Charles Scott

Charles Scott was convicted of the murder of Eliza O’Shea and sentenced to death.

He stabbed her and cut her throat from ear to ear on 3 September 1899 at their home at 39 South Place, Windsor.

When he was arrested, he said, 'I stabbed her first with a knife, and cut her bleeding throat from ear to ear with a razor'.

Charles Scott had been a glass blower. Eliza O’Shea had been employed at a laundry.

Eliza O’Shea's sister, who also lived in South Place said that Eliza O’Shea had been a married woman but that her husband had been away in India, serving in the army and that she had been living with Charles Scott for several months. She said that when Charles Scott was sober he acted all right, but when he was in drink he acted most cruelly towards her.

She said that on 2 September 1899 at about 4.30pm, she had been at home and was called by Eliza O’Shea to come across to her house. She said that she had been leaning out of one of the windows and Eliza O’Shea had exclaimed to her, 'O, do come down, he has broken my nose'. She said that she then saw her standing at her door with her nose 'all on one side' and bleeding very much.

She said that Charles Scott was in the house, he standing at one door and Eliza O’Shea at the other. She said that they stood for a minute or two and then began to quarrel and fight again, with Charles Scott using foul language towards Eliza O’Shea. She said that Eliza O’Shea then picked up a tea canister and struck Charles Scott with it and that he then threatened to cut her throat before the night was out.

She said that Eliza O’Shea then threw Charles Scott's tools in the fireplace.

She said that another sister then bathed Eliza O’Shea's nose whilst she attended to the wound on Charles Scott's forehead.

She said that they then let off quarrelling and that Charles Scott put his hat on and went out. Before he left, Eliza O’Shea told him that he had ruined her, adding, 'You tried to murder one poor woman before, and so you will serve me'.

She noted that she picked up two knives that had been lying on the floor and took them back to her house.

She said that later that same evening she had been in the Globe public house with Eliza O’Shea and her other sister where she later left her at about 10.50pm, that being the last she saw of her. She said that on her way home she met Charles Scott and her brother-in-law in Oxford Road standing at the corner near the Prince of Wales public house. She said that Charles Scott had been under the influence of drink at the time, but not drunk.

She said that she noted that her brother-in-law's hand was bandaged and she asked him what the matter was with it, but he didn't reply, however, she said that Charles Scott said, 'We have been fighting up street, and have been to the infirmary to have our wounds dressed'.

She noted that Charles Scott also told her that he would do for her before the night was out.

She said that she saw the body of Eliza O’Shea the following morning.

She noted that Eliza O’Shea would take her own part if a man hit her, stating that on one occasion she hit her husband with a cup and bit him on the leg whilst he had been squeezing her head between his legs.

She denied that Eliza O’Shea had told Charles Scott that she had put three men in hospital and would send him there before the day was out.

A police constable said that he had been on duty on the evening of 2 September 1899 with South Place being on his beat. He said that at about 10.30pm he saw Eliza O’Shea and her other sister in Oxford Road and that the other sister said to him, 'Will you look round South Place, as there might be a bother tonight'. He said he later visited South Place at 10.45pm and found everything quiet and a few minutes later saw Charles Scott who was under the influence of drink, judging by the way he was walking.

He said he saw him again at midnight in the door of his house with Eliza O’Shea and that each of them wished him goodnight.

He said he visited South Place twice more, the first time at 12.25am at which time everything was quiet, but on the second visit he heard voices at 39 South Place, but could not hear what was being said, but thought that they had been making up after a quarrel.

He later noted that he knew Eliza O’Shea, but not very well, and had never heard of her being thrown out of a public house.

A woman that lived at 38 South Place said that she saw Charles Scott leave his house at about 9.30pm or 9.45pm, noting that as he did so, Eliza O’Shea, who had been standing at her door threw a stone at him and that she heard Charles Scott say, 'I shall be glad to get away from a dirty ---- like you'.

She said that she went to bed at about 11pm and was later awakened by a scream at about 1.15am, noting that her bedroom adjoined 39. She said it was a slow scream and she heard Eliza O’Shea say, 'You won’t injure my life', which was followed afterwards by a heavy fall. She said that judging by the sounds she thought that Eliza O’Shea had been chased round the room and had fallen down the stairs and that she heard nothing more and went to sleep.

Another police constable said that at about 3am on Sunday 3 September 1899 he had been standing outside the police station when Charles Scott came up to him. He said that he said, 'Hullo Scott, what's up with you?' and that Charles Scott replied, 'Where’s all the policemen up our way?'. He said that he asked why and Charles Scott said, 'Come inside and I will tell you'. He said that they then went into the charge room and Charles Scott said, 'I have killed my old woman. Its right. I meant to do it. I told her I would'.

Another police constable then asked him whether he understood what he was saying and Charles Scott said, 'I stabbed her first with a knife, and cut her bleeding throat from ear to ear with a razor'.

The police then went to 39 South Place where they found a light burning and the front door unlocked and when they went in they found Eliza O’Shea at the foot of the stairs, just inside the door, lying in a pool of blood with a large gash in her throat and life extinct.

The police noted that Charles Scott's tools were scattered about the fireplace and the house was in a state of great disorder.

Charles Scott later said:

Charles Scott was later convicted at the Reading Assizes on 11 November 1899 and sentenced to death.

Following his sentencing he wrote another statement:

However, he was executed at Reading on 28 November 1899.

South Place has since been demolished, but the route of the street is still marked by the path, just south of the flats between Charles Street and Alma Road.