You are not logged in
In 1922 the British public were enthralled as medical experts explored the powers of arsenic in a case that showed, in gruesome detail, the poison’s fatal strength.
Soliciting death
Hay-on-Wye is a picturesque town near the Welsh border, a place now famous for its wonderful bookshops and annual literary festival. But to the people of Hay the name Herbert Rowse Armstrong is as well known today as it was all those years ago, when Hay-on-Wye was famous; as the home of a poisoner.
The story began in 1921. Major Armstrong ran a solicitor’s practice in the centre of the town. A small, well mannered man, he had recently lost his wife and had not long returned home from a much needed restful holiday.
Things had not been running smoothly for Major Armstrong. For many years he and another solicitor, Robert Griffiths, had enjoyed a good working relationship, and between them they had taken care of all the local business. Then Griffiths died and his young, ambitious partner Oswald Martin took over the practice.
Though they worked just a few yards away from each other across the street, relations between the two solicitors were distinctly cool. Where Armstrong represented local gentry and property vendors, Martin tended to take on farmers and tenants. Soon the two were in dispute over a property matter.
Milk, two sugars and a dash of arsenic…
Just when tensions were running high, Armstrong invited Martin to his house for tea. Scones were prepared for his guest. Armstrong himself handed round the scones, and was later said by Martin to have muttered ‘Excuse fingers’. Work was not discussed.
Shortly after Oswald Martin returned home he was struck down with sickness and diarrhoea. He was seriously ill.
Martin's father in law happened to own the local chemist shop and became suspicious of Martin's symptoms, especially suspicious considering that only recently Oswald had purchased a quantity of arsenic from his shop.
Analysis proved that arsenic had been used to poison Martin, and shortly afterwards Oswald was arrested. On the back of this attempted murder charge the prosecution also accused Armstrong of murdering his wife, who he had slowly poisoned in order to escape his marriage.
In May 1922 Herbert Rowse Armstrong achieved the dubious distinction of being the only solicitor to be hanged for murder in Britain.
Toxicology is the study of poisons, and the job of the forensic toxicologist is to detect, identify and quantify poisons in body tissues and fluids.
