Uploaded June 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BOOK REVIEW
THE HAY POISONER
The Trial of Major Herbert Rowse Armstrong
By Martin Beales
ISBN 978 0 95765 550 8
PMB PRESS
A CONTROVERSIAL APPROACH TO THE JUDICIAL HOMICIDE OF MAJOR ARMSTRONG: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY- WE WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW
An appreciation by Elizabeth Robson Taylor MA of Richmond Green Chambers and Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers, Reviews Editor, “The Barrister”, and Mediator
"Dead not buried" was the original title of “The Hay Poisoner” which was re-published as the story of Armstrong continues to attract substantial interest to a new breed of reader- the crime fiction author.
This new version of the book by Martin Beales tells the true story surrounding the case of Major Herbert Rowse Armstrong who, the author believes, was hanged for a murder he did not commit. The story remains one of the most interesting homicides concerning poisoning with the added ingredient of a Welsh/English dispute based on snobbery and professional clashes. Just right for modern crime fiction with its current fascination for events of 100 years ago.
The disputed facts (as far as Beales is concerned) are that Major Armstrong was accused of attempting to poison a rival solicitor, Oswald Martin, by handing him a scone containing arsenic. When Mrs Armstrong died, her body was found to contain arsenic, and it was based on this circumstantial evidence that Armstrong was tried for her murder, splitting the border community in two.
In 1922 Armstrong was executed, protesting his innocence. His guilt was accepted by all except those of his friends in the town of Hay-on-Wye who knew him as a decent man and did not seem to like Mrs Armstrong. Until now, every publication about the case has assumed that Armstrong was guilty and deserved the supreme penalty inflicted upon him. Today, he would not have been executed, and it is likely he would have been acquitted because of the behaviour of the judge. A century ago, matters and attitudes were very different but thankfully we have stopped hanging people.
The prosecution was presented by the Attorney General “who prosecuted dishonestly” writes the author. “The DPP had influenced his medical team, led by Sir William Willcox and Dr Bernard Spilsbury, and the trial was conducted by Mr Justice Darling, who as a hanging judge, remains a disgrace to the High Court bench” concludes Beales.
And Beales presents evidence which reveals the name of the real murderer, whose sole motive was to dispose of Armstrong, not his wife. To achieve his objective, the murderer used the judicial system to execute his real victim. Do read the book to find out who the real murderer is- it does not take much guessing, but the structure of the story is a wonderful template for new budding crime writers!
The date of publication of this paperback edition is cited as 2013. It was first published as “Dead Not Buried” in 1995, and originally reprinted as “The Hay Poisoner” in 1997 by Martin Beales.
BOOK REVIEW
THE HAY POISONER
The Trial of Major Herbert Rowse Armstrong
By Martin Beales
ISBN 978 0 95765 550 8
PMB PRESS
A CONTROVERSIAL APPROACH TO THE JUDICIAL HOMICIDE OF MAJOR ARMSTRONG: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY- WE WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW
An appreciation by Elizabeth Robson Taylor MA of Richmond Green Chambers and Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers, Reviews Editor, “The Barrister”, and Mediator
"Dead not buried" was the original title of “The Hay Poisoner” which was re-published as the story of Armstrong continues to attract substantial interest to a new breed of reader- the crime fiction author.
This new version of the book by Martin Beales tells the true story surrounding the case of Major Herbert Rowse Armstrong who, the author believes, was hanged for a murder he did not commit. The story remains one of the most interesting homicides concerning poisoning with the added ingredient of a Welsh/English dispute based on snobbery and professional clashes. Just right for modern crime fiction with its current fascination for events of 100 years ago.
The disputed facts (as far as Beales is concerned) are that Major Armstrong was accused of attempting to poison a rival solicitor, Oswald Martin, by handing him a scone containing arsenic. When Mrs Armstrong died, her body was found to contain arsenic, and it was based on this circumstantial evidence that Armstrong was tried for her murder, splitting the border community in two.
In 1922 Armstrong was executed, protesting his innocence. His guilt was accepted by all except those of his friends in the town of Hay-on-Wye who knew him as a decent man and did not seem to like Mrs Armstrong. Until now, every publication about the case has assumed that Armstrong was guilty and deserved the supreme penalty inflicted upon him. Today, he would not have been executed, and it is likely he would have been acquitted because of the behaviour of the judge. A century ago, matters and attitudes were very different but thankfully we have stopped hanging people.
The prosecution was presented by the Attorney General “who prosecuted dishonestly” writes the author. “The DPP had influenced his medical team, led by Sir William Willcox and Dr Bernard Spilsbury, and the trial was conducted by Mr Justice Darling, who as a hanging judge, remains a disgrace to the High Court bench” concludes Beales.
And Beales presents evidence which reveals the name of the real murderer, whose sole motive was to dispose of Armstrong, not his wife. To achieve his objective, the murderer used the judicial system to execute his real victim. Do read the book to find out who the real murderer is- it does not take much guessing, but the structure of the story is a wonderful template for new budding crime writers!
The date of publication of this paperback edition is cited as 2013. It was first published as “Dead Not Buried” in 1995, and originally reprinted as “The Hay Poisoner” in 1997 by Martin Beales.
