On May 31, 1902, a young woman prepared for bed after a long day. While the rain fell, lightning lit up Suffolk’s village of Peasenhall in England. Instead of a peaceful evening, the young woman struggled with an intruder in her home at the Providence House. Rose Harsent, 23, engaged in a life and death encounter she wouldn’t survive.
Early on June 1, 1902, William Harsent visited his daughter Rose to bring her clean linen. She lived in the Providence House and worked as a maid for Deacon William Crisp and his wife.
William arrived at his daughter’s home to an unusual silence. Within minutes of his arrival, he discovered Rose lying at the bottom of a staircase in a large pool of blood. Someone had slashed her throat from ear-to-ear and attempted to set her on fire.
Next to her bloodied hand was a prescription for paraffin. It belonged to neighbors Mr. and Mrs. William Gardiner. Authorities investigated Rose’s homicide and found three letters in her room. One stated:
“Dear R, I will try to see you tonight at 12 o’clock at your place. If you put a light in your window at ten for about ten minutes, then you can put it out again.”
The letter’s author added, “Do not have a light in your room at 12 as I will come round the back way.”
Authorities deduced someone had arranged a meeting with Rose on the evening she died. But who was this unknown person?
The local medical examiner learned Rose was six months pregnant and estimated she died between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. The investigation led to neighbor William Gardiner. The married father of six was a lay minister and foreman at a company called Smyth & Sons. He had an excellent reputation and was considered a good man. Authorities charged him with Rose’s death after learning of his affair with Rose.
Authorities also suspected he had fathered Rose’s unborn child, which could have furnished a strong motive for murder.
Gardiner denied murdering Rose. He said his wife could confirm he was home all night. Also, a neighbor provided an alibi for Gardiner. The neighbor engaged in a conversation with Gardiner before the storm. Gardiner’s wife also denied rumors of her husband and Rose engaging in a sexual affair.
William Gardiner faced a jury twice for killing Rose Harsent. Both trials ended with a hung jury. Although authorities and the residents believed Gardiner had killed Rose, it couldn’t be proven. Gardiner was released from custody and never charged again. He died in 1941 and spent the rest of his days under suspicion of committing murder.
Today, true crime buffs in England still discuss this case. It’s one of those true crime stories people still find fascinating. If William Gardiner didn’t kill Rose, who did? While many people suspected him of the crime, others thought his wife may have killed Rose.
The murder was especially heinous. Did Mrs. Gardiner kill Rose out of jealousy? Back in those days, a scandal involving a married man and his pregnant mistress would have brought terrible shame to the Gardiner family.
William Gardiner supporters thought someone else had fathered Rose’s unborn child. Could it have been another man no one knew about? Besides, Rose was young and unmarried. It’s possible she had other suitors. And who wrote the mysterious meeting letter discovered in Rose’s room? No one could prove for certain if Gardiner had written it. Possibly, the person who wrote it did so intending on killing Rose. After William Gardiner’s release, authorities never charged anyone else with Rose Harsent’s homicide. Historians and true crime fans consider her unsolved murder one of England’s most intriguing cold cases.
Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook: www.Facebook.com/themarcabe or his Twitter account @themarcabe. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.