Age: 29
Sex: male
Crime: murder
Date Of Execution: 4 Feb 1921
Crime Location: Crumbles Beach, Eastbourne
Execution Place: Wandsworth
Method: hanging
Executioner: Thomas Pierrepoint
Source: http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/
William Thomas Gray and Jack Alfred Field were convicted of the murder of 17-year-old Irene Munro and sentenced to death.
They lured her onto Crumbles Beach, Eastbourne on 19 August 1920 where they attempted to rob her and when she resisted they attacked her, and afterwards buried her in the sands. However, they left her feet sticking out of the ground and she was found earlty the next day by a boy who tripped over them.
They denied having murdered her and their defence claimed that the evidence was circumstantial. However, they were both convicted. Following their convictions they appealed and blamed each other, however, their appeals were rejected.
They were both executed at Wandsworth Prison on 4 February 1921.
They had both been unemployed ex-servicemen with a history of petty theft and robbery.
Irene Munro had gone to Eastbourne alone for a two week holiday.
It was said that William Gray and Jack Field had seen Irene Munro walking along the shore the day before and on the day of the murder had run out of money and after making her acquaintance, plotted to rib her. THey were later seen that night apparently flush with money and spending freely.
Jack Field had lived in Susans Road.
William Gray had lived in Longston Road.
Irene Munro had been staying at 393 Seaside.
Measurements
Measurements were presented in evidence on a plan, exhibit 2, although there is no longer any trace of the plan. The measurements were:
The Hole that Irene Munro was found buried in was found to be 4ft at its deepest point and 12in by 17in. It had been dug into shingle and was 23 yards from the centre of the hole to the railway line.
The Crumbles, which was a vast gravel beachscape, has since been wholly built over with housing.
Photographs
Similarly, several photographs were presented in evidence which no longer exist.
Discovery of Body
Irene Munro's body was found by a boy who went into the dip between 3pm and 4pm on 20 August 1921 and saw the foot. After the discovery he went to tell a man that lived at 32 Mansfold Road in Eastbourne. The man then went with him to the hole at about 6pm and he then went for the police.
The man said that he arrived at the Crumbles at about 7pm and saw the foot in the hole and that when he removed some shingle that he saw the body of a young woman in a green coat with black fur trimmings and with a black hat over her face and large stones over the brim. He said that he also saw a large stone about two feet away from her that weighed about 32lb and that when the police arrived he saw that it had blood on it.
He noted that the whole body had been covered other than the foot and that he saw no trace of a bag or purse.
He said that it looked like the body had been sunk in the shingle as well as covered with it, and that there had been about six inches of shingle over it.
A police inspector said that when he went to the Crumbles at about 8pm that he saw the body of Irene Munro lying in the Hole partially buried. He said that she had been on her left side with her right side partially uncovered and her right leg extended. He said that her left leg had been bent under her right leg and that he head had been resting on her left arm which was extended at right angles.
He said that her body was then removed to the mortuary.
He said that when her clothes were removed that she had been wearing:
He noted that her combinations had been buttoned behind and were stained with blood and that she had been wearing a diaper that was fastened round her waist and was in place.
He noted that when he examined the large rock that he found that it had dry blood on it and that when he went back to the Hole that under the place where her head had been that he saw a quantity of blood.
Following the discovery of Irene Munro, detectives from Scotland Yard were called in. After arriving on 21 August 1920 they made a cursory examination of the place where her body was found and then ascertained that she had only been in Eastbourne for a few days and realised that there could be much difficulty in establishing her identity, even if person who had seen her with anyone could be discovered.
As such, the police felt that any such identification, after burial, would depend upon a photograph of her and they immediately made efforts to obtain one from her home address at 3 Mansion Place in South Kensington. It was noted that her home address wasn't at first know, it being determined the day after they arrived on 22 August 1920, and found that the occupier of the house and employer of Irene Munro's mother, where they had lived for the previous three years, had, immediately upon hearing the mystery of Irene Munro's death, telephoned to the Press in London and later given or sold to them what particulars he had respecting the death, including the only two photographs of Irene Munro that had been at the address.
It was also then ascertained, by through the telephone and from a letter found at 393 Seaside that Irene Munro's mother had gone to 7 MacDonald Road in Edinburgh on holiday and a telegram was sent on Saturday 21 August 1920 to the police there asking that she might be requested to come to Eastbourne to identify her daughter's body, however, it was then found that her mother had gone on to Glasgow and her address there was unknown.
As such, the police telephoned Scotland Yard and asked that an officer be sent round to see the landlord and landlady at 3 Mansion Place and request them to come to Eastbourne to identify Irene Munro's body, however, they said that they would not, on any account, come to the mortuary, and as such, the police were without a witness to positively identify Irene Munro's body, other than the landlady from 393 Seaside who was able to say that the body was that of the girl that had been staying with her under the name of Munro.
She said that Irene Munro had stayed with her from 16 August 1920 and that she had come in every night until 19 August 1920, when she didn't return to her lodgings.
During the Sunday, 22 August 1920, Irene Munro's aunt, who resided at 133 Drumond Street in London arrived in Eastbourne and said that she had received a telegram from her mother in Glasgow asking her to come respecting Irene Munro's death as her mother, who had since received a communication from the Edinburgh Police to go to Eastbourne had been unable to do so at once.
Irene Munro's aunt then identified Irene Munro's body as that of her niece, stating that she was born on 23 November 1902 and had been employed as a typist by Messrs Maxwell & Wright, Accountants and Company Promoters, 16A Regent Street, London, W and that she had resided at 3 Mansion Place in South Kensington where she acted as housekeeper.
She said that Irene Munro had been a quiet girl and had gone to Eastbourne by herself for a holiday whilst her mother had gone to Scotland to spend her holiday there.
She said that the last time she saw Irene Munro was at 1pm on Saturday 14 August 1920 at Wapping Pier when they were there together to say goodbye to Irene Munro's mother when she left by boat for Scotland. She said that she left Irene Munro there soon after when Irene Munro expressed her intention of going home to 3 Mansion Place to make preparations for her visit to Eastbourne.
Enquiries showed that Irene Munro went straight home and stayed there until about 5.30am on 16 August 1920 when she appears to have gone to Victoria Station and travelled to Eastbourne by the 7.20am train, arriving at Eastbourne at about 10am.
It was thought with some certainty that Irene Munro had not had any lodgings to go to in Eastbourne and that upon arriving there she immediately commenced to search for some.
She called 393 Seaside at about 4pm on Monday 16 August 1920 after seeing an announcement in her window that she had a front room to let furnished, and enquired if she could have it. She told the landlady that she had come down alone from London and that she had got up at 5.30am that day at her home in London and had had difficulty in getting away from Victoria Station, remarking that the trains were very crowded.
Up until that moment Irene Munro had been unable to obtain lodgings and the landlady showed her the room, a front room on the ground floor, however, she had someone in it at the time, but Irene Munro paid her a £1 deposit and arranged to come back on the Tuesday, 17 August 1920, with the landlady making arrangements for her to stay with a friend for that night at 1 Norman Cottages in Whartling Road, which was about five minutes’ walk from 393 Seaside.
It appeared that Irene Munro had then been about Eastbourne after that from 5pm, 16 August, until she went to 1 Norman Cottages at 9.45pm and went straight up to bed without taking any supper, which it was thought she had probably had prior to going in.
17 August 1920
On the morning of 17 August 1920 Irene Munro came downstairs at 1 Norman Cottages at 9.15am and went out without having breakfast, stating that she was going to 393 Seaside where she arrived at about 10.30am and had her breakfast. After that she went to fetch her bag from 1 Norman Cottage and returned to 393 Seaside with it at 12.30pm.
It was presumed that the bag had been fetched from the railway station by Irene Munro between her call at 393 Seaside at 4pm on 16 August and her arrival at 1 Norman Cottages at 9.45pm on 16 August, as the landlady said she had not got it when she had first called upon her, whereas the woman at 1 Norman Cottages said that she had had it when she came in and went to bed that night. It was additionally noted that when Irene Munro fetched her bag on 17 August to 393 Seaside that she obviously brought it from 1 Norman Cottage.
Irene Munro stayed indoors at 393 Seaside from 12.30pm on Thursday 17 August 1920 until roughly 2.30pm when she went out, saying she was going to get some lunch, and the landlady didn't see her again until 10pm that night when she returned and entered her room.
Regarding her movements that day, it was found that she called at the premises of Messrs FG Clemence, jewellers, 18 Cornfield Road, Eastbourne at 3pm, 17 August, in reference to a birthday present for her 'uncle', which it was later determined was really for her employer at 16a Regent Street, London. It was also found that she called again at the jewellers at 6pm with regard to the same matter. However, nothing more absolute was known of her movements for the rest of the day.
However, her landlady said that when Irene Munro returned that night that she told her that she had been to Beachy Head where she had lost her way, and had to run across the Golf Links. The landlady said that from what she gathered, Irene Munro had gone to Beachy Head and in a letter that was times at 11.30pm that do to her employer, she said she had been up to Beachy Head and lost her way.
A witness however said that they recalled seeing Irene Munro on the beach near the Waterplane Shed, which was a distance of about 600 yards from 393 Seaside, at 9.30am on 17 August, which it was said would account for the hour and a quarter, the interim, between her leaving 1 Norman Cottages and arriving at 393 Seaside. It was further noted that the sighting provided a very striking demonstration of the accuracy and reliability of the man's statement.
The police report stated that it could be fairly assumed that up till 10pm on Tuesday 17 August, that Irene Munro had made no acquaintances in Eastbourne.
The landlady stated that the door leading to the street at 393 Seaside fastened on the inside, such that no persons could enter after either she or her husband had fastened it, which they invariably did, and also did when Irene Munro was there, and there was nothing whatsoever that Irene Munro had had any visitors and every reason to suppose that she did not.
It was noted that she was alone at all the times she had been seen that day, 9.30am, 3pm and 6pm, and was not seen with anyone outside of those times with anyone else.
18 August 1920
On 18 August 1920 Irene Munro had her breakfast in her own room at about 8am, served by the landlady, and she went out at about 10am and returned at 1pm after which she went out again between 2pm and 3pm, and returned again at 10pm. After returning she then wrote a letter and it was thought presumably, went out to post it, went out five minutes later and went to bed.
Later that night she told her landlady that she had been to Pevensey and that the heel of her shoe and button had come off, but beyond her statement, which it was noted was compatible with that of one other witness who said he saw her with Jack Field and William Gray at 3pm, it was not possible to account for her movements that day, between her leaving 393 Seaside her being seen then.
The man that said that he saw Irene Munro with Jack Field and William Gray, said that he saw them near St Andrews Church, Seaside, going in the direction of the Crumbles and Pevensey, about 200 or 300 yards from the railway that crossed the main road and the Crumbles. It was noted that the witness positively identified Jack Field and the photograph of Irene Munro and also said that to the best of his belief, William Gray was the other man.
19 August 1920
On Thursday 19 August 1920 the landlady at 393 Seaside said that Irene Munro went out at about 10.30am, telling her that she thought she would go to Hampden Park, a distance of about a mile, for a walk. She then returned to 363 Seaside at about 1pm and then went out again at about 2.45pm and was not seen again by the landlady, to whom she had not intimated any intention to absent herself from her lodgings and who said she was surprised when she didn't return back at the usual time that night.
On the afternoon of 19 August 1920 two decorators had been working at 363 Seaside, one of them working at the gate and the other on a ladder to the side of the house, it being noted that it was an end house with tall shrubs in front of it.
The man that had been working on the gate said that between 2pm and 3pm on 19 August 1920 he had been painting the gate that led into the street in front of the house and saw Irene Munro leave and turn in the direction of Eastbourne. However, he said that she returned a few minutes later and remarked that it was cold and that she was going to put on her coat. She then entered the house and came out a minute or so later and came out again with her green coat on and again turned in the direction of Eastbourne and the decorator didn't see her again.
However, the other decorator that had been up the ladder said that he also saw Irene Munro, noting that he had first seen her at the house on 16 August 1920 when she called there on the first occasion. He said that at 4pm on 19 August 1920 that he saw Irene Munro go out of 393 Seaside and turn towards Eastbourne and then five minutes later saw her come back past the house in the direction of the Crumbles with two men.
He said that the three of them, Irene Munro and the work men, were talking and laughing together and noticed that the men had been wearing grey herring-bone suits and were without hats. He said that Irene Munro had been wearing a black hat but that he could not otherwise describe her clothing.
The timers that the two decorators gave varied, and it was considered that the first decorator that had been painting the fence had paid more attention to the incident than the other decorator, it being noted that he distinctly stated that she had been wearing a green coat, and that the shrubbery would have obstructed the other decorators view of the three people as they passed by, it was noted that it had been the second decorator that had noted Irene Munro with the two men heading in the direction of the Crumbles, from which they were then distant about 400 or 500 yards.
At about 2.45pm on 19 August 1920, a man that had known William Gray for about a year, saw him with another man and a woman about 200 yards from 393 Seaside, walking towards the Crumbles, on the right hand side of the road. The man had been working in front of some houses at the time on the opposite side of the road, only 15 yards from William Gray, and it was submitted that seeing as he knew him so well, that there could be no mistake whatever in his identification him and that as such, under those circumstances, that it was quite clear that William Gray had been with a woman and a man at that time.
Irene Munro was also seen by two men that had been about 50 yards nearer to the Crumbles than the workman that saw William Gray from across the street and they both said that they saw Irene Munro with two men, with the first identifying Irene Munro from a photograph and the other, who saw Irene Munro's face after her death in the mortuary saying:
It being noted that Irene Munro had prominent good teeth.
The first of the two men said that he thought that it had been about 2.45pm they he saw Irene Munro whilst the second man said that it had been between 3pm and 4pm. However, they both said that the shorter man had been wearing a light cap, and the second man said that the smaller man had been carrying a heavy light-coloured stick with a dog's head at the top of it. The first man also saw the stick, but was unable to describe it other than it was light in colour.
However, they added that it was inconsequence of the fear of the stick that they didn't follow the group across the Crumbles to see what they were doing.
The first man further positively identified Jack Field and added that he thought that William Gray had been the other man accompanying Irene Munro, and it was submitted that their siting of the group was undisputable proof that Jack Field and William Gray were the two men that had been seen with Irene Munro.
The two men added that they then saw the group get over a fence and enter the Crumbles and that they then watched them from different points up to within a very short distance of the hut there that was formed of an old railway carriage situated in the middle of the Crumbles and in which there were five other men.
It was noted in addition that four of the men that had been in the old railway carriage also identified Irene Munro as the woman that had been with Jack Field and William Gray when they came close by.
It was heard that the two men that had watched the group go across the Crumbles also saw Irene Munro bend down and pick up a kitten and that four of the men in the old railway carriage saw one of the men with Irene Munro put the kitten into the railway carriage afterwards.
It was also added that it was clear that the three people seen by the two men go across the Crumbles were the same three people seen by the five men in the old railway carriage.
It was noted that the first of the two men that had seen Irene Munro go across the Crumbles with two other men had soon after gone with his ship to the Isle of Wight but that he later identified Irene Munro from a photograph in a newspaper as the woman that he had seen near the old railway carriage. The photograph that he had identified had been one made up by the police with the aid of a dummy, and when he went to Eastbourne police station on 4 September 1920 he was shown many photographs of women in pictorial papers, the whole of their names and other details being covered up, and he without hesitation identified the photograph of Irene Munro in which she was shewn with her hat and collar (collar turned down) on, and that he was quite sure that that had been the woman he had seen on 17 August 1920 alone, on the 18 August and on 19 August with Jack Field and William Gray.
When Irene Munro's body was found it was dressed in the green coat after the first of the two men identified the photograph of Irene Munro wearing it, the coat was put in amongst five others and the man again picked it out without hesitation as the one that Irene Munro had been wearing on the three occasions that he had seen her.
It was noted that the coat had been a very noticeable one, with fur collar and cuffs and deep fur trimming on the bottom.
It was noted that Irene Munro must have been a conspicuous figure in the coat, particularly at that time of year in Eastbourne, but observed that there was no doubt that she had had it as she had been found dressed in it and it had been identified by several people as her own coat.
The police report stated that the identification of Irene Munro by the first of the two men appeared to be quite reliable.
One of the five men that had been in the old railway carriage was shown the same pictorial papers that the other man had been shown on 7 September 1920, which included two photos of Irene Munro taken some months earlier without hat or coat, another (produced from the dummy) with the coat collar turned down and one with it up, and another in which Irene Munro was shown in her hat and dress alone and he identified the two photographs taken some earlier of Irene Munro as those of the woman that he had seen on the Crumbles on 19 August 1920 with two men whom he could not identify. he said that he identified Irene Munro from her features, but chiefly from her prominent teeth, which were noticeable when she laughed on 19 August 1920.
The identification of Irene Munro's body in the mortuary as that of the woman seen on the Crumbles with two men at about 3pm on 19 August 1920 was made several of the five men that had been in the railway carriage. One of two brothers that had been in the carriage said:
The other of the two brother's that had been in the carriage said:
One of the other men in the carriage said:
The last of the five men said:
It was further noted that there was very strong evidence that Jack Field and William Gray had been in the company of Irene Munro between 3pm and 4pm on Thursday 19 September 1920, on the Crumbles, the date, and practically the time that the medical men said that Irene Munro must have been murdered.
It was noted that the evidence of the men established Jack Field and William Gray's identities beyond all reasonable doubt and that several others similarly that Irene Munro had been seen with them and that after the sighting near the old railway carriage that Irene Munro was never known to have been seen alive again.
The first sighting of William Gray after that was between 6pm and 7pm when that knew him well, and was related by marriage, saw him in an omnibus coming from the direction of the Crumbles, not far from where Irene Munro had been staying and not far from where her body was later found, it being noted that the omnibus had been the only line of buses coming from that direction.
The next time that Jack Field was seen by any person outside of his own family was at 6.45pm on 19 August 1921 when he and William Gray went into the Albemarle Public House in Marine Parade, it being noted that the statement of the barmaid there was of somewhat importance.
Barmaids Statement
She knew them both well and said that they had been in the house at midday on 19 August and left at about 2.15pm.
She added that they had asked her to meet them later in the evening to go to the Hippodrome, but that she had refused to go.
She added that when they had been in the Albemarle earlier in the day that they had both been short of money as they usually were and that she had made some remark to them on that point on account of them first having better beer and then having cheaper beer.
She said that William Gray told her that they were rather short of money that morning but would have more in the evening.
She said that at middle day, 19 August, William Gray had been dressed in a grey suit and trilby hat, but that when he came in in the evening, that he had been dressed in a dark coat and cap. However, she had been unable to describe Jack Field's clothing, other than she thought he had been dressed in a cap and light trousers.
She went on to said that during the time that Jack Field and William Gray were in the Albemarle Public House during the evening of 19 August 1921 that they were in a better financial position than they had been there at midday, stating that William Gray treated her to some port wine costing a shilling and her friend to some whiskey, costing 10½d, and that in addition they each had several bottles of what was thought to be Guinness and Bass, each, costing 8½d per bottle.
She also added that they had been smoking a good brand of cigarettes, one of which William Gray gave her, it being noted that they ordinarily smoked a common brand of cigarettes purchased at the Albemarle.
The barmaid also said that she noticed that William Gray had been in fresh clothing, and looked dirty, and that when she made a remark about it that William Gray replied:
Or words to that effect.
She added that she later saw Jack Field and William Gray in the 2/- seats at the Hippodrome.
After The Hippodrome
After leaving the Hippodrome, Jack Field and William Gray went back to the Albemarle Public House where they were seen by two men who said that they were there until closing time, with one of them stating that they remembered the evening because William Gray had resented him treating the barmaid. As such, the police report noted that Jack Field and William Gray had been fairly well fixed for money as they had been drinking up until closing time.
One of the men agreed with the barmaid that William Gray had been wearing a dark suit, whilst the other man said that Jack Field had been wearing a dark brown coloured suit, with a khaki coloured cap worn on the back of his head. The two men said that they thought that Jack Field and William Gray had been in the Albemarle Public House from 8pm to 10pm, it being noted that the Hippodrome didn't close until 9pmand that they might have come out of the Hippodrome before it closed and that the two men might have made a mistake about the length of time they had been in the Albemarle Public House.
It was noted that Jack Field's cap had been of a very pronounced colour for a civilian to wear, it being almost a khaki colour and similar in shape to the loose fitting caps worn by some military officers. In view of that the police put the cap with seven others of various patterns and the man that saw Jack Field three times over three days identified it as being of a precisely similar colour and shape to that worn by Jack Field on 19 August at the Crumbles, the date and place of the murder.
It was additionally noted that his identification of the cap further strengthened his evidence and the fact that the two men that had met Jack Field and William Gray later at the Albemarle Public House also spoke of Jack Field wearing just such a cap, also further strengthened the evidence.
The other man that had been with him, who was found on 23 August, before the other man was traced, he having left Eastbourne that day for a location unknown at the time, described the two men that he had seen with a woman on the Crumbles at 3pm on 19 August, the first being:
It was noted that that description, except that he had no moustache, agreed with the description of William Gray.
He described the other man as:
Again, it was noted that that agreed with the description of Jack Field, except that he had been wearing a dark grey suit, which it was said could have easily been, at a glance, for blue serge.
William Gray
William Gray had been 28-years-old and a platelayer, and known in Eastbourne as an undesirable character, who seldom did any work, but who had been in the habit of lounging about on the beach, cultivating the society of young women, even though he had been married and living with his wife.
He had been born in South Africa and had come to England with the South African contingent at the latter end of 1916, but was discharged from the army in August 1917, and had since been living in Eastbourne, drawing a small disability pension, owing to wounds in the stomach.
It was later stated that he had been found to have made two previous attacks on girls at Eastbourne and was described as having spent much of his time scraping acquaintances with girls in Eastbourne and either borrowing money from them, robbing them or black mailing them after compromising them. It was also suggested that he had ingratiated himself with Irene Munro and but that when he found that he could not gratify his desire that he had taken her life.
Jack Field
Jack Field had been a single man, aged 20, of no occupation, and had lived with his parents, his father being a head waiter in London.
He had been discharged from the Royal Navy in February 1920, in which he had served during the war and had since drawn out of work donation.
They were both known to some of the local police officers as men that had frequently been seen in the company of young girls, and in consequence of that, and the statement of one of the men that had seen him going into the Crumbles who said he knew them both by sight, having seen them three or four times during the previous three weeks, they arranged for the people to patrol the beach area with the man in the hope that he would see the two men that he had seen again.
On 24 August 1920, as they were keeping observation on the sea front the man saw Jack Field and William Gray near the Marine Hotel talking to two young girls. They were then seen to walk with the girls to the Royal Parade where they met a third girl.
The man walked about 100 yards in front of the police and after passing Jack Field and William Gray he walked on another 100 yards and then turned round and walked back to the police and said:
At that time Jack Field and William Gray and the girls were walking off towards the Redoubt and the chief inspector, who had been one of the group asked the man whether there was anything else he could add respecting him, but the man replied no, and repeated that he walked like one of the men that he had seen on the Crumbles.
The police report stated that having regard to the fact that the man had said he had seen the men several other times previously, and that he seemed fairly certain of their identity, noting that there were a large number of people on the beach at the time, and that the man had been somewhat nervous, fearing he might make a mistake, that they soon afterwards approached Jack Field and William Gray.
When they approached them the chief inspector said to Jack Field:
To which Jack Field replied:
The other officer then said to William Gray:
To which William Gray replied:
The chief inspector then asked them to accompany them to Latimer Road Police Station, which was about 50m away from where they were and they replied, 'Yes', and they all walked off together, which neither of the men saying anything.
When they arrived at the police station the following exchange took pace:
Chief Inspector: Now you both know who I am don't you?
Jack Field: Yes.
William Gray: [nodded his head].
Chief Inspector: I daresay you wonder why I brought you hear.
Jack Field: Yes. I have been expecting it because we both wear grey suits.
William Gray: [made no reply].
Chief Inspector: I shall ask you no more questions, but I shall get in touch with another chief inspector.
They were then brought to the town hall where they were interviewed and their statements taken. It was noted that there was much in their statements that necessitated enquiries, and in view of the fact that the man had pointed them out, they were detained at the police station.
The police then went to 124 Longstone Road and searched William Gray's room where they examined a grey suit, but found no blood stains on it, and a search for Irene Munro's handbag and purse revealed nothing.
They also went to 23 Susans Road, Jack Field's address, where they found a grey jacket, a khaki cap and a walking stick with a dog's head on it. However, they found none of Irene Munro's possessions or any blood on the clothing.
They also later went back to both addresses but found nothing further of any importance although they did take possession of William Gray's two trilby hats and Jack Field's cap.
Whilst Jack Field and William Gray, four of the men that had been in the old railway carriage were asked to attend an identification parade that included Jack Field and William Gray, but none of them identified either man. However, it was noted that they had already said that they were very doubtful that they would be able to identify the two men they had seen on the Crumbles with a woman and it was stated that they appeared to make no effort to do so.
William Gray's statement
Before William Gray's statement was taken, he was told that he was at the police station because he was said to have been one of two men that had been seen with a woman crossing the line that lead from Seaside to Pevensey and near to two huts into which it was said that he had put a cat at about 3pm on 19 August 1920, and he was informed that he need not say anything unless he liked.
However, he volunteered a statement which was subsequently read out to him and which he signed.
In it he said on 19 August 1920 he went out of his house, 124 Longstone Road, at 10am and went straight to the sea from where he met Jack Field and that they remained there until 1pm, listening to a band after which they walked to Susan's Road together where he left Jack Field and walked straight on to his own address, reaching it about 1.15pm.
He said that he then remained indoors until 2.10pm when he kept an appointment with Jack Field at the corner of Longstone Road and that thy then walked together to Leaf Hall which was about a quarter of a mile from Susans Road and a few hundred yards from Longstone Road and Seaside Road, heading towards the Crumbles.
William Gray said that after waiting about three minutes at Leaf Hall that they got on an omnibus and rode to the Archway Tavern, which was about 50 yards from 393 Seaside where he said they dismounted and walked down to the Pevensey Road to Pevensey Castle, which, it was noted, would have taken them past 393 Seaside, and the spot where the man working in the street saw William Gray and where the two men saw him and Jack Field before going into the Crumbles, it being further noted that that those sightings had been made with them being with a woman.
He said that he then waited for some time at Longstone Road for Jack Field and that they then walked to Leaf hall, which would have taken them about ten minutes, where they waited for a few minutes for an omnibus, which when it arrived, they rode to the Archery Tavern, which would have taken them another ten minutes, and that they arrived at the Archery Tavern about 2.30pm.
It was noted that a motor omnibus conductor that knew both Jack Field and William Gray very well, having known them since April 1920, said that on 19 August 1920, he had been on an omnibus that had been due to arrive at the Archery Tavern at 2.45pm when he saw Jack Field and William Gray on the same omnibus. He added that he alighted himself at the Archery Tavern, which was the omnibus terminus, when something was thrown at him, and that upon looking round, he saw and recognised Jack Field and William Gray and spoke to them.
However, he further added that he then saw a young woman walk from the clock in he wall which indicated the arrival and departures of the omnibuses at the terminus and speak to Jack Field, saying:
He described her as:
He said that when he last saw Jack Field and William Gray that they were talking to her outside the Archway Tavern.
As such, it was noted that the man that had been working on the gate at 363 Seaside had said that he had seen Irene Munro go out without her coat and had then come back for it and then got back out with it on in the direction of Archway Tavern, and that it was reasonable to think that she had in fact gone out to meet Jack Field and William Gray at the Archway Tavern and that after meeting them she had gone back to 363 Seaside and got her coat and then gone back out with Jack Field and William Gray. It was also thought that she might have even changed her hat when she had returned from a black openwork one, as seen by the omnibus conductor to the black close straw hat that was found on her when her after her murder.
It was noted that there was no reason to doubt what the omnibus conductor said, and that if so, then that meant that the group would have reached the spot where they were seen by the workman in the road and the two men near the Crumbles at about 3pm, and that the whole of the evidence given by the people that saw them on the Crumbles was correct and that evidence that it had been Jack Field and William Gray and that been with Irene Munro on the Crumbles was conclusive.
William Gray, in his statement, went on to say that he and Jack Field walked straight on from the terminus to Pevensey Castle, reaching there about 3.30pm or 3.45pm, and remained there, sitting on the grass, until about 4.15pm, when a lady friend approached them.
It was noted that he mentioned nothing whatever about having met any woman at the omnibus terminal, which it was said was highly significant and pointed to there being some reason why he didn't mention it.
It was also noted that he said that on the Thursday and Friday, 19 and 20 August 1920, that he had been wearing a navy blue suit that he had been wearing for about two weeks. However, it was stated that there was no doubt on that point that that was untrue as the barmaid that had known him well had said that he had been wearing a grey suit at midday on 19 August and that in the evening of the same day he had changed into dark clothing. She added that she had remarked about this to him and that and that he had said his friend had pushed him into the water and that hat was his reason for changing.
William Gray also said that he had never seen the young lady whose photograph had been in the Daily Mirror of 23 August 1920 (Irene Munro's photograph) and that he had never crossed the Crumbles in his life.
However, it was noted that the man that had seen him three times had said that he had seen him with Irene Munro and also crossing the Crumbles.
William Gray then said that after the woman arrived that they all walked back to the Archery Tavern where they all gone on an omnibus and rode to Leaf Hall and that whilst on the Omnibus he asked the conductor the time and was told that it was 5pm and that when they got off the omnibus that they all went into an ice-cream shop and had a sixpenny ice cream each, after which the woman left them.
It was however noted in the police report that a relative of William Gray said that he saw him in an omnibus proceeding towards Eastbourne between 6pm and 7pm on Thursday 19 August 1920, noting that he fixed the day on the fact that the following day was his pay day when he always went shopping, whereas on 19 August he had been working until about 5pm and had been going to his allotment near the gas works after having had his tea.
William Gray said that he and Jack Field left the woman at about 5.10pm and went to his house where they stayed until about 7.10pm when they went to the Albion public house, reaching it about 7.15pm, where they had drinks and went to the Hippodrome at about 7.30pm.
It was noted that William Gray might have been a reason for saying that they went into the Albion instead of the Albemarle, it being noted that the two pubs had been adjacent to each other, or that he might have made a mistake, but that either way, the barmaid had stated that she recalled seeing them come into the Albemarle about 6.45pm, and that either of them might have made a mistake over the time by about half-an-hour.
Jack Field's Statement
Jack Field was detained on 24 August 1920, at which time he was told that he had been asked to come in because it was said that he had been seen crossing the line on the Crumbles near to two huts with another man and a woman at 3pm on Thursday 19 August 1920. He was then told that he need not say anything unless he liked, but that information that he cared to give, as to where he was on that date, should be taken down.
Jack Field then volunteered a statement in which he said that on Thursday 19 August he had been sitting on the sea front from 10.30am until 1pm with William Gray (it being noted that he was in agreement with William Gray on that matter), and that he then went home to dinner, leaving his home again about 2pm.
He said that he and William Gray then left William Gray's house at 2.05pm, (It was noted that William Gray had said that they had met in Longstone Road and that he could not say whether he had gone int William Gray's house or not), and that they walked straight along Seaside right past the Crumbles to Pevensey Bay and then from there to Pevensey Castle.
however, it was noted that Jack Field said nothing about whatever about the omnibus from Leaf Hall to the Archery Tavern nor about speaking to a young woman at the terminus.
Jack Field alleged that he and William Gray had been on the green at Pevensey Castle for about 15 minutes when the woman passed by and that William Gray spoke to her and that the three of them sat down until about 4pm. It was noted however that William Gray had claimed that they had all left immediately after the woman came along and gone back to Eastbourne. Jack Field went on to say that they then walked on to Eastbourne by way of the road along which they had to pass through Pevensey and that they arrived at Leaf Hall at about 5pm, and like William Gray, said that they went into an ice cream shop, and left the woman at about 5.10pm.
Jack Field said that he and William Gray then went on to William Gray's house and played cards until 5.45pm, (it being noted that William Graysaid they had got there at 6.10pm and stayed until 7.10pm), and then went to his own home for tea, arriving at about 6pm.
He said that after finishing tea that he went to William Gray's house again at 6.30pm or 6.45pm, after which they went to the Hippodrome together, arriving about 7pm, it being noted that the play commences at about that time and usually finished shortly before 9pm. However, he said nothing about having gone to the Albemarle public house before going to the Hippodrome, although he did say that they went there after the play was over and stayed there until 10pm and that he saw two other people that he knew there.
It was noted that one of the men that had seen them had in his statement been practically in agreement about Jack Field and William Gray having been in the Albemarle public house that night, with very little variation between them, however, it was noted that there was one point in the man's statement and that that was that he said that Jack Field and William Gray went to Summerdown Camp at 10.30am on Saturday 21 August 1920 and made an effort to enlist, and that it had been him that had referred them to the guard room for that purpose. However, it was noted that beyond that there was nothing important in the man's statement.
In Jack Field's statement he said that on the morning of 20 August 1920 that he went to the Labour Exchange at 9.30am and from there direct to William Gray's house, arriving at 9.45am, whence they both went to the sea front and say on a seat until 1pm, after which they went to their respective homes for dinner, with Jack Field arriving home at 1.20pm.
Jack Field went on to say that he and William Gray later went to the Tivoli Cinema where they were until 5pm and that they afterwards went home for tea, Jack Field reaching his house at 5.30pm and remaining there until 5.45pm after which they both went to the Central Cinema and stayed there until 6.30pm.
Jack Field said that they later went to the sea front, arriving there at about 9pm and staying until 10.30pm after which they both went to his house, with William Gray leaving Jack Field at his door and then going home.
Jack Field said that he had been wearing his dark grey double breasted coat, dark flannel trousers and a straw hat with a black band on the Thursday and Friday and had not been carrying a stick and didn't go across the Crumbles on either 19 or 20 August 1920.
Notes on Omnibus Conductors Evidence
The police report noted that before going into certain other evidence, including that of the woman that had been with Jack Field and William Gray on the night of 19 August 1920, that it would note certain aspects of the Omnibus conductors evidence.
It was noted that in regards to his statement of 11 September 1920 detailing the identification of the woman that he had seen with Jack Field at the Omnibus terminus, Archery Tavern, at 2.45pm on Thursday 19 August 1920 that he was shown the pictorial papers that were shown to other witnesses and that he pointed out a photograph of Irene Munro, without a hat and a photograph of her in a dress and hat that had been made up on the dummy and that he seemed convinced that the photographs that he picked out were those of the woman that he saw speaking to Jack Field.
As such, it was noted that the builder working on the gate and said that he had seen Irene Munro leave 363 Seaside without a coat and then return for it, and that as such it was probable that the omnibus conductor had seen Irene Munro speaking to Jack Field at the omnibus terminus before she fetched her coat, which it was submitted made his evidence extremely reliable. The report reiterated that the two photos that he had picked out had been one of Irene Munro in a dress and hat, without a coat and the other in a dress and hat, both of which showed the actual dress that Irene Munro was wearing when she was found dead.
Financial Positions of Jack Field and William Gray
The police report noted that Jack Field had been solely dependent upon £1-0-0 per week which he received from the Labour Exchange and which was invariably paid to him on Thursdays between 9am and 12 noon, and which sum he received on 19 August between those hours.
His mother said that he received 29/- per week of which he gave her 15/-, leaving him 14/- a week.
William Gray had been up until 11 August 1920 in receipt of £1-13-4 per week as a disablement pension, but when he drew his week's pay on the morning of 19 August 1920, it had been reduced to 8/-, and he was paid that. He also drew a Treatment Allowance, which from 14 April 1920 to 20 July had amounted, with his wife's allowance, to 53/4 per week, but from 21 July 1920 to 17 August he had been paid 80%, that being 30/4, and the last payment he received for that, being the payment for the week ending 17 August 1920, was paid to him on 11 August, it being paid a week in advance. He was also certified by a medical referee for a 20% pension of 8/- a week, which he drew on the morning of 19 August 1920.
Further, at that time, his wife had been receiving no allowances, but had done casual work, earning a few shillings a week and her food. It was also though that William Gray had received 5/- a week from a sick benefit society, but that that could not at the time be verified.
As such, it was submitted that neither Jack Field or William Gray would have been in a position to spend money on drink, cinemas and treating barmaids and reference was made to the barmaid that the Albemarle public house and another barmaid who both spoke of the men treating them and being unusually free with their money on the evening of 19 August 1920.
Irene Munro's Money
The police report stated that they had no proof about the amount of money that Irene Munro had had on her on 19 August 1920, but a letter was found in which she wrote to her mother on that date stating that she had 55/- left. It was noted that the landlady at 363 Seaside stated that when Irene Munro had paid her on 16 August 1920 that she saw Irene Munro take per purse from her bag and saw that she had other notes in the purse, which it was submitted would have substantiated the reference to her mother regarding the amount of money she had.
It was then noted that when Irene Munro's body was found that there was no money on her.
It was further noted that there was also no money found in her trunk or room at 363 Seaside and that it was extremely unlikely that she would have been penniless at that time.
It was noted that no trace was found of either he bag or purse, despite the fact that the police dug down into the shingle around where her body was found to a depth of several feet in the search for them, along with a general search of the shingle for a couple of days by the police.
It was however noted that a set of keys, later identified as belonging to Irene Munro was found by a man on the shingle on 25 August 1920 about 526 yards from the body in the direction of the Eastbourne to Pevensey Road, at a spot that would have formed a direct line by anyone taking a route from the body to Eastbourne.
The police report noted that 55 shillings was a very small sum of so vile a crime to be committed, but that it was unlikely that anyone would have known how much she would have had until they got her purse.
It was additionally noted that it appeared that the purse had been taken from Irene Munro by a person that had then got off towards the road, dropping the keys on the way.
It was noted that there were no signs at all of any attempted outrage, and that it was thought that in the circumstances, that robbery had been the motive of the crime.
It was thought that Irene Munro would have probably resisted an attempt by any person or persons to take her bag and that any person or persons who had been seen in her company might fear for being given into custody for stealing it.
The Crumbles
The Crumbles, in the centre of which Irene Munro's body was found, was described as a large stretch of shingle from three to four miles long, from Eastbourne to Pevensey Bay, and roughly 1 mile wide from the sea to the main road which ran from Eastbourne to Pevensey Bay, the castle being about a mile in an almost northerly direction from the bay.
The Crumbles had been entirely beach, with no houses upon it, although there were houses on the sea front to the south of the Crumbles and there was a main road on the northern side of the Crumbles that had many houses along it at intervals each side of it. The nearest point of the road to where Irene Munro's body was found however had only two or three houses or sheds along it and the distance was 726 yards from the cottages in the direction of the sea, with the coast line being another 740 yards further on from where the body was found.
Eastbourne was noted as having been at the west end of the Crumbles, and Pevensey Bay at that east end, and it was noted that if Irene Munro had come along the railway with the two men as described by the witnesses, that she would have had to have walked 1,772 yards to the railway hut where she was seen by the men in the hut and then another 662 yards to the spot where her body was found.
The position in which her body was found was in a hollow that was 4½ feet deep in the south side in which direction her head was lying and which was slightly lower than her body. Her body was found lying on its left side with her face to the west and the bank facing her being slightly lower than that at her head, with there being a higher bank of shingle to her back in the east, but not quite so high as the other sides. The bank in the north side was described as being about the same height as that on the south, but there had been a lower bank from the west near the northern side of the hollow that gave a better view of the hollow at its northern end, although it was noted that Irene Munro's body had been found in the southern end of the hollow.
It was noted that a photograph was taken showing that a person about 5ft 10in tall, in a kneeling position, could just be seen about the hole, but when lying down nothing of them could be seen until one arrived at the brink of the hollow from any direction.
The police report stated that it was indicative of how little the place was frequented that Irene Munro's body had been in the hollow for about 24 hours with its right foot sticking through the shingle without being discovered, and observed that it would have been possible, and even easy, for a man or two men to have murdered Irene Munro in broad daylight in the hollow.
A police detective noted that he had been on the Crumbles on several afternoons and was surprised to see how few people crossed them at that time of day, but noted that it was probably due to the difficulty experienced in walking across the Crumbles owing to their feet sticking into the shingle. The detective noted that the best approach to the spot where Irene Munro's body was found from Eastbourne would be by way of the ballast line, it being the best walking in consequence of the sleepers being uncovered.
It was further noted that any person walking on the shingle would have made a considerable noise and would have been unlikely to have taken another unawares in the Hollow, which pointed to Irene Munro having gone there willingly with some other person and that they could have been in the hollow for any length of time without being seen unless some person passed close by the hole.
Discovery of Body
It was noted that the body of Irene Munro was found by a 13-year-old boy that had been out on the Crumbles with his mother between 3pm and 4pm on 20 August 1920. He had crossed the spot where Irene Munro's body was found whilst his mother had been sitting down a short distance away and stumbled on her right foot, which was protruding from the shingles. He then immediately told his mother, but she took no action at the time and they then went back to their lodgings where they told the landlady who then advised them to wait until her husband returned from work. They then had some tea after which the boy took the landlord out to the spot where he saw the foot and found it precisely where he had left it.
The landlord said that they reached the Hollow at about 7pm on Friday 20 August 1920 and that he removed some shingle with a trowel that he had taken out with him for that purpose and found the rest of Irene Munro under about six inches of shingle.
Irene Munro's body had been on its left side, with her head being badly injured and bent forward and resting upon the left upper arm, and her right arm being across her chest, the hand being just under the left armpit. Her left leg was bent up square with her knee and the upper part of her right leg resting straight upon the upper part of her left thigh.
her face had been covered with a woman's hat, which when raised disclosed terrible injuries to her face. Her coat, dress and petticoat were raised to about two inches of the private parts and the flesh was visible from the top of the stocking, just above the knee, up to the bottom part of the leg of the combination which had short legs that didn't reach to the top of the stockings. Her suspenders were unfastened but it was thought that they were never used as she had garters over the tops of her stockings. Her body had been dressed in the green jacket with fur on the bottom, cuffs and neck.
Upon noticing that a murder had been committed the landlord then sent the boy off to inform the police.
Whilst he waited for the police he remained with the body and searched around in the spot to try and find anything that the murder might have bene committed with and about two feet in front of the body, under about two inches of shingle, he found a large fire brick or stone, weighing about 28lbs and being about 15in by 6in and with blood on it.
He then continued to search about until dark, but found nothing else other than an old shovel about 200 yards from the body, it being noted that he found no bag or purse or anything else that might have belonged to Irene Munro.
It was noted that there were many similar shovels to the one found by the landlord with it being said that they were often thrown away by navvies working there after they became worn out and that there was nothing to suggest that it had been taken there in connection with the murder or that it had been used to bury the body.
It was noted that the shingle where Irene Munro was found had been quite loose and high at the back of the body which could have quite easily used to bury a body by any person with their hands and feet.
It was noted that the landlord removed the shingle from the fingers of Irene Munro's left hand and formed the opinion that her body had been there for two or three days, but it was noted that that sort of opinion was best formed by a medical man, and that a doctor that later examined Irene Munro's body stated that he thought that she had been there for about 30 hours, or from 11pm, 20 August 1920.
The next person at the scene was a police inspector who arrived at 8.45pm and then examined the body and added that Irene Munro's combinations had buttons at the back which rendered it impossible for the wearer to use the lavatory until they had been unbuttoned and that he saw nothing to suggest that an attempt to outrage had been made and that the diaper that she had been wearing was still in place. He further noted that there had been a good deal of menstruation, with the combinations being saturated.
The police inspector further noted that the coat and other clothing had been turned up, revealing the flesh from just below the private parts to the stocking tops and that, out o decency, he lowered her coat so as to cover her legs, which was how she was found when the doctor soon after arrived.
It was noted that although it was considered that the motive had been robbery, that there had been the possibility that some person or persons, having raised her clothing and find the condition that Irene Munro had been in might have struck her in a temper which she had been in a sitting position, and then after seeing the seriousness of her injuries to her jaw might have then struck her with the stone and robbed her body of the bag, purse and its contents.
However, it was further noted that there were no marks of any resistance whatever having been offered by Irene Munro and that it was more probable that she had been struck unawares by some person that had been with her for the purposes of robbery.
It was further noted that when the shingle where Irene Munro's head had been resting was examined that it was found to have been bloodstained to a depth of 18 inches and that as such, it appeared that Irene Munro had been killed at that spot and then afterwards hurriedly buried.
Examination of Body
When Irene Munro's body was examined it was found to be dressed in a fine black straw hat, green cloth ¾ coat, imitation caracul fur round the bottom 12 inches deep, similar fur on the collar, which was turned up, and cuffs, a light grey dress with an embroidered green design on the chest, collar and cuffs, SS corsets, lace insertion, black stockings, elastic garters, a black velvet shoe on her left foot, the other shoe being beneath her body, a diaper and an old dark blue petticoat. The whole of her clothing was described as shabby.
In her dress pocket there were two small handkerchiefs, a pair of lady's gloves, a receipt, a piece of paper with writing in reference to a Kodak on it, an ordinary white paper sweet bag, a livery button and an entertainment tax ticket.
The whole of the clothing and the handkerchief and gloves were all identified by Irene Munro's mother as having been the property of Irene Munro.
The entertainment tax ticket was described as having been just the ordinary one that might have been used anywhere in London or Eastbourne, the livery button has having belonged to a certain family that had had none supplied to them since 1912, and the receipt being for the purchase of haberdashery at Summerton’s in Fulham Road.
It was noted that there was nothing on her body or in the vicinity of it that might not have been possessed by Irene Munro herself, or in other words, no article that might have been the property of the murder.
One of 1 Fountains Road, Liverpool's teeth was later found on 21 August 1920 where her body was buried.
Nothing was found upon or near Irene Munro's body that might have assisted the enquiry, and it was submitted that there was no reason to think other than that Irene Munro had been murdered in the hollow where her body was found by some person with whom she had willingly gone to the spot.
The doctor that examined her body said that he had formed the opinion that Irene Munro had been struck thrice, first on the right temple, then secondly on the jaw and then thirdly on the right cheek. His theory was that the first two blows had probably been inflicted with a blunt cutting instrument that had felled her to the ground, insensible and that the third blow had killed her.
It was initially suspected that the wound to Irene Munro's temple might have been caused by a shot, and that as there were some uncertainties as to her cause of death, the two doctors that carried out the postmortem were offered the assistance of a Home Office specialist, but they said that they were quite prepared to do it alone.
The conclusion of the post mortem, delivered on the afternoon of 21 August 1920, however was that Irene Munro died from suffocation or shock, which left the inference that she might have been buried alive. However, the police stated that they felt that due to the seriousness of the enquiry that that statement was insufficient, and requested that a Home Office expert might be sent to Eastbourne to arrive at a definite decision. It was also noted that another doctor agreed that three blows had been inflicted but stated that the first one could have been caused by a knife, the second by some blunt instrument and the third by some other blunt instrument.
They also found that Irene Munro's public hair was shaved off, that she had a period of about ten days, that she was not a virgin and that she was not pregnant.
Some black liquid was found in Irene Munro's stomach, and it was taken away for analysis in case it had been poison, but it was found to have been quite harmless, and from enquiries it was found that Irene Munro had called several times at a small shop in Eastbourne for doughnuts where they also sold ginger stout which was of a black colour, and which she might have taken on the morning of her death, however, enquiries at the shop failed to elicit any definite information on that point.
When the Home Office pathologist carried out a post mortem, he stated that Irene Munro's death had been due to concussion of the brain as a result of the blows to her head and jaw. He further stated that under certain conditions, one blow from the large stone might have caused all her injuries, suggesting that she might have been lying down when struck with it. He also stated that he thought that her death had been instantaneous and that he agreed that there was no sign of outrage or attempted outrage.
The pathologist also agreed that Irene Munro might have died on the afternoon of 19 August 1920, 30 hour prior to the body being seen by the first doctor. It was further noted in the police report that rigor mortis depended very largely upon temperature, being less rapid in coming on when the body was in a warm atmosphere, and that it should be remembered that Irene Munro's body had been fully dressed with a warm coat on it, and in a hollow that would protect it from cool air, and in addition was covered with shingle that would hold the heat of the sun to which hit had been exposed during the day. As such, it was submitted that it was quite possible that death could have occurred during the afternoon of 19 August 1920, when it was said by the various witnesses that Jack Field and William Gray had been on the Crumbles.
It was further noted that a witness that had been on the Crumbles on the evening of 19 August, had stated that there had been very few people out and that there had been no one at the spot from 7pm to 8.20pm. he said that he had been out on the afternoon with glasses and that he had looked in all direction, including the spot where the body was found, and that he saw no one standing or walking about, and contended that if there had been that he would have seen them.
It was noted that the man had been what was described as a 'Stagger' or 'Spotter', of whom it there were many, and whose chief object in being there was to satisfy their lust by watching sexual intercourse, but also chiefly for the purpose of blackmail or picking up anything that couples might leave behind after being made to get up hurriedly. The police report noted that the man had been married with three children and described him, without doubt, as being a despicable character.
Release of Jack Field and William Gray
Jack Field and William Gray were arrested on 24 August 1920 and later released at 4.15pm on 26 August.
Scullery Maid
Whilst they were detained, the police took the statement of the woman that they said they had met later on the afternoon of 19 August 1920 at 4.15pm as they were getting up from the grass near Pevensey Castle, a distance of two or three miles from the Hollow where Irene Munro was found dead.
It was noted that William Gray had said that the woman had come up to them at 4.15pm whilst they were sitting on the grass near Pevensey Castle and that they had then walked back to Eastbourne along the main road, going past the Crumbles, whilst Jack Field had said that they had been sitting on the grass for about 15 minutes when the woman came by and that she then stayed with them until 4pm when they all then went walked back to Eastbourne, with both men stating that they left the woman there between 5pm and 5.10pm after going into the ice cream shop. however, the woman said that she had not men them at all in the afternoon and that it was not until 8.15pm that day that she saw them.
When she was questioned, she said that on the afternoon of 19 August 1920, that at 4.30pm she had been sitting down to tea with a cook and kitchen maid at Ravenhurst, a story which the two women corroborated. The woman had been a scullery maid at Revenhurst, and another woman whose instructions she had been under stated that she knew for a fact that none of her staff were out on the afternoon of 19 August 1920 and that the woman had finished work at 4pm and then gone up to her room to change after which she had gone into the kitchen for tea from 4.30pm to 5pm, adding that she knew that the woman didn't go out until later that evening.
As such, it was stated that it seemed certain that the woman had been indoors for the whole of the afternoon as all three of the other witnesses remembered that she had not gone out and that if she had have gone to Pevensey Castle that it would have taken her at least three hours and she would have been missed from the house.
As such, the police report noted that Jack Field and William Gray had stated that they had got to Pevensey Castle at about 2.10pm and returned to Leaf Hall at 5.10p, which was a reasonable time for the journey and that credible evidence showed that the woman could not have been at Pevensey Castle when they stated and that they were wrong and that there must have been some motive for that lie.
The woman said that it was true that she had known Jack Field and William Gray, but said that she didn't meet them until 8.15pm on Thursday 19 August 1920 when she went out to post a letter and met them at the Wish Tower where they spoke to her. She said that they stood speaking for some quarter of an hour and that William Gray then asked whether they could walk home with her and she consented and they went to Ravenshurst which was close by, arriving about 9pm, at which time she immediately left them and went indoors.
Other Timings
It was then noted that the barmaid at the Albemarle public house stated that she saw Jack Field and William Gray at the Hippodrome which opened at 7pm but that the last time she saw them there was between 8pm and 8.30pm, and that as such, it would have been quite possible for them to have gone and met the scullery maid and to have then gone on to the Albemarle public house where they met the two men that said they had seen them there from about 9pm.
However, it was noted that the scullery maid had said that the shorter man, Jack Field, had been wearing a straw hat, whilst the two men at the Albermarle public house and the barmaid said that he had been wearing a cap, and it was noted that hat discrepancy could not be accounted for.
It was noted that one of the two men at the Albermarle public house had stated that Jack Field and William Gray had come in at about 8pm and that the taller of the two men, William Gray, had been wearing a grey sports jacket with darker coloured trousers, which it was submitted he was undoubtedly mistaken in and that if so he could also have been mistaken about the time they came in and further, that as the men had been drinking that not much reliance could be placed on their statements.
It was noted that the scullery maid said that although she had never conversed with Jack Field and William Gray before, that she had previously seen them sitting on the sea front and had said 'good evening' to them as they had passed three or four times. She had arrived in Eastbourne on 29 July 1920 and recollected that she saw then for the first time that evening, and that they had been there almost every evening during the following week and that she had said good evening to them about three times.
She said that she later saw them on Sunday 22 August 1920 near the Wish Tower at about 9pm sitting on a seat and that she sat down with them until about 9.55pm after which they walked home with her, leaving her outside at about 10.05pm. She said that on the way she brought up the subject to the murder with them, remarking that she didn't like Eastbourne anymore and was afraid of getting murdered, to which she said William Gray replied:
Although the police report noted that there was of course nothing in that remark.
She said that before they parted on the night of Sunday 22 August 1920, that they all agreed to meet at 3pm on Monday 23 August 1920 at St Johns road, and the appointment was kept and they went to the Golf Links blackberrying and reading until 5.30pm, stating that William Gray had been reading the Eastbourne Gazette about the murder and remarked:
It being noted of course that by then he had discarded his grey suit, although it was further noted that there might be nothing more in that remark.
The scullery maid said that she parted with the two men at about 5.30pm and went home and had tea but met them later again by appointment at the Wish Tower where they remained on a seat until 9pm after which they went for a walk until 10.15pm at which time she and William Gray left Jack Field and went off for a walk together, parting at 10.55pm, after which she saw neither of them again to speak to.
It was noted that the scullery maid mentioned conversation that she had had with the men on the evening of 22 August 1920, stating that William Gray told her that he had been in the ice cream shop on the previous Thursday, and also at Pevensey that day and that he had mounted an omnibus at the Lodge, a public house east of the Archery Tavern, a terminus for a line of omnibuses travelling from there to Eastbourne by way of Seaside and situated about 200 yards east of the spot where the line crossed the road to the Crumbles.
She said that he had told her that he had been with Jack Field and had both been sitting near the driver, and that he said that he had thought it had been late and had asked the driver the time and had been told that it was 5.15pm and that upon hearing that said that Jack Field remarked:
To which she said William Gray replied:
However, the police reported commented that it seemed strange that Jack Field and William Gray should make those remarks to her, particularly as they later told the police that they had been with her on the afternoon of Thursday 19 August.
The police report then added however, that the conversation was corroboration, if accepted as true, that it seemed that they had been trying to fix something in her mind with regards to their movements on that date.
The scullery maid said that William Gray actually told her that his name was Billy White and that Jack Field was his brother and his name was Jack. She said that when she saw them at the police stations that they had been dressed the same as they had been on each occasion that she had seen them before, that being William Gray in a blue suit and cap and Jack Field in a straw hat and dark grey reefer coat and light grey trousers.
The police report noted that as far as they could ascertain that from the afternoon of the murder until the time of their detention on 24 August 1920, that William Gray had not been seen in his herringbone suit which was found at his address, and that from the evening of Thursday 19 August until 24 August that Jack Field had worn a white straw hat with a black band.
It was further noted that William Gray told the police that he had met the scullery maid in Colchester, but she denied that. It was noted that Colchester had been her home and where she had gone to get married, and thought that she might have spoken to William Gray about that, thus giving him the means to know that she came from there.
The scullery maid said that on the evening of 23 August 1920, that she spoke to William Gray of her watch being out of repair and that William Gray had told her that he would get it repaired and that she had handed it to him for that purpose. however, it was noted that he had known that she was leaving Eastbourne on the following Saturday, 28 August 1920, and that when his house was searched on 24 August, that it was found on the mantelpiece in the same condition, and it was submitted that it could be viewed that he had not intended to have it repaired and instead intended to deprive her of it and that he was as such a petty thief although it was added that there were at that time no known convictions against him.
However, it was noted that Jack Field had a conviction against him for robbing his mother.
Other Suspects
The police report noted that several other witnesses recalled seeing people on the Crumbles and about five reports were looked into but all found to be of no material significance, mostly involving people whose descriptions with not match that of Irene Munro or being some distance away or moving in the wrong direction. There were also reports of strange motorcars loitering along the road, but it was also noted that considering that it was thought that Irene Munro had been murdered in the hollow and that it was common for wealthy married men to take young women out in their cars for indecent purposes and that cars were often seen loitering about later at night.
Lack Of Evidence
As such, up until the statement from the man that came forwards to state that he had seen Jack Field and William Gray three times over three days came forward, there was no tangible evidence upon which any person could be arrested and they were released on 26 August 1920.
It was noted that the man that had seen them three times had returned to his ship at 8am on Monday 23 August, before it was known that he and the other man had seen anyone crossing the Crumbles and that after the other man came forward, they had been unable to get his address until 25 August, which was too late to get his assistance or statement prior to the release of Jack Field and William Gray on the first occasion.
upon finding his address a telegram was sent to the Isle of Wight Police for a statement to be obtained from the man and as soon as that was received a report was submitted, asking for the Admiralty to arrange for his attendance at Eastbourne where he arrived on the evening of 2 September 1920.
It was thought that from his statement, and from the action of his friend in pointing Jack Field and William Gray out that he might also be able to identify them and steps were taken for him to see them on the sea front where there were many people, which, it was thought, would be a more satisfactory identification than putting them up at the police station for identification.
As such, on the afternoon of 4 September 1920, two police officers went with him to the sea front, although he was instructed to keep 100 yards behind one of them, a detective, who was then himself 100 yards behind a sergeant and that when it was known that they were on the sea front, the man was told to walk around a large circle and to come back and to give them the spot where he had seen both or either of the men that he had seen entering the Crumbles on the afternoon of 19 August 1920.
the man then walked around and saw both Jack Field and William Gray at a coffee stall, noting that he looked at them and they looked at him and that he then returned to where the detective was, out of sight, and reported the sighting. However, it was noted that whilst they were talking that Jack Field and William Gray walked off and had to be found again by the sergeant.
As such, as the man had identified Jack Field and William Gray as well as identifying from certain pictorial paper photographs and the photograph that had been made up from a dummy of Irene Munro, that the police considered that there was no alternative but to arrest Jack Field and William Gray which they did later that day.
They were then charge on 5 September 1920 with murder and a report submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions, stating that the evidence of the main witnesses presented a prima facie case of murder.
Trial
They were tied at the Lewes Assizes on 13 December to 17 December 1920 and found guilty and sentenced to death. However, they were recommended to mercy on the grounds that the crime had not been premeditated.
William Gray didn't give evidence, but Jack Field elected to enter the witness box to give his explanation for his movements, during which he said:
He denied that he had endeavoured to induce the scullery maid to establish a false alibi for him.
When the defence summed up they stated that Irene Munro had not died between 3pm and 5pm, but much later that evening.
Appeal
Following their convictions they each appealed, the appeal being heard at the Old Bailey on Monday 17 January 1921.
They both sat at opposite ends of the dock during the hearing with a guard of seven warders separating them.
At their appeal they blamed each other.
Jack Field's Version of Events
When Jack Field gave his new account of what happened on the day of the murder, he said that on 19 August 1920 he drew his unemployment pay a the Labour Exchange in the morning and met William Gray and had some drinks and then both went to dinner, noting that they had promised to meet Irene Munro at 12.20pm at the Archery Tavern. He said that when they met her she said:
And that they then walked off towards the Crumbles. He said that he remembered passing the railway hut because just as they approached it he noticed a kitten on the line and that Irene Munro stroked it and he picked it up and threw it in the hut. He said that when he did that that William Gray and Irene Munro were a little bit in front and that he thought they were arm in arm, but couldn't be sure.
However, he said that then, just passed the railway hut that William Gray gave him the tip to leave. He said that Irene Munro took no notice of him and that he asked:
Stating that Irene Munro said that she didn't mind at all and that where the railway line forked, one part going to the sea and the other to the road, that he left them.
He said that he then went as far as the gates of Pevensey Castle and then returned by the road alone.
He said that as he was returning towards Eastbourne that he saw William Gray and that when he asked him where Irene Munro was that he told him that he had had a row with her and that she had gone home. He said that they then got on a bus and that William Gray paid the fares and that he asked him where he got the money from, as he had paid the fares going to the Archery, and that William Gray told him that he had had money all the time.
He said that they then went to William Gray's house and that he left at about 6pm for tea and later met him at the Albermarle and had drinks, with William Gray saying that he would pay. He said that when he asked William Gray where the money came from that William Gray told him to shut up and mind his own business.
He said that they then went to the Hippodrome and were subsequently together all evening.
He said that on the Friday that he met William Gray and that they went to the Albermerle and later went to two picture palaces.
He said that on the Saturday, 21 August 1920 that he saw in the newspaper that a dead body had been found on the Crumbles and that foul play was suspected and that when he showed it to William Gray, that William Gray got excited and told him that he had been with a girl and that she had said something he didn't like and that he hit her and he got frightened at what he had done and covered her with shingle.
He also said that William Gray said to him:
He said that William Gray then asked him to keep quiet and say nothing about it and promised that if he were arrested that he would say that he had been at Pevensey with him.
When he was asked whether, when William Gray asked him to stand by him, whether he made any reciprocal promise to him, Jack Field replied:
He admitted that the previous evidence that he had given was untrue and that he knew the end had come and wanted to save his parent's reputation and didn't want them to believe that he had comitted murder and had as such made a new statement to the Home Secretary, headed:
When he was cross-examined, he said that William Gray had not told him that he had killed Irene Munro, only that he had hit her and left her on the beach, later adding that he understood that William Gray had hit the girl almost immediately after he left and that he understood it that he had buried her alive, stating that that was why she was buried.
He admitted that he made his new statement after he heard that William Gray had made a statement against him.
At the end of his new statement he said:
The premise of his appeal to hear further evidence from him and it was dismissed.
William Gray's Version of Events
When William Gray went into the box, he said that on the afternoon of the murder that he saw Jack Field, who asked him to go to Pevensey with him. He said that he told him that he had no money with him and that Jack Field told him that he would pay the bus fares. However, he said:
He denied that he had confessed to hitting Irene Munro to Jack Field.
He said that after he was convicted he had been taken to the railway station where he met Jack Field and that the y spoke about some cigarettes and that Jack Field then said:
When the judge asked him whether he meant that Jack Field had told him he had killed her, he replied:
When he was asked whether Jack Field told him anything else he said yes, and that he said:
When he was asked why, when he was first detailed, that he had not said that he had gone home that afternoon, he said:
His defence then asked for his wife to be called to prove that he had left home at 6.40pm on the Thursday and returned at 10.45pm, but the judge stated that they didn't seem like material times, which he said were between 2.30pm and 6.30pm.
After hearing William Gray's evidence , Jack Field's counsel noted that he had made several statements, and that the last one was proved to be wrong, and said that he could only compare him to a frightened animal, bolting here and there.
The premise of William Gray's appeal was that at the trial the judge did not sufficiently explain to the jury the difference between the crime of an accessory before the fact and after the fact, although the evidence at the trial was exactly the same for both men. However, the court upheld that the direction on the law and summing up of the facts by the judge had been beyond the possibility of a complaint, and therefore his appeal was dismissed.
Execution
They were both executed at Wandsworth on 4 February 1921.
When William Gray was executed, he was said to have gone to his death with his lips shut, meaning that the absolute truth of the matter would never be known. He said described as having help out hope for a reprieve and that in his ignorance, had believed that two men could not hang for the same crime. However, when he was told that there would be no hope of a reprieve, he was said to have become restless, but to have later regained his composure and that he astonished his guards by sleeping soundly through the night and needing to be roused at 6am by the wardens.
When he woke his prison clothes had been removed and in their place he had his grey herringbone suit that had played such a central role at his trial. He was said to have shown some fortitude and expressed a desire to 'have done with it', and stating, 'I shall have a long rest now'.
However, Jack Field was said to have gone to his doom maintaining his innocence, but with the reservation that:
When he father came to see him, without his mother, he expressed thanks that she had not come, stating:
His last night was described as having been very broken and restless and when he was woken up and prepared himself, he comments:
He was unable to eat any breakfast and when both he and William Gray were offered a stimulant, they both refused it.
It was noted that they should have been hung at Lewes, but that as Lewes Gaol was not then used for prisoners, they were taken to Wandsworth where it was not customary for the press to be present during an execution, however, as they would have been at Lewes, permission was given for an agency pressman and a Sussex reporter to be present, although their reports were scanned by the governor of the gaol.
The execution shed at Wandsworth was described as a lean-to building just outside the main corridor, which to reach, you had to pass through two wide doors and then cross a paved yard with several flower beds and a grass plot that was known as 'Felons' Graveyard', where lay buried those that had suffered death in the gaol. the shed was level with the yard, the pit being hollowed out from underneath.
On the morning of 4 February 1921, the doors were open and two ropes could be seen dangling. the sides of the shed were whitewashed, there being no window, the light being admitted through the doors.
It was reported that just before 8am William Gray was led out by two warders wearing his grey suit. He said fully dressed except for his collar and tie and his face was described as being corpse-like in its pallor, and curiously shrunken. However, he was said to have walked steadily with his head erect.
He was then followed by Jack Field in the same manner. He was described as being ruddy of face and to have marched along with even steps.
They were then said to have been ushed into the shed and to their placed under the beam where their legs were strapped and ghastly white woollen caps placed over their faces, whilst standing in front of them were a little group of men, including the governor of the prison, the prison doctor, the chaplain with his open prayer book and the Wesleyan chaplain.
There was then a moments pause, and the executioner, Pierrepoint, sprang to the side where there was a lever like that in a signal cabin and then gave the Governor a swift glance who then gave him the signal that all was ready and the faint tones of the clergymen murmuring the office for the living-dead was cut through by a crashed as the lever was moved back and the two masked figures disappeared, the ropes quivering and then hanging taut.
An official paper was then place outside ethe prison on the prison doors that read:
It was reported then that pretty Irene Munro had been avenged and the sordid crime of the Crumbles was now one of those crimes that exemplified the patient and persistence of the law to finally mete out justice upon the guilty.
see National Archives - HO 144/1690/408513, PCOM 8/52, MEPO 3/272, MEPO 3/273, MEPO 3/274, MEPO 3/275, MEPO 3/276, MEPO 3/277, MEPO 3/278, MEPO 3/279, MEPO 3/280, MEPO 3/281, DPP 1/56, COR/1/3/1140
see "Eastbourne Crime." Times [London, England] 5 May 1924: 11. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
see Illustrated Police News - Thursday 26 August 1920
see Daily Record - Friday 17 December 1920
see Staffordshire Sentinel - Tuesday 18 January 1921
see Aberdeen Press and Journal - Tuesday 18 January 1921
see Aberdeen Press and Journal - Tuesday 11 January 1921
see Evening Herald (Dublin) - Tuesday 18 January 1921
see Reynolds's Newspaper - Sunday 19 December 1920, p4 (photos)
see National Library of Scotland
see Wikipedia
see Screen Online
