The Mysterious Telegram Murder

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:12][music] >> The death of Lieutenant Hubert George Hugh Chevis in June 1931 remains one of the most unusual and perplexing unsolved poisoning cases in British history.

[00:00:32]What began as an ordinary evening in a military bungalow quickly turned into a baffling mystery involving lethal poison, missing evidence, and strange communications from an unknown individual.

[00:00:49]Hubert George Chevis was born on September the 21st, 1902 in Rawalpindi in British India, modern-day Pakistan, into a prominent and well-connected family.

[00:01:02]His father, Sir William Chevis, served in the Indian Civil Service and later became a judge of the High Court in India. [clears throat] Chevis spent the early years of his life in India before being sent to England for his education.

[00:01:17]He attended Charterhouse School in Surrey, a prestigious institution, and later entered the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich.

[00:01:26]Upon graduating in August of 1923, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery.

[00:01:35]By 1931, Chevis had built a respectable military career and was serving as an instructor at the Aldershot Training Camp in Hampshire.

[00:01:45]He was described as sociable, well-liked, and without known enemies.

[00:01:50]His personal life also appeared stable.

[00:01:53]In December of 1930, he married Frances Rolleston, a wealthy heiress who had previously been married to Major George Thompson Trevelyan Jackson, a veterinary officer. Frances had three children from her first marriage and possessed significant independent wealth, meaning that her marriage to Chevis was not financially motivated.

[00:02:16]By all outward appearances, the couple were happy during their brief marriage.

[00:02:22]The events that led to Chevis's death began on the 20th of June 1931 at their bungalow at Blackdown Camp near Aldershot.

[00:02:33]Earlier that afternoon, the couple entertained friends with cocktails, suggesting a normal and relaxed atmosphere.

[00:02:41]That evening, they planned to attend a military tattoo, so they arranged to have dinner earlier than usual. Their meal was prepared by their cook, Ellen Yeomans, and served by their batman, Gunner Nicholas Bolger.

[00:02:56]Dinner began without incident. The first course consisted of fish, which both 28-year-old Chevis and his wife ate without complaint.

[00:03:06]The main course, however, would prove fatal.

[00:03:10]The couple had ordered two Manchurian partridges from a local supplier. These birds had been delivered earlier in the day and stored in a meat safe outside the bungalow, which was reportedly unlocked.

[00:03:23]When the partridges were served, Mrs. Chevis carved them at the sideboard, giving her husband the larger bird.

[00:03:31]After taking only a few mouthfuls, however, Chevis immediately complained about the taste, describing it as extremely unpleasant.

[00:03:40]He called the batman back into the room and ordered that the bird be removed and destroyed, instructing that even the dog should not be allowed to eat its contents.

[00:03:52]His wife tasted a small portion and agreed that it had a bitter and unpleasant flavor, although she described her own bird as less offensive.

[00:04:03]Following these instructions, the batman removed both partridges to the kitchen.

[00:04:08]The cook, Ellen Yeomans, then burned the remains in the fire.

[00:04:13]At the time, this seemed a reasonable precaution, but it later proved to be a crucial mistake, as it destroyed the primary evidence that could have been examined.

[00:04:25]Shortly after eating the partridge, Hugh Chevis began to feel unwell.

[00:04:31]>> [music] >> His symptoms developed rapidly and were severe.

[00:04:35]He experienced muscle spasms, stiffness, and violent [music] convulsions.

[00:04:41]A physician was called, initially suspecting food poisoning. However, as Hugh's condition worsened, it became clear that something more serious was occurring.

[00:04:52]Around the same time, Frances Chevis also became unwell, although her symptoms were less severe. [music] Both were taken to Frimley Hospital, where doctors worked throughout the night to save Hugh's life.

[00:05:06]Despite extensive efforts, including prolonged artificial respiration, he died at 9:50 a.m. on June the 21st of 1931.

[00:05:17]A postmortem examination revealed that he had ingested approximately two [music] grains of strychnine, a highly toxic substance.

[00:05:26]This amount was far above the fatal dose.

[00:05:30]Frances Chevis, who had consumed only a small amount of the food, eventually recovered.

[00:05:36]>> [music] >> The discovery of strychnine shifted the focus of the investigation towards determining how the poison had been introduced into the meal.

[00:05:45]With the partridges already destroyed, investigators were forced to rely on indirect evidence. Analysis of other food items and cooking materials revealed traces of strychnine, suggesting [music] that the poison had been present in or around the preparation of the dish.

[00:06:02]One theory was that the partridges had been tampered with while stored in the outdoor meat safe. Since the safe was unlocked, it would have been possible for someone to access the birds and inject them with poison. However, this raised practical concerns. The bungalow was surrounded by other residences, and the presence of a dog made it unlikely that a stranger could approach unnoticed.

[00:06:28]Another possibility was that the poison had been added during the preparation or serving of the meal.

[00:06:34]Since the partridges were placed on a sideboard and carved there by Mrs. Chevis, it had been suggested that this moment may have provided an opportunity to introduce the poison. However, there was no direct evidence to support this theory, and it remained speculative.

[00:06:51]As the investigation continued, a strange and disturbing development occurred.

[00:06:58]On the day of Hugh's funeral, his [music] father received a telegram from Dublin, Ireland.

[00:07:06]The message simply read, rather disturbingly, "Hooray, hooray, hooray." And was signed J. Hartigan.

[00:07:16]This message was deeply unsettling, to say the least, [music] as it appeared to celebrate the death.

[00:07:24]Furthermore, Sir William Chevis's address was not publicly available, and news of the death had not yet been widely reported, suggesting that the sender may have had prior knowledge.

[00:07:37]Police attempted to trace the sender, but found no record of anyone named Hartigan staying at the hotel listed on the telegram.

[00:07:46]>> [music] >> Investigations in Ireland revealed that a man resembling the sender had purchased strychnine from a chemist several weeks earlier, but these leads did not result in identification.

[00:07:59]Additional messages attributed to J.

[00:08:02]Hartigan followed. After a newspaper published an image of the original telegram, another message was sent, questioning why it had been made public.

[00:08:14]A further postcard sent to Sir William Chevis stated that the case would never be solved.

[00:08:22]These communications added to the mystery, but did not provide any concrete evidence. Later investigations suggested that the sender may have been mentally unstable and not directly involved in the poisoning.

[00:08:37]The official inquest into Hugh Chevis's death [music] brought forward numerous witnesses, including household staff, medical professionals, and his wife, Frances.

[00:08:47]Their testimony established the sequence of events, but failed to explain how the poison had been introduced.

[00:08:54]Medical experts confirmed that the amount of strychnine involved was significant and unlikely to have been ingested [music] accidentally.

[00:09:04]Several potential suspects were considered. Frances Chevis was an obvious person of interest, as she had served the meal and was present at the time. However, no clear motive was identified. She was already wealthy, and there was no evidence of marital conflict. Her own illness, although less severe, also complicated suspicions.

[00:09:26]Her former husband, Major Jackson, was also investigated due to reports of hostility towards Hugh. However, he had a strong alibi and could not be placed near the scene. Other individuals connected to the household or the supply of the partridges were similarly unable to be linked to the poisoning.

[00:09:45]After weeks of investigation, the coroner concluded that there was insufficient evidence to determine the exact cause of Hugh Chevis's death beyond the presence of strychnine.

[00:09:57]The jury was directed to return an open verdict, meaning it could not be established whether the death was as a result of murder, accident, or another cause.

[00:10:09]In the years that followed, the case continued to attract attention and speculation. Various theories were proposed, including the possibility of an inside job or a personal grudge linked to Chavasse's family background in India.

[00:10:25]The identity of J. Hartigan remained a particular point of intrigue, although no definitive connection to the poisoning was ever established.

[00:10:36]The death of Hubert Chavasse remains unsolved. Despite efforts of investigators at the time, the destruction of key evidence, lack of a clear motive, and the absence of a definitive suspect have prevented any resolution.

[00:10:53]More than 90 years later, the case continues to be discussed as an example how even a seemingly straightforward poisoning case can remain unexplained, leaving behind questions that may never be answered.