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Thomas Neill CreamSerial killer from Scotland
Date of Birth: 27.05.1850
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Biography of Thomas Neil Cream
- Early Life and Education
- Medical Career and Crimes
- Release and Further Crimes
- Arrest and Execution
Biography of Thomas Neil Cream
Thomas Neil Cream, also known as the 'Lambeth Poisoner,' was a serial killer born in Scotland. He claimed to have committed his first murder in the United States and the remaining crimes in England, Canada, and Scotland. Before his execution, Cream alleged that he was Jack the Ripper.
Early Life and Education
Thomas Neil Cream was born on May 27, 1850, in Glasgow, Scotland. He grew up near Quebec City, Canada, after his family relocated there in 1854. Cream studied at McGill University in Montreal and in 1876, he traveled to London to study medicine at the prestigious St Thomas's Hospital Medical School. One of the reasons for his journey to England was his failed marriage to Flora Brooks. Their marriage was forced upon them by the bride's family at gunpoint. Flora allegedly died of exhaustion in 1877, and Cream was accused of her death.
Medical Career and Crimes
After becoming a qualified doctor and surgeon in Edinburgh in 1878, Cream practiced medicine in London, Ontario. In August 1879, Kate Gardner, a woman with whom Cream allegedly had a romantic relationship, was found dead and poisoned with chloroform near Cream's office. Cream claimed she had become pregnant by a prominent local businessman, but he was still charged with murder and extortion and subsequently went into hiding.
Cream opened a private medical practice near the Red Light District in Chicago, offering illegal abortions to prostitutes. He became a suspect after the death of Mary Anne Faulkner in August 1880, a woman he allegedly operated on. However, due to a lack of evidence, Cream evaded prosecution. In December 1880, another patient, Miss Stack, died after being treated by Cream. He attempted to blackmail the pharmacist who had prescribed her medication.
In July 1881, Daniel Stott died of strychnine poisoning in his home in Boone County, Illinois, after Cream supplied him with epilepsy medication. Cream was arrested alongside Julia Abbey Stott, who had obtained poison from him to murder her husband. To avoid imprisonment, Julia became a witness and accused Cream of all the crimes. He was sentenced to life imprisonment at Joliet Prison.
Release and Further Crimes
In July 1891, Cream was released from prison after Governor Joseph W. Fifer commuted his sentence. It is rumored that bribery played a role in his release. Using the money he inherited from his father's death in 1887, Cream traveled to Liverpool, England, arriving on October 1, 1891. He settled in Lambeth, a deprived area known for poverty, prostitution, and thriving petty crime.
On October 13, 1891, 19-year-old prostitute Ellen 'Nellie' Donworth agreed to have a drink with Cream. She fell ill the next day and died on October 16 from strychnine poisoning. Cream wrote to the police inspector in charge of murders, offering to reveal the poisoner's identity for a reward of £300,000. He also sent a letter to 'WH Smith' owner William Frederick Danvers Smith, accusing him of murder and demanding money for his silence.
On October 20, Cream encountered 20-year-old prostitute Matilda Clover, who died the following morning. Initially, her death was attributed to alcoholism. On April 2, 1892, after a trip to Canada, Cream returned to London and attempted to poison Lou Harvey, who suspected foul play but pretended to have swallowed the pills Cream gave her, discreetly throwing them into the River Thames.
Arrest and Execution
On April 11, Cream met prostitutes Alice Marsh and Emma Shrivell, offering them Irish Guinness. He left them before administering strychnine. Both women died in excruciating pain. Cream's true motives remain unknown. He may have been a sadist who derived pleasure from the suffering of others, even if he did not witness it himself. However, Cream was also driven by greed. He poisoned Daniel Stott in hopes of inheriting his widow's wealth.
When Cream met a police officer from New York City, who was visiting London, he foolishly gave him a tour of the areas where the 'Lambeth Poisoner' operated. Scotland Yard began monitoring Cream, discovering his visits to prostitutes. On July 13, 1892, Cream was charged with the murder of Matilda Clover. The trial took place from October 17 to 21, and he was found guilty and sentenced to death.
On November 15, 1892, Dr. Thomas Neil Cream was hanged by James Billington at Newgate Prison. His body was buried on the same day in an unmarked grave within the prison walls. Billington claimed that while on the way to the gallows, Cream said, "I am Jack…" implying that he was Jack the Ripper. However, prison records show that Cream was incarcerated in 1888 when the Ripper was active.
