February 23rd 1885 The Man They Could Not Hang
On February 23rd 1885 in Exeter, the execution of John "Babbacombe" Lee was scheduled. He had been found guilty of murder earlier in the month. He worked as a servant for a wealthy lady called Emma Keyse and she had been found beaten, her throat slashed and her body set on fire in the home she shared with John Lee. The evidence against Lee was circumstantial. He had been in trouble before for petty theft and he had also threatened to destroy the house claiming he would "level the place to the ashes". John Lee claimed that he had not been in the house at the time the fire was started but unfortunately, he had no credible alibi. The trial moved forward and all the evidence was put to a jury. Lee had cuts on his arm and his clothes were covered in blood. There was a bloody knife found in a drawer in the locker beside his bed. He had a criminal record. He was the only person in or around the house at the time of the murder. He had threatened to "level th...