George Henry Lamson

Lamson fought during the Franco-Prussian War with the French Ambulance Corps during the 1871 siege of Paris, receiving a Legion of Honour for his work.

Living beyond his means, and with his medical practice faring poorly, the morphine addiction he had acquired during his overseas service came to dominate his life and his financial situation grew desperate, with creditors pressing for payment of bills, cheques bouncing and his bank refusing further credit.

[1] Lamson's wife (née John) was one of five orphaned siblings who were wards in Chancery, and joint inheritors of a family trust fund.

He had poisoned his victim with aconitine in the cake, a substance which Lamson had learned about from Professor Robert Christison at Edinburgh University.

[1][7] Lamson was hanged by William Marwood at Wandsworth Prison on 28 April 1882, having admitted his morphine addiction and effectively his guilt of murdering Percy John.