of the

law and it is that this court that

ordain you to be taken to the place from

whence you came and from then to the

place of

execution and that you be there hang by

the neck until you are

dead and may the Lord have have mercy on

your soul the court will be

[Music]

upstanding come along L here we

are

my name is B have be seeing plenty of us

Hawkings and

me well pick yourself a bath in and get

it filled with

water look alive then take off your

things backu up w you I thought for a

moment just then you were shy of showing

your

skin I War you've got nothing we haven't

seen

before next on Friday nights we have

four bars on the go and eight others

naked as Cooks

waiting it comes exclusive for your

class of

prisoner come along then all over top to

tail hair and all

here I'll do it for you no I can manage

please yourself don't do nothing for me

touching prisoner's air can't put these

away they'll need

washing

there you are then no different from the

rest of us in your

skin here better get yourself dry don't

want you to catch your

death put this on and sit in a cubicle

you have to see the doctor regulations

when that's done we'll get you some

prison clothes what will happen to my

own things Miss and you speak to an

officer croma address her in the proper

fashion I'm sorry I

forgot will they be returned to my

husband Miss no you'll be permitted to

wear them

again at the end I see and after that

you don't have to worry do you but if

you think they come to any of us you're

wrong never you mind where they

go

[Music]

not crib is that

[Music]

you

[Music]

respector J sir I've been trying to find

you since yesterday don't you ever leave

a forwarding address when you've had a r

with your wife F that I don't that makes

it more interesting when I go back sir I

need to talk to you still off Dy to late

sir quite GP quite get

out I do hate to disturb you crib you

know

there where can we talk there's an

eating house right next door

sir it's about the Miriam chroma case

beautiful woman sir s in court much too

pretty to do a nasty thing like that sir

yeah yeah well that's what I want to

talk to you about

[Music]

she says she unlocked the poison

cupboard so where's the problem sir

there were only two

keys one hard chroma wore on his watch

chain the other was peral's and it was

still in his pocket when they found his

body if Miriam crom's story is to be

believed on the day she murdered peral

she was in possession of one of those

keys our husbands he was in Brighton he

wouldn't have needed it a reasonable

confence perfectly possible if it were

not for

this Howard chromer at Brighton that's

the key on his watch chain cut from the

photographic Journal of March the 24th

the Home Secretary received it yesterday

it came in a plain envelope with a West

Central postmark there was no

explanation this is one of the keys to

the poison cabinet no doubt about it the

home office have examined the original

photograph under magnification that is

one of the keys

the other was on the

body she had a copy made German Barrel

Tumblr lock two keys Paras centrically

cut no copies no peral let himself into

the studio that morning he kept the key

ring in his trouser pocket she says she

took the poison from the poison cupboard

when perel went out to lunch when she

saw him next he was a dead man if she

used peral's key how did she return it

into the pocket of his trousers after he

was dead if my memory serves me correct

sir when the doctor asked about the

poison Miriam

croman yes I unlocked the cabinet and

showed him the cyanide she must have had

a key in her possession I am at a slight

Advantage there son crib I read Dr

Eagle's deposition when he asked her

about the cyanide Mrs croma told him it

was kept locked in the poison cupboard

the doctor himself took the keys from

the Dead Man's Pocket after he replaced

them does anyone ask Mrs crowman about

it no if she's covering up something or

for somebody she's not likely to tell us

there's a loose end somewhere and you

want it tied up nice and tidy and

quietly CRI the consequences could be

disastrous if there was the slightest

suggestion of a miscarriage of Justice

questions in the house police made to

look a laughing

stop we need to know that Miriam chrom

confession is the truth after all why

the devil should she commit perjury to

condemn herself to death how long have

you got sir good man crib the execution

is in 11

[Music]

days

well nothing not even a fainy

nothing can't have sunk in yet can't

take quite a time of course it's sunk in

all right she's got no feeling that one

She's Strange are you sure she's calm of

course I'm

sure well brought some

salts she won't be wanting salts not yet

give her time

yet and she's all right to see the

governor I told you she just sits she

don't say nothing no fits nothing she

just

sits there's nothing I can do then

you'll be wanted in you

course your

feet step forward

k

I make a point of allowing prisoners

under your circumstances time to settle

themselves before I visit them and I

always begin by making it clear that

this institution exists only to meet the

requirements of the

law if your sentence is confirmed by her

majesty I shall be required to deliver

you to the sheriff for the

implementation of that sentence you

understand I understand

sir three Sundays must elapse since the

day on which sentence was passed and

assuming there is no intervention I must

deliver you to the sheriff shortly

before 8 in the morning on um Monday

June

25th no doubt you rest your hopes on the

possibility of a

reprieve my advice to you croma is to

put all such thoughts out of your head

and reconcile yourself to your fate yes

sir

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

getting ready for a visit from the queen

sir

great good Lord man what brings you out

of this nck of the woods working for

statistics Branch we need to pick your

brains I've been asked to gather Salient

facts about a crime reduce it to columns

and if we get our columns right we can

do anything with

Statistics I'm starting with murder from

all accounts your Q green case was a

copybook

investigation oh well I wouldn't go as

fast to say that but it's decently

people to say so or a classic of its

kind ideal for my purpose would you mind

answering a few questions on how you

nabbed mam chroma delighted my dear

fellow anything I can do to help

statistics well come on in it's nearly

te

time make yourself comfortable

crib

I understand you were the first member

of the force on the scene sir that's

right

yes you assumed originally it was a case

of suicide yeah what just as you and un

when I heard from the analyst two days

later that the Madera in the decanto was

laced with s i by transform my opinion

if person have poison himself he

wouldn't have put poison in the dec put

it straight in the wine glass now I had

a case of murder on hands and the

murderer had to be a member of the

household at par so I asked them to make

themselves available for

questioning I'll realize later I

shouldn't have warned them I was coming

why was somebody missing I know they

were all present but so was Simon aliam

a family solicitor I'd have got a lot

more done without him he knows his job

as young aliam he raised so many

objections to my questions he came close

to obstructing me in my duty well you

may find it difficult to believe but it

took over an hour to establish you would

fill the Blasted coun Miriam croman yeah

well she eventually admitted that it was

a regular task of her to fill the the

cus once the wine arrived on Monday

mornings my Friday they were empty so

there was a standing order with the wine

merchant now on the day of the murder

the wine arrived at noon and Mrs CR to

me straight to the

studio you pick up any gossip from the

Ser sir well there's no secret below

stairs that Mrs CR strongly disliked

first of all the housekeeper stated that

on four occasions when Mr chromer was

out Mrs chromer and persal had uh rxs as

she called it but you know what I

couldn't fathom was what peral had on

her vulger pictures never cross me mind

you ever turn up any of these

pictures fancy you look do you

crib no I didn't what sort of a woman in

your opinion is Mrs CR I thought it was

statistics you came to ask me about oh

well you got me interested sir a woman

will kill is a rare one on my word yes

so it's company so I set another car

good thinking comfortable you'll go

far as a good man that reminds me of

himself at his

age bright as a button I was I took a

sharp mind to invent the Chon pocket

sewn into the uniform that's what clinks

my promotion you know help yourself to

Sugar where was I mam Chom oh yeah well

it was all done in Cold Blood there's no

doubt about that but if you were to ask

me what sets her apart from other women

is the absence of pity she's so damn

self-possessed

and I wouldn't mind bidding but even now

she isn't wasting a thought on person

how do you think she confessed I don't

know H it promised to be a classic trial

too with you as the principal witness

sir you know I sorry not to get my

chance in court we don't often get

challenges here in que the odd obscene

exposure by the the Lily Pond that kind

of thing but um when we do we deal with

them you can tell them that at Scotland

Yard if you like whilst they collect

statistics we are out on the streets

coping with Grime from hour to

hour get

off a lot of

cats yeah there Strays we get a lot of

them being next to the bushes stray cat

sub scene exposure the full calendar of

crime Governor I wish to protest at the

visiting fa ities it's quite impossible

to conduct a conversation with two

prison officers hanging on every word

I'm sorry for the inconvenience but it

is the usual arrangement I was even

prevented from Shar her certain

documents what documents a copy of the

petition sent to the Home Secretary and

yesterday's addition of the times there

were some letters to are not allowed

newspapers Mr allingham Governor this is

a woman under sentence of death she

needs to know what is being done you may

expect some improvement in the visiting

Arrangements in due course but in the

meantime she tells me that the light is

left on in her cell all night I have

suggested to her that she places a

handkerchief over her eyes when she

wishes to sleep believe me Mr allingham

I have no wish to cause Mrs croma undue

suffering but the regulations are

specific if you could persuade her to

speak to the chaplain you would be doing

her a great service but that would be

like telling her we're abandoning Hope

on the contrary you would be offering

her hope of redemption our hope is for

reprieve then you are doing her no

service

whatsoever she will not

die they would not dare hang her I have

received no indication to the contrary

Mr

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

allingham my dear sir my apologies for

keeping you your name I was advised is

crib but I know nothing else about you

Sergeant crib Mr chromer of the criminal

investigation

department I thought we'd Seen the Last

of you gentlemen at Park L I've been

asked to make another check of the

statement your wife

made this is the lady I presume uh yes

taken last year to Mark our second

wedding

anniversary stunningly beautiful isn't

she it may sound odd to you Sergeant

coming from a man of my age but I am

enslaved utterly

enslaved merely to look at her is the

greatest happiness you must forgive me

if I talk incessantly about her it's

your wife I came to ask about ah and do

please sit down and uh look at this this

will speak more objectively than

I uh if you'll allow

me

there uh Miriam with her family they

came here one April afternoon in 1885 to

sit for a family portrait that was the

the first time I ever met her your

reputation must be widely known sir oh

well my work had been reproduced in the

Tattler Miriam herself had drawn her

father's attention to it uh now I took

these the following

week Isn't She

Lovely some of the set I knew before my

marriage uh there's Miriam in the white

dress oh that's Simon allingham our

solicitor how long have you known Mr

ringham Sir Simon oh must be 10 years we

hunted together with a half ch he's a

first class fellow he's been a tired of

strength these last terrible months um

oh may I seem to be stuck

together

uh there no harm done spot of glue on

the mount our wedding Miriam complains

that this is the only photograph I

appear in I arranged for peral to take

it this was in September 1885 your

courtship was brief then sir but in

tensely busy in 5 months we did enough

for 3 years uh theater opera asket

Henley of course convention called for a

longer engagement but um I was in

raptured with her from the beginning and

she convinced me that I was the only man

alive she would consider marrying oh

there's Simon my best

man doesn't Miriam look

magnificent she is my

inspiration as a matter of fact I was

making a print of her hands when you

arrived it occupies my to work uh

privately of course I've refused all

commission since the tragedy happened

this unfortunate event must have hit

your business hard sir

yes yes I fear

so I heard that you built it up by your

own efforts sir yes that is absolutely

true I am a self-made man you won't give

up the trade

sir trade is not the expression I would

have used this is my art and I shall

continue to practice it

I've come a long way in

photography when I first began in the

60s every gentleman insisted upon being

posed leaning against a cardboard column

top hat in hand and one leg crossed over

the

other how long have you lived in C sir

four years four years

only this is my reward this studio

represents many years of tiresome work

photographing vicious little boys in

Sailor

suits at one time I worked from a wooden

shed on the prominade at Worthing but

that is in confidence

Sergeant was jiah peral your first

assistant sir yes the First with any

photographic knowledge I took him on

soon after I moved here was the worst

mistake of my life the man was

a the man was a

Viper and I failed to see it oh as an

assistant he was conscientious enough

but an upstart I knew that he helped

himself to my madira for instance but

had I the smallest suspicion

that that poor girl she said not one

word about him sergeant not one word why

was that sir I've asked myself that

repeatedly those words in her confession

to confide in my husband was no solution

my own wife could not turn to me in her

torment there are secrets in most

married

yourself were there misunderstandings

between you

understandings nothing of any

consequence it would be fair to say that

during the first six months she found it

difficult to adjust to the marriage

bonds my fault mine entirely after I

married I wanted Miriam to

myself merely to see her in my own house

to talk to her to photograph her was all

that I desired I failed to appreciate

that when I was working she might become

bored you gave up your former friends

after your marriage yes yes all except

Simon

allingham to be candid I was worried

Miriam might weary of me and find the

younger people more amusing I'm a

jealous and possessive man and that's

the truth that you trusted your

wife she was an innocent

child nothing that has happened has

changed my devotion to her to lose her

would is there a chance do you think I

couldn't say what is in the secretary is

mine

sir where were you on the day that

personal died sir in Brighton Sergeant

the portrait photographers League was

holding its annual conference I am its

Vice

chairman time did you leave the house

that day oh early early I cannot be

exact as a time you were catching a

particular train no no particular one

what time the conference begins 11

Sergeant it'll take a good 2 hours to

get to Brighton from here you're there

in time I hope the trains are most

reliable would this by any chance be

where the wine is kept I see you have

some glasses on the top do please

forgive me may I offer you on beauty sir

but I would like to see inside if I

may the one containing the poison is

still in the hands of the police but the

can is always kept locked in here sir oh

no no no when clients come I have them

on top to offer them a glass photography

is an awesome experience sergeant to the

uninitiated fairly sure that peral would

help himself to Su in it was more likely

than not he was lying here and the

servants came in the wine glass Fallen

beside

him which is the poison cabinet sir oh

that's in the dark room if you'll come

this

way may I see inside sir the cyanite was

removed still light us inside

sir that's a capital idea sir keeping

the key on your Watch chain no risk of

leaving it

around that was a good strong lock may

I

aha it locks automatically of one thing

I can assure you there was no negligence

in the tragedy that happened here we

were all aware of the lethal effects of

potassium

cyanide there are only two keys to this

cabinet yours and peral is that correct

sir yes on the day peral was murdered

you were in Brighton where was your key

well uh thank you sir thank you

on the day perciful died this key never

left my

person why is there some difficulty over

the

key no no difficulty that I can think of

Sir one thing I would like to borrow if

you have such a thing is a photograph of

your wife oh with my compliments there's

no shortage of portraits of Miriam

that's good the one I want is this

one one I was looking at when you came

in did you have it in a size convenient

for my

pocket Sarah two swords have answered M

them two swords about those clothes is

it about me we would deem it a privilege

if you would consent to sit for us and

permit us to include your likeness in

the exhibition you mean they want that's

right they want to make a wax work of me

along with those murderers it's no

disgrace to stand beside him in a wax

work show it's it's an

honor an object of unfailing interest to

our patrons that's what they say when do

they want to see you I'll call and see

them when I'm down in London with Miriam

croma how long will it take them I don't

know they don't say I expect they'll

want some photographs taken and then

I'll have to have a sitting you must

bring some back you know I've been

saying you should have your photograph

taken I have never had a proper picture

of you I'll get one taken when I'm down

there you could wear your Chapel suit I

I I'll wear me Chapel suit I'd much

rather have one of you up there than

that lot ah those people made history

woman I only hanged

them look alive chroma you to see the

governor 9:00

shop why does he want me I don't know on

your

[Music]

feet

[Music]

yeah yeah is this the port Le yeah

excellent who are you Wallace sir the

Clark good I wish to inspect the minutes

of the annual general meeting held in

Brighton this year I'm

um I'm not sure you're allowed to do so

time that really isn't possible this

morning not possible not possible for a

member to inspect the Min of the AGM are

you familiar with the

Constitution it says here that the vice

chairman

presided there were 63 members present

is that correct correct Mr chomer

presided for the whole of the meeting

did he Mr um chomer Mr chromer is the

vice chairman is he not oh yes he is to

be sure but

um at the start of the annual general

meeting Dr darington Fisher

presided Mr Chrome is the new Vice

chairman sir the new committee having

been elected towards the end of the

afternoon

I

see now here's a queer thing it says

here that the treasurer was elected by

47 votes to 31 would you check my mental

arithmetic W 47 and 31 comes to more

than 63 doesn't it yeah it states at the

beginning there are 63 members present

63 in the morning sir some members

arrived late would you recall who no

afraid I

don't

unless unless they wrote to the

secretary advising him they were unable

to

be

yeah ah my dear Thor this is to advise

you that I am unable to attend theual

you won't be needing this just a moment

sir I'm afraid I haven't another moment

to SP good day you're sleeping better

now I

hope the communication which I hold in

my hand is from the sheriff of the city

of

London it is the warrant for your

execution it will take place a week from

today at 8: in the

morning you wish to sit

down it will mean that you return now to

a different cell but with the same

offices in attendance you may receive

visitors your husband your solicitor if

you

wish you may speak to me or to the

chaplain if if anything troubles

you I urge you again to commend your

soul to the

almighty he receives those who repent

their

[Music]

sins

[Music]

this way your

lhip suppose you can't wait to see a you

out well nearly

there here we

[Music]

are this is

yours exclusive

this is larger than the other s it has

to be for three of us in the occasional

visitor we still have to watch you in

Turn 2 by two day and night it's no

different in the CC you know CC what's

that you play cards chroma we allowed to

play cards with you B and me know just

about all the three-handed games you

ever heard of nap poker rumy

cribbage cards is a wonderful way of

passing the time

no thank

you you didn't answer my question

Miss well if you really want to know

it's the name we give the cell C for

cell follow me the first C could stand

for cards couldn't it but seeing as

you're not disposed to play cards how

would you care for a game of drafts

instead then we could call it the

DC what about that

eh

[Music]

perhaps the poses plastic with interest

you

sir nothing more artistic than this I'm

afraid not sir have you tried further

up where can we talk in

rivate

police sir help me they was here last

month my case came up at Bow Street

Friday I was fine

£25 what's funny I don't deal in

misdemeanors do you think it interests

me what smarty little pictures you keep

locked in this desk

the crime I'm investigating to get you

put away for life is a dead man Brodsky

murdered him came in here last winter to

buy pictures of this

woman straight I never seen this lady in

my life I swear it you're lying this man

bought several pictures one called The

Three Graces I never sell such pictures

this is not the only shop in Holly

Street there are four maybe five others

I checked

them you make a mistake believe me it

won't be 25 this time

rodsky I never seen this lady may God

strike me down if I don't tell the

truth

yes sir the Highgate liter Society no

sir oh yes sir but it ain't near no more

been 2 years now they're not meeting

anymore I'm looking for Mrs

dant

oh well since it's Wednesday you might

try the board School up the road she

visits their see the state of the

children's AIDS public hygiene she calls

it this is about that woman in Q I

suppose that creature who poisoned a man

it was all in the times lies lies mom

that vile confession a concoction of

wicked lies mentioning my society and my

name in such a connection one would

think from the times that the society

existed for no other purpose than the

debauching of innocent girls I shall Sue

naturally

next do you recollect Mrs Miriam Cromer

as a member of the society mom I do not

she was only 20 then known by a maiden

name of

kill I have a photograph over which

might assist your memory my memory needs

no assistance

next she refers in her confession to two

friends perhaps should remember three

girls about the same age we had a

membership of over 80 in the first year

Sergeant next ah how was the society

for in April 1881 the month dear dizzy

passed over now there was a prime

minister Not only was he a gentleman and

a Statesman second to none but a

literary man

next I was reliably informed the society

existed entirely through your

inspiration an unflagging Enterprise m

one tries to occupy oneself usefully

Sergeant my membership list was a

testimony to the reputation of the

society ah next you happen to have that

lisma

destroyed when the society came to an

end I put everything to the flame

everything I was extremely provoked as

you may imagine certain people had

accused me of self AGR

Sergeant naturally I resigned my

position hiate was deprived of culture

by the vitriolic remarks of a click of

jealous incompetence Headmaster ma'am

there seems to be something here have

the doctor look at it will

you

ma'am very sad that a fine Society like

that should disappear overnight memories

apart there's nothing to prove that it

ever

existed not a

thing if

pardon me Mrs davner but if this

gentleman is looking for proof of the

society's existence I have it in my

study I was myself a loyal attender for

3 years if you

[Music]

remember when we made our little

pilgrimage to Hamstead one afternoon to

see the actual seat where poor John

Keats was accustomed to rest before he

died some of us formed up for a

photograph if this picture is any

interest to you sir

unfortunately most of these people are

strangers to me it occurs to me that in

group portraits the names are sometimes

written on the reverse I wonder where

I'm afraid there's nothing on the

reverse of

this uh see for

yourself you don't

mind

well now look at

that Z Kil

Patrick Judith

hyut Miss C Piper Mr G

Winson Mr s

allingham you remember any of these

people now that we have their Nam sir

absolutely not it was 6 years

ago that happened to be a copy of the

post office

directory

yeah I won cut this one open

sir

can I help you sir Mr hyut No Sir Mr

hyut sold the business to me sir ah when

was that oh that would be in uh

September

1884 you happen to know the present

whereabouts of the hyut family couldn't

say so there was only the old man left

wasn't there he wasn't up to carrying on

the business after his daughter went

went Judith Hut where did she

go to me her maker oh she died sir oh a

tragedy she was only 21 and a fine

looking last too you happen to know how

she died oh yes sir it was all reported

in the express uh she um she committed

suicide at her place of work the

photographers in

West she took poison that's um

pottassium

s

s m chrom is practically finished Mr B

we should exhibit the figure the moment

we hear that you have uh performed your

work I expect a considerable crowd on

Monday morning a murderess is a

particular attraction it's just a job to

me Mr TW sword I make no distinction man

or

woman except in calculating the drop

there is a lot of Sympathy For Mrs

croman the newspapers are full of

correspondents about the Cent

but she'll not suffer at my

hands it's all scientific now you know

we give him a long drop it's very quick

there's no bungling yes quite well now

Mr belly with regard to our present

business we thought if we could begin

the sitting for your own likeness this

afternoon there is the matter of the fee

those who appear in the chamber are not

usually compensated for the honor Mr per

most of them are dead except of course

yourself

we thought perhaps the sum of

£00 I think that would be most

satisfactory you know my wife asked me

to bring her a spare copy of the model

when you'd done it she said she wanted

to keep it in the front room under a

glass

dome but I told her I'd get some

photographs taken while I was down here

she'll have to be content with that eh

had you chosen a photographer I thought

I might go to chroma's Studio chroma the

husband of the lady in question he's

still in business ah how quaint you like

to get close to your subject I like to

say sometimes that I stood in the place

where it actually

happened it makes a story to tell your

grandchildren indeed and you can bring

them down here to see you when the model

is done you'll find you'll become quite

a figure of

veneration do you know Mr Berry

sometimes when we're cleaning the models

in this chamber we find handkerchiefs

pushed in the

pockets ladies handkerchiefs lace edged

and still smelling of

perfume people are strange eh Mr

tord you say there were these three

young ladies crib Miriam Kil Patrick

Judith anut and Miss C Piper no

Christian named constant Carol Charlotte

and you believe they were the three who

were tricked into posing for impr proper

photograph the confession mentioned

Frieza so you went in search of Judith

Honeycut and you found she was dead from

cyanide poisoning I was interested in

the photographer Mr Duke Kain who

employed Miss anikat damn it GB our job

is to inquire into peral's death and

there's not much time I went to West

Hamstead Sir with the intention of

calling on Mr duain but he no longer

lives there in fact Mr duain seems to

have vanished without trace my theory is

that after Julian Duan left Hamstead he

started up as a photographer in q but

not as Julian duain you mean as our

chroma when I first interviewed our

chroma he went to no end of trouble to

cooperate I couldn't get a straight

answer about the time he left for

Brighton except he left sometime early

in the morning he was not expected there

till half 2 when he showed me the

photograph album he tried to give the

impression that he first met Miriam the

day her family came to the studio at Q

for a group portrait that was in April

1885 I believe he knew her 3 years

earlier than that what ground do you

have for saying that I was suspicious of

the album itself sir a photograph of

their wedding 2 and a half years before

was stuck together which implied that it

hadn't been looked at since it was put

in unless it had been recently pasted

into the album that set me thinking that

he might have put the entire album

together to illustrate his story that's

a lot to deduce from a spot of glue

Sergeant well that isn't the only thing

sir the photograph the Headmaster showed

me showed the three girls together and

beside them Simon allingham chroma's

oldest friend now if allingham was known

to Miriam in the summer of 1882 it's

feasible that she was also acquainted

with chroma that won't do Sergeant you

know what you're guilty of post Hawk

Ergo propter Hawk pardon do you not have

Latin well it doesn't matter it means

that your reasoning is founded upon a

fallacy you've persuaded yourself that

chromer is not what he purports to be so

you're fitting the facts to justify your

Prejudice it's possible that he was

involved in peral's death sir if he was

in queue that morning he could have put

the poison in the decanter as easily as

his wife could more important he a key

to the poison cabinet and she

didn't Sergeant I cannot emphasize too

forcibly that if there is anything in

this at all it will not convince the

Home Secretary without solid evidence to

support it where is that evidence to

come from Miriam chroma sir what

precisely are you saying sir today

Thursday sir the woman's due to hang on

Monday our report should be on the

commissioner's death by tomorrow evening

there's now time to put men on hous toh

house inquiries to establish chroma's

movements on the morning of the crime

Miriam K can tell me permission to

interview US sir out of the question

she's in The Condemned

cell with respect sir I'd like to know

why it's not possible it would not be

countenanced well surely in the

interests of justice justice has had its

opportunity Sergeant all we are now

required to do is to find out how she

did it do you follow after all she did

plead guilty let hangman Berry do his

work on Monday if after the execution

anyone should question her guilt it

would be as well if the independent

inquiry did not conflict with her

confession damn it crib you can see that

can't you just find out how she did it

all

[Music]

right

there's a visitor outside you have some

hair showing Tu it under your C it's

your

husband H love sa your love and tell me

what is happening outside yes yes of

course the petition is being delivered

to the home office this afternoon 13,000

signatures demanding a reprieve an

avalanche of sympathetic letters

sympathy what do you mean sympathy I'm

not dead no no forgive me I'm confident

that Justice will be done I mean I know

what you

mean how something else happened tell me

there have been two visitors this week

on Sunday a detective Sergeant came and

put a lot of searching questions to me

about what well he wanted to know what

train I caught to Brighton what did you

say well you know me incourage vague

about such things I showed him where the

decanas were kept he wanted to see

inside the poison cabinet and insisted

on opening it himself with my key was he

satisfied well he should have been but

there's been something else I'm

convinced that the inquiry is still

continuing the second visitor yes he

came yesterday afternoon a strongly

built fellow with a scarred face and a

black beard he said he wanted a

photograph of himself did he ask you

questions oh yes he asked me questions

it was all he could do not to take out

his notebook he showed a lot of interest

in the room in which the occurrence as

he described it took place I

photographed him he gave me an address

in Bradford to post the wanted to

probably the police station so they've

sent a second

detective have you spoken to Simon

yes asked Simon to visit me tomorrow

morning and Howard I Shan expect to see

you do you

understand Howard yes I am

grateful

[Music]

there you are crib that's every picture

confiscated by my squad and my

predecessors in the last 15 years help

yourself artistic poses Continental

groups all the fun of the fair sex look

here mosa couldn't you see your way to

helping me through this lot I don't have

much time I agreed to let you in here

crib and God knows I had to bend my

principles to do it and now you're

asking me to plow my way through 10,000

pictures with you and I don't even know

what you're looking for this woman and

two others uh don't you think it would

help if you told me her name mam CR a c

poisoner the same she's not our sort

crib save yourself the trouble she's not

the kind of trade we get in here you

know something I'm beginning to believe

you're right inspector uh you said there

were others may

I any of these faces mean anything to

you no oh only the

actress actress uh that one uh lty Piper

she's in that show at the royalty now

lty Charlotte Piper lty

Piper that's who it is obvious mosa you

are magnificent oh you develop a memory

for faces in here the other

things come in darling my oh oh which

particular darling are you may I come in

Miss I've have yet to meet a darling who

didn't not what you think

police

oh I have a card yes well I can see you

haven't got any

champagne oops 15 minutes Miss Piper

thank you I am in rather a hurry officer

I'd like you to look at this

picture you recognize the lady of course

but I don't recognize you sorry Miss

detective Sergeant Crim of the C really

now I wouldn't have thought detection

was necessary considering Miriam's

confession was in all the papers she is

due to angon Monday Miss representations

have been made to the home office on her

behalf and it's my job to see if they

hold water has Madam decided she would

like to change her plea no now no no

I'll ask the questions miss you saw the

confession in the papers a section of it

refers to

you I didn't give your name but

uh well it was you wasn't it come now

Sergeant let's not be COI you asked me

if I took my clothes off for a

photograph you won't make me blush after

the years I've spent in the theater what

you got up to Mrs is of no interest well

that's not very Galant tell me have you

seen any of these deplorable photographs

no Miss well I can assure you the

pictures I remember were absolutely tame

Lord Knows Why Miriam took such a

serious stand on the matter actually

poisoning a man on account of it when

did you join this uh artistic Society oh

darling I have no idea I haven't ahead

for dates all I can remember was that

little hole buzzing with conversation

seemed to like the cafe Royal I've never

experienced anything so exotic how did

the business of the photographs arise H

well one of the society's Founders was a

personal friend of Sir Frederick Leon

she happened to know that the great

artist was interested in finding a

number of elegantly proportioned young

ladies to pose for a canvas on a

classical theme we were told an

assistant of Leon would make the

preliminary study the following

afternoon we presented ourselves at the

studio

to discover that the assistant was not a

painter at to but a photographer called

Julian Duan needless to say Sir

Frederick Leighton knew nothing about it

you happen to know how Judith Honeycut

came to be in Duke K's employment this

is a free country darling she went to

work for him come now lty that's no help

Judith is dead Miriam is locked in her

death cell you were the only one who can

tell me how those photographic sittings

led to one girl working for the man and

the other marrying him did he blackmail

them blackmail oh Sergeant that's

delicious you evidently need a few

lessons in feminine psychology we were

paid a guinea each and we giggled all

the way home we were modern young women

sergeant and they were classical poses I

was rather relieved that the picture

didn't appear at the Royal Academy it

never occurred to me they'd be put to

any other purpose we were deeply

interested in the the impression our

bodies made on Julian duain each one of

us imagined him becoming intoxicated

with her charms went back there were

more sitting oh we pursued him he was

the Lost poor man he tried to solve the

problem by introducing us to his friends

it nearly worked Simon was smitten with

Mir Simon allingham yes but Julian was

the prize she

wanted we were the Three Graces in a

modern Judgment of Paris Sergeant each

one of us wanted to

win over is Miss Piper thank

you and while Judith succeeded in

installing herself as Julian's assistant

Miriam was left at home

fretting crying no Sergeant give Miriam

credit for more style than that more

planning ah you mean while Judith was in

the dark room Miriam and Julian were out

with a camera and a picnic basket

exactly so Judith was eclipsed you might

think so but not yet sometime later I

met her in Hamstead High Street her face

was pink with excitement she told me she

was engaged to be married to Julia no

and that they intended to tell Miriam

that very evening Judith was certain

that Miriam would share in their Joy I

told her frankly Miriam would be

incensed that she was too single-minded

to give up Judith laughed and said she

had no fear of losing Julian she said he

didn't see Miriam as a person at all but

a face a face to be photographed not to

be

kissed I said that perhaps Julian saw

all women with a photographer's eye she

laughed again and said she was sure he

did not she was carrying the

proof his

child tell me something lty how do you

account to yourself of Judith's

death

Sergeant I couldn't account for

it

lty do you believe that she took her own

life since I read in the papers what

happened in Q

no I think Judith was

murdered not too close how are you

impatient for news my dear Howard is

missing the police want to question him

they found out he's left the house they

think he's left the country they're

trying to find him yes and that means

they want to charge him with something

then it's nearly over Simon

yes nearly over

thas fled seems likely he's left the

country good Lord what on Earth has made

him do that things have been happening

said that I know nothing about I think I

have a right to be informed if another

officer put on the same case what other

officer I was keeping chromer on the

light rain someone else has been to see

him panicked him he could be in France

by now who have you put on to this

following me around there's nobody else

I haven't sent another

detective well they no friend frighten

him

[Music]

off if chrom has left the country you've

lost him you can't get him back without

an extradition order and an extradition

order requires a very serious charge it

would have to be murder and you can't

charge The Man With Murder when his

wife's convicted of the crime no sir I

know not unless we an arrange of pardon

for his

wife so Sergeant what do you want me to

do persuade the commissioner to let me

into the condemn C I must speak to

Miriam

k no

touching Simon if we could only begin

again oh mam my

dear there is nothing I would rather

wish

for but you must put all such thoughts

out of your mind there is a way

Simon I wouldn't ask you to say anything

that was not true only to keep silent if

the moment comes will you do that for my

sake oh if only Howard had been as

honest with me as he was kind what do

you mean that he concealed from me the

truth about Judith Hut

Judith but it was the inquest you knew

about the tragedy we all did

Simon I know how Judith died what do you

say he confessed it to me as he lay

beside me on our wedding night that he

was responsible for her condition at the

time of her death she threatened a

scandal and as he married her in his

mental anguish he decided there was only

one escape to do away with her oh mam

for God's sake this can't be

true I knew nothing of this nothing

whatever view the law may take of the

present case he is guilty Simon Judith

died in

agony I wanted you to know if they find

her they will arrest him they will be

obliged to Pardon you before they can

issue a warrant Howard will be brought

to trial unless he can convince them he

is Innocent but if he hasn't able to

convince them

Simon then I should be

free in every sense of the

word

[Music]

[Applause]

I may say this is without precedent

Sergeant crib I've never spoken to a

prisoner on the sentence of death I hope

you know what you're

doing tell me how is she enduring no

better for this infliction sir the

governor's with

her

Chief Inspector giant would you begin my

assistant Sergeant crib is to put the

questions please sit down s didn't

crib you haven't met me before Mom I was

brought in to take a look at the

confession you

made I'd like to talk about that

confession if you don't

mind I want to ask you if you stand by

everything you said in this

document naturally she does this is an

affidavit sworn by magistrate I must

caution you not to impute perjury to my

client Sergeant yes of

course there are certain small things

that have come to light since your

conviction we can't quite Square

them the mistake may be on our side

where it must

be may I take it that you prepared to

answer questions

Mom I'm not here to trap you I don't go

in for

trickery I'll come to the point shortly

after your conviction a scrap of paper

cut from a photographic Journal was sent

to the home office picture of your

husband taken in Brighton the D's eyers

was killed an arrow drawn in red ink

points to the key that your husband

wears on his was chain a key that

subsequent inquirers established belongs

to the poison cabinet now there's our

first problem M how could you have

unlocked the cabinet if one key was with

your husband and the other in the pocket

of the victim my client does not wish to

add anything to the statement she has

already volunteered naturally I was

obliged to check the movements of your

husband on Monday the 12th of March and

it transpires that he was not as we had

supposed in brighten that morning he was

in fact not expected to be there before

halfast 2 he could on the face of it of

do the decanter himself that is absurd

you can have no evidence to suggest that

Mr chromer poisoned his own assistant

what possible reason could he have for

doing such a thing the reason that Mrs

Cromer gave you her confession she was

being blackmailed her reputation and

therefore that of her husband was a

stake the man who took those photographs

of you and your two friends was known as

Julian Duke

Kan was he

not is this of any relevance you should

know sir it was your best friend and

your husband

M I am right am I not

unfortunately for you these photographs

fell into the hands of Josiah pel who

told you he acquired them in Hollywood

Street from my inquiries I suspect that

he mentioned that notorious place to

frighten

you you made a number of payments to

peral over a period of 4 months but you

did not speak to your husband about

it I am bound to wonder why she made the

reason perfectly clear in the affidavit

it could serve no practical purpose

except to extend the blackmail to Howard

I am aware of that sir what I'm coming

to Mom is it wasn't just the photographs

you thought would alarm your

husband it was the connection with West

Hamstead and Judith Hut's death from

cyanide

poisoning there was an inquest Judith

committed suicide one thing was not made

clear at that inquest the coroner was

not informed that at the time of her

death Judith hanika was engaged to be

married to Julian du K what how could

you possibly know that because she told

ly Piper lty lty has spoken to you

yesterday lty never liked me she was

viciously jealous because Howard chose

me as his model I was the one he wanted

not lty or Judith Judith is expecting a

child and Howard poisoned her mum why

deny it now the girl was a [ __ ] worse

than the ones on the streets because her

price included marriage I suggest you

say no more if I don't speak now I shall

be hanged Simon God knows I've kept

silent no one can accuse me of

disloyalty to my husband he has

condemned himself by running away his

nightmare was that someone would

discover the real circumstances of

Judith's death when I told him P

intended going to hamstad to try to

trace the plates of those photographs he

was seized with Terror he was certain it

would raise questions that had never

been asked about Judith and himself he

believed his arrest for her murder would

be inevitable if he did not act so

instead of traveling to Brighton that

Monday morning he remained at Park Lodge

and put poison in the

decanter my husband killed Josiah persal

he killed him he killed him I am

innocent

sir he's guilty Simon tell him tell

him my

dear I cannot do

that

Simon Simon for

me for us leave me alone Simon won't you

save

me on the morning of 12th of March

Howard chroma was with me in my my

Chambers he had come to consult me about

the blackmail which Miriam had confided

to him at the

weekend I Clark will confirm no it isn't

true don't believe him they plotted this

between them can't you understand they

made me confess so that Howard could

Escape they promised I be pardoned it

promised that I believe Ma you expected

to be

pardoned but you should have heeded Mr

allingham's advice and said nothing left

us to draw

conclusions Mr allingham would not have

told us that you husband had an alibi

until you were

pardoned but youve now forced it from

him by accusing your husband of

murder you wanted too much out of this a

pardon and your husband's conviction the

charge of murder against Howard chromer

would never stick Mr allingham knows

it the purpose of the plan was to raise

enough doubts in our minds to secure

your

release how could I have unlocked the

poison cabinet with no key use desire

peral's key I asked him for it did I and

he handed me the means of his

destruction that is in effect what

happened mom except that it wasn't the

poison cabinet you said you wanted to

unlock it was the shiffer where the

decanters were kept your husband was out

when the wine arrived so you borrowed

peral's key to unlock it an innocent

sounding request which he was unlikely

to refuse seeing that he was partial to

madira peral's keys were on a ring on

that ring was also the key to the poison

cabinet I return the keys to him after

unlocking the Shian here without the key

to the poison cabinet which you had

slipped off the ring then how do you

explain that the key of the poison

cabinet was found on the key ring in

peral's Pocket after he was dead it

happened something like this when you

returned to park lodge you found the

doctor there and Peril dead you still

had the key in your possession when the

doctor asked to look in the cabinet you

were clever enough to tell him that the

keys were in P's pocket you removed them

and handed them to you to open the

cabinet you held them in your palm in

such a way that the loose key appeared

to be attached to the ring as you turned

the

lock while the doctor was examining the

poison bottles you coverly reattached

the key to the ring the doctor himself

returned the bunch to the Dead Man's

Pocket but it was found when the police

arrived I don't suggest you acted as you

did in order to incriminate your

husband the time you were only

interested in contriving the appearance

of a

suicide when that became

impossible the other plan was worked

out a

gamble had the strategy succeeded and

had you received a pardon

we couldn't even have brought a charge

of perjury later not for one syllable of

that confession it was absolutely

true thank you

M for hearing me

out leave

me pleas

me stay away from

here and

tell stay away get out get out get

out no

no mam chroma needed something quite

remarkable to save her from The

Gallows I believe allingham and chroma

set up the whole scheme with Howard on

the run like a guilty man we would have

to obtain an extradition order which

meant we would have to arrange a pardon

for mam Cromer as soon as she was

pardoned Howard would surrender to the

police he would announce that he had an

alibi for the morning of the crime and

Simon allingham would confirm it but

that would confirm his wife's guilt

Ultra

convict I beg a pardon oh don't you have

friender a legal expression dating by

the common law a person cannot be tried

twice for the same crime even if we knew

mam chroma was a murderous and brought

her up before a magistrate she could

plead order convict and walk out a free

woman I am aware of the law Sergeant it

was the terminology which escaped me yes

sir very cunning idea sir not easy to

unravel oh didn't you think so

sergeant and uh what about Judith

Hut oh I believe Miriam chroma murdered

her just like she murdered peral

sir two murders eh well at that time she

was determined to get Howard chroma for

herself sir Sergeant I salute you I

believe we have played our cards

extremely

well Toby did you ever really think that

she was

innocent well I'm always inclined to

give a pretty woman the benefit of the

doubts

[Music]

are

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

we

yeah