Susan Newell
Susan Newell (1893–1923) was the last woman to be hanged in Scotland. She killed newspaper boy John Johnston. It is speculated that she killed the boy trying to obtain his small amount of money, but that has never been established, as there were no witnesses to any verbal exchange, and she never pleaded guilty: she first blamed her husband and then claimed insanity, without giving details into the murder. She killed her victim via strangulation on 20 May 1923.[1][2]
Newell was caught after she and her daughter made an attempt to dispose of the body. She tried to implicate her husband for the crime, but he had a solid alibi, as he could prove he was at his brother's funeral at the time of the murder.[1] Her daughter, Janet, testified against her, describing how the body of the paperboy had been wheeled through the streets on a pram.[3]
At the trial, her defence put forward a plea of insanity, but she was convicted on a majority verdict, with one juror against. However, the jury unanimously suggested mercy. A petition was put forth to the Secretary of State for Scotland pleading that the sentence be reduced to penal servitude because of her gender and the fact that she was destitute, and husband had abandoned her and was left homeless and penniless. The Secretary rejected that and stated that he would not interfere with the law.[4]
Newell was executed on 10 October 1923 at Duke Street Prison, Glasgow.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 "Susan Newell invited the little paper boy upstairs... he was never seen alive again.... She became... The last woman to be hanged in Scotland". Evening Times. Glasgow. 20 September 1974. p. 5.
- ↑ http://www.newcriminologist.com/article.asp?nid=813[]
- ↑ Discovering The Secret of Glasgow's long-forgotten duke street prison - s1Dennistoun Archived 31 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ HH16/180. The National Records of Scotland.
External links
- "Susan Newell - a senseless murder". Capital Punishment U.K.