Today in the Pace case: 22 May 1928

Tuesday, 22 May 1928: 12th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Rowland Ellis is recalled and gives brief testimony about a ‘dolly tub’ at the Pace home—one which Harry and Beatrice used to ‘dip’ lambs—that contained water with arsenic in it. Afterwards, the coroner, Maurice Carter, summarises the evidence and then sends off the jury to make their decision.

Determining that their first verdict is unsatisfactory—for complicated reasons discussed in the book—Carter sends them off again to reconsider things. (This aspect of the verdict will be the subject of much discussion in press and Parliament.) They return, declaring that they have reached their verdict: that Harry Pace had died from named Beatrice Pace. Beatrice is brought before magistrates and charged with murder.

That evening, she is taken to Cardiff prison.

There, she will await the next legal stage in the case: the committal proceedings in the magistrates’ court.

Today in the Pace case: 15 May 1928

Tuesday, 15 May 1928: 11th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

After brief testimony from police superintendant J. Shelswell and a recalled Alice Sayes, the main event of this sitting is testimony by Beatrice Pace herself, who denies giving poison to her late husband. At the end of her testimony, she breaks down.

As reported by the Dean Forest Guardian: ‘the policewoman handed her some smelling salts as she began to sob and bury her face in her hands.’ (18 May 1928, p. 7) The inquest is adjourned for a week.

It is anticipated that a verdict will be reached at the next session.

Today in the Pace case: 14 May 1928

Monday, 14 May 1928: 10th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Other than brief testimony from a former quarry co-worker of Harry’s, Ralph Dowle, the medical testimony continues. Ellis is recalled, and extensive evidence is given by Professor Isaac Walker Hall of Bristol University (who had analysed the organs and blood sent to him after Harry’s post-mortem) and Sir William Willcox, a renowned forensic expert and medical advisor to the Home Office.

Edward Aston, a retired insurance agent, testifies about the life insurance policy he sold to the Paces.

Today in the Pace case: 10 May 1928

Thursday, 10 May 1928: 9th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Drs Du Pré and Nanda are recalled to clarify certain matters. Chief Inspector George Cornish of Scotland Yard describes his investigations and the circumstances that led to Beatrice’s 11 and 14 March statements to the detectives.

The statements themselves are given to the inquest jury to read. Rowland Ellis, the analyst for Gloucester and Gloucestershire demonstrates how the sulphur can be removed from sheep dip to produce a colourless (and largely flavourless) arsenic-rich liquid: this is important, as no sulphur but much arsenic was found in Harry’s organs and blood.

All subsequent proceedings focus on sheep dip as the likely source of the arsenic that killed Harry Pace.

Today in the Pace case: 9 May 1928

Wednesday, 9 May 1928: 8th sitting of the coroner’s inquest.

Having heard a great deal of what could be called ‘circumstantial evidence’ in previous sittings, the coroner’s inquest finally turns to medical and forensic testimony. Key witnesses here are Dr William Du Pré (the Pace family’s doctor), Dr Ram Nath Nanda (who had been brought in by Harry’s kin to give a second opinion about his illness the preceding autumn), Dr Norman Mather (who had treated Harry while he had been in the Gloucester Royal Infirmary the preceding autumn), and Dr Charles Carson (who conducted the post-mortem examination of Harry Pace on 14 January).

Brief testimony is also given by Henry Smith, an expert on sheep dipping.

Today in the Pace case: 3 May 1928

Thursday, 3 May 1928: 7th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Testimony is given by Alice Sayes (one of Beatrice Pace’s closest friends) and her husband Leslie. Both of them firmly deny the rumours circulating that Leslie Sayes was having an affair with Beatrice Pace (who also denied such claims).

This issue, however, was a focus of this part of the testimony. (Inquests had wide discretion and were not restrained by the rules of evidence that governed trial procedure.)

Leslie, Beatrice’s nine-year-old son, also testifies. Dorothy Pace, who had originally given testimony on 18 April, is recalled to clarify some statements she made then. Trevor Wellington, Beatrice’s solicitor, criticises the police’s treatment of Dorothy during questioning. Elizabeth Porter, Harry’s mother, is briefly recalled.

Today in the Pace case: 26 April 1928

Thursday, 26 April 1928: 5th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Testimony from acquaintances of the Paces continues, with two fellow patients who had known Harry while he had been hospitalised the previous year, Arthur Smith and Edwin Morgan, describing Harry’s state of mind while he was ill.

The main testimony is provided by Inspector Alan Bent of the local constabulary. Beatrice’s first police statement (given to Bent on 15 February) is read aloud.

Further comments are given by Rosa Kear (an ‘uncertified midwife’ and neighbour of Beatrice and Harry) and Matthew Hoare, who bought some lambs from the Paces the preceding August.

Today in the Pace case: 19 April 1928

Thursday, 19 April 1928: 4th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Testimony is given by a variety of friends and acquaintances of Beatrice and Harry: Albert Jones, Reginald Martin, Charles Fletcher and Fred Thorne.

Today in the Pace case: 18 April 1928

Wednesday, 18 April 1928: 3rd sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

The inquest hears testimony from Gertude Pace (Leonard Pace’s wife), who – like other family members – is very critical of Beatrice.

(From left) Leslie, Dorothy, Selwyn, Beatrice and Doris Pace

Two of Beatrice’s children give evidence: her eldest daughter, seventeen-year-old Dorothy, and her middle daughter, Doris, eleven.

Today in the Pace case: 12 April 1928

Thursday, 12 April 1928: 2nd sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

A newspaper photograph of Harry's brother, Elton Pace

Testimony is given by Elton Pace (Harry’s brother), Sergeant Charlie Hamblin (of the Coleford police) as well as by Leah Pritchard and Flossie Pace (two of Harry’s sisters).

Just as at the sitting on 29 March, Harry’s relatives paint a negative portrait of Beatrice, suggesting she was uncaring toward her late husband and that she may have been unfaithful.

As the Dean Forest Guardian later put it, ‘They were all, more or less, on bad terms with Mrs. Pace, questioning her conduct generally and criticising her attitude toward the deceased. They had heard ... that he had suffered from arsenical poisoning, but declined to make any direct accusations against anyone.’ (27 April 1928, p. 5)

Today in the Pace case: 29 March 1928

Thursday, 29 March 1928: The coroner’s inquest into Harry Pace’s death – adjourned since 16 January – finally resumes. Testimony is given by Leonard Pace (Harry’s brother) and Elizabeth Porter (Harry’s mother).

The inquest is then adjourned until 12 April.

Innocent until proven guilty

This is a commentary on some of the legal issues that the Pace case raised that I recently ran across, published eighty-four years ago today:

The comfortable British belief that in this country every accused person is treated as innocent until proved guilty has been upset by the finding in the matter of Mrs. Pace and her late husband. The Coroner’s jury, on the evidence before them, formed the opinion that the man did not lose his life through natural causes or by his own act. But they could not leave the matter there. By the Coroners Act of 1887 they were required to fasten guilt on some particular person or persons.

Thus Mrs. Pace, who has yet to be tried, was by them declared to have administered poison to the dead man. On a strict legal view, such a declaration is no more than a charge, but people in general lump all verdicts together, and until the wording, or the procedure, is changed there must be risks of the jury at the trial being prejudiced by the finding at the inquest. Why should not the Coroner’s jury be content to find simply that death was apparently the result of action by some party other than the deceased?

It is not only with reference to Coroners’ procedure that there is a case for enquiry. The time has come, it seems to us, when there might usefully be an investigation into the whole question of what we may call trials before true trials. The legal mind and the mind of the instructed layman may be depended upon to distinguish between preliminary proceedings, which result only in a charge, and true verdicts; but as regards the general public there is no small amount of confusion and prejudice.

Press publicity brings the results in Magistrates’ courts and Coroners’ inquests before a huge body of readers, and whatever the eventual fate of an accused person there does cling to him or her some of the discredit or criminality imputed by the preliminary finding. The motives with which the existing system was established are not in question, but a thorough investigation of its workings would be beneficial.

(‘Notes of the Week’, Saturday Review, 2 June 1928, p. 686. Some paragraph breaks added.)

Both of these matters--the role of the coroner and the press--became the subject of intense debate around the case and are discussed in depth in the book.

'No, I didn't; no I didn't'

As noted, on this day in 1928, Beatrice Pace was charged -- in dramatic circumstances -- with her husband's murder.

This is an excerpt from the Daily Mail's report on the event:

'The stunning effect of the verdict returned against her was so great that she crumpled up instantly. She was able only to shout out, "No, I didn’t; no, I didn’t" and had to be helped out of the coroner’s court after sinking to floor. A policewoman and an inspector gathered her in their arms, where she lay inanimate. 

Medical aid was called, but even under the care of two doctors and Mrs. Bent, the wife of Mr. Alan Bent, the local police inspector, two hours elapsed before she was in a condition to hear the charge.'

'Mrs. Pace Arrested', Daily Mail, 23 May 1928, p. 13.

Today in the Pace case: 22 May

Tuesday, 22 May 1928: 12th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Rowland Ellis is recalled and gives brief testimony about a ‘dolly tub’ at the Pace home—one which Harry and Beatrice used to ‘dip’ lambs—that contained water with arsenic in it.

Afterwards, the coroner, Maurice Carter, summarises the evidence and then sends off the jury to make their decision. Determining that their first verdict is unsatisfactory—for complicated reasons discussed in the book—Carter sends them off again to reconsider things. (This aspect of the verdict will be the subject of much discussion in press and Parliament.)

They return, declaring that they have reached their verdict: that Harry Pace had died from named Beatrice Pace.

Beatrice is brought before magistrates and charged with murder. That evening, she is taken to Cardiff prison. There, she will await the next legal stage in the case: the committal proceedings in the magistrates’ court.

Today in the Pace case: 15 May

Tuesday, 15 May 1928: 11th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

After brief testimony from police Superintendant J. Shelswell and a recalled Alice Sayes, the main event of this sitting is testimony by Beatrice Pace herself, who denies giving poison to her late husband.

At the end of her testimony, she breaks down. As reported by the Dean Forest Guardian: ‘the policewoman handed her some smelling salts as she began to sob and bury her face in her hands.’ (18 May 1928, p. 7)

The inquest is adjourned for a week. It is anticipated that a verdict will be reached at the next session.

Today in the Pace case: 14 May

Monday, 14 May 1928: 10th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Other than brief testimony from a former quarry co-worker of Harry’s, Ralph Dowle, the medical testimony continues. Ellis is recalled, and extensive evidence is given by Professor Isaac Walker Hall of Bristol University (who had analysed the organs and blood sent to him after Harry’s post-mortem) and Sir William Willcox, a renowned forensic expert and medical advisor to the Home Office. Edward Aston, a retired insurance agent, testifies about the life insurance policy he sold to the Paces.

Today in the Pace case: 10 May

Thursday, 10 May: 9th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Drs Du Pré and Nanda are recalled to clarify certain matters. Chief Inspector George Cornish of Scotland Yard describes his investigations and the circumstances that led to Beatrice’s 11 and 14 March statements to the detectives. The statements themselves are given to the inquest jury to read.

Rowland Ellis, the analyst for Gloucester and Gloucestershire demonstrates how the sulphur can be removed from sheep dip to produce a colourless (and largely flavourless) arsenic-rich liquid: this is important, as no sulphur but much arsenic was found in Harry’s organs and blood.

All subsequent proceedings focus on sheep dip as the likely source of the arsenic that killed Harry Pace.

Today in the Pace case: 9 May

Wednesday, 9 May 1928: 8th sitting of the coroner’s inquest.

Having heard a great deal of what could be called ‘circumstantial evidence’ in previous sittings, the coroner’s inquest finally turns to medical and forensic testimony.

Key witnesses here are Dr William Du Pré (the Pace family’s doctor), Dr Ram Nath Nanda (who had been brought in by Harry’s kin to give a second opinion about his illness the preceding autumn), Dr Norman Mather (who had treated Harry while he had been in the Gloucester Royal Infirmary the preceding autumn), and Dr Charles Carson (who conducted the post-mortem examination of Harry Pace on 14 January). Brief testimony is also given by Henry Smith, an expert on sheep dipping.

Today in the Pace case: 3 May

Thursday, 3 May 1928: 7th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Testimony is given by Alice Sayes (one of Beatrice Pace’s closest friends) and her husband Leslie. Both of them firmly deny the rumours circulating that Leslie Sayes was having an affair with Beatrice Pace (who also denied such claims). This issue, however, was a focus of this part of the testimony. (Inquests had wide discretion and were not restrained by the rules of evidence that governed trial procedure.)

Leslie, Beatrice’s nine-year-old son, also testifies. Dorothy Pace, who had originally given testimony on 18 April, is recalled to clarify some statements she made then. Trevor Wellington, Beatrice’s solicitor, criticises the police’s treatment of Dorothy during questioning. Elizabeth Porter, Harry’s mother, is briefly recalled.

Today in the Pace case: 2 May

Wednesday, 2 May 1928: 6th sitting of the coroner’s inquest, in Coleford.

Testimony is given by George Mountjoy (Harry Pace’s executor), Harry Winter (a fellow patient with Harry when he had been hospitalised the previous year), Harold Jones (aka, Harold Cole, a labourer who sometimes helped the Paces with their sheep), Frank Blatch (a chemist in Coleford who sold Beatrice Pace two packets of sheep dip in July 1927), and Sarah Ann Meek (a charwoman who had long been on friendly terms with Beatrice and Harry Pace).