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Authors: Nicola; Sly
Tags: Dorset Murders
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blackberries as they went.
William Groom was about thirty yards ahead of the other two, half listening to their conversation about the Shambles lightship, a vessel that warned other ships about the treacherous Shambles sandbar between Weymouth and Portland. Suddenly, what Groom later described as a âgroanâ interrupted the talking, and then the conversation abruptly ceased altogether. Turning round to see what had happened, Groom saw John Wise perched precariously on the edge of the 100ft-high cliffs on his hands and knees, peering over the top and laughing loudly. Groom rushed to see what was going on and, as he looked over the cliff, he spotted âa bundle of blueâ at the bottom and realised that it was Lawrence Salter.
Children playing in the gardens of the nearby prison cottages had seen Salter fall and raised the alarm. A party of rescuers descended the cliffs, finding Salter still alive but terribly injured. He was brought carefully to the top and taken to the prison infirmary, where he died half an hour later.
Groom asked Wise if he had pushed Salter, but Wise made no reply, and just continued to laugh maniacally, so much so that his legs would no longer support him and he fell to the ground. By now, all the frightened Groom could think of was to get Wise back to the Boscawen . He seized Wiseâs hands, pulled him upright and began to walk him towards the ship. However, on their way back they met one of the shipâs officers, Petty Officer First-Class Benjamin Stuckey, and, to his relief, Groom was able to hand Wise over into his charge, after telling the officer that he wished to report Wise because he believed that he had pushed Salter over the cliff. Wise immediately confessed to Stuckey that he had indeed done exactly that â he had deliberately pushed Salter over the cliff in order to get hanged.
Bow and Arrow Castle, Portland, 1917 .
Doubting that Wise could be in his right mind, Stuckey asked the boy if there was anything the matter with him, to which Wise replied that he was subject to âfits of frenzyâ and that he must have killed Salter in one of those fits.
Back on board the Boscawen, Wise repeated this statement to Lieutenant Andrew Stafford Mills, saying that he had gone ashore with the sole intention of killing somebody. âI tried to settle one last leave and I have succeeded this timeâ, he cheerfully told Mills, continuing to smile and laugh all the while he was being questioned.
An inquest was opened into the death of Lawrence Salter on 17 November, at the Grove Inn, Portland, before Coroner Sir Richard Howard. Wise smiled throughout, even as the coronerâs jury recorded a verdict of wilful murder against him. At this, he was arrested and remanded in Dorchester Prison. Shortly afterwards he was brought before Mr Justice Cave at the Dorset Assizes, but the judge was not prepared to hear the case since the alleged murder had happened less than a week before and Wise had not yet been before magistrates. Describing Wise as a poor, friendless boy, Cave warned against pressing on with the case too hastily. In fairness, he said, Wise should be permitted to have witnesses for his defence and, since there were questions about his sanity, he also deserved the benefit of medical opinion.
John Wise duly appeared before magistrates at Dorchester on 11 December 1891. Mr Howard Bowen prosecuted the case and Wise was not defended. It was noted that he was in the hands of a medical expert who would give evidence at âthe proper timeâ. Wise was committed for trial at the next Assizes.
By the time the trial opened on 7 March 1892, before Mr Justice Wills at Dorchester, extensive investigations had been made into both his medical history and his current state of mind. Mr M.W. McKellar and Mr Evelyn Cecil prosecuted the case and Wise had by now been appointed a defence counsel, Mr A. Cardew.
The court heard accounts of the events of the day of the murder,
William Groom was about thirty yards ahead of the other two, half listening to their conversation about the Shambles lightship, a vessel that warned other ships about the treacherous Shambles sandbar between Weymouth and Portland. Suddenly, what Groom later described as a âgroanâ interrupted the talking, and then the conversation abruptly ceased altogether. Turning round to see what had happened, Groom saw John Wise perched precariously on the edge of the 100ft-high cliffs on his hands and knees, peering over the top and laughing loudly. Groom rushed to see what was going on and, as he looked over the cliff, he spotted âa bundle of blueâ at the bottom and realised that it was Lawrence Salter.
Children playing in the gardens of the nearby prison cottages had seen Salter fall and raised the alarm. A party of rescuers descended the cliffs, finding Salter still alive but terribly injured. He was brought carefully to the top and taken to the prison infirmary, where he died half an hour later.
Groom asked Wise if he had pushed Salter, but Wise made no reply, and just continued to laugh maniacally, so much so that his legs would no longer support him and he fell to the ground. By now, all the frightened Groom could think of was to get Wise back to the Boscawen . He seized Wiseâs hands, pulled him upright and began to walk him towards the ship. However, on their way back they met one of the shipâs officers, Petty Officer First-Class Benjamin Stuckey, and, to his relief, Groom was able to hand Wise over into his charge, after telling the officer that he wished to report Wise because he believed that he had pushed Salter over the cliff. Wise immediately confessed to Stuckey that he had indeed done exactly that â he had deliberately pushed Salter over the cliff in order to get hanged.
Bow and Arrow Castle, Portland, 1917 .
Doubting that Wise could be in his right mind, Stuckey asked the boy if there was anything the matter with him, to which Wise replied that he was subject to âfits of frenzyâ and that he must have killed Salter in one of those fits.
Back on board the Boscawen, Wise repeated this statement to Lieutenant Andrew Stafford Mills, saying that he had gone ashore with the sole intention of killing somebody. âI tried to settle one last leave and I have succeeded this timeâ, he cheerfully told Mills, continuing to smile and laugh all the while he was being questioned.
An inquest was opened into the death of Lawrence Salter on 17 November, at the Grove Inn, Portland, before Coroner Sir Richard Howard. Wise smiled throughout, even as the coronerâs jury recorded a verdict of wilful murder against him. At this, he was arrested and remanded in Dorchester Prison. Shortly afterwards he was brought before Mr Justice Cave at the Dorset Assizes, but the judge was not prepared to hear the case since the alleged murder had happened less than a week before and Wise had not yet been before magistrates. Describing Wise as a poor, friendless boy, Cave warned against pressing on with the case too hastily. In fairness, he said, Wise should be permitted to have witnesses for his defence and, since there were questions about his sanity, he also deserved the benefit of medical opinion.
John Wise duly appeared before magistrates at Dorchester on 11 December 1891. Mr Howard Bowen prosecuted the case and Wise was not defended. It was noted that he was in the hands of a medical expert who would give evidence at âthe proper timeâ. Wise was committed for trial at the next Assizes.
By the time the trial opened on 7 March 1892, before Mr Justice Wills at Dorchester, extensive investigations had been made into both his medical history and his current state of mind. Mr M.W. McKellar and Mr Evelyn Cecil prosecuted the case and Wise had by now been appointed a defence counsel, Mr A. Cardew.
The court heard accounts of the events of the day of the murder,
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