Can we just give Paul and his team a massive thank you for putting in that real hard work in the research, presentation and the fact he doesn’t just cover stories that everyone else has covered. Every video has been truly unique to me and the first time I’ve heard them 🙌🙌🙌🙌
I think he has covered 2 cases I had heard before, but he covered both far more completely, and with that impeccable style that I appreciate and enjoy so much. Truly fantastic work! I would love to hear his take on more 'mysterious' topics, like the 'Beast of Bodmin moor', Spring heeled Jack, and other similar topics.
Absolutely. I look forward to my Friday 'fix'. Eloquently told and always intriguing. Thanks to all on the team and to Paul for telling the tale like nobody else can 💯👋👋
My name is Max Armstrong and Herb is a far back Uncle in our line of ancestry. (We refer to him as Uncle R-Sin-ic) Our family, throughout the generations, have always weighed on the side of him being guilty. Clearly, I know the story very well. Well done Mr. Brodie...Well done
Yes, I believe you are right because he kept trying to get his rival to have lunch dinner Exedra so obviously they didn't normally hang out and who else would have access to his wife's food/drink enough times to put that much arsenic in it? The husband.
"Strangely, despite being relatively fit and well both Mr and Mrs Cheese died within days of each other". Why is this not a bigger deal in a poisoning case? He gets so far ahead in life after this happens, this should have been questioned so much more by the police/town when the theories started coming out
Sanitation wasn't as good then, neither were methods to test blood for bacteria and viruses couldn't be detected at all. So it wasn't that uncommon for more than one person in a household to die in a short space of time.
The Cheese's were the creme de la creme. Does that make them the cream cheese of society? Their deaths should have been investigated as both passing so soon would be highly suspect.
If he had left it to just killing his wife, he probably would have got away with it. But he got over-confident and trying to murder Oswald Martin was what brought about his downfall. He was guilty!
Yes, he was guilty. I've read the Beales book and it's very biased in Major Armstrong's favour, and I thought, rather hostile to the Martins and Mr. Davies ( the local chemist, and Martin's father-in-law). And sadly Oswald Martin's health was so damaged by his being poisoned, that he had ongoing internal problems for the rest of his life and died relatively young, aged just 55 in 1946.
I have honestly never seen a channel like this - seriously unique set-up and presenting style! I've just started releasing true crime videos too and it's given me a whole new level of respect for videos like this! Thank you for all the hard work! Subscribed.
Smoking in only one room seems totally reasonable and I write this while smoking. Even if people didn't know the health risks they had noses to smell with. It's not roses.
And leaving a social outing for bath night when you had to boil each pot of water, haul it into the tub and wash each child and dry them with limited linens so pneumonia wouldn't set in sounds pretty reasonable. Lol and just asking him not to drink...she honestly just sounds like a responsible mother and concerned wife 😂 Love it when these psychotic murderers always leave notes about their "overbearing" wives and mothers - like dude sorry everyone asked you to take care of your children, or your chores and not let you creep around having affairs and murdering everyone.
@@coastafexactly what I thought. This poor oppressed man. He was not allowed to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted, not even get laid with young girls! His wife was a total witch.
@@coastafshe Sounds Like a horrible controlfreak to be frank. I don't know who in the world wan'ts to be controlled as a little child by a authoritarian mother. No that's not normal.
Many account of the case have said that when Armstrong was giving evidence, he was doing well until the judge, Mr Justice Darling, asked questions about the arsenic in Armstrong's possession and how it was stored. The questions seemed to leave Armstrong rattled, and those observers have speculated that he lost the case in that moment.
Loved it! I owe Agatha Christie an apology for ever thinking that her plot lines were far-fetched, or at least only possible in a fictional setting - chocolates mysteriously arrive at the door and everybody just dives in! Oh my goodness the stuff that “cosy” English murders are made of!
You should look at the Greek Deception… or Operation: Mincemeat Same thing, just different names. The whole thing sounds completely ridiculous and impossible yet… it really and truly happened. And it was done so beautifully that I’m in awe
@@icarusbinns3156 Thanks so much for the rec! I just watched the trailer for Operation Mincemeat and loved it, the subject matter the cast all look great - I’m going to watch it tonight 👍🏻
Another English murder case involving chocolates is the case of Christiana Edmunds, who poisoned chocolates which killed a young boy. This case is particularly interesting to me cuz it happened in Brighton, a town quite near to where I live.
It wasn't until fairly recently that foods started coming in tamper evident packaging. Drugs too. The Tylenol poisonings in the US led to the changes here. Still some things like beer still come in bottles that can be easily opened and resealed.
Poisoning by chocolate was more common then you would believe. It was a special treat and often sent anonymously. Women were the most susceptible to this and often thought they had a secret admirer.
I love this story but, an overbaring wife, and a rival solicitor, to whom he owed money, gives me the strong feeling he was guilty as charged, also, she changes her will leaving everything to him ?
How the brush and Paul looked at each other is adorable. I'm not sure if Armstrong was guilty or not, but his behavior after his wife's death was rather odd. I know he wants to get out from her control, but her death was questionable at best. That itself could raise suspicion.
I laughed so hard when it finally got to the bath brush. Absolutely frickin adorable little pantomime. For some reason when the military part of the story came into it, I was reminded of the character Frank Burns from MASH. If that show had taken a darker turn for him, he might have turned out a similar way.
Paul, this is the second time I've heard you talk about poisoned chocolates and I don't like it! 🤣 And we're coming up on Halloween!!! Another great video, thanks for everything! I have told so many people about this awesome channel! 👍
Paul can talk about poisoned chocolates (and I'm a major chocolate lover!) or anything else all he wants! He's adorable and I could watch and listen to him all day! 😊🥰
Well, this is all told from his point of view isn't it and since he turned out to be a murderer, I find it really hard to take his description of events as gospel.
A few years ago, I watched an old TV drama about the Hay poisonings. Michael Kitchen, from Foyle's War, played HRA. I really enjoyed your presentation of the case. Thank you
@@hazelclose8800 yes I think you're right - I expect a lot of Hay is unchanged since that time. The period detail was excellent as well as the cast. MK has an unusual style as an actor, I've always liked him, the drama made it clear he was guilty but also managed to show the charm of Armstrong.
What a truly fascinating case! I would be inclined to agree with the jury. Very convenient how Katherine's will was changed just before her death. Also I find it suspicious that the relatively sudden demise of the Cheeses benefited Herbert Rowse's career.. 🤔 The man was guilty all right! (£5000 would have hardly helped him escape the gallows so not much use for it!!) Another excellent, beautifully presented video.. 👏 Paul, _you are much appreciated!_ 🤗
This reminds me a bit of a case in the Netherlands from 1912, 'De Hoornse taart' (the pie from Hoorn). A poisoned pie was sent to the household of the market master of Hoorn, Willem Markus. But, the man was not home himself and the pie was received and eaten by his wife and a maid. His wife, Maria, died and the maid got very ill. The pie was poisoned with arsenic. The culprit, Jonannes Jacobus Beek, claimed that he was not guilty of murder, because he did not intent to kill Maria, but her husband. This did, of course, not work.
for such a grim subject, it was a delightful piece. from the lovely rolling of the Rs to the silly bits, it was quite pleasant to listen to and watch. as to HRA: i think his being a bit too slick and lacking in humility is what got him in the end. and then to cap it off with the last ditch, "oh well, she did it to herself"... he'd have done better to not say Anything about it. or go with she took it by accident. don't go into detail. don't try to punch up the story or add embellishments. the less said, the better. it always boggles my mind how some people can be so book smart but so dumb in most other areas.
Love the way the presenter talks and makes it easy for a non English speaker to understand. Are you Scottish? As for the case, I say it was all due to greed. No rival involved, Armstrong just wanted to be the top dog in his community
@@felicitybywater8012-- I only wish I could claim Scottish ancestry. However, the closest I can get are ancestors who were predominantly Swedish and Finnish. Given how frequently the Scandinavians (read Vikings) hopped over and invaded Scotland many centuries ago, perhaps I might have some umpteenth-time removed Scottish cousins.
She may have been a bully, but he was a weakling. I think he is likely guilty because of circumstances and because it was poisoning and not standing up and facing the task head on. Kind of like with his career, he arranged to only be going up against his friend\partner. Also not being overly burdened with brain matter, it fits he'd kill in a way that came logically back to him.
Herbert should've slightly poisoned himself to throw the scent off him. Along with reporting theft of his arsenic. Wait, why am I looking at this like a "how to get away with murder" test? 🤣😂🤣😂💀 Claiming innocence to the end and last words being about Kitty...makes you think maybe he is innocent...until you recall the healthy couple that died, seems like they were killed? Wish we had more info about them, did they fall ill? Were they tested for arsenic? Etc. Martin taking over his business and moving into his home does seem quite suspicious. Great motives...
Agatha Christie must have based any number of her murderer mysteries on the Herbert Armstrong case. Her investigators refer to it. The same elements: the respected, clever lawyer who is secretly cheating on his wife, the gracious house that hides a secret, the arsenic, the multiple victims over time; all show up in her plots time and again. This case would have been current events when she was writing in her heyday.
He seemed guilty from my untrained eye. I'm thinking... if I were to poison someone and wanted the finger to NOT be pointed at me, I'd probably give myself an extremely low dose of it as well and then claim I didn't eat as much as the others. But maybe not. I'm no expert in how much poison it would take.
I believe he killed her because of her demeanor and how she treated him. While i do think it was wrong, the fact that only 4 people went to her funeral says something.
My great aunt was a popular person with many friends but her funeral was tiny because her husband told everyone that was what he wanted and people respected his desires.
I loved that little skit at the start, with the smoking, drinking and loofah! Not to mention, great presentation as ever 🙂 I love how you cover obscure and usually unheard of historic cases and I like your delivery also. I also appreciate you and your team travelling to these places to give as videography of the landscape, not only just photographs; both help with immersion into the story, and having photos of the person's involved makes them more relatable... well, maybe not relatable, but gives them more dimension as human beings. Thank you!
I want to thank you so much sir for your videos as they are very educational and interesting. I could listen to you talk for hours everyday. May god bless you and your family
Herbert was one of those psychos who would never admit his guilt to his final hour because he's all about appearances and saving face. To some degree he believed his own lies
I adore this channel. Up there with That Chapter in my tiny mind. I do hope the sponge will become a permanent sidekick. Not sure if Herbert did it but I wonder what drives a lady to become a Mrs. Cheese. Turns out she got herself into a bit of a pickle. Soz. I'll get my coat. 🙄
You are a class act the way you tell your stories. I'm inclined to believe that Herbert was guilty. He just got to be a bit too cocky in the end and that did him in.
Although circumstantial, I think the evidence against Armstrong was convincing. Did it demonstrate malice aforethought? Was it beyond reasonable doubt? The jury thought so. Some say the the judge's summing up was not impartial, so could have led to a mistrial on appeal, but that was not allowed in this case at the time. Would a jury today be convinced by the speculative nature of the prosecution's case? Maybe, causing it to lean towards guilt but lacking the clinching evidence of a witness or some other testimony. Could a modern jury be convinced by the defence's arguments of suicide? Certainly not. Both then and today, I think Armstrong would have been convicted. The biscuits were in the tin at 3 o'clock, by 4 they were gone. Little Jimmy was alone with the biscuits during that time. Whilst no biscuit crumbs were found on Jimmy's lips, the clear implication is that he ate the biscuits. "Oh, no!", exclaims little Jimmy. "They jumped out of the tin and ran out of the door. What's more, I wasn't even in the same room at the time." Who are we to believe?
I think in a modern version of this case the extreme controlling nature of the wife would have become very evident, and a crux of both the defense AND the prosecution; When someone like that, who isnt physically abusive, finds out they were cheated on because their husband could no longer tolerate them... they either become angry or they break down entirely, and on social media both would be evident. Likewise, what better motive for a smart man to poison his wife than to escape her extreme control?
@@SorrelYT It might have been a better defence strategy to say nothing save that the prosecution's case was weak, circumstantial, and unprovable. Sow the seeds of doubt.
Not beyond a reasonable doubt IMO. Did he likely do it? Yes. Is it possible he was frame? Absolutely. Can't hang someone unless the conviction is "Nuclear pasta" solid.
Kitty Armstrong was probably a horrible person, but honestly, allowing her husband to smoke in one room only kinda makes sense. That thing is foul, and I don't only mean the smell, it sticks to every surface for bleeding forever. Seriously, keep your poison for yourself.
Ooh I loved the use of the props when describing Catherine's domineering personality, hilarious. Another fascinating tale told impeccably, thank you Sir 👏
Good morning from the Florida Keys, USA. Thanks for another delightful true crime story to enjoy with my morning coffee. Yes, he was guilty; no doubt in my mind.
Just stumbled onto your site….love your historical stories ..especially the very old ones…Could you do some historical serial killer stories eg Jack the Ripper and so on ( sorry if you have allready done these, I’m about to see what else you have)…..like your style of telling your story also. Thankyou 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
It's a wonder he was enlisted during WW1, considering his height and weight. Or didn't that matter? Arsenic poisoning was not uncommon in the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Doctors were well aware of the symptoms and they surely should have been alert the moment Cathereine fell ill again with the same symptons after her hospital stay.
I've never understood why execution is considered Capital Punishment. I can tell you that if given the choice between being executed or spending my whole life locked up in cage, I would choose execution without hesitation. For me, being executed is the "easy way out". Being locked up in a small cage for decades, left alone with my thoughts would surely be a worse fate for me.
2:20 *The wife looks like a female version of him...only with a wig and no mustache!* LOL A very manly woman. Seriously...they could be twins or brother and sister.
I've just recently found this channel and I really like the whole presentation, the way it's documented and so straightforward just drew me in!!! I enjoy general nostalgia, crime and documentaries but the way these stories are not only encompass these three, they are so interestingly tastefully done, BRAVO & KUDOS to all involved in their production. Thank you so much for all of your combined work!!!
Alas, a poisoned chocolates crime just as I was enjoying a chocolate I had waited all day to have. I took the gamble, but in the back of my mind I wondered what if…?
I just have to say I absolutely love your channel and you never fail to disappoint!! I’m always left simply wanting more! And the comedy thrown in was absolutely stellar! Thank you and keep doing what you’re doing!
Herbert wasn't very smart was he? Kills his wife with arsenic, fails to kill his business rival once with arsenic, tries a second time to kill his business rival with arsenic... Like, jesus buddy. Get a clue.
Yes, it appears the Dandelion Poisoner was well and truly guilty! I'm very impressed with the fact that he is the only person in Britain to have practiced Law AND Murder!! I don't think we Americans can claim to have very upstanding Attorneys. The skit about Mrs. Armstrong's iron rules is delightful. 🚭 Perfect timing and delivery. Thank you.
It seems to me that getting over-confident with Oswald Martin suggests that he'd gotten away with murder enough times to get cocky. Do we know what killed the Cheeses? Perhaps he's killed more than we know.
Are you okay? I mean, this was perfectly performed and produced, per usual, but you look thin. Well, thinner than usual… and you are softer spoken… are you alright? I hope so. You are pretty amazing, as is the channel and all those who work on it. Thank you for all you do.
Gets note pad, clicks pen. What was the ingredients for this dandelion weed killer again?? X Sneeking booze? Reminds me of my grandad getting pissed up in the bath to hide from my granny!
Guilty. A rival would not be behind the affair, the controlling wife, and the will, which all add plenty of motive in addition to the arsenic evidence.
