Mad John Baines
The first time Baines comes to our attention is on the 2nd July 1887, Baines (who gives his address as 15, Francis Street, Woolwich) is found drunk and asleep on Woolwich Common by a military policeman called Richard Taylor.
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| Francis Street, Woolwich |
He said in his defence that he was sorry for what had happened, but being awoke from a drunken sleep and finding that he'd been robbed of 23s, he lost his temper and did not know what took place, the prisoner was discharged with a caution.
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| Woolwich Garrison |
His next court appearance was for an horrific attack, the London Evening Standard of Monday 26th September 1887 takes up the story.
Marlborough Street.
John Baines, a rough looking fellow, was charged, on remand, with assaulting Annie Cummins, an unfortunate, by biting her on the cheek whilst in Hyde Park, on the night of the 16th inst. - Constable Sibley 351A, of the A Division, said that about a quarter to eleven he heard screams of "Murder", and a voice saying, "Don't touch me, don't touch me."
He proceeded in the direction of the Serpentine, and then saw the prisoner following a woman. Upon the man getting up to her he knocked her down and fell over her, and the woman again screamed for help, saying "He is biting me."
Witness ran to her assistance, dragged the prisoner off her and saw that she had been injured in the face. She had been bitten under one of her eyes and blood was flowing down her cheek. She said that she knew the prisoner and had been supporting him by her earnings in the streets.
Prisoner said that it served her right and that he would teach her not to insult people.
Dr Blackett said that he had examined the woman and found that she had a lacerated wound under her eye. A portion of the skin had been torn away and she would be disfigured for life, as there would always be a large scar where the wound had been.
The Prosecutrix said that she was an outpatient at one of the hospitals and attended there daily. The wound in her face was suppurating and as serious consequences might supervene the prisoner was again remanded for a week.
The outcome was taken up by the London Evening Standard Monday 3rd October 1887.
Marlborough Street.
John Baines was charged, on remand, with violently assaulting, by biting a piece of the cheek, Annie Cummins, living in Gun Street, Southwark.
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| Gun Street, now Boyfield Street, Southwark |
She had lived with the accused for about a fortnight before the assault and during that time he had done no work of any kind.
In defence Baines said that he had been drinking heavily on the night in question and the woman provoked him very much. He had been in the army and had only been discharged from a lunatic asylum two months ago.
Mr Mansfield said that no provocation could justify such an inhuman assault and sentenced the accused to the full term of six months imprisonment with hard labour.
As an interesting aside to this story Peter Haining in his The Dracula Centenary Book* relates a report from The Times, according to him the policeman on the scene was PC 351A John Harker and the bite was on the neck not the cheek.
Regardless of Haining making things up the parallels between Baines and the character Renfield are obvious, also the date the article was published in The Times was 3rd October, in Dracula that is the day Dracula is confronted in his Piccadilly home. If this article was read by Bram Stoker and it inspired the Renfield character then John Baines has become immortal despite himself!
Extraordinary Scene In Court was the headline in the South London Press on Saturday 1st December 1888.
At the Southwark police court, John Baines, aged 25, who described himself as of no home, was charged on remand, with violently assaulting Elizabeth Gunn, an unfortunate, in the London Road.
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| London Road, Southwark |
Sergeant Alexander Osbeston took his hat away as he evidently intended to throw it. The prisoner, with great agility, freed himself for the moment, struck the Sergeant a violent blow on the eye and scratched his face.
There was great consternation in court, but the officers at once surrounded the prisoner and secured him. He was removed for a time and brought back, his arms being fastened behind him. On being placed again in the dock, he used most violent language, threatening everyone with dire consequences for their conduct, adding he was a "lunatic" and had been sent to an asylum for a previous assault.
The facts connected with the specific charge against the prisoner were of a very simple character. It appeared that he had lived with the prosecutrix for nine months and took all the money she recieved, till at last, through his ill usage, she left him. Prisoner then assaulted her and she forgave him.
On the 14th inst. he met her in the London Road, asked for money, and, being refused, knocked her down and kicked her. She was rescued from further violence by a police constable, and prisoner was taken into custody and conveyed to the station, after much difficulty.
Prosecutrix was examined by Dr Farr, who found her much injured on the body, and her jaw bone seriously injured, so much so, that although there was no fracture, she was even now unable to open her mouth properly.
It was proved that the prisoner had already suffered two months hard labour in prison for an assault on the woman, and, further, that he had assaulted another woman. The prisoner, on being asked if he had anything to say, or any witnesses to call, said "No. All my witnesses are God, or the Devil. I don't know which I shall call."
He was committed for trial, and was conducted out of the court, using threats to doctors, witnesses and others, and nearing the door exclaimed, "You have heard something today, in two days time you'll hear something else".
A couple of years later Baines was north of the river, in St Georges In The East, the Eastern Post, Saturday 23rd August 1890.
THAMES - An Unprovoked Assault.
John Baines, aged 27, was charged with assaulting Mrs Ellen Evans, of Watney Street, St Georges's.
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| Watney Street |
On Saturday night Baines came into the shop and called for two-pennyworth of eels. He then called another man in and called for a similar quantity for his friend. He afterwards refused to pay for them, picked up a basin and threw it at her.
She put up her hand to save her face, when the basin caught her and cut her fingers. Mr Dickinson told the prisoner that he had been guilty of an absolutely unprovoked assault, and fined him 20s, or 14 days hard labour.
Baines is at it again! The London Evening Standard, Tuesday 12th July 1892.
John Gardon, John Baines and John Dulwich were charged with burglary and robbery. At 4 o'clock this morning Morgan Dear, a blacksmith, of Commercial Road, was in bed, when he heard a noise in his yard and lifted the window up.
He saw the prisoner in his yard and Baines had one of his ducks under his arm. Baines climbed over a wall to the next yard followed by the other two. They got through an empty house and came out of the front door into the street.
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| York Road, now Yorkshire Road |
Arthur Springhall, 323H, who was on duty at the corner of York Road, saw the prisoners come out of 655, Commercial Road, the unoccupied house alluded to, and he secreted himself behind a coffee stall. They came towards him and at that time the prosecutor came out of the next house in his shirt sleeves.
The prisoners catching sight of the constable made off pursued by Springhall, and Baines drew a jemmy and threw it over the back premises adjoining York Road.
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| 655 Commercial Road |
He caught Gardon and on searching him he found a skeleton key. The other two prisoners were apprehended by constables 212H and 35H, but nothing was found on them. This morning Harry Lusk, an Inspector of Police, found that 655 had been entered by a skeleton key. A double fronted glass door leading to the shop had been forced, the back door burst open and from there they had effected an entrance into Dear's place. Mr Mead committed the prisoners for trial.
The last communication from John Baines was in a letter from Broadmoor.
Reynold's Newspaper - Sunday 8th July 1894.
I have received a letter from John Baines, an ex soldier, complaining of ill treatment whilst an inmate of the Broadmoor Lunatic Asylum. He mentions as one instance that he was in October 1892 stripped naked in a cold stone cell and banged against the wall.
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| Broadmoor Asylum |
His throat was cut open and his ribs were black and blue. In this state he was left for twelve hours. This is by no means the first time I have received communications from persons alleging acts of brutal violence in asylums. Some member of parliament should ask that a committee be appointed to inquire into the management of these institutions.
Published in the Morning Post, Tuesday 21st May 1895 is a list of inmate deaths, among those deceased is John Baines, this was still two years before the publishing of Dracula. If we take the appalling treatment of Baines in Broadmoor and hold it up to the final fate of Renfield in his asylum there is a chilling similarity. In Dracula Renfield is beaten to death in his cell on the 3rd October, the date Baines was reported for assaulting poor Annie Cummins in Hyde Park.
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