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Method of murder: Strangulation - Stabbing
with knife
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Status: Executed by hanging
at Wandsworth Prison, during an air raid,
on June 25,
1942
Gordon Frederick Cummins
was allegedly the illegimate son of a titled member of the peerage. His
claims of noble birth led others to call him “The Count”. He married a
theatre producer's secretary in 1936. When World War II began in
September 1939, he enlisted in the R.A.F.
From the start of that conflict, the
streets and buildings of London were kept dark as a precaution against
aerial bombing by the Luftwaffe. Street lamps were not lit; the windows
of houses, shops, offices and factories were painted over, shuttered or
screened off with thick curtains. Showing even a chink of light could
lead to an appearance in court and a heavy fine. As bombs fell upon the
capital, Londoners took refuge in cellars, underground train stations
and public air raid shelters. In a period of six days in February 1942,
in the midst of a darkened, blitzed city, Cummins (then 28 years old)
murdered four women and attacked two others. Three of his victims were
mutilated after death. The newspapers dubbed him “The Blackout Ripper".
On the morning of Sunday 9th February,
the body of teacher Evelyn Hamilton (aged 40 or 42), was discovered in
an air raid shelter in Montagu Place in the Marylebone district. She had
been strangled, her handbag (containing £80) was missing. There were no
signs of sexual assault; her body was not mutilated. The killer had
either placed her in the shelter after death or launched his attack when
he found himself alone with her within its walls.
On Monday 10th February, Evelyn Oatley
(aged 35) was found dead in her Wardour Street flat (apartment) in the
Soho district. Oatley had turned to prostitution and was using an
assumed name - “Nita Ward”. The actual cause of death was strangulation.
Her throat had been cut; she was naked and her body had been sexually
mutilated with a tin opener. That implement was found close by - covered
in Oatley’s blood; it provided fingerprints. An examination of the body
yielded the fact that the killer was left-handed.
On the next day, Tuesday 11th February,
another prostitute, Margaret Florence Lowe (aged 42 or 43, also known as
“Pearl”), was murdered in her flat in Gosfield Street. She had been
strangled with a silk stocking and mutilated with both a knife and a
razor blade. Her body was not discovered until three days later. The
pathologist Bernard Spilsbury stated, after examining this victim’s body,
that the murderer was “a savage sexual maniac”. The similarities between
the killings and mutilations convinced the police that the same killer
was responsible.
On Wednesday 12th February, Mrs Doris
Jouannet (aged, depending upon different sources, 32 or 40 - also known
as “Doris Robson”) was murdered in a 2 room ground floor flat in the
Paddington district that she shared with her husband (a hotel manager).
Jouannet was known to be in the habit of picking up servicemen in
Leicester Square. She had been strangled (with a scarf) and her naked
body sexually mutilated.
Greta Hayward was attacked on Friday
14th February, near Piccadilly Circus. A delivery boy on his rounds
interrupted her assailant and Hayward was able to escape. Cummins fled -
but left his RAF-issue gas mask behind at the scene (another air raid
shelter). The gas mask container was marked “525987”.
The number was easily traced and
linked to Cummins, but even as the police were working on that lead, he
struck again. A prostitute called Catherine Mulcahy (also known as
“Kathleen King”) was attacked in her flat located near Paddington Rail
Station. She resisted Cummins so effectively that he abandoned his
murderous intentions, gave her an extra £5 and left quickly.
On 16th February, the police arrested
Gordon Frederick Cummins in the St. John’s Wood district. His
fingerprints matched those on the bloody tin opener and a search of his
quarters turned up several items that belonged to his victims.
On 27th April, Gordon Cummins was
tried for the murder of Evelyn Oatley at the Old Bailey (before Mr
Justice Asquith). He was charged with only one murder - presumably so
that the authorities could immediately charge him with any of the other
3 homicides in the unlikely event of an acquittal in the Oatley case.
The Prosecution was handled by Mr G.B. McClure; Cummins was represented
by Mr J. Flowers. The trial lasted only a single day and the jury took a
mere 35 minutes to find Cummins guilty of the murder of Evelyn Oatley.
He was sentenced to death by hanging.
Lord Chief Justice Humphreys dismissed
Cummings’ appeal and confirmed the sentence. On 25th June, “The Blackout
Ripper” was executed at London's Wandsworth Prison; an air raid was in
progress over the city as he was led to the gallows.
Bedlam Asylum Crime Files
Gordon Frederick Cummins
Cummins was a 28-year-old sexual psychopath who
killed four women in six days and was executed on 25 June 1942. He was
good looking, well-educated and came from a good family. He was born in
New Earswick, north of York. He was called to the colours in 1941 and
joined the RAF. He was nicknamed 'The Count' and 'The Duke' by his
fellow airmen because of his social pretensions.
On Saturday 8th February 1942 he visited his wife,
borrowed some money and went into the West End of London for a night on
the town. Early the next morning the body of 40-year-old Miss Evelyn
Hamilton was found in an air-raid shelter near Marble Arch. The motive
appeared to be theft as Miss Hamilton's handbag containing £80 was
missing. Her clothing had been disarranged but she had not been sexually
assaulted. Police quickly determined that her killer was left-handed.
That night, Sunday 9th, he accompanied a 35-year-old
prostitute, Mrs Evelyn Oatley, back to her home. Her strangled, almost
naked body was found the next day. Her body had been mutilated with a
can-opener and her throat had been cut after she had been strangled.
On Thursday 13th February another prostitute, 43-year-old
Mrs Margaret Lowe, was slaughtered in her Gosfield Street flat. She had
been strangled with a silk stocking and slashed, this time a knife and a
razor causing the damage. While the scene was being initially examined
news came in of yet another victim. This was 32-year-old Mrs Doris
Jouannet. Her body was found in the two-roomed flat she shared with her
elderly husband. Again, the naked body had been savagely mutilated.
The following day Mrs Greta Heywood was picked up by
Cummins. She went for a drink with him but refused his advances to her
on their way home. She hurried off into the blackout but he chased after
her. He caught up with her in St. Alban's Street, forcing her into a
shop doorway where he seized her by the throat. She collapsed
unconscious but a delivery-boy who happened to be passing decided to
investigate the sounds of a struggle. Cummins ran off into the darkness.
Unfortunately for him he left behind his gas-mask which bore his serial
number, rank and name.
Not to be deterred, he shortly picked up another
prostitute, Mrs Mulcahy, in Regent Street. He gave her £5 while they
went by taxi to her flat in Paddington. When they got there she started
to remove her clothes. According to Mrs Mulcahy, 'a strange look came
over his face.' Cummins grabbed her by the throat and squeezed. Mrs M,
who had kept her boots on because of the cold, kicked him in the shins,
making him release her. Cummins recovered his composure, gave her
another £5, and left. He left his belt behind this time.
When police traced Cummins he had a seemingly perfect
alibi. His name was in the booking-out book as having returned before
midnight all week. This was earlier than the times when Evelyn Oatley,
Margaret Lowe and Doris Jouannet had all been killed. DCI Greeno,
investigating the case, quickly established that it was standard
practise for airmen to sign each other in and that one night Cummins had
left with another airman, by way of a fire escape, after checking in.
Cummins was searched and a cigarette case belonging to Mrs Lowe was
found in his tunic pocket. He had also taken a fountain pen belonging to
Mrs Jouannet and his fingerprints matched those found on the tin-opener
in Evelyn Oatley's flat.
His trial began at the Old Bailey on 27 April 1942.
It finished the next day and the jury took just 35 minutes to find him
guilty. He was hanged at Wandsworth Prison on 25 June 1942, still
proclaiming his innocence.
Real-Crime.co.uk
The Blackout Ripper
was the pseudonym given to 28-year-old Gordon Frederick Cummins, an
English serial killer who murdered four women in London in 1942. The
Ripper tag came from similarities with the Jack the Ripper murders as
both killers mutilated their victims.
Background
Cummins was married in 1936 to a theatre producer's
secretary. He was a Leading Aircraftman in the Royal Air Force where he
was nicknamed The Count due to his claims to have noble heritage.
Victims
Over six days in February 1942, Cummins took
advantage of London's night-time black-out conditions to murder four
women and attempt to murder two others. He mutilated the bodies of three
of his victims.
Evelyn Hamilton
On Sunday 9 February 1942, the body of 40 year old
pharmacist Evelyn Hamilton, was discovered in an air raid shelter in
Montagu Place in Marylebone. She had been strangled and her handbag
stolen.
Evelyn Oatley
On Monday 10 February, the naked body of 35 year old
Evelyn Oatley (also known as Nita Ward) was discovered in her flat on
Wardour Street. As well as having been strangled, her throat had been
cut and she had also been sexually mutilated with a can opener.
Fingerprints found on the can opener confirmed earlier suspicions that
the strangler was left-handed.
Margaret Lowe
On Tuesday 11 February, a 43 year old prostitute,
Margaret Florence Lowe (also known as Pearl), was murdered in her flat
in Gosfield Street, Marylebone. She had been strangled with a silk
stocking and her body mutilated with a variety of implements including a
razor blade, a knife and a candlestick. The pathologist, Bernard
Spilsbury, after seeing her injuries commented that they were "quite
dreadful" and that the murderer was "a savage sexual maniac".
Doris Jouannet
On Wednesday 12 February 1942, 32 year old Doris
Jouannet (also known as Doris Robson) was murdered in the ground floor
flat that she shared with her husband. She had been strangled with a
scarf and her naked body sexually mutilated. It was at this point the
newspapers began to describe the killer as the Blackout Ripper, in
reference to the similarities with Jack the Ripper.
Greta Hayward
On Friday 14 February 1942, Greta Hayward was
attacked in a doorway near Piccadilly Circus by a man in RAF uniform
whose sexual advances she had previously rejected. She managed to escape
as her attacker was interrupted by the arrival of a delivery boy making
his rounds. The attacker then ran off.
Mrs. Mulcahy
Shortly after the attack on Greta Hayward there was
another attack. Mrs. Mulcahy, a prostitute (also known as Kathleen King),
was attacked by a customer in her flat near Paddington Railway Station.
She managed to fight off her attacker, who gave her an extra £5 before
running off leaving his belt behind.
Arrest and trial
When Cummins had been disturbed by the delivery boy
during the attack on Greta Hayward, he left behind his gas mask case.
The gas mask container had the service number 525987 on the side,
identifying it as belonging to Cummins.
Cummins had neither a criminal record nor a history
of violence. However, he was arrested on 16 February and when his
quarters were searched various items belonging to his victims were found.
His fingerprints were found in two of the flats where the killings took
place. And his fingerprints also matched those found on the can opener
used to mutilate Evelyn Oatley.
Cummins's trial for the murder of Evelyn Oatley began
on 27 April 1942 at the Old Bailey. The evidence against Cummins was
conclusive and after a one day trial the jury took just 35 minutes to
find him guilty of murder. He was sentenced to death by hanging and was
executed on 25 June 1942 at Wandsworth Prison, during an air raid.
Scotland Yard later claimed that Cummins had murdered
two other women during air raids in London in October 1941.
The foremost fingerprint expert of the day, Detective
Chief Superintendent Frederick Cherrill, was instrumental in proving the
case against Cummins.
Notes
Read, Simon (2006). In the Dark: The True Story of
the Blackout Ripper, Berkley Publishing Group, ISBN 978-0425212837
