The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1942-04-02
Excess Rations
Trip Killer in
Double Murder
Poisons Bigamous Wife and
Child; Gives Victims
Ticket to Another.

in 20 minutes recently at London's
Old Bailey when a jury retired to
consider the case of Lionel Rupert
Nathan Watson, 30, of Greenford; a
molder, father of four children by
his estranged wife, who had muir
dered by poison a woman who sup
posed she was his wife, Miss Phyllis
Elizabeth Croker, %, of Perivale,
and their daughter by this bigamous
marriage, Eileen Watson, Is months.
Watson first met Miss Croker in the
factory where he was employed at
Perivale. They became friendly,
and he bigamously married her in
1910. Miss Crocker's mother died
that year, and they occupied her fiat
in Goring-way.
Digs in the Garden.
Above the fiat lived Mrs. Brown,
her son-in-law, Mr.. Thomas, and her
daughter, Mrs. Thomas. Miss Crock
er and Mrs. Brown frequently had
tea with each other, and Mrs. Brown
was perplexed when told by Watson
that Miss Croker and her child had
gone to Scotland. She was further
puzzled when she saw Watson dig.
ging in the garden, and he remarked
that he was burying old rags. That
was on May 20, the date that Miss
Croker and the child disappeared.
On May 26 Watson was again
seen digging a hole in the garden,
and on this occasion he said that
he was digging for victory"
Mrs. Brown and other neighbors
became suspicious, especially as I'M
pleasant odors were coming from
the direction of the garden.
On June 80, the police wrenched
up fagstones in Watson's garden.
In a pit two feet deep and six feet
long they found the bodies Of Miss
Croker and the child. They were
wrapped in sheeting. They had been
poisoned.
It was also ascertained that about
this time Watson was friendly with
Miss Joan Philby, 17-year-old girl
working at the same factory. He
took her to cinemas, on the river,
and to dance hall.
One evening after Miss Croker
was dead he took Miss Philby to the
fiat. He offered her some shoes and
a coat which had belonged to Miss
Croker. It was about IL o'clock
and Miss Philby told him it was time
she went home. He replied. IF you
think it is too late. you can stay
here"
Miss Philby did not stay nor did
he take the shoes. Next morning
Watson brought the shoes and a
frock to the factory and gave them
to her.
Gives Victims Ticket.
Watson also gave page OF mar
garine coupons belonging to Eileen
to Miss Philby for the purchase OF
clothes. That act told against him.
because although Watson was sug-
costing that Miss Croker and the
child had gone away, he was using
a ration book which they would OF
necessity have had to take with
them.
When arrested, Watson had his
defense against a charge Of murder
He told the police that,
returning home from the cinema
one evening, he found Miss Croker
dead on the floor of the bathroom,
and the child dead in her cot. His
suggestion was that Miss Croker
murdered her baby, and then killed
herself.
Watson declared that it suddenly
occurred to him that the best thing
he could do was to bury the bodies
in the garden. After he had done
so, he murmured, God bless you'll"
Then he went to bed, but could not
sleep.
Watson was unmoved when the
Judge donned the black cap to pass
the death sentence.