Chapter 1

Francis Losch

1818

Francis Losch was a native of Luxembourg and, at the age of seventeen, had joined the Austrian Army. Having served his adopted country with credit, he then moved to England and joined the 3rd Battalion of the 60th Regiment of Foot, stationed in the West Indies. Finally, after many years of military service, he retired from the army, and married a much younger woman, Mary Ann, who went by the name of Nance. Losch then settled down at 7 Jew’s Row, Sloane Street, as a Chelsea Pensioner.

On Friday, 9 October 1818, Ann Diamond, a widow, who lodged at the same house as the Loschs, saw them at the top of Lawrence’s Yard. Mary Ann Losch was walking a few paces ahead of her husband, and as she approached Ann, Mary asked how she was. Ann replied that she was well and, unable to clearly see the man who was still approaching, asked Mary if it was her husband.

Even before Mary Ann could reply, Francis Losch stopped near the two women and said, ‘Nance, you are drunk, come and go home.’ Immediately, Mary Ann called back, ‘If I am drunk, it is caused by prostituting myself to keep such an idle fellow as you.’ There was no reply. Francis merely stepped forward, took something from beneath his coat and plunged it violently into Mary Ann’s side.

Mary Ann staggered against Ann Diamond and then slowly fell to the ground. As she dropped, Mary Ann screamed out, ‘Take the knife out of my body.’ As Ann looked on in horror, Francis Losch calmly leaned back against a wall and said, ‘Here I am, and anybody may take me that chooses.’

Various people came to Mary Ann’s aid and she was rushed to St George’s Hospital. However, despite prompt medical attention, she died from her wound later that night and Francis found himself facing a charge of wilful murder.

The inquest opened before Mr Hugh Lewis, the coroner for Westminster, at the Triumphant Chariot public house in Grosvenor Place. Before any witnesses were called, the jury were first escorted to the hospital to view the body, and were then taken back to Grosvenor Place.

After Ann Diamond had given her testimony, Richard Clark was called to the stand. He stated that at approximately 8.00pm on 9 October, he had been in Lawrence’s Yard and had seen the two ladies talking together. Richard heard Francis Losch say something, in a low voice, and then heard a scream as Mary Ann fell to the ground.

Richard Treadway was also in Lawrence’s Yard and he heard Mary Ann shout, ‘My God, I am murdered!’ He saw her fall and ran to see if he could offer any assistance. Although it was quite dark, he could see that she had a very bad wound through which her bowels were protruding. Richard, with another man named George Carter, took Francis into custody and began to escort him to the local watchhouse. On the way, Francis remarked, ‘You may as well let me walk without holding on, for I shall not attempt to run away.’

Elizabeth Holloway kept a small stall opposite the Coach and Horses Inn and she heard a terrible scream echo from somewhere in Lawrence’s Yard. Going to see what had happened, she saw Mary Ann Losch, lying on her back and writhing in terrible pain, her internal organs protruding through a wound in her side. As she looked on in horror, Mrs Holloway saw some men bring candles so that a search could be made for the weapon Francis had used. She saw a man find the bloodstained knife in a gutter and hand it to a constable.

Constable Richard Maybank was on duty in the lock-up when Francis Losch was brought in by Treadway and Carter. After placing Losch in a cell, Constable Maybank went to the scene of the attack, where the knife was handed over to him. A few minutes later, Maybank went to Dr Turnbull’s surgery in Sloane

Square. By now, some men had placed Mary Ann on a shutter and carried her to the surgery. When Maybank arrived, the unfortunate woman was still alive, but in acute pain.

John Kitching was the house surgeon at St George’s Hospital. He was the first doctor to examine Mary Ann when she was brought in, and he noticed a deep, eight-inch-long wound on the right side of her abdomen. Mary Ann’s bowels, and part of her stomach, protruded through the wound. There was very little he could do for her and she died soon after admittance.

The jury at the inquest had little trouble in deciding that Mary Ann had been murdered by her husband. He faced his trial, at the Old Bailey, before Mr Justice Dallas, on 28 October. When all the evidence was heard again, Francis Losch was adjudged to be guilty and sentenced to death.

There was to be no escape from the noose and, on Monday, 2 November, forty-four-year-old Francis Losch was hanged outside Newgate prison. After his body had hung for the statutory hour, it was taken down and sent to St Bartholomew’s Hospital for dissection.