At the age of 30 in 1814
Tawell was transported to Australia for the crime of forging bank
notes, but when he arrived with his knowledge of medicines, drugs
and poisons from being a salesman for a drug manufacturer he was
offered a job at the hospital in Sydney. He only served 3 years of
a 14 year sentence before being granted a ticket of leave and his
freedom by the Governor of the Colony. After making his fortune as
a chemist and becoming a man of high position in society, Tawell
returned to England in 1831 where he settled in London with his
wife and two children. Tawells’ wife subsequently became ill
and Tawell employed a nurse (Sarah Hart) to care for her before her
death in 1838. Although Tawell had two children with Sarah Hart
after his wifes death, he chose to marry again in 1841 to a
different woman of higher social stature and moved to
Berkhampstead. Tawell kept Sarah Hart as his mistress and paid her
a £1 allowance every week which he paid on visiting her in Slough
every three months. Whether Sarah Hart became a burden on Tawell or
if he was in fact in dread of his wife finding out about his
mistress, who knows, but Tawell decided his life would be better
off without Sarah. On the 1st January 1845 Tawell visited Sarah
where he laced her drink with prussic acid and so she died. Tawell
tried to escape via the rail network and took the first train out
of Slough which was the 7.42pm destined to Paddington. Thinking his
escape was complete Tawell relaxed in his first class seat.
Meanwhile back in Slough the local authorities had a description of
a man fleeing Sarah Harts’ cottage, knowing that a train was
leaving for London they rushed to the station where Tawell was seen
boarding, but the train then pulled out of Slough Train Station.
Fearing that Tawell would be lost the Stationmaster suggested that
they use a newly installed electric telegraph. A message was sent
to Paddington and Tawell was arrested soon after getting off the
train. John Tawell was found guilty of murder and was hanged for
his crime.
This was the first time that the electric
telegraph was used to help apprehend someone and the punishment for
the murder was the last public hanging from the balcony of County
Hall in Aylesbury.
On to the cache. Tawell
made his money as a chemist, so:
North
BoronHydrogen
BerylliumOxygen.YtterbiumLithium
And he was apprehended by
use of the electric telegraph, so:
West
----- ----- ----- ....-
--... .-.-.- ---.. ---.. --...
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