Book summary “In the Dark”: summary

Introduction

You live in a city plunged into total darkness by wartime blackouts, where ordinary streets transform into dangerous shadows and predators hide in plain sight. You face the terrifying reality of a serial killer exploiting the chaos of the Blitz to murder vulnerable women without immediate detection. Simon Read tells the true story of this wartime reign of terror in In the Dark: The True Story of the Blackout Ripper. You discover how Scotland Yard detectives combined emerging forensic techniques and methodical police work to track down a charming RAF serviceman before he could strike again. The book reveals how law enforcement adapted to unprecedented wartime challenges to bring a brutal criminal to justice.

• How did the London blackout enable a cunning predator to evade detection?
• What forensic breakthroughs allowed Scotland Yard to solve murders committed in total darkness?
• How did investigators build an airtight case against a killer hiding behind a respectable military facade?

1. Darkness and Danger in Wartime London

The total darkness enforced during the London blackout created an alien world where street crimes and opportunistic predators thrived.

You entered a city where citizens and authorities had to extinguish all interior lights. You covered windows with blackout curtains while vehicles operated with severely restricted headlights. The blackout went into effect on August 31, 1939.

The Blackout Conditions

Constable Arthur Cyril Williams patrolled Beat No. 13 on a moonless night. He noted that absolute darkness and lack of street lighting made it impossible to see anyone moving about.

The constant influx of military personnel, businessmen, and adventurers through trains and ships made it simple for a perpetrator to slip into London. Detective Chief Inspector Greeno recognized London as a criminal's Shangri-la because the unrelenting pace of trains and ports allowed outsiders to enter and disappear easily. The sheer volume of casualties and missing persons from German bombing raids made it difficult to distinguish between deaths caused by the Blitz and those caused by personal violence. Rationing and resource shortages fueled a pervasive black market, petty thievery, and shelter criminality. Canteen workers, restaurant employees, and shelter gangs capitalized on wartime disruptions by stealing rations, engaging in counterfeiting, and operating scams like the bomb lark to collect fraudulent assistance checks. A man convicted in February 1941 successfully collected assistance checks by claiming he had been bombed out of his home nearly twenty times in five months.

The First Victim

The murder of an unidentified woman in a Marylebone bomb shelter marked the beginning of a terrifying wartime reign of terror in London. Harold Batchelor discovered the body at 8:40 a.m. while walking to work, summoning Police Constable John Miles and Divisional Detective Inspector Leonard Clare. Dr. Alexander Baldie arrived at the scene at 9:10 a.m., and Constable Miles brought the empty handbag to Clare at 10:15 a.m. Investigators found signs of a violent struggle and manual strangulation inside a brick-built surface air-raid shelter on Montague Place, though the crime scene initially yielded no fingerprints or identifiable footprints.

Evelyn Oatley came to London in 1936 to pursue an acting career after previously performing as a chorus girl at the Windmill Theatre and working on a poultry farm in Blackpool. When the war ruined theater prospects and her husband's farm failed, she turned to trolling the blackout for clients while desperately trying to avoid sleeping alone. At age 34, she lived at 153 Wardour Street, sharing an apartment separated only by folding doors with her neighbor Ivy Poole. She frequently entertained clients late into the night while playing her wireless to muffle the noise.

2. Victims and Crime Scenes

The serial killer targeted women in public venues while hiding in plain sight amidst wartime disruptions and economic hardships.

Royal Air Force trainees on leave freely mingled with street-walking women in the West End. You saw men use the wartime mantra of excuse as justification for reckless behavior. Gordon Cummins, an RAF trainee known for his upper-class accent and aristocratic demeanor, frequented Soho pubs and restaurants with his companion Felix before picking up women during the blackout.

Cummins visited establishments like the Monico Restaurant and Martinez's. He consumed substantial amounts of alcohol and solicited a blonde woman named Laura Denmark in Frith Street.

Victim Backgrounds

Evelyn Hamilton was a qualified pharmacist and single woman who lived an isolated life focused on study, politics, and intellectual pursuits before being murdered in London. Police pieced together her background through her sister Kathleen. They revealed that Hamilton studied chemistry, worked in various pharmacies, held strong socialist views, and carried large amounts of money because she did not trust banks.

Evelyn Hamilton, holding National Registration Identity number FFXE/226/1, was born on February 8, 1901. She worked as a store manageress in Hornchurch for five pounds a week. She traveled to London intending to proceed to Grimsby for a new job.

Margaret Lowe maintained a refined appearance and worked independently as a prostitute in the West End to support her daughter after her husband's death and bankruptcy. Widowed in 1932 after her husband Fred Lowe's business went bankrupt, Margaret moved to London in 1934 to find work. She left her daughter Barbara at St. Gabriel's boarding school. Known on the streets as The Lady due to her refined dress and demeanor, she operated alone and was later brutally murdered by the serial killer.

Margaret Lowe's brother-in-law William suspected her frequent shopping trips into London were a cover for working as a prostitute to pay mounting debts. Her daughter was only fifteen when a maniac butchered her mother.

Doris Jouannet returned to prostitution in London despite being married to hotel manager Henry Jouannet. He provided her with an allowance and stable living arrangements. Doris met Henry Jouannet on Oxford Street in September 1935. Although they married and Henry repeatedly attempted to remove her from the West End environment, her boredom continually drew her back to street soliciting.

Macabre Discoveries

The murder of Evelyn Oatley at Wardour Street was discovered by utility workers and neighbors. You found a gruesome crime scene involving sexual mutilation. Meter readers from the Central London Electric Company and a neighbor found Oatley's body draped across her bed with her throat slashed and an electric torch rammed into her vagina.

Charles Fuelling and George Carter, meter readers at 153 Wardour Street, knocked on the door at 8 a.m. Ivy Poole let them in, leading to the shocking discovery of Oatley's body at 8:40 a.m. Divisional surgeon Alexander Baldie arrived at the scene at 8:50 a.m. Sir Bernard Spilsbury arrived at 12:30 p.m. to examine the body of Evelyn Oatley, who stood five feet, two inches tall.

3. The Evolution of Forensic Science

Scotland Yard utilized fingerprint collections, forensic pathology, and the newly invented murder bag to investigate violent crimes.

Sir Edward Henry developed a comprehensive numerical classification system for fingerprints that replaced the Bertillon method in the British Empire. Henry assigned numeric values to each finger to break prints down into 1,024 primary groupings, subdivided by individual characteristics. Scotland Yard adopted the system in 1900 after it proved more reliable than anthropometric measurements in an independent committee test in Bengal in 1897. Sir Edward Henry was recalled from Bengal in May 1901 to become Scotland Yard's assistant commissioner of the Criminal Investigation Department and created the Fingerprint Department.

Scotland Yard's Fingerprint Department, established by Sir Edward Henry in 1901, revolutionized criminal investigations by matching unique latent prints to solve murders. By 1905, the Yard's index contained 80,000 finger impression sets. Detective Chief Superintendent Frederick Cherrill used specialized powders and magnifying glasses to lift and analyze latent prints left by natural sweat and oil secretions. Cherrill successfully identified Harold Dorian Trevor as the murderer of Theodora Greenhill within twenty-four hours by matching his prints from broken glass and a moneybox.

Fingerprint Identification

You can trace the evolution of single fingerprint analysis to the methods used by Chief Superintendent Frederick Cherrill, who joined the Fingerprint Department in 1920 and assumed his chief role in 1938. In 1930, the Metropolitan Police Department began employing a recording system of single fingerprints using the No. 10 collection. Cherrill examined crime scene items using black powder and magnifying glasses, deducing that certain prints on a tin opener and a mirror were made by a left-handed individual. Cherrill lifted a faint thumbprint from a broken piece of mirror in Oatley's handbag and found left-handed impressions on her tin opener, though they did not match each other. American scientists used the term septillion to describe the astronomical improbability of identical fingerprints.

• Dust the evidence or mirror corner with a feather brush and black powder to increase contrast.
• Apply a small piece of lifting tape to capture the revealed fingerprint.
• Stick the lifted print onto an index card for comparison against morgue records or the Yard's single fingerprint collections.

Pathology and the Murder Bag

Sir Bernard Spilsbury established his legendary forensic reputation through meticulous autopsies and expert medical testimony that linked physical evidence to notorious killers. Spilsbury utilized detailed anatomical examinations, microscopic slide analysis of scars, and rigorous autopsies to determine exact causes of death and identify mutilated remains. In the 1910 Dr. Crippen case, the thirty-three-year-old pathologist used a seven-inch by six-inch piece of abdominal skin containing a surgical scar to positively identify the remains of Cora Crippen, leading to Dr. Crippen's conviction and execution. On February 9, 1942, at 2:30 p.m., Spilsbury performed the autopsy on the unknown woman.

The horrific conditions of the Patrick Mahon murder case led to the invention of the murder bag in 1924 to ensure proper forensic evidence collection. Pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury was horrified to find detectives handling rotting human remains with their bare hands at a gruesome Eastbourne crime scene, where over 1,000 bone fragments were retrieved in the bungalow fireplaces. This consultation with Detective Superintendent William Brown resulted in the standard issue of an evidence kit for homicide investigators. Until 1924, detectives collected clues like bloody knives or hair with their bare hands and wrapped them in paper.

• Carry a murder bag containing rubber gloves, tweezers, containers for evidence, a magnifying glass, and swabs when responding to a homicide.

4. History of Scotland Yard and Police Tactics

Early British justice relied on informal methods and corrupt figures before organized policing emerged. Jonathan Wild operated as Great Britain's first major crime lord while publicly serving as a celebrated thief-taker who helped authorities. Wild utilized his knowledge of the London underworld to run a recovery scheme for stolen goods. He secretly bought stolen property from fencers at his pub, the King's Head, and then charged victims a finder's fee to return items he already possessed.

Wild's criminal enterprise collapsed when his minions turned him in, leading to his trial and execution by hanging on May 25, 1725.

Novelist and magistrate Henry Fielding established the Bow Street Runners in 1750, laying the groundwork for organized policing and detective work in London. Fielding used his position as a magistrate at 4 Bow Street to tackle street crime by organizing a small, honest constabulary force of eight men known initially as Robin Redbreasts or Raw Lobsters for their bright scarlet waistcoats. Home Secretary Robert Peel established London's centralized police force in 1829 through the Metropolitan Police Act, giving rise to the nicknames bobbies and peelers.

The force answered directly to Peel at the Home Office and deployed uniformed constables armed with truncheons to walk specific beats with the goal of crime deterrence. Headquarters were established at 4 Whitehall Place, backing onto Great Scotland Yard.

Investigative techniques evolved significantly as Scotland Yard created specialized squads to handle complex violent crimes across the country when local police were ill-equipped.

The Murder Squad and Underworld

Scotland Yard's Murder Squad was established through the suggestion of Home Secretary Herbert Gladstone. The squad comprised selected detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department made available to smaller agencies. Detective Chief Inspector Edward Greeno coordinated the investigation into the wartime murders, establishing a temporary headquarters at Tottenham Court Road Police Station.

Specialized police units like the Flying Squad used former military vehicles to combat violent criminality and high-speed getaway tactics in London. Formed after the first world war, the Flying Squad patrolled in cars formerly used by the Royal Flying Corps. Inspector Greeno utilized his underworld contacts while in this squad to investigate high-priced underground establishments catering to elite figures.

Greeno raided a high-end brothel on Dover Street run by a six-foot Jamaican woman named Carmen Rosena that was frequented by members of Parliament.

5. The Killer's Profile and Blunders

The Aristocratic Airman

Gordon Frederick Cummins enlisted in the RAF in December 1935. He served across Britain, including Felixstowe, Scotland, Wiltshire, and Cornwall, accumulating a thousand hours of flying time by February 1942.

A haughty manner and elaborate stories about high society earned the airman aristocratic nicknames.

Peers and associates gave him various monikers during three years in the north, from 1936 to 1939. Cummins was variously nicknamed The Count in Scotland and The Duke in Helensburgh. He later presented himself as the Honorary Gordon Cummins while stationed in Colerne, Wiltshire.

Respirator Evidence

The attacker targeted women in public venues while posing as a charming military serviceman. He identified 30-year-old Mary Heywood at a Piccadilly restaurant at 9:05 p.m., lured her out, displayed 30 pounds in cash, and tried to strangle her in a dark doorway.

A left-behind military respirator linked the serviceman directly to the assault.

Night porter John Shine discovered the attack at 9:45 p.m. and interrupted the assailant. The airman fled, leaving behind his service respirator containing an RAF regimental number.

Detective Sergeant Thomas Shepherd called corporal Charles Johnson at 10:30 p.m. to trace the gas mask number. Shepherd asked Johnson at 11:30 p.m. to ensure Cummins was detained upon return.

Margaret Lowe's 15-year-old daughter Barbara arrived at her mother's flat at 9/10 Gosfield Street at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 13, and found no answer. Detectives arrived at the Gosfield Street crime scene at 6:30 p.m., and Sir Bernard Spilsbury arrived at 8:30 p.m. to examine the body.

Henry Jouannet returned home to 187 Sussex Gardens at 7 p.m. to find his wife Doris murdered in a locked bedroom. Police Constable William Payne arrived at the Sussex Gardens address at 7:31 p.m., followed by Inspector Greeno at 10:30 p.m.

6. Forensic Methods and Apprehension

Investigators combined meticulous autopsies, fingerprint ridge comparisons, and pay ledger tracking to build an irrefutable case against the suspect.

Sir Bernard Spilsbury performed autopsies on victims like Doris Jouannet and Margaret Lowe, noting that lack of bleeding indicated post-mortem knife wounds, while heavy bleeding revealed injuries inflicted immediately during strangulation. During the autopsy of Doris Jouannet at Paddington Mortuary, Spilsbury determined she was strangled first with a stocking ligature before receiving various knife wounds. The examiner removed an 10.5-inch stocking ligature from Doris Jouannet's throat, noting a 0.75-inch pressure mark. He also removed an 11-inch stocking ligature from Margaret Lowe's neck.

Gordon Cummins was captured because he accidentally left his military-issued gas mask at the scene of an assault, linking him directly to the crimes. Orderly sergeant Charles Johnson and Detective Constable Charles Bennett arrested Cummins at Flat 27, where a search of his wallet and belongings revealed stolen money and a victim's phone number.

Financial and Forensic Tracking

Inspector Cherrill matched sixteen points of similarity between a print on Margaret Lowe's candlestick and Cummins's right ring finger, and over two dozen points of similarity between a thumbprint on a broken mirror in Evelyn Oatley's apartment and Cummins's left thumb. The Metropolitan Police Laboratory analyzed mortar scrapings taken from the surface air-raid shelter where Evelyn Hamilton's body was discovered and compared them to mortar particles found inside the haversack of the respirator carried by Cummins.

Financial tracking provides irrefutable physical links between a suspect and specific crime scenes. You can follow these steps to trace currency:

• Check pay ledger ledgers to determine alphabetical payment order.
• Obtain remaining notes from preceding recipients in the pay ledger.
• Reconstruct the sequence of banknote distribution to match currency recovered from victims or witnesses.

Pilot Officer John Farnham Rowan paid the men using a block of 500 new one-pound notes, allowing investigators to calculate that notes bearing serial numbers M. 87 D 397808 and M. 87 D 397809 were issued directly to Cummins.

7. Trial, Verdict, and Execution

Comprehensive psychological and medical observation of accused individuals in prison settings generally reveals normal rational faculties and an absence of diagnosed mental disease despite horrific crimes. Senior medical officer Hugh Grierson kept Cummins under continuous observation at Brixton Prison.

Dr. Hugh Grierson submitted a formal medical report on April 13, 1942, stating that Cummins had been under his care and exhibited normal rational conduct throughout his detention. He noted that the accused was normal in conduct, rational in conversation, and denied any memory blackouts.

The Old Bailey Trial

A unique judicial error caused the first trial of Gordon Frederick Cummins to be aborted and restarted with a new jury. On April 23, 1942, Gordon Frederick Cummins stood trial. A new jury was sworn in on Monday, April 27, after the first panel examined the wrong fingerprint exhibits.

Defense attorneys aggressively challenged fingerprint identification methods by pointing out slight discrepancies caused by movement or curved surfaces. John Flowers grilled Cherrill over twenty-five points of similarity on a fingerprint lifted from a broken mirror and compared it to Cummins's left thumbprint.

Following the judge's summation emphasizing the nature of accidental versus polished police fingerprints, the jury convicted Cummins in less than an hour.

After retiring at 4 p.m., the jury returned quickly and foreman delivered a guilty verdict, leading Justice Asquith to sentence Cummins to death by hanging.

Judicial Execution Procedure

British judicial hangings were meticulously calculated mathematical processes governed by strict Home Office rules and executed in the early morning. Gordon Frederick Cummins was scheduled for execution on June 25, 1942, at Wandsworth Prison.

You follow these steps to carry out the sentence:

• Weigh the prisoner daily during the final months and take height measurements.
• Tie a sandbag of equivalent weight to the execution rope and leave it to hang overnight to remove stretch.
• Change the condemned into dark trousers and a white shirt on the morning of execution.
• Administer a glass of brandy by the prison doctor to calm nerves.
• Fasten the prisoner's hands behind his back with a leather strap.
• Position the condemned on a chalked white T on the trapdoor.
• Pull the white execution hood over the prisoner's face.
• Fasten the ankles with another leather strap.
• Place the noose's brass eyelet below the left angle of the jaw and secure it with a stopper.
• Pull the wooden handle release lever to drop the prisoner.

10 Key Ideas

1. The total darkness enforced during the London blackout created an alien world where street crimes and opportunistic predators thrived.
2. The serial killer targeted women in public venues while hiding in plain sight amidst wartime disruptions and economic hardships.
3. Scotland Yard utilized fingerprint collections, forensic pathology, and the newly invented murder bag to investigate violent crimes.
4. Detective Chief Superintendent Frederick Cherrill used specialized powders and magnifying glasses to lift and analyze latent prints left by natural sweat and oil secretions.
5. Pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury established his legendary forensic reputation through meticulous autopsies and expert medical testimony that linked physical evidence to notorious killers.
6. Investigative techniques evolved significantly as Scotland Yard created specialized squads to handle complex violent crimes across the country when local police were ill-equipped.
7. A haughty manner and elaborate stories about high society earned the airman aristocratic nicknames.
8. A left-behind military respirator linked the serviceman directly to the assault.
9. Investigators combined meticulous autopsies, fingerprint ridge comparisons, and pay ledger tracking to build an irrefutable case against the suspect.
10. Following the judge's summation emphasizing the nature of accidental versus polished police fingerprints, the jury convicted Cummins in less than an hour.