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Charles Cyril Cutler

Age: 63

Sex: male

Date: 1 Sep 1957

Place: Wyke Estate, Daley Street, Hackney

Charles Cutler was murdered in his night watchman’s hut. He was found by his 13-year-old son in his hut on the Wyke housing estate on Sunday 1 September 1957.

He had been strangled.

He was found bound and gagged in his hut and the police said that they were trying to trace two men who they described as being between 25 and 30 years of age that they thought would be able to help them in their inquiries. They were seen near his hut at about 12.20am on the Sunday 1 September 1957. Their descriptions were:

Man A:

  • 25 to 30 years old.
  • Short and thickset.
  • Dark curly hair.

Man B:

  • 25 to 30 years old.
  • 6ft tall.
  • Slim.
  • Straight dark hair.

The hut was described as having been on the corner of Anderson Road and Digby Road although other reports mention Daley Street which is more likely as there are no sign's of there being a Digby Road from a quick look at the maps.

The pathologist that carried out his post mortem said that Charles Cutler's hands and legs had been tied and that there was a handkerchief tied round his neck that had been over tied with a tie. It was also reported that he had been gagged with a black silk cravat. The pathologist said, 'A slow suffocation had built up' and gave his cause of death as being due to asphyxia. When questioned he agreed that his death was in fact due to over-effective gagging. It was also reported that it was possible that Charles Cutler had died some hours after he had been gagged.

It was also noted that Charles Cutler had suffered from a weak heart. It was reported that a few hours before he died that Charles Cutler had told a woman, 'I have got a weak heart and I'm getting old, but I don't want to die'.

It was reported that the police thought that the motive for his murder was probably robbery, but it was noted that no money was kept in the hut.

Charles Cutler was known to local children as 'Old Arthur' and had lived in Dunsmure Road in Stamford Hill. He was described as a 'lovable old man' and said that he had worked at the hut for about a year. He was said to have had two children and that at the time of his murder that his wife was in hospital.

It was said that Charles Cutler would always lock his hut at night and that it was known that he would never open it unless he recognised who was outside.

He was found dead in his hut by his 13-year-old son after he went there to share a bag of sweets with him and it was said that he found him dead there with blood around his head from where he had been struck. His son said that when he went to the hut he had found it closed and so he had climbed in through an open window to find Charles Cutler dead.

It was reported that when Charles Cutler's son had gone to the hut that two little girls had been nearby and seen him climbing in through the window. They were 9 and 5 years old. The 9-year-old girl said, 'Our friend climbed through a window of the hut. Then he came running out, screaming for us to get help'. The 5-year-old said, 'Arthur loved us and I saw him tied up on the floor'. It was reported that after Charles Cutler's body was found that the two little girls ran off to spread the news of the 'nightmare murder' in Anderson Road.

It was reported that the two little girls then got the help of the caretaker of a block of flats. He said, 'Charles Cutler's son let me into the hut. The two little girls were following me, but I sent them away. Old Arthur was lying on his face, with his feet tied and his hands bound behind his back. He was gagged with a black silk cravat. By his head was a fountain pen and a penknife. His spectacle case was beneath him. The doors of a filing cabinet were open and the telephone receiver was lying on the floor broken'.

The hut itself was described as having been in disorder and the telephone was found off its hooks which it was said suggested that Charles Cutler had put up a fierce struggle. Two neckties were reported to have been found in the hut.

A young couple said that they heard Charles Cutler shouting, 'Don't touch me, don't hit me', but said that they thought that he was having a nightmare. At his inquest the couple gave further evidence, stating that they had been standing six feet away from Charles Cutler's hut when they heard his cries. The 17-year-old girl said that when they heard the cries that her boyfriend had moved to go and investigate but that she had pulled him away, saying, 'It's Old Arthur, the watchman, having a nightmare'. The girl, who was described as being blonde and who lived in Anderson Road, said that she heard cries that lasted about 10 minutes. She said, 'We thought somebody might be having a nightmare'. She later said, 'I thought the old man was having a nightmare when he screamed. I called my boyfriend away, as I thought the old chap might be annoyed at being disturbed. Naturally I didn't dream anything was happening to him. I feel pretty awful about it now'.

At his inquest, which concluded on Monday 28 October 1957 a verdict of 'murder by a person or persons unknown' was returned.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see find.galegroup.com

see National Archives - HO 332/16 - STA 502/3/33

see "Watchman Found Dead In Hut." Times [London, England] 2 Sept. 1957: 5. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 May 2016.

see "Couple Stood 6ft. From Dying Man." Times [London, England] 29 Oct. 1957: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 3 Mar. 2013.

see Belfast Telegraph - Tuesday 03 September 1957

see Western Mail - Monday 02 September 1957

see Daily Mirror - Tuesday 03 September 1957

see Daily Mirror - Monday 02 September 1957

see Halifax Evening Courier - Monday 02 September 1957

see Belfast Telegraph - Monday 28 October 1957

see Leicester Evening Mail - Tuesday 03 September 1957

see Leicester Evening Mail - Monday 02 September 1957

see Daily Herald - Friday 06 September 1957

see Belfast Telegraph - Monday 02 September 1957

see Shields Daily News - Monday 02 September 1957

see Lancashire Evening Post - Monday 28 October 1957