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On the 24 December 1938 just before noon 64 year old
Ernest Percival Key was discovered in his shop. He had been stabbed in
the head and face and arms and was covered in blood. Although he was
rushed to hospital he died before he got there.
Ernest Percival Key had run a jewellers shop in
Surbiton for the past 20 years. He was well known in the area. The
police were soon able to establish that a quantity of jewellery was
missing and this was obviously the motive for the attack. The attacker
had left behind one vital clue in the shape of a bowler hat.
Less than an hour after the attack William Butler, a
29-year-old married father of two, took a taxi to Kingston hospital. He
was examined by Dr Day who found Butler's hands were badly cut. He had
given the doctor the name of Charles Jackson and said that he had been
accidentally injured by a wood-cutting machine. He was picked up by
police within a fortnight and this time he said that his injuries came
when he was knocked down by a motor-cycle. He claimed he had given the
hospital a false name and address to avoid having to pay for his
treatment.
Butler was arrested and charged with the murder of Mr
Key and came to trial at the Old Bailey on 15th February 1939. The
defence tried to claim that Butler had acted in self-defence and that
the charge should be reduced to one of manslaughter. This plea was not
accepted and he stood trial for murder. The trial only lasted into its
second day and Butler was found guilty. He was hanged at Wandsworth
Prison on 29 March 1939.
Real-Crime.co.uk
William Thomas
Butler
When the
body of Ernest Percival Key was discovered in his shop just before
midday on Saturday 24th December 1938 it was covered in blood. The
64-year-old victim had been stabbed more than thirty times in his head
and face and there were more wounds to his arms. He died before he could
reach hospital.
Mr Key
had been in business as a jeweller in Surbiton for over twenty years and
was well-known in the area. It became obvious that robbery was the
motive for the savage attack when it was discovered that jewellery was
missing from the shop. The attacker had, however, left behind a bowler
hat.
Less than
an hour after the attack William Butler, a 29-year-old married father of
two, took a taxi to Kingston hospital. He was examined by Dr Day who
found blood issuing from Butler's gloves. Butler, who had given the name
of Charles Jackson, said that he had been accidentally injured by a
wood-cutting machine.
He was
picked up by police within a fortnight and told them that his injuries
came when he was knocked down by a motor-cycle and that he gave the
hospital a false name and address to avoid having to pay for his
treatment. Butler was charged with the murder of Mr Key and appeared at
the Old Bailey on 15th February 1939. The defence tried to claim that
Butler had acted in self-defence and that the charge should be reduced
to one of manslaughter.
The trial
only lasted into its second day and Butler was found guilty.
He was hanged
at Wandsworth Prison on 29th March 1939.
Murder-UK.com |
