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THE ATTIC
:
Origin of the Murder Bag |
Date
Added
DEC 2002 |
What is known
as the 'Murder Bag' is now part of the equipment of a chief-inspector, who takes
it with them whenever they are called upon to investigate a case of murder in
the provinces. The origin of the 'Murder Bag' is interesting. The first murder
case that Superintendent Percy Savage (Scotland Yard 1934), had after his
appointment as chief inspector was the crime for which Patrick Mahon was hanged
- the murder of Miss Emily Kaye at Eastbourne. When Sir Bernard Spilsbury
visited the bungalow on the Crumbles, he expressed astonishment that
Superintendent Savage had been handling portions of putrid flesh with his bare
hands, and he pointed out that Savage ran a grave risk of septic poisoning. He
said that no medical man outside a lunatic asylum would dream of doing such a
thing, and that Savage ought to have at least worn rubber gloves. Savage told
him that they were not provided with rubber gloves. Sir Bernard, who is nothing
if not practical, had a very serious talk with Savage and Dr Scott-Gillett,
which had been of great assistance to Savage.
Police Officers not only had no rubber gloves, but they lacked many other things
essential to the efficient performance of their duties. If they wanted to
preserve human hair on clothing, or soil or dust on boots, they had to pick it
up with their fingers and put it on a piece of paper. They had no tapes to
measure distances, no compass to determine direction, no apparatus to take
fingerprints, no first aid outfit, no instrument to find the depth of water,
no magnifying glass. In fact, they had no appliances available for immediate use
at the
scene of the crime. And so it came about that the 'Murder Bag' evolved. With
the assistance of Sir Bernard and Dr Scott-Gillett, Savage made out a list of
necessary articles for inclusion in the bag, and each chief inspector now takes
one with them on every occasion that they are called out to investigate a crime
in the county.
The general
'Murder Bag' was gradually refined over the years to take account of advance in
technique as well as the requirements of the times.
The 1949 edition of Hans Gross's 'Criminal Investigation' (edited by Ronald
Martin Howe) cautions healthful cleanliness after the fashion of Spilsbury;
among the equipment 'available for the detectives of a well-known English
force', he lists: 'A piece of soap. Soap is useful to take small impressions, as
of keys, teeth (in the case of bites), etc. and perhaps dirty bodies.'
Present day
scene of crime officers will have a routine established which most
effectively makes use of their time and experience, and will carry the familiar
equipment and materials which that experience has taught may be required. Many
of these items - even in the
specialist kits - are simple everyday things such as bottles and bags,
tweezers and test tubes - all spotlessly clean. It is vital when collecting
trace evidence on which criminal proceedings may rely that there is no
possibility of contamination which could render the evidence non valid. |
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