Emma Byron (Released)

Emma Byron was convicted of the murder of Arthur Reginald Baker 45 and sentenced to death but reprieved.

Arthur Baker had been a stock broker and a member of the London Stock Exchange.

Emma Byron had been a dressmaker.

They had been living together in rented rooms at 18 Duke Street, Portland Place in London since 21 July 1902. Arthur Baker had been married but had not lived with his wife since 1900 and had recently been served divorce papers that cited his relationship with Emma Byron.

However, they argued a lot and were eventually asked to leave Duke Street on 7 November 1902 by their landlady although it was later agreed that Arthur Baker could stay for a while longer if Emma Byron left.

However, on 10 November 1902 Emma Byron bought a strong-bladed spring knife from a shop at 211 Oxford Street. She then sent a post office messenger to the Stock Exchange where Arthur Baker worked calling him to the post office in Lombard Street. When he arrived they began to argue and Emma Byron stabbed him three times with the knife which she had hidden in her muff.

Emma Byron was quickly overpowered but Arthur Baker died almost instantly.

The landlady at 18 Duke Street in Portland Place said that when Arthur Baker came to her that he was on his own and took a room on the first floor and agreed to pay £1 1s per week although he had told her that he wanted it for himself and his wife who would be coming in a week. She said that Emma Byron arrived about a week later although they were not introduced. She noted that in October 1902 they changed their room for a less expensive one.

She noted that Emma Byron was addressed as Mrs Baker, his wife. She said that Arthur Baker went out in the mornings to work but that Emma Byron would stop in the house a little later, and then go out.

She said that on the Friday night, 7 November 1902 that there was some noise in their room and that the next day she spoke to Arthur Baker about it and gave him notice to quit. However, she said that on the Monday morning, 10 November 1902, the day of the murder, that Arthur Baker came to her and had some conversation with her and that a little later Emma Byron came to her and said that she wished to apologise for the noise they had made in the night. She said that Emma Byron said, 'You have given us notice and we have got to go', to which she replied, 'Yes, you have got to go tomorrow Tuesday, but he will stop another week'. She said that Emma Byron then asked if Arthur Baker could stop for another week and the landlady said that she agreed to that and said that Emma Byron then said, 'Well, next week you will hear something very dreadful'.

The landlady said that she then asked what that was and said that Emma Byron then said, 'Well, Madam, don't you tell him if I tell you, because he bangs me so', and then went on to tell her that Arthur Baker would be getting a divorce from his wife. The landlady then asked, 'As you are not his wife, why do you support all the ill-treatment he gives you?', and said that Emma Byron told her, 'I love him so'.

The landlady then asked Emma Byron, 'Why don't you go to work' and said that Emma Byron replied, 'I lost my character, and I cannot get any work now; he used to come after me, and I lost the whole of my character'. She then told Emma Byron that she had just spoken to Arthur Baker and said, 'He has just told me you are not his wife, and you are no class', and that he had told her that she would be going to her sister's the following morning but said that she could stop another week with her if she wanted. However, she said that Emma Byron then said, 'He wants to send me tomorrow to my sister, all I know I see'. She noted that when she told Emma Byron that Arthur Baker had told her that she had no class that Emma Byron had said, 'I am a brewer's daughter'.

When the landlady was cross-examined, she said that Arthur Baker had been kicking up a row, stating that at 7pm on the Friday,  Arthur Baker had been drunk whilst Emma Byron had been sober. She added that Emma Byron had shown her her hat which had been torn and found that the bed was nearly all on the floor along with his stick. She added that she had never seen Emma Byron intoxicated. She said that when she went to see them about it Arthur Baker said nothing, but that Emma Byron had said, 'Oh, we have been playing millinery'.

The landlady said that Arthur Baker had been drunk nearly every day, noting that each day the first thing in the morning that the servant used to go and fetch brandy for him to drink and said that that habit existed practically all the time he was in her house.

She said that when Emma Byron had said, 'I cannot leave him because I love him', that she had spoken very earnestly. She said that when she asked Emma Byron why she had lived with a brute like Arthur Baker that she told her it was because she loved him and could not get work. The landlady then said that she asked, 'Why are you always screaming like that', and said that Emma Byron said, 'Well, how can I help it when he comes and strangles me, and puts his hand on me like that, how can I help it'.

The landlady said that she had not heard Emma Byron screaming constantly but that she had on the Friday night and said that she had asked her why she was living with a brute like that because he was always knocking her down, noting that as soon as he came home the quarrelling began, and then she heard a bang. She added that when Arthur Baker was sober that he was a perfect gentleman, but said that he was very seldom sober.

The landlady also said, 'Arthur Baker was drunk nearly every day from July to November. I have heard noises in their room before November 7th, but not screams'.

A servant at the Duke Street house said that she used to work each day during the daytime and leave at 8pm and that on 10 November 1902 that Emma Byron had spoken to the landlady at about 11.15am and that afterwards Emma Byron said to her, 'I have told Madam all about myself and Mr Baker, and now I will go and interview Mr Baker', noting that she had seemed very excited. She added that she didn't see her again that morning.

The servant noted that she had taken Arthur Baker and Emma Byron's breakfast up that morning and that at that time they had seemed on good terms but noted that Emma Byron did not eat her breakfast. She added that Emma Byron had always been sober but that Arthur Baker was exactly the opposite, but said that when Arthur Baker was sober that he had seemed very fond of Emma Byron although she said that he treated her very badly.

The landlady's son said that he saw Emma Byron leave the house on 10 November 1902 at about 11.45am noting that she was in a hopeless condition and was crying. He said that as she was going out she said. 'Oh, my poor Isabel!', noting that she had mistaken him for the servant. He said that Emma Byron was always sober and that in spite of her ill-usage she always seemed very fond of Arthur Baker who he said had been a brute to her noting that he had seen her on the staircase many times running away from him. He said, 'I have heard her many times say that he was going to kill her', and said that Arthur Baker was drunk nearly every day.

After leaving the house Emma Byron went to a cutler and silversmith shop at 211 Oxford Street. The cutler said that she came in at about 12.30pm and asked to see some knives. He said, 'I was about to show her an ordinary pocket knife, when she asked for a long or strong single-bladed knife, I am not certain which word she used, I then showed her a long two bladed knife, which had what is called a flush spring. I opened the long blade. I stooped down to look for another description of the knife, and when I looked up she was trying to close the blade that I had opened. I said, 'Oh, you will not be able to close it, it has a lock'. She said, 'Oh, I do not know, I have firm grip, see!', and suiting the action to the word she grasped me across the hand. She had a moderately firm grip for a young person. I said, 'Of course, you know best, but it is not a lady's knife, is it for your own use?'. She said. 'Yes, is it nice and sharp?'. I showed her another knife, a flush spring knife has a spring which does not project, a projecting spring once in operation fixes the blade absolutely firm in the hasp of the knife, and can only be released by pressure of the spring. I said, 'You will be able to manipulate this better, it has a projecting spring'. Upon my showing her how to open it, she said, 'Oh yes'. She asked the price of it, I told her 6s. She asked me if I had not got one for about 5s. I said no, and then I said, 'I will let you have it for 5s 6d, and eventually she bought it at that price. She again asked if it was nice and sharp. I said, 'Oh, yes'. I think she paid me in silver. I asked her if she would have it in paper, and she said, 'Oh, no', and put it into her muff which she was carrying, the knife was closed then, I had closed it before handing it to her. She then left the shop'.

Shortly after leaving the cutler shop Emma Byron went to the Post Office in Lombard Street. The counter clerk there said that on 10 November 1902 at about 1.15pm that he was behind the counter. He noted that there were two entrances, one from King William Street, and the other from Lombard Street, and said that at about that time Emma Byron came in through the King William Street entrance. He noted that he had seen her before, saying that she had been there before to send express messages.

He said that when Emma Byron came in that she said, 'Good morning' to him and then went to one of the receptacles at which the public write telegrams. He said that he saw her writing on a telegraph form and that she then asked him for an envelope which he gave her, one with an embossed stamp, and that she then enclosed what she had written in the envelope and closed it and returned to the desk to address the envelope. He said that she then returned to the counter and said that because it was Lord Mayor's day that he said to her, 'Have you seen the Lord Mayor's Show?' and said that she told him that she had no wish to see it.

The clerk said that he was then called away from his desk then and was absent for about ten minutes. He said that when he first saw Emma Byron that she had been calm but hurried, but that when he saw her later she was rather excited. He said that she asked him 'Have you the reply', but said that as he had not accepted her express letter that he referred her to the clerk that took it in his absence.

An overseer at the Lombard Street Post Office said that he was there on Monday 10 November 1902 at about 1.15pm when Emma Byron came in and said that he saw her go to a telegraph desk and write something and said that she afterwards handed him an envelope addressed to 'Reg. Baker, Esq., Westralian Market, Stock Exchange'. He said that the message read, 'Dear Reg., I want you a moment, importantly, Kitty'. He noted that she had asked that it might be sent by express messenger, the charge for that being 3 1⁄2d., which he said she paid for with a florin and received the change. He said that he then handed the envelope to the counter clerk in the office. He noted that he had seen Emma Byron in the office several times before, noting that she had come there to send other express letters in the same way.. He also added that he thought that she had been perfectly sober at the time.

The counter clerk at the Lombard Street Post Office said that on Monday 10 November 1902 he was handed the envelop with the embossed stamp on it to have it expressed and said that he gave it to a messenger boy who went away with it. He said that he then saw Emma Byron at about 2pm who he said asked her whether she might remain at the end of the counter and said that he replied, 'Certainly, Miss'. He said that she seemed worried and appeared to be brooding over some trouble. He said that she was leaning on her right elbow, which she rested on the counter and that as she was approaching the counter he noticed that she had a muff, but said that when she came up to him that it was below the counter and he could not see it. He added that he did not take much notice of her and could not say which hand was in her muff.

The telegraph messenger, a 16-year-old, at the Lombard Street Post Office said that on Monday 10 November 1902 he received an express message to deliver to the Stock Exchange. He said that he left the Post Office with the envelope at about 1.24pm but that he could not get the letter to the addressee as there was a considerable crowd due to it being Lord Mayor's day. He said, 'I remained about fifteen minutes trying to deliver the message. I returned to the post office where I arrived about 2.05pm. I saw Emma Byron there. I said to her, 'I could not deliver the message as the gentleman is in the reading room'. However, he said that Emma Byron replied, 'Take it back again, and try and deliver it'. The telegraph messenger said that he then went back to the Stock Exchange and managed to deliver the message to Arthur Baker who he said opened and read the letter and then returned with him to the post office, saying that he thought that they arrived at about 2.30pm, but said that he didn't take much notice of the time he returned and added that Emma Byron was not in the office then.

He said that Arthur Baker then spoke to one of the clerks at the counter about some payment that was demanded for the extra waiting, that being only 2d, but said that he refused to pay it.

He said that Arthur Baker then left the office and that immediately afterwards I saw Emma Byron, although he noted that he did not see her come in, and said that he then went outside and spoke to Arthur Baker and said that he then immediately went back in with him to the Post Office where he started to speak to Emma Byron. He noted that he did not see them meet as he had been at that moment going behind the counter and said that he could not hear what they were saying.

He then said, 'I saw them move towards the Lombard Street door, Arthur Baker went first and Emma Byron was about a yard behind him. Arthur Baker went out of the door. There are about three steps leading into the court outside the office, he went down the steps. Emma Byron paused on the steps and then followed him. I believe they were talking then, but I could not hear what they said. I saw what I thought was a knife in her hand, that was after she had paused and she had begun to go down the steps. I called out something. I do not think Emma Byron could hear what I said. When she got to the bottom of the steps she turned to her right and so went out of my sight. She appeared to go faster. I did not see what happened next. I afterwards looked out of the King William Street door, and I saw Arthur Baker lying up against the wall on the opposite side of the court. He was partly sitting and partly lying. He looked very white. I did not see any blood. I do not know where Emma Byron was'.

When the telegraph messenger was cross-examined he said, 'When Arthur Baker went out of the post office the last time I do not know if he went out backwards. The door is a double swing door. He went down the steps and I did not see him anymore. I am not sure if the door was closed after Emma Byron had gone out. Before I saw what I thought was a knife, Emma Byron was evidently talking to somebody down at the bottom of the steps. When I say I saw something which I thought was a knife, I mean that I saw something flash, I do not know which hand it was in'.

Another clerk at the Post Office said, 'I am a clerk at the Lombard Street Post Office. I was there on November 10th, about 1.55pm. I saw Emma Byron on the top step leading to the post office door in Lombard Street. She looked through the glass door several times. After a few minutes' delay she came in and said to me. 'When will that boy be back'. I went and asked a question and then returned to Emma Byron and told her that owing to its being Lord Mayor's day the lad was probably delayed, and could not deliver the message. She remained in the office about fifteen or twenty minutes altogether. She seemed to be labouring under some sort of excitement. She walked up and down the office and looked at the various notices on the walls. She leant on the counter at the telegraph end of the office. She had a muff in her left hand. The messenger boy returned almost as I was speaking to her. He told her that he could not deliver the message, and she said, 'Take it back, Mr. Baker will come at once when he knows I am waiting'. The boy went away again and Emma Byron left the office. Whilst she was away Arthur Baker returned I did not see the messenger boy come in. After a short conversation he left the office by the Lombard Street, or north door. Almost as he left Emma Byron came in by the same door and placed herself with her back to me. I heard a clerk explain to her that there was 2d. due because the messenger boy had had to wait more than ten minutes. She replied, 'All right, old boy, I am worth 2d'. I saw Arthur Baker then come in by the Lombard Street door. He made straight for Emma Byron. He said something which I did not hear, and she said, 'You must pay the 2d, pay it with this', and she put forward her right hand in which she had a florin. She tried to put it into his waistcoat pocket. Before she took out the florin Arthur Baker said, 'I shall not', he backing towards the Lombard Street door. Emma Byron followed him, holding the florin out all the time, and attempting to press it into his waistcoat pocket. They went through the door where there are three steps. Arthur Baker went down them. Emma Byron paused for a moment on the top of the steps and she then seemed to spring from the top steps in the direction of the posting boxes which are immediately outside the door on the right as you pass from the door. The messenger boy made an exclamation. I did not go to the door. I remained behind the counter'.

When the clerk was cross-examined he said, 'My duty at the time was the sale of stamps. I was about ten feet from the Lombard Street door. Emma Byron leant both of her hands on the counter while she was waiting. I should not like to swear she had both hands on the counter, but that was my impression. When she was on the steps I noticed she had a muff on her left hand. She went out at the same door that Arthur Baker came in by, and he came in again about a minute after she had gone out. My impression was that Arthur Baker did not wish me to hear what he was saying. I am positive Emma Byron tried to force the florin on Arthur Baker with her right hand. I could not hear what passed between them when they were on the steps because the glass door was between us'.

An accountant who lived in Walbrook that had been posting a letter at the time said, 'About 2.30pm. on November 10th, I was posting a letter in Post Office Court, which is outside the Lombard Street Post Office. I saw Arthur Baker standing against the letterbox next to the one in which I was posting my letter. He had his back towards me. I saw Emma Byron standing on the post-office steps, presumably they were talking, but my attention was not directed to them until I heard the man say rather loudly, 'No, I will not' or 'No, I cannot'. I heard Emma Byron repeat a question rather imploringly, and then he replied in a more pronounced manner and loudly, 'No, I will not'. Emma Byron rushed off the steps towards him. I did not see anything in her hand then. She had a muff on, I think, her right hand, but I am not sure which hand. She appeared to be buffeting him with both hands, first one side and then the other, and in a sort of regardless way. She used both hands, but I cannot particularise how they were used. She was striking very rapidly. It appeared to me to be on his head. His back was turned towards her as though retreating, and I should say the blows fell more particularly on the right side of his head. He continued to retreat to more than the middle of the court, and for five or six yards. Emma Byron still continued to attack him. When they reached past the clock I saw something gleam in her hand. I then realised for the first time that it was a serious matter. There were two blows very rapidly one after the other with what I thought was a hat pin. I ran forward, but the second blow had fallen before I got up to where she was. He had turned his face to her, when he saw, I think, for the first time the knife in her hand. I think one of the blows fell on his head and the other on his shoulder, but it is difficult to decide. He fell down, and I think Emma Byron fell with him, as I found her on the ground when I got up to them. A labourer was holding Emma Byron by the wrists. I did not see a weapon lying on the ground. As Arthur Baker fell he was about a yard from the wall opposite the post office. That would be about as far as he could go in that direction'.

When he was cross-examined, he said, 'When the man was holding Emma Byron she was trying to get at the body on the ground and was calling out, 'Oh, Reggie, Reggie, let me kiss him!' She seemed in great distress. I only heard the conversation they had imperfectly, but I heard her ask him something imploringly, and then he said something angrily. I think she had got her muff on one of her hands. I do not know definitely which hand, but I think the right. When she dashed down the step she simply buffeted him with both hands, the muff being in one of them, and she followed him down the court doing that. At that time I thought she was only doing what a woman in a bit of temper would do, simply hitting him over the head with her muff and hand together. There was no extreme passion shown. My impression then was that she did not intend to hurt him at all. I had my eyes riveted on her all the time. She could not at that time have got the knife from her pocket. I suddenly missed the muff, whether it fell to the ground or not I do not know, but it had gone when I saw the knife in her hand. I think the knife was in the same hand that the muff had been in. The two blows which were administered with what I thought was a hat pin were a matter of a second. While I was watching what was going on, I did not hear anything said about a knife'.

The man that had taken hold of Emma Byron was a labourer and had lived in Cory Square, Commercial Road. He said, 'I was passing along Post Office Court about 2.30 on Monday, November 10th. I had entered at the King William Street end and was going towards Lombard Street. I was nearly through the court when I heard a cry. I turned round, I saw Emma Byron and Arthur Baker near the wall opposite the post office. Arthur Baker was the nearest to the wall. He had his back to the wall and Emma Byron was in front of him. I saw her hand come down twice with a knife in it. One of the blows came down on the left side of Arthur Baker's head and one towards his breast. After the second blow Arthur Baker slid down the wall on to the ground. I ran across and caught hold of Emma Byron's left hand. I heard the knife drop to the ground after I caught hold of her hand. Someone picked it up and handed it to a constable. It was open when it was picked up. While I had hold of Emma Byron's hand she said, 'Let me go to see Reggie, my dear Reggie'. I said, 'No, you have done enough now'. I did not leave go of her. I held her until the police came. I saw a straw hat on the ground which I thought was a woman's hat. I did not see any hat belonging to Arthur Baker. I saw a brown muff there. They were not far from the knife'.

A policeman that was on duty nearby said, 'On November 10th I was on duty near to and I was called to Post Office Court, where I saw the body of Arthur Baker lying on the ground. I at once sent for an ambulance. Emma Byron was being held by the labourer. I heard her call out, 'Let me kiss my Reggie, let me kiss my husband'. A  post-office clerk was in the court, and he handed me this knife. It was open at the time. I took Emma Byron to the station with the knife. She did not say anything on the way. She was very excited, she kept trying to throw her arms about and wrench away from me. She was not trying to escape from me, but was in a state of great agitation. She seemed slightly dazed'.

When Emma Byron was taken to the police station she was seen by a police inspector. The police inspector said, 'I was on duty when Emma Byron was brought in at 2.45pm. I subsequently learned that Arthur Baker was dead, and at 5pm I told Emma Byron that the man she had stabbed in Post Office Court was dead, and that she would be charged with murdering him by stabbing him several times about the body with a knife, that she need not make any answer to the charge, but whatever answer she made would be taken down in writing and used for or against her. She said, 'I killed him willingly, and he deserved it, and the sooner I am killed the better'. At 5.40pm I again visited her in the cell, and she said, 'Inspector, I wish to say something to you. I bought the knife to hit him but I did not know I was killing him''.

Arthur Baker was taken to St. Bartholomew's Hospital but was found to be dead. A house surgeon there said, 'On Monday, November 10th, at 2.45pm, the dead body of Arthur Reginald Baker was brought there. There were four wounds upon him. One about three inches long on the left side of the head, above and in front of the ear, going down to the bone. There was another bruised wound on the head above the right eye, which might have been caused by falling on the stone pavement, there was dirt on it. There was a third wound about the third rib on the left side over the breast bone. I probed that. It went down to the breast bone. The fourth wound was over the left shoulder blade about three inches deep. It did not penetrate the chest. Those wounds were such as would be caused by the knife produced'.

Another doctor that was present at the post mortem said that the wound to the chest had clean through the breast bone into the aorta and that considerable force must have been used to cause it and that it was bound to have caused almost instantaneous death. He added, 'the blow on the chest would make him faint directly, and he would die almost immediately'.

Emma Byron was tried for Arthur Baker's murder at the Old Bailey and convicted and sentenced to death on 17 December 1902 but with the strongest possible recommendation to mercy and she was reprieved on 22 December 1902, her death sentence being reduced to life imprisonment. However, her sentence was later reduced to ten years in 1907 and she was released from Aylesbury Prison on 17 December 1908 on the condition that she went to stay at the Lady Henry Somerset's home for reforming inebriate females at Reigate.

Emma Byron was also known as Kitty Byron.