This is the second book about the Hagley Wood Murder (a.k.a. Bella in the Wych Elm Murder) that I have read this year. The first book, by M.J. Trow is a sad and disappointing volume which mixes fiction with fact. It contributes nothing to the investigation of the case and actually muddies the waters even more. Trow put forward a theory that “perhaps” Bella was one Lavinia F. Stratford, but I investigated this woman in detail and debunk Trow’s theory in another blog.
The second book, however, by Keith Swallow, is a different kettle of fish. Swallow’s book is well-written, well-sourced and well-researched. Swallows actually digs into the stories behind many of the people who surface in the police files and raises some interesting ideas and theories.
The Book
Swallow’s book is divided into three main sections: chronology, analysis and conclusion. The book uses footnotes liberally, which is an obvious and definite improvement over Trow’s book.
Section I – Events & Their Reporting
In the first section, Swallow recounts the story as it has been passed down and embellished over the years. This necessarily means that some erroneous theories are presented (e.g. Hans Caesar and the Karl Dickenhoff story), many originating with Donald McCormick. As I read this section, I got a bit annoyed at these obvious falsehoods seemingly presented as fact, particularly in Chapter 1, 2, 6 and 7. The footnotes were not much help as the majority were explanatory and did not include sources. The chapter could probably have benefited from an introduction that prepares the reader for this section.
Having said that, there were several chapters in this section which were very helpful. Swallow obviously spent a lot of time reviewing the police files and has gathered and collated the information (which is often strung out over multiple reports) in a way that allows the reader to see it in a new light. Chapter 3, for example, covers the chalk markings that popped up throughout the area in the years after the body’s discovery. Markings appeared near the timber yard of J.T. Willetts & Son, near the timber merchant W.H. Palmer & Co., and, on p. 42, a mysterious letter was sent from “Mr. Wood”. I had never noticed this plethora of timber and wood and wonder… is it a coincidence?
Swallow also identifies some of the missing Bella’s and digs deeper into the histories of those who reported them. All of which is helpful as it raises some viable suspects and possible victims. On the whole, this section was very helpful and readable, as long as one realizes that Swallow is often simply presenting events and reports as they happened… many of which are now considered inaccurate.
Section II – Analysis
This is the section where we can really sink our teeth into the investigation. Many of the false reports and stories presented in Section 1 are exposed as such. Swallow also dissects the police investigation and finds it sorely lacking. We learn that Webster, the pathologist, was forced into early retirement at 57 years old. Apparently his investigations were not always up to snuff, which calls into question his analysis of the Hagley Wood remains. We learn that the police often eliminated people as suspects because (a) they knew the person or (b) found them to be an “inoffensive individual”. Swallow gives credit where credit is due and quotes Pete and Alex Merrill who have published two excellent volumes on the Bella murder. You can read my review of volume one here and volume two here.
We then dive into a chapter on the travelling community and Swallow investigates many of the individuals who appeared during the course of the investigation. He pays special attention to Bill Fletcher who appears to have had an “unhealthy interest” in the case, even before the body was found. A guilty conscience? Perhaps.
I found Chapter 16 – The Deceptions of Wilfred Byford-Jones, to be fascinating. Byford-Jones embellished the story of his life to the point that it is exceedingly hard to distinguish fact from fiction. Swallow also presents us with the theory that Anna of Claverley (Una Hainsworth) and Byford-Jones were actually well-acquainted and that her famous letter was actually instigated by Byford-Jones. Certainly, his articles in the Express and Star (written as Quaestor) drew a lot of attention to himself… and presumably a lot of readers to the newspaper. If one believes Byford-Jones, we could think that he really was in the thick of the police investigation, a trusted confidante with exclusive information. He and Donald McCormick were different facets of the same coin – writers who embellished stories out of all proportion to the facts upon which they may have been based. One is left wondering at Byford-Jones’ motivation in stirring up the Bella case when he did.
Section III – Conclusion
I concur with Swallow that the police investigation was poorly recorded. Yes, it was wartime and police were spread thinly but this was a potential murder. The fact that the police failed to thoroughly document their interviews with individuals who floated to the surface is baffling. On top of that, the police apparently believed that because they knew a person to be “reputable”, or decided that a person was “inoffensive”, that meant that they could rule them out as suspects.
I have always wondered at the police investigation. A skeleton is found by some teenagers on an estate. Technically, the people who found the body would be considered the first suspects. But given that they were teenagers, I suppose they were ruled out immediately. Was that premature? I would also expect that the owners of the estate and their employees would have been considered suspects. The police seem to have had zero interest in Lord Compton or his employees. Was there a maid that left around the supposed time of the murder? We don’t know. There is not a shred of evidence that the police knocked on the door of Hagley Hall. An obvious question, and one that Swallow addresses, is this: who had the timber license to Hagley Wood. Who was the person who cared for the trees there? And another question follows: When were the trees last coppiced/pollarded? Surely a forester, if they were actually in the woods on a regular basis, would have smelled the body as it decomposed? When was the infamous tree last coppiced/pollarded?
Questions, questions… and not many answers. The fact that the chalk markings appeared near several timber yards is intriguing. The fact that the timber yard of J.T. Willetts & Son, located across from the Rose & Crown, possessed the timber license to Hagley Wood, leaves one wondering… who worked at the J.T. Willetts timber yard, other than Walter Willetts and his son Arthur Ernest Willetts? Were they any relation to Tommy Willetts, one of the teens who discovered the skull?
One of the other things I learned from Swallow’s book was that many sedentary folks in the Hagley area, were actually related to the travelling community. Walter Willetts, director of the J.T. Willetts timber yard, was married to Lily Lea, a member of the traveling community. Timber and travellers, we always seem to keep coming back around to the same folks.
Review
On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed Swallow’s book. I found it to be extremely well-researched and Swallow has presented his investigations and thoughts very clearly. His analysis of the case is very thorough and raises a number of interesting avenues for future researchers.
On the flip side, his footnotes could have included more source citations, a pet peeve of mine. I also think an Index would have been extremely helpful. But, on the whole, an excellent volume that I know I will consult over and over again. Highly recommended read for any Bella sleuths.
Review Score
4.5 out of 5 – while there are some typos in the book, on the whole it is an excellent and helpful contribution to the investigation into the Hagley Wood murder