Martha Rendell

Case record: Martha Rendell

Status and identity

Martha Rendell was executed by hanging at Fremantle Prison on October 6, 1909. She was the last woman hanged in Western Australia. She was buried at Fremantle cemetery in the same grave as Eric Edgar Cooke.

Martha Rendell was also known as Martha Rendell (c. 1871 – 6 October 1909). An alternative birth date of 10 August 1871 was also given.

Background

Martha Rendell was the common-law wife of Thomas Morris.

Morris had custody of his children at the time Rendell moved into the house.

Rendell followed Morris west after knowing him in Adelaide. She moved into Morris’s house and posed as his wife. The children were told to call her “Mother” / “mother”.

Rendell protested her innocence, maintaining that she was treating the children for diphtheria.

The offence

Rendell was found guilty of the willful murder of her de facto husband’s son, Arthur Morris, in 1908. She was also suspected of killing his two daughters, Annie and Olive.

The allegations described swabbing the children’s throats with hydrochloric acid (also described as “spirits of salts”), with the claim that this was medicine. The inflammation was described as preventing the children from eating, resulting in starvation and slow deaths.

The source described that Rendell beat the children severely and insisted they call her “Mother”.

Victims and ages/count

• Annie Morris, aged 7, was described as the first child killed. She died on 28 July 1907.
• Olive Morris, aged 5, was described as killed after Annie. She died on 6 October 1907.
• Arthur Morris, aged 14, was described as the third child targeted and was the youngest child still alive. He finally died on 6 October 1908.
• George Morris was described as the second son who later complained of a sore throat after drinking a cup of tea and alleged that Rendell coated his tonsils with syrup, frightening him and causing him to run to his mother’s place some streets away.

At the time described, suspicions also arose after repeated references to the children’s having their throats “painted” and about Rendell’s apparent indifference to their pain and screaming.

Investigation

Inspector Harry Mann conducted inquiries.

The inquiry was hampered by the period of time that had elapsed since the deaths and because doctors could not say what effect swabbing with spirits of salts would have.

Suspicion increased after it was shown that Rendell had purchased large quantities of spirits of salts during the period of the children’s illnesses, but none since the last death.

With this information, detectives obtained permission to exhume the bodies and this was done on 3 July 1909. Police exhumed the bodies of the three children, and diluted hydrochloric acid was found on the throat tissue.

Arrest and charges

Rendell and Thomas Morris were both charged with murder. Thomas Morris was also charged with the murders in the description of the trial proceedings.

Rendell protested her innocence and maintained she was treating the children for diphtheria.

Trial

The trial proceedings included a discussion that the jury wanted to find Thomas Morris guilty as an accessory after the fact, but this was not allowed.

Thomas Morris was acquitted. It was believed that, although he had purchased spirits of salts, he had not been aware of the crimes until after the children’s deaths.

Rendell was sentenced to death.

Alleged statements

Arresting officer Inspector Harry Mann said: “she delighted in seeing her victims writhe in agony, and from it derived sexual satisfaction”.

Sentencing and execution

Rendell was hanged at Fremantle Prison on 6 October 1909.

The source described that she was hanged at 0800 hrs on October 6, 1909.

Outcome and aftermath

The execution followed convictions that included:

• A verdict of not guilty for Thomas Morris.
• A verdict of guilty for Rendell, with a death sentence.

The source also described considerable public outrage at the time, with the press portraying Rendell as a “Scarlet Woman” and “Wicked Stepmother” / “wicked stepmother”.

An urban legend was described about an illusion on one of the prison windows that only could be seen on the outside of the window, and that it was said to be the portrait of Rendell watching over the prison.

Rendell’s crimes were described as being featured in an episode of the true crime TV series Deadly Women entitled “Pleasures For Pain”.

Rendell was described as the last woman executed in the state of Western Australia.

Other details

The source described that:

• Rendell asked permission for an autopsy after Arthur’s death and stood by as the autopsy was performed, with the doctors finding nothing to incriminate her.
• Dr. Cuthbert issued certificates stating the cause of death as diphtheria after Annie and Olive died.
• An autopsy was described as being requested for Arthur, and an interruption described where Rendell called a halt to the autopsy procedure at a particular point.
• Police exhumed the bodies on 3 July 1909 and diluted hydrochloric acid was found on throat tissue.
• She was buried at Fremantle cemetery in the same grave where serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke was interred more than half a century afterwards.