Mabel Harper (Unsolved Murder)

Twice widowed Mabel Harper spent the evening of August 12th 1943 at her sister's house in the Maindy area of Cardiff. Time slipped by quickly and at 10.50pm Mabel left hurriedly hoping to catch the last bus home. Unfortunately the 53 year old missed the bus by minutes, forcing her to walk the 40 minute journey alone. As she made her way alongside the highway it was particularly dark, a blackout was in full effect due to the threat of air raids from Nazi bombers. Mabel never made it to her destination. Her naked and bound body was found the next morning on a grass verge next to the road. Her injuries were catastrophic and displayed a sickening propensity for violence. The police were at a dead end until some extraordinary information fell into their hands, blowing the case wide open.

Sources for the episode can be found here

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Transcript

 Mabel Harper

Mabel Gwendoline Harper spent the evening of Thursday August 12th 1943 at her sister's house in Gelligaer Gardens in Maindy, Cardiff. The pair had been chatting so enthusiastically that several hours had flown by! Realising it was getting late and that the last bus would shortly be leaving the depot, Mabel decided it was time to make a move. At 10.50pm the 53 year old widow hurriedly said good night and went out into the darkness. Mabel's home was situated  just over three miles (5km) away in Aubrey Avenue in the Victoria Park area of the city. Her plan was to make the short journey on foot to the Whitchurch Road tram stop which would in turn take her to the junction of North Road and Western Avenue, known today as Gabalfa interchange. Here she would be able to catch the Ely bus the rest of the way home to the house she currently shared with her son, Lawrence Harper, a chemist who worked at the nearby Ely paper mills.

The UK was at war with Nazi Germany and due to the threat of air raids a blackout was in effect. During the course of the war over 2000 bombs were dropped on Cardiff leading to 335 casualties. The constant danger meant no streetlights were permitted to be on. The windows of dwellings also had to be covered with thick drapes to prevent any light from escaping and potentially aiding enemy bombers. Only the light of the moon illuminated Mabel's journey to the tram stop. As she moved quickly, hoping to make the last bus she carried with her a brown fibre attache case and a black envelope shaped handbag. 

Mabel navigated the first leg of her journey as planned but when the tram dropped her off at the bus stop she learned to her chagrin that the last bus had left just minutes earlier. There was nothing for it, Mabel would have to continue on foot and walk the remaining couple of miles back to her house. Mabel headed west on the pavement that ran alongside the main road called Western Avenue. The blanket of darkness was even greater here, as both sides of the road were bordered by high trees. Beyond the line of trees the pitch black fields of Llandaff stretched out into the distance, completely unpenetrable by the human eye.

Around this time, Mabel's son Lawrence arrived home from a hard day's work and, exhausted, collapsed into bed. As he closed his eyes and drifted off he assumed his mother had already retired for the night. He had no idea that she had been forced to walk the last leg of her journey home all alone.

The following morning Lawrence awoke early as usual and left for work. He did not see his mother and presumed she was still in bed. This was normal and not out of the ordinary. Shortly before this, at 5.50am, unbeknownst to Lawrence a group of factory workers were already out in the early morning air on their way to start the first shift of the new day. They were walking along the southern side of Western Avenue around 90 m from the Taff bridge, on the western side of the river when they came across the most hideous discovery. On a grass verge barely 2 metres from the roadside lay the almost naked body of a woman. The face had been horrendously disfigured and the limbs had been bound in rags. The body lay in a large patch of blood which had soaked into the earth, turning the summer grass crimson.

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Police constable Frederick Hearn was first at the scene. When he arrived he found the body covered in a dark coat. I assume that one of the factory workers who had found the body had placed it there in an attempt to preserve the dignity of the dead woman. Obviously this was long ago and before such actions were commonly known to be detrimental to the collection of forensic evidence. 

Police surgeon Dr J J Buist arrived a short time later at 6.40am. His initial calculations put the time of death at around 6 hours earlier. I am uncertain how the identification of the body happened but it was very quickly confirmed to be that of 53 year old Mabael Harper. Her son Lawrence was visited at work early on Friday morning by police officers who told him the shocking news. 

Mabel had been widowed twice. Lawrence was Mabel's son from her second husband who had worked as a channel pilot. (Someone who would help guide ships into port, my grandfather did the same job). Mabel had two other children from her first marriage to a man named Thomas Morris. They were currently both serving in the military. Mabel’s son T Norton Morris was in the Naval Auxiliary stationed in the mediterranean. He was on active service and could not be contacted to be told what had happened. Mabel's daughter Eliabeth Morris worked as a nurse in the RAF. A telegram was dispatched with the hope that Elizaabeth would arrive quickly. 

The local community were in total shock. Mabel was a popular figure in the area and she was greatly respected by those who knew her. She was viewed as a hardworking woman with a quiet disposition. Neighbours said Mabel was a very generous person who would always help people when they were experiencing difficulties. People were at a loss as to why anyone would want to harm such a lovely person.

Cardiff City police detectives set about questioning dozens of soldiers stationed in nearby barracks, many of whom had been out the previous night, though this avenue produced little information.

Investigators did quickly establish that Mabel had been attacked where she had been found. It was less than a mile from her sister's house in Gelligaer Street. Mabel had walked maybe twenty minutes from the bus stop before she was set upon.

Dr J.M Webster, the director of West Midland Forensic Science Laboratory, conducted a post mortem on Friday August 13th. The following details were shared publicly over the course of the investigation. Some were released right at the start and others during the inquest which was held in September 1943.

The only items of clothing Mabel was found wearing were an article of underwear and a torn stocking that had been rolled down to the ankle. The rest of her clothing had been literally torn from the body. A few items lay scattered nearby whereas other pieces had been ripped into strips and used as restraints to bind the body. The arms had been tied behind the back and the ankles had been bound together. 

Three ligatures had been used around the face. One, which was on the lower portion of the face, was Mabel’s other stocking. It had been pulled so tight that its pattern had left an imprint on the skin. A gag had also been tied around the mouth, presumably to silence Mabel's screams for help.

Despite the presence of ligatures around the head the cause of death was given as asphyxia from manual strangulation and multiple injuries to the head, face and neck. It was determined that the injuries had happened before the strangulation but they were so severe these alone would have caused death. There had been an interval between the injuries being inflicted and the strangulation. The full extent of the injuries was not detailed in the press. They were deemed too graphic for publication and were omitted from media reports of the inquest. Early newspaper articles shortly after the body was found say that Mabel had been struck so hard in the month her dentures had shattered and broken fragments were found scattered around the body.

At inquest it was stated that Mabel had not been raped but it is clear from the body’s state of undress that Mabel was sexually assaulted. In the past it was not uncomon in cases like this for sexual assault or rape to be denied by pathologists undertaking post-mortem examinations, as a way of trying to preserve the dignity of the victim. I cannot say if this was the case in this instance. If rape did not occur it is very clear from the details I’ve already shared and, as you will soon see, from eye witness reports, that there was a strong sexual element to this most violent of murders. One can speculate that the interval between the facial injuries and the strangulation may have been due to the attacker attempting to rape the unconscious Mabel.

It is true to say that the sexual component to the crime was not focused upon by the local press. Robbery was seen as the most likely motive. The brown attache case and black handbag that Mabel had with her when she left her sister's house were missing from the crime scene. These bags contained the following items: A black purse containing £2 in cash. A black japanese cigarette case. A savings book with a credit of £40. Mabel's ration book and her son Lawrence’s ration book. Also missing from Mable’s person was a gold engagement ring with a blue stone and two diamonds and a 12 sided gold wedding ring.

For months after the murder a picture of this 22 carat wedding ring with its distinct design was printed in newspapers. Members of the public were asked to report to police if they found, purchased or were given the ring as a present. People were also asked to come forward if they knew of someone who had recently come into possession of a similar ring. 

 None of the missing items were ever recovered.

There are mixed reports concerning whether Mabel was able to put up a fight against her assailant. The Western Mail stated on August 14th 1943 that there was a sign of a quote “furious struggle” with police officers finding hooks, eyes and buttons from Mabel's clothing and an earring on the grass verge. However later at the inquest Constable Frederick Hearn who was the first police officer at the scene said there were no apparent signs of a struggle, though he did notice several articles of clothing dotted around the grass verge. 

Just 24 hours after the murder Cardiff City CID (Criminal Investigation Department) seemed utterly perplexed by the crime. They told the press they were already at a dead end. Nevertheless, within a few short days things had changed rapidly and police revealed they were confident regarding the chain of evidence, which revealed what had happened, with the exception of a few key links that would join all the dots. 

Police announced they were trying to trace a man who was seen standing on the pavement on the other side of the road, opposite the exact spot where Mabel’s body was found. This man was seen in the vicinity at around 11.40pm. Rather cryptically it was said that the man was seen standing and looking over at two people lying on the grass verge on the south side of the road.   

At the time it was unclear exactly who had seen this man standing there and what the reference to the two people lying on the grass verge meant. It wasn't revealed at this juncture but the sighting of this man was due to statements made by two key witnesses, the full details of which I will go into shortly. 

For the moment the inference by police was that this mystery man may have witnessed the murder without realising what he had seen. (Remember it was very dark). However it is highly possible the police may just have been saying this in the hope it might encourage the man to come forward. I think the police suspected the man did know what he was seeing but for whatever reason had decided not to intervene.The man was said to have been seen a short time later walking along the pavement opposite the scene continuing to look over at the two people lying on the grass verge.

The man was described as between 30 and 40 years old, 5ft 10 (178cm) of medium build and wearing a dark suit and cap. Through the local press the police attempted to put a lot of pressure on this man to come forward. They said they were close to finding his identity and it would be better for him if he came forward of his own volition.

Detectives also said they were interested in talking to a slim, 6 foot, (183cm) tall man with a long thin face who had spoken to a Special Constable at the junction of Western Avenue and North road at 12.17am. This location is near the bus stop from which Mabel had started her walk home. I suspect this incredibly specific time indicates the encounter must have been jotted down immediately in the Special Constable’s notebook. As an aside, Special Constables were volunteers used during the war to supplement the regular police force. They were often veterans. This man was said to have had fair hair. He wore a light coloured rain coat and trilby hat. The trilby was pulled down in the front.

Contemporary reports make it sound like these sightings are separate people. The descriptions do vary somewhat but from reading reports on the inquest and an article from Wales Online published in 2021 it seems these two men were likely one and the same. 

As well as these two men, Cardiff City CID were hoping to track down two lorry drivers seen driving over Taff Bridge heading east out of Cardiff at around 11.45pm on Thursday night. This location was less than 100m from where Mabel was found just hours later. Investigators believed the headlights from the lorries may have caught a glimpse of something important. Police were now sure that by that time Mabel had already been murdered and her body lay just a matter of metres from where the vehicles would have passed.   

It appears the lorry drivers did come forward and provided some vital information. This led police to reveal the details of  another individual they were looking to talk to in relation to the crime. 

Police were looking for a man aged 30-35, 5ft 6, (168cm), with a stocky build and round facial features. The man was seen standing on the side of the road on the southern footway near the first pillar on the Llandaff side of the Taff Bridge. He was spotted there at five past midnight on August 13th, just minutes after Mabel was believed to have been killed. This unidentified man was seen by the two drivers (one of whom was driving a heavy lorry and the other a van).

As the two vehicles passed the man on the bridge he shouted out something at the drivers, though I don't believe they caught what was said. If they did this detail has not been made public. Police made a plea for this man to get in touch with them. The drivers got a good look at the man and said he had fair, wiry hair in a tousled condition. It was rather bushy on top and short on the sides. He was clean shaven and had a fresh complexion. He was dressed in a double breasted suit and was not wearing a hat or overcoat. 

150 statements had been taken by police and police inquiries spread throughout Cardiff  and to far flung districts across the country. A large number of people were interrogated but the identities of the men seen near the scene of the crime could not be uncovered.

With detectives drawing a blank, the inquest into Mabel Harper's death was resumed. It had been first opened on August 16th but was adjourned for police to make their inquiries. Proceedings restarted on Wednesday September 22nd 1943 with coroner Gerald Tudor presiding.

Reading the inquest notes detailed in the Western Mail newspaper was an eye opening experience. Here it was finally revealed how the police knew about the presence of the man loitering near the crime scene whom they believed had witnessed the murder. The following details are as extraordinary as they are shocking.

A married couple, Mr and Mrs Cattle, of Heol Gors, Whitchurch (that's about a half hour walk from where Mabel’s body was found) had been walking home along Western Avenue after an evening out. At 11.20pm the couple were about half way between Llandaff fields and the Taff river bridge when Mrs Cattle saw a woman lying on her back on the grass verge next to the pavement. It was clear that the woman was stripped down to her waist. A man sat on top of the woman, straddling her chest. His knees were either side of the half naked woman resting on the grassy earth. 

As Mr and Mrs Cattle walked passed the man remained very still. Mrs Cattle said that it wasnt that dark under the shade of the trees as the moon was casting a dim light on the scene. While they didn't get a good look at the man's face they could pick out that the man was wearing civilian clothes, rather than a military uniform. 

Just after they were walking past the shadowy figures on the grass they heard a sudden sound and turned their heads quickly enough to see the man do something to the woman's face. They didn't stop but carried on their way. Mr and Mrs Cattle told the coroner they believed what they had witnessed was a courting couple. 

Both Mr and Mrs Cattle also said they witnessed a man standing on the other side of the road who was looking over and observing what was happening on the grass verge. The man was wearing a dark suit and wore a cap. 

An incredible story and one that illustrates perhaps how close Mabel’s killer came to being caught red handed. Unfortunately this did not happen. 

A verdict of murder by person or persons unknown was given at the inquest. Acting Superintendent Evans of Cardiff City police said they were still looking to interview two men. The stocky man with wiry, fair hair who had shouted at the passing drivers and the man who had apparently stood and watched the murder happened from the other side of the road. These men were never found and over eighty years later their identities remain unknown.

I first came across this case shortly after starting this podcast but it is only over the last month that I have really dived into the details. I was utterly shocked at the violence and boldness of the killer. To commit such a heinous crime so near to a main road, even in the dead of night, with the potential of passing pedestrians and motorists shows a complete disregard for the risks involved.

I rarely voice any  speculations on my part when I tell these sad stories. In this case it is really difficult not to wonder if the man who was seen witnessing the murder may have known the killer. Had both men been walking back, perhaps intoxicated from a local pub. The one man saw Mabel on the other side of the road and in a crime of opportunity decided to attack and sexually assault her. Did Mabel fight back, infuriating him or was he unable to commit the rape has he had planned? Perhaps murder had always been his intention. The manner of the attack demonstrates an exorbitant amount of rage and anger. I would say It seems likely that the man seen shouting at the lorry driver crossing the bridge was the killer. Perhaps this action is proof he was fuelled by alcohol and anger.

A couple of months after the inquest in November 1943 the body of 29 year old Alice Daisy Pittman was found on open ground near the walls of the General Electric company's premises on Greyfriars Road, near Cathays Park in the city centre. This location is just two miles, or just over 3km, from where Mabel was killed. Alice had spent the evening in a downstairs snooker room in the Red Lion Hotel on Queen Street. Between 7 and 10pm she had been seen in the company of four men, two civilians and two soldiers. She was also seen talking to a woman in a fur coat. The following morning her body was found. She had been strangled with her own stocking. This detail was similar to the attack experienced by Mabel, where one of  her own stockings had been used as a ligature. As a result the two cases were mentioned together in newspaper articles. Two similarly violent murders just months apart caused the Cardiff residents to be on edge.  A man was swiftly arrested and charged with Alice’s murder. The 37 year old married father of three,  David Emlyn Davies, worked in the same factory as Alice. Just before Christmas 1943 Davies was acquitted at trial and was discharged. I can see no evidence that the two crimes were connected by the police, though from what I can see Alice Pittman's murder also remains unsolved. 

Mabel’s case seems to have been sidelined by the events of World War two and I cannot tell how much investigative time was spent on it. The story which was at first so visceral and shocking to the residents of Cardiff soon disappeared from newspapers. 

The BBC reported in November 2009 that information unearthed under the Freedom of Information Act revealed South Wales Police had been reviewing 28 unsolved murders going back as far as the late 1930s. (Just for reference Cardiff city police amalgamated into South Wales Constabulary in 1969). The murder of Mabel Harper is mentioned in the long list of unsolved cases. If cold case investigators were able to shed any light on the matter no details have been forthcoming. No suspects have ever been named in relation to Mabel’s murder.  

I have walked or driven past the spot where Mabel's body was found hundreds of times. I have friends who live just a stone's throw away on the other side of the road. I was completely unaware that such a horrible and evil act had taken place there. The next time I pass the spot I will be sure to remember Mabel Harper.

Sources 

https://tinyurl.com/y4b2bmr5