THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG The Life Story of John Lee ('Babbacombe Lee')

Softcover. No date, but c. 1908. John Lee, a 19yr old servant, became a legend after surviving 3 attempts to hang him following a conviction for murder. Lee was a footman to Emma Keyse, an elderly and wealthy spinster who had been a maid to Queen Victoria. On November 15, 1884 she was found dead, with her throat cut and head injuries, in the dining-room, which was also on fire. Circumstantial evidence pointed to Lee, who had served sentence for theft, and it was thought he had been angered by his employee's meanness in reducing his already poor wage because of some trivial offence. Lee was tried and convicted for murder and received the death sentence. James Berry, who was the hangman, placed the hood and then the noose over the condemned man's head and pulled the lever - nothing happened. Lee was removed, the apparatus checked and tested with weights - it worked perfectly. Lee was replaced, twice more, but to the horror of all present, the trap still refused to budge. John Lee was returned to his cell and reprieved within hours. He spent 22yrs in prison, and was released on December 17, 1907, still declaring his innocence. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. Illus. 112pp. paper wraps. Paper tape used to reinforce sp. which wraps round to both fr. and back covers, which are fragile and worn, as can be seen from the images. Contents are perfectly ok. Rare.