In the aftermath of a fractious year that had seen the much feared General Strike promise to set Britain ablaze with devastating flames of crisis and sedition, the national papers made the most of an unremarkable start to the New Year. The famous Winnats Pass in the craggy High Peaks of Derbyshire, a favourite rambling…
Category: Andover Murder Case
Lovers Suicide in Castleton: The Pass Finally Reveals its Secrets
On Saturday January 8th 1927 the bodies of Toplis accomplice Harry Fallows and his sweetheart Marjorie Stewart were found dead in a cave in Castleton. Within weeks the leading detective in the Toplis investigation was also dead and the first eye witness account of the Etaples Mutiny would be published in the British Press. Was…
Supt. James Lock Cox – Orontes or Salonika?
James Lock Cox was the Superintendent of Andover Police who led the investigation into the murder of taxi-driver, Sidney George Spicer at the end of April 1920. Toplis was his only suspect. In 1923, after 32 years of dedicated service, Detective Superintendent Cox retired. Over his career he’d served at Andover, Tidworth Garrison and Boscombe….
Harry Fallows – Police Statement
Harry Fallows was the only witness who was able to place Toplis at the scene of the Andover murder. Read his 5,000 word Police Statement.
Toplis Victim Spicer Had Killed A Man
Was taxi-driver Sidney Spicer the victim of a revenge killing and not Toplis