John Freeman

John Freeman murdered his sister-in-law Florence Lily Freeman 30 and was sentenced to death.

He stabbed her to death at 4 Kingston Place, Porter Street, Hull on 28 August 1909.

John Freeman, Florence Freeman and his brother, who were all described in a police report as appearing to be drunken people of the lowest class all lived together at 4 Kingston Place in Porter Street.

It was said that John Freeman threatened Florence Freeman with a knife in February 1908 and a policeman was called who took John Freeman to the police station and on the way he was heard to say 'I will do for them both'.

John Freeman's brother said that on 22 August 1909 he found John Freeman in the house drunk and threatened to turn him out and said that in response he said, 'By God I will buy a revolver and shoot the pair of you'.

Later, on the night of 28 August 1909 John Freeman and his brother were drinking in a pub and where both drunk and when they got home they found Florence Freeman also drunk. They then had an argument and John Freeman stabbed Florence Freeman in the neck with an ordinary table knife. He then attacked his brother inflicting two small cuts over his eye and nose.

John Freeman was arrested on the spot and used coarse expressions, saying 'I hope the rotten ...... is dead. I knew I would do it. I knew I would stab the .... I can ..... we'll swing for her without a murmur.'.

However, later in his cell he said, 'I did it but I didn't mean to kill her'.

He was sentenced to death although with a recommendation to mercy.

It was later heard that he was of bad character with 11 previous convictions from 1888 to 1909 including 5 years penal servitude for arson in 1892 and 9-months hard-labour for stealing boots in 1908 as well as other minor convictions for stealing, being drunk and disorderly and fighting.