How did crime influence Richmond

between 1900 to 1930?

Definition of crime

Crime is an action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punished by law.

Why were crimes committed?

• One of the main reasons why crimes were committed was because many people in those days were very poor and need to steal, for example, to survive.

• It was seen as a sin to people if a women fell pregnant if they weren’t married and were often rejected by society. Young women, who were mostly the victims of this negativity, were forced to go to illegal abortionists, even though their lives were at stake.

Male criminals

• Some of the main crimes committed by men was theft, kidnapping, rape and possession of drugs.

Squizzy Taylor

• Joseph Lesli Theodore Taylor was believed to be the first gangsta in Richmond.

• He was born on the 29th of June 1888 and died on the 27th of October.

• During his life he committed a number of crimes that ranged from pocket steeling, assault and shop breaking to armed robbery and murder.

• He was the kind of man that was so egger to impress his fellow criminals that he was willing to take credit for other peoples crimes to make himself appear to be a dangerous criminal.

Theft

Joseph Messenger – February 15, 1922Joseph Messenger and Valerie Lowe were arrested in 1921 for breaking into an army warehouse and stealing boots and overcoats to the value of 29 pounds 3 shillings. They were arrested for with breaking and entering.

Harry Williams – March 1929 was sentenced to 12 months hard labor for breaking, entering and stealing.

Edward J. Adams - 1887–1921Bootlegger, car thief, murderer. After being sentenced to life imprisonment, Adams escaped custody twice. He was killed in a shootout with police.

Female Criminals• In the 1920s, many women were convicted of a number of crimes

such as illegal backstreet abortions, thefts, murders, drug dealers, a number of alias’ and prostitution.

Illegal backstreet abortions • An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy and has occurred for thousands of

years. • There are a number of methods that have been used to terminate pregnancies such

as using specific herbs and shaped implements.• Today, abortion laws and their enforcements differ. • In the 1920s, there were a number of women who illegally performed abortions and

often resulted in the death of the young women due to lack of supplies and knowledge.

• Some of the women who were arrested for abortions were:

Alma Smith – jailed for 5 years for performing an illegal abortion on a young woman who later died.

Janet – 768 years old and she nearly killed a teenager patient during an illegal backstreet abortion.

Edith Ashton – she was a 37 year old backyard abortionist who was associated with theft and fencing stolen goods. She was suspected of contributing to the deaths of at least 2 women during their abortions.

Theft

• Women as well as men would steel money, jewellery and other goods.• For most of the cases, it was because they were poor and did not

have a proper job to support themselves.• There have been a number of cases that been recorded of theft

during 1900 and 1930.

Clara Randall – reported to the police that her Bondi flat had been broken into and a quantity of jewellery stolen. It was later discovered she had pawned the jewellery for cash. Randall was later sentenced to 18 months with light labour.

Doris Poole – charged with stealing jewellery and clothing. Received six months sentence with light labour.

Jean Wilson – She is 23. Number of convictions for housebreaking and theft. She preferred stealing jewellery as it could be easily pawned for money. She also robbed her employer and served a 12 month sentence.

Murders

Emily Hemsworth – killed her baby son but could not remember details and was found not guilty due to insanity.

• Murders were not only committed by men, but by women as well.

• Men and women both shared the same consequences for murder.

Dorathy Mort – shot the man she was having an affair with on December 21, 1921, after he tried to end their romance.

Drug dealers/users

• Drugs• Heroin was a very popular drug in the early 1900s because it was cheap

and easily a

Mother Ada and daughter Hazel Mc Guinness – Ada was the most active supplier of cocaine. She ran a drugs business from a quiet terrace house.

Fay Watson – was arrested for being in position of cocaine for which she was fined 10 pounds.

Amy Lee – was known to be a good looking girl until she started snorting cocaine. She was 41 years old.

Prostitution

Elizabeth Singleton – had multiple convictions for soliciting and was described in police records as a common prostitute.

• Due to the living conditions of the some of the women in the 1920s, they were often without a job and had no place to call home. They therefore got caught up with the wrong people and replied on prostitution to earn a living.

Harry Crawford – real name Eugenia Falleni. She was a female who dressed as a male. She then later married a widow Annie Birkett who she later murdered.

Aliases/different identities

• Many women had different identities and multiple ‘lives’. • They were married to more than one man at the same

time and some even dressed and acted as men.

Alice Adeline – By the age of 24, she had a number of aliases and at least 2 husbands.