Chapter 16

Henry (Harry) John Surtees

1883

The night of Friday, 29 June 1883, was absolutely foul. Great peals of thunder and sheets of lightning ran across the skies and the rain bounced off the pavements. Inside the World’s End public house on King’s Road, Chelsea, groups of people huddled around the fire, enjoying their drinks and marvelling at the awful weather outside.

In due course, the time came for customers to leave but the rain still pelted down and as people drifted outside, many of them took shelter in the stable yard at the back of the pub. One such person was James Gallimore who, as he pulled his coat up around his chin, saw a number of people he knew, taking shelter at the far end of the same stable yard.

Amongst that group were Samuel Bell, a cab driver, and a man named Carter who were trying to coax a somewhat reluctant horse out of the stables, so that Bell could attach the beast to his cab, which stood in the street outside. Also there were Harry John Surtees and Louisa Charlotte Parrell, who Gallimore had seen leave the bar just a few minutes before he had.

Even as Gallimore sheltered he saw Surtees pick up a pail of water and throw it over Louisa. According to his later testimony, which did not agree with that of others who witnessed this scene, Surtees then refilled the pail and threw it over Louisa again before repeating this for a third time. Surtees then struck Louisa in the throat, knocking her back into the stable.

Gallimore dashed forward and shouted, ‘Leave off, you have done quite enough Harry.’ At first it seemed that Surtees had heeded Gallimore’s words for he then helped Louisa up, but no sooner had she stood up than he struck her a second time, knocking her backwards again.

Other people, including Elizabeth Dorrington, who was a close friend of Louisa’s, now rushed to aid the stricken woman. Louisa was helped up again and she was then helped to her lodgings at 59 Langton Street. As the group moved along the streets, they were followed by Surtees, who had picked up Louisa’s hat and cloak and was carrying them over his arm.

Susan Davidson was Louisa’s landlady at Langton Street and she heard a noisy group bringing Louisa in, taking her to her room and putting her to bed. Susan noticed that Louisa was very wet indeed and appeared to be in some pain as she was groaning and moaning. Susan also saw Surtees, who she knew had been walking out with Louisa, and asked him if he had hit her. Surtees replied that they had been sheltering in the stable and a horse must have kicked her. Hearing this, Louisa managed to groan, ‘Oh Harry, you know what you have done.’

By the next morning, 30 June, Louisa was no better and it was decided that she had to go to the hospital. Another lodger at number 59, Elizabeth Weedon, helped Louisa to get dressed and she helped Surtees to take the injured woman to St George’s Hospital. Surtees, however, refused to go inside and left Elizabeth to escort Louisa to see the doctor. When Elizabeth came back outside, Surtees did not seem too interested in what the doctor had said, inquiring only what Louisa might have told him. Elizabeth replied, ‘The truth, that you had kicked her.’

On Monday, 2 July, having received an official complaint from Louisa, Inspector Henry Marshall arrested Surtees at his mother’s house at 9 Sloane Square. He was charged with violent assault or wounding and held in custody to await a hearing before the magistrates. Unfortunately, the following day, Tuesday, 3 July, Louisa died from her injuries and the charge of murder was added to that of wounding. Later, at the inquest, that charge was amended, to one of manslaughter.

Surtees’ trial took place on 30 July and he faced three separate charges. In addition to manslaughter and wounding he was now also charged with breaking the peace.

After James Gallimore had given his evidence, the prosecution called Samuel Bell, the cab driver. He testified that he had been taking care of his horse when Louisa came into the stable. She was obviously the worse for drink and staggered to the corn bin where she took a handful of corn and fed it to the horse. Minutes later, Surtees had also come into the stable and an argument had started between then. At one stage, Louisa had rushed forward to grab at Surtees and it was at that point that the prisoner had thrown a single pail of water over her. This did nothing to cool Louisa’s temper and she rushed at Surtees again. It was then that he struck her a single blow and she fell back against the corn bin.

Frederick Mason was also standing in the stable and he heard a little more of the argument between Surtees and Louisa. He had, apparently, accused her of going with a married man and at one stage called her ‘a cow’. She replied by calling Surtees ‘a sod’ and hitting him in the side of his head. Mason did not see Surtees hit Louisa but claimed that he had simply pushed her backwards.

Doctor William Rivers Pollock had attended to Louisa when she was brought in to St George’s Hospital, at 11.00am on 30 June. She seemed to be quite ill and complained of acute pains in her abdomen. Soon afterwards, Dr Pollock had gone off duty and Dr Henry William Allingham had taken over Louisa’s care. He was present when she died, at 5.20pm, on 3 July.

Yet another medical gentleman, Dr Daniel Maclure Ross, had performed the post-mortem, on 4 July and he found that Louisa’s bladder had been ruptured. This had caused peritonitis, which was the direct cause of death. The damage to the bladder may have been caused by a punch or a kick but could equally have been caused by a fall against the corn bin in the stable.

The medical evidence, and the conflicting testimony of the various witnesses, some of who had seen a blow, others of whom had only seen a push, meant that the jury returned a not guilty verdict on the charge of manslaughter. The prosecution then chose not to enter any evidence on the other two charges, which were then dismissed. Harry John Surtees then walked from court, a free man.