Prime Crime: Solved Murders - Thomas Briggs Pt. 2

Episode Date: May 11, 2022

Franz Müller was arrested in New York and extradited back to England for a criminal trial. The case against him was far from cut and dry, but that didn’t stop a jury from convicting him. In 1964, the 24-year-old was led to the gallows, and all of England was left with a question. Did Franz really do it?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this murder case, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes dramatizations and discussions of murder, assault, and execution. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. Hundreds of people pressed into Houston Square Station in London on September 17, 1864. They were all waiting for a southbound train, but none of them had a ticket. Instead, they were on the lookout for a passenger. Franz Mulla, the most wanted man in Britain. Finally, the train pulled in.

The crowd surged to the end of the platform, desperate for a glimpse at this bloodthirsty murderer. But then the doors opened. A pair of police officers escorted a small, neatly groomed man out of the compartment. He was short and odd-looking, with boyish features and pale, almost invisible eyebrows. The mob fell silent for a moment. moment, they were surprised or maybe even disappointed by Mullah's appearance. He didn't look like a killer at all. And maybe that's because he wasn't one. Welcome to Solved Murders, True Crime Mysteries, a Spotify original from Parcast. I'm your host, Carter Roy. And I'm your host Wendy McKenzie.

Every Wednesday, we step into the world of true crime's most fascinating murder cases and tell the tale of how real-life detectives close the case. You can find episodes. of Solve Murders and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free exclusively on Spotify. This is our final episode on the 1864 murder of Thomas Briggs. Last week, we covered the evidence that led authorities to their prime suspect, Franz Mula. This week, Moola's trial leaves them with far more questions than answers. We have all that and more coming up. Stay with us. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's

number one entertainment destination for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava Theater stage on April 30th, the powerful vocals of Demi Lovato on May 17th, and the signature Southern Country Rock of Eric Church on July 19th. Tickets on sale now at Yamavatheater.com, only at Yamava Resort and Casino, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You in? Must be 21 to enter. Franz Mulla was arrested on the SS Victoria on August 24th, 1864. just after it docked in the New York Harbor. After nearly three weeks of waiting in New York City, British authorities had finally nabbed him.

The young Taylor was the prime suspect in the murder of Thomas Briggs. A team of Scotland Yard officers had found loads of circumstantial evidence that connected him to the crime, but the investigators couldn't convict him quite yet. The problem was that Briggs had been killed in England, and by the time the police caught wind, Mullah, he'd already boarded a ship to the United States. That meant American investigators had to review the case before he could be extradited back to the Brits. Detective Inspector Richard Tanner

marched Mula into a temporary cell in New York's police headquarters to wait for his hearing. Luckily for both the investigators and the suspect, they didn't have to sit tight for long. The extradition trial opened on August 26th, just two days after the arrest. The courthouse was already packed with reporters by the time Mula arrived. Thomas Briggs's murder had been in American papers for weeks at that point. It served as a distraction from the main news story at that time, the ongoing civil war. Mula quickly realized that the deck was stacked against him. English authorities had brought on one of New York City's top lawyers to make the case for extradition,

while the court appointed a random public defender for Mula. The prosecutor presented all the clues that had led investigators to Mula in the first place. The hat and watch that Mula had been carrying seemed incriminating all on their own, and he'd skip town as soon as the crime started making headlines. The tailor's face betrayed no emotion as he listened to the evidence pile up. His calm demeanor could have been explained by his lawyer's secret weapon. On the second day of the extradition trial, the defender was finally, able to deploy it.

Mullah's lawyer had an account from a man named Thomas Lee, who claimed to have seen Thomas Briggs at the train station a few minutes before he died. And if Lee's story was true, then the whole case against Franz Mulla could fall apart. I happen to have a deposition here from one Thomas Lee, who frequently rode to and from the city with the late Mr. Briggs. Mr. Lee claims that on the night of the murder around ten o'clock, clock, he saw Mr. Briggs in carriage 69 with two men next to him. One man was tall and slim, the other one more portly, with a blonde beard. Now, Mr. Tanner, can you describe Mr. Mula for me?

Why, yes. He looks to be about five feet, six inches in height, of average bill, no beard, and frankly, it doesn't look like he could grow one if he tried. So you wouldn't call him tall or thin? No. But not thick-set or bearded either. No, sir. Mula didn't look anything like the men that Lee described. He'd always claimed that he wasn't on the train with Thomas Briggs, and Lee's testimony seemed to support that. But Thomas Lee's testimony wasn't perfect. For one, he said he'd walked away from Briggs's carriage before the train left the station. This left a small window of time when the two mysterious men could have gotten out, and Mullah could have gotten in. The police were also suspicious of Lee because he'd waited more than a week to send in his tip. Lee explained that this was because on the night of July 9th, he'd been visiting his mistress,

a fact that he wished to keep from his wife. But whether or not Lee's story was true, it marked a turning point in the case. For the first time, there was serious evidence in Mula's favor, not against him. But even though Mula's lawyer did his... best to defend his client, the certificate of extradition was granted. A few onlookers saw Mullah's jaw twitch when the verdict was read. His face remained completely blank as he was led to jail.

Extraditions were a fairly rare occurrence in the 1860s, and every certificate needed to be signed by the U.S. president. That meant Richard Tanner had to go to Washington to meet with Abraham Lincoln. Before he left New York, the detective wrote a question. update to his colleagues across the pond. Oddly enough, it seems as if the public is beginning to sympathize with a prisoner. I've even heard that someone is planning to help him mount a serious defense upon his return. Despite our success in the American courtroom, I am haunted by the thought that it won't be recreated on British soil.

Tanner's confidence in the case seemed to be waning, but he brushed these doubts aside and ventured South for Lincoln's signature. The media frenzy around Mula only got more intense while Tainer was on the road. On August 31st, a reporter from the New York Morning Star secured an interview with the suspect. The journalist tiptoed through the cold granite halls of Mullah's prison and found the sad young man sitting in his cell. The writer opened their conversation with the one question that hadn't yet been asked. Are you feeling all right? No.

I feel weak and bad. I'm sick. I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps the sea air will cure your ailments, eh? You can skip the niceties, sir. It seems like my fate has already been sealed. May as well get used to the misery. I don't know about that.

Not to pry into your legal proceedings, but the question on half of New York's lips is this. If we are to believe you weren't in the train car with Mr. Briggs, How'd you get his watch? They sell all sorts of things on the London docks. This watch was selling for such a good price. Only four pounds and three crowns. Perhaps I should have taken pause,

but it seemed like a good deal, and I handed over all the money I had. Then how did you purchase your ticket across the Atlantic? It wasn't easy. I pawned my old watch and chain to Mr. Death's jewelry shop, and when that wasn't enough, I sold him the chain from this watch too. Interesting. And where were you on the night of July 9th?

I took an omnibus to a pub near Camberwell New Road, had a pint or two, and left around half-past nine. I mistimed my exit, though. And when I got back to the station, the last bus had already come and gone. Hmm. So you stayed in Camberwell that night? No, I walked back to my boarding house in Park Terrace. It was no relaxing evening stroll, though. My foot had been injured a few days before. So I had to limp along in a slipper. Finally, I got back to my room sometime after 11. Best sleep I'd had in weeks.

The reporter's story took the city by storm. After nearly two months of investigation, the suspect had never been able to speak to the press himself. In New York City, his detailed alibi was published on the front page, right next to an update on the Civil War. Richard Tanner returned a few days later, with a signed certificate from the president. With that, he could officially take Franz Mula back to England.

On September 3rd, the detective and his suspect climbed aboard a steamship. Tanner let out a sigh of relief as the boat glided away from New York. But Tanner still had reason to be scared. Mullah's side had presented a convincing case in New York. If the same thing happened in London, these two months of investigation, could all go to waste. Coming up, Inspector Tanner's case begins to disintegrate. What could be more shocking than uncovering the deep, dark secrets behind history's biggest stories?

Realizing that everything you thought was true was a lie. Hi, it's Carter from the Parcast series Conspiracy Theories. Every Monday and Wednesday, take a closer look at the blurred line between fact, in fiction and discover that there may be more to the so-called truth than you think. From the government's link to Bigfoot and the otherworldly secrets of the Vatican, to the Grateful Dead's role in the spread of LSD, and more. On conspiracy theories, we leave no stone unturned and no skeptic unheard. Some may just be outlandish claims.

Others may make you rethink everything. Follow the Spotify original from Parcast conspiracy theories. Listen free only on Spotify. Now back to the story. On September 15, 1864, Detective Inspector Richard Tanner spotted the Irish coast. It had been almost two weeks since he and his prime suspect, Franz Mullah, left New York. And they were finally closing in on England. Soon enough, a reporter jumped aboard.

He begged Tanner for any update on. the case, by the next morning, all of England knew about the twists and turns of the extradition trial. At this point, pretty much everyone in England assumed that Mullah was guilty. Everyone except for a group called the German Legal Protection Society. They'd assigned a well-known solicitor named Thomas Beard to the case. Franz Mulla met Beard when he arrived in London on September 17th. By that point, Beard had been working on the case for more than a month. He followed Mula into the police station and watched as the young man was officially charged with the murder of Thomas Briggs. Then the two men moved to a private room.

They needed to prepare for the inquest into Thomas Briggs's death, which would take place in a few days. The moment that Mula was left alone with Beard, he burst into tears. He told the solicitor that he was innocent and he could prove it. Beard had reason to believe him. Despite all the circumstantial evidence against Mula, there were a few things that didn't add up. And Beard intended to address all of these inconsistencies when he appeared at the Bow Street Court two days later. Most of the major witnesses in the case were ready to testify at the inquest on September 19th. But Thomas Beard was especially interested in three of them.

The first was the victim's son, Thomas James. James Briggs, who'd been called to talk about his father's hats. Up until this point, investigators had assumed that the silk hat Moola was carrying had to be taken from Thomas Briggs's body. But Beard wasn't so sure. Young Mr. Briggs, I am now going to present the hat found in the prisoner's trunk. Does this look anything like the hat your late father was wearing on the morning of July 9th? Well, no.

The shape and fabric is similar, but my father wore his hats a bit taller. How much taller, would you say? An inch, maybe two. Very well. Let me just ask you the question, then. Was your father wearing this hat on the 9th of July? I can't say, sir. Can you identify this hat as your father's at all?

I can't. Not in good conscience. The detectives who found Mullah's top hat hadn't expected this response. This called one of the major pieces of evidence into question, and the solicitor wasn't done yet. The case against Franz Mula hinged on the assumption that he could overpower Thomas Briggs in a very short time. The North London Railway took only four minutes to go from the Hackney Wick Station to Boe Station.

And Briggs's body was dumped about two-thirds of the way to the next station. That left Mula with just about three minutes to incapacitate him, throw him off the train car, and escape. That would have been an impressive feat for anyone, but especially for Mula. Not only was he a small man, he also claimed to have hurt his foot in early July. This would have slowed him down considerably. At this point, the court hadn't seen any evidence of Mula's injury, so Thomas Beard called John Hoffa, a friend of Mullahs, to the stand.

I saw Franz several times before he left for America. His right foot was so swollen that he couldn't fit into his boots, so he wore a slipper. Looked rather silly. And when did he start wearing this slipper? It was July 7th, as I recall, and he kept it on until the 12th or so. Said he got hit by a cart.

Right. Now, we know. for Mr. Tanner's notes that you were working alongside Mr. Mula at a tailor's shop on the day of the murder. He left around 8 p.m. and told you he was on his way to Camberwell to visit a woman, correct? Yes. Tell me, when he walked away, did you notice a limp, anything that could slow him down? Oh, yes, sir. He was limping terribly. I was worried he wouldn't even make it to the omnibus station. Mula was limping on July 9th, which made the prosecution's case look even weaker.

The argument against Franz Mullah had seemed so simple. All the evidence looked like it matched up. But none of these clues fit together as cleanly as the jury initially thought. And Mullah's demeanor was so unassuming. It was impossible to tell if he was innocent or just good at acting like it. But those judgments would have to wait. wait until the criminal trial. There was still a few more days of witness testimony left in the inquest, and the next one

would feature the man who blew the whole case open, Jonathan Matthews. Matthews had come forward more than a week into the investigation, saying that he was a friend of Mullah's. He said he'd bought a hat for Mula that matched the beat-up one found at the crime scene. He also said that Mula left a box from John Death's jewelry shop at his house. house. But even though Matthew's story had launched Mula to the top of the suspect list, the police had been wary of him from the beginning. They wondered why he took so long to report his friend. Matthews said he hadn't heard about the murder until then, but that seemed unlikely.

Matthews frequented pubs and spent his entire workday driving around the city. It was hard to believe he'd missed the story that was dominating the newspapers and powering the rumor mills. Plus, it was odd that he only came forward after the police announced that they were offering a substantial reward for information. It was a huge amount of money, enough for a working-class man to live on for several years. But despite these fishy circumstances, Matthew's story held the police's case together for months. Now, someone on Mullah's side finally got a chance to question him on it. Mr. Matthews, we've heard all about the hats. So I have a different question.

Where were you on July 9th? Just like any other day, I was driving my handsome cab. Do you have any documentation to prove that? Well, see, I don't own my cab. I rented out by the day. So usually you'd be able to check those company logs, but unfortunately, they went out of business. Is the former owner still in London?

Nope. Disappeared. Right. So I assume you engaged yourself with another cab company soon after the ninth. When did you start working again? I don't actually recall. Perhaps I wasn't driving on the ninth at all. Maybe I didn't drive that week.

It's all so hazy. That would explain not seeing a newspaper for all that time, I suppose. Yes. You seem excited by that, Mr. Matthews. Did you not make that connection before? Yes, or, uh, no, look, I don't know where I was on the ninth. I might have been working. I might have been laid up in bed. I don't know.

Matthews was nervous on the stand and didn't seem to have a clear idea of where he was on the night of the murder. This cast even more doubt on the official narrative about Thomas Briggs's murder, but it wasn't enough to convince the inquest jury. After more than a week of hearings, they reached what seemed like a pre-written conclusion.

Briggs had been killed on purpose, meaning Mula would stand trial for murder. The suspect was transported to Newgate Prison. His trial was scheduled for late October. Public opinion shifted while Mula sat in Newgate. Newspaper stories began to leave room for the possibility that he was an innocent man. Mullah's behavior in the courtroom went a long way in convincing the public. But many of these editorials focused on his motive for killing Thomas Briggs,

or more precisely, his complete lack of motive. The detectives had always assumed that this was a robbery gone wrong because Briggs's watch had been stolen. They thought Mula intended to sell the watch and use the money to buy his ticket across the ocean. But Mula still had the watch when they found him in New York. That meant he didn't need the money for his transatlantic voyage. It was odd that Mula was found with Briggs's watch, but it could be a coincidence. The secondhand markets were full of stolen items. It was possible that he bought it from the actual culprit or a third-party seller a few days after the murder.

Londoners continued to debate his guilt for weeks, hoping that the trial would bring some answers, but they were about to be disappointed. Coming up, a surprise witness shows up in the courtroom. Now back to the story. On the morning of October 27, 1864, the streets outside London's old Bailey courthouse were packed. After three days of preliminary proceedings, Franz Mullah's criminal trial was underway. Two lawyers shuffled through papers inside the building. A few judges and powdered wig sat at the front of the courtroom.

Twelve jury members shifted in their seats. As soon as Mula arrived, the lead prosecutor listed out, the evidence against him. The amount of circumstantial evidence was staggering, but there still wasn't any information that tied Mullah directly to the crime. But on October 28th, the defense finally took the floor. The German Legal Protection Society had replaced Solicitor Thomas Beard with a lawyer named John Perry. Even though the case against Mullah seemed overwhelming, Perry had an ace up his sleeve. In the early days of the investigation, Mula hadn't been able to account for his whereabouts on the night of the murder. But ever since his interview with the journalist in New York, he'd presented a consistent alibi.

And Perry had found the witnesses to back that alibi up. Your Honor, I'd like to bring two witnesses to the stand, Miss Marianne Eldred and Miss Elizabeth Jones. Gentlemen of the jury, you may already be aware that my client, Mr. Mulla, claims that he left work and took an omnibus to Camberwell to visit with a woman. Miss Eldred here is the woman in question, and Miss Jones operates her boarding house. Miss Eldred, how long have you known, Mr. Mulla? About nine months, sir. I was his girlfriend, I guess. He visited with me all the time. And did you see him on the night of July 9th? Well, I wasn't at the house when he arrived.

I usually leave the house around nine to check my telegrams, so I just missed him. But Mrs. Jones was there. Ah, you're getting ahead of me. Mrs. Jones, did you see Mr. Muller on the night of the murder? Sure did. Marianne left a few moments before he arrived, and he stood around for about ten minutes before heading out again.

He had something wrong with his foot, the poor thing, and I saw him limping back to the bus station around 9-10. Perry had also interviewed a clerk from the local. local telegram company who confirmed that Eldred received a message sometime on July 9th. If these two women were telling the truth, their testimony would disqualify Mula as a suspect. Thomas Briggs was killed around 10 p.m. after getting on a train at Fennchurch Street Station, about three miles away from Camberwell. And only two omnibuses ran from Camberwell to the area near Fenchurch Street that night. One of them left at 7 p.m.

and the other one at 950. The journey would have taken about 30 minutes, so there was no way for Mula to get to the train station on time. But the jury spotted some issues with the woman's stories. For one, it turned out that Mary Ann Eldred had only remembered the story about 10 days before the trial. This made jurors wonder if she'd been coached into covering for Mula. And then the prosecutor started asking questions about the women's

professional lives. These women have spun an engaging yarn, sure, but I have to wonder, what are they doing living on their own? Miss Eldred, if I may ask, what do you do for work? I... A factory, perhaps? A clothing maker? No?

I see that there are many single women living in your house, and I think even the good men of the jury would know what it means when several young women live under one roof. I suppose I'll ask Mrs. Jones directly. Do you run a brothel? You can call it that? So Miss Eldred here isn't Mullah's girlfriend. She's a... Well, I suppose I shouldn't be saying that in polite company.

But she's not the sort of woman we should be listening to, is she? Mary Ann Eldred was a sex worker and Elizabeth Jones was a madam. As soon as the prosecution figured that out, they cross-examined both of the women mercilessly. Even though Eldred and Jones's testimonies were fairly believable, it appeared that Perry had made a bit of a mistake in relying on them. No one respected them enough to listen. When Eldred stepped down from the stand, she caught Moola's eye.

The two of them shared a bittersweet smile. She'd done the best she could. But it wasn't enough. The jury went into deliberation shortly after Eldred and Jones' testimony, and took less than 15 minutes to come to a conclusion. Franz Mullah was guilty of murder, and there was only one acceptable punishment. Death.

Two prison guards stepped forward to take the German back to his prison cell, but just as they grabbed him, he ducked out of their way and attempted to address the court. His voice was weak, but he managed to get out a few sentences. I would like to say something. I accept the sentence because I respect the law and the processes of justice. And I know that I'm not a faultless man. But I've been convicted on false evidence.

I suppose I will go to my grave with the knowledge that I am innocent. Hardly anyone heard Mullah's statement. Most of the judges and spectators were already on their way out. And as Mula professed his innocence, the mob outside of the old Bailey cheered at his conviction. Mula was forced to stay in the courtroom and hear the crowd applauding his death sentence. All he could do was weep. The young man was taken back to Newgate to wait out the rest of his short life. His public hanging was scheduled for November 14th.

That gave him about two weeks to say his goodbyes, and maybe, finally. confess. But even as his execution date crept closer, Mula maintained his innocence. And after the initial excitement faded, many Londoners begin to question the verdict as well. Pamphlets with names like Mullah's guilt or innocence and who murdered Mr. Briggs started to pop up in the newsstands and sold like wildfire. Anonymous writers pointed out all the holes in Moola's case. As doubt spread across the city, multiple groups lobbied for an appeal. The German Legal Protection Society tried to gather new evidence, and a petition was signed by hundreds of Germans in Frankfurt.

Wilhelm I, the king of Prussia, even defended Mullah in a telegram sent to Queen Victoria. None of these efforts went anywhere. On November 14, 1864, the now 24-year-old Franz Mulla was laid. to the gallows. In the hours before his hanging, multiple chaplains and prison staff gave him opportunities to make a final confession, and up until the last moment, he refused. But according to the Lutheran minister who was there with him, Mullah had a change of heart once the noose was around his neck. He claimed that right before the lever was pulled, Mullah whispered a few last words in German.

Yes, I did it. The minister was the only one who heard this supposed confession, and his story was never substantiated. It doesn't seem to fit with Mullah's behavior leading up to that point. After the minister explained what he heard, the investigators looked through Mullah's private papers and didn't find any admission of guilt there either. There are so many open questions in this case. that it's hard to get a clear idea of how Thomas Briggs died. For one thing, we don't know how Mula would have gotten to the North London Railway

or how a lower-class person like him would have found his way into a first-class carriage. The only piece of evidence that directly connected him to the crime was the pocket watch, which he could have bought secondhand. And most importantly, he didn't have a clear motive. But according to the prosecution and the jury's verdict, Thomas Briggs's murder went like this. Both Mula and Briggs boarded the 945 train headed for Chalk Farm, a suburb just outside of London. It's confirmed that Briggs got on this train at 9.50 from Fenchurch Street Station.

It's unclear where Mula boarded, but if he was the culprit, he would have entered the cabin between 950 and 10. The doors to the compartment were locked on the way out of the station, so once he was the culprit, the train got moving, Mula and Briggs were stuck together. Somewhere between the Hackney and Bow Street stations, Mula attacked. He used a blunt object to bludgeon Briggs into unconsciousness. He grabbed Briggs's pocketwatch and hats before dumping the body out of the moving train. Somehow he did all of this in less than four minutes and avoided getting any blood on his clothes. Then he disembarked the first-class carriage without anyone noticing. And he did all of this with a broken foot.

Needless to say, this scenario seems unlikely. The investigators and jury overlooks some key details to get to this verdict. It's possible that Mullah's status as a working-class German immigrant allowed the British public to think the worst of him. And after his execution, some sectors of English society seem to recognize that they'd made a mistake. His case set off multiple debates around, found justice and criminal punishment.

Reports from his hanging were used in parliamentary hearings about the practice of public execution, which was banned four years after he died. Yet private executions continued behind British prison walls for 100 more years until 1964. At this point, it's not clear what happened to Thomas Briggs on that warm July evening. But whatever it was, it changed England forever. Thanks again for tuning into solved murders. We'll be back next Wednesday with another episode. For more information on the murder of Thomas Briggs,

amongst the many sources we used, we found murder in the first-class carriage, the first Victorian railway killing by Kate Cahoon, extremely helpful to our research. You can find all episodes of Solved Murders and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time.

If we live, till next time. Solved Murders, True Crime Mysteries is a Spotify original from Parcast. It is executive produced by Max Cutler. Sound design by Michael Langsner, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Travis Clark. This episode of Solved Murders was written by Kylie Harrington, with writing assistance by Karis Allen and Giles Hofseth, fact-checking by Claire Cronin and research by Mickey Taylor.

The amazing cast of voice actors includes Travis Clark, Joe Hernandez, Brian Kim McCormick, Melissa Medina, and Cameron Nicod. Solved Murder stars Wendy McKenzie and Carter Roy.