Julius Wammer

Julius Wammer was convicted for the murder of Cissie Archer 24 and sentenced to death. He shot her at Waterloo Road, London on 7 July 1909. Julius Wammer was a Norwegian and had served 14 years as a fireman in the merchant service and from 1905 he had worked in gold mines in South Africa and in 1904 he was naturalized at the Cape. He arrived in Southampton on 18 May 1909 and put £50 into the Savings Bank, however, by the time of the murder he had only £9 left having spent his money freely on drink and women. Cissie Archer was a low-class prostitute and had been living with a bargeman at 66 Tabard Street in south west London. On the night of 2 July 1909 Cissie Archer took Julius Wammer to a room at 219 Tabard Street and when he woke up between 3am and 4am she had gone. He then found that his clothes were in disorder and that he had been robbed and that his watch chain and a gold Kruger sovereign were missing. He found his watch was still there which was possibly because of the number and that his purse with £9 which was in an inside waistcoat pocket had apparently escaped notice. Cissie Archer had returned to her companion at 66 Tabard Street at about 2am. Julius Wammer later reported the theft to the police but they had no means of tracing Cissie Archer. Julius Wammer then spent each following day in the neighbourhood of Waterloo Station complaining to various barmen and prostitutes that he had been robbed and showing them the address of 219 Tabard Street on a piece of paper and saying that he intended to wait until he found Cissie Archer. On the morning of 7 July 1909, he deposited £9 with his landlord and then later that evening met Cissie Archer who was in the company of other prostitutes. When they met Julius Wammer told Cissie Archer that he had been looking for her and made up with her and arranged that she should take him to the same room at 219 Tabard Street. He said that he didn't accuse her of robbing him and he stood her drinks and a sausage supper and then finally they and another prostitute went to an oyster shop. It was said that during all that time Julius Wammer had kept hold of her hand. Then, whilst at the oyster bar Julius Wammer shot Cissie Archer in the back with a heavy Browning Pistol that he had bought in South Africa. The bullet went through her body, pierced a rib and then exited her body and lodged in the wrist of the bar tender. Cissie Archer ran off but Julius Wammer fired another shot at her and possibly a third and Cissie Archer then fell in the street and died almost immediately. When Julius Wammer was arrested he said, 'I only wanted to shoot the two women, they robbed me the other night, I hope I have not shot anyone else'. Then later he said, 'She robbed me in Tabard Street last Friday. I met the two women tonight, we went and had sausages. I want to shoot the two women and when I came out I fired'. He was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death without any recommendation to mercy. His defence had been that he had been drunk and didn't know what he was doing but the prosecution said that the motive for revenge was clear and that it was clearly his intention to entice Cissie Archer back to her room and murder her and that the reason that he had shot her at the oyster bar was probably because he was drunk and had succumbed to a sudden rage.