Ethel Proudlock case
Encyclopedia
The Ethel Proudlock case refers to Ethel Proudlock's 1911 trial for murder which took place in Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia. The trial became a cause célèbre scandalising British colonial society.
William Somerset Maugham
wrote a short story about the case which he subsequently turned into a successful 1927 play The Letter
and which in turn received two film adaptions of which the better known is William Wyler
's classic film noir
The Letter
. In addition it was referenced in a 1977 film East of Elephant Rock
by Don Boyd
.
It was the subject of a 2000 book by Eric Lawlor.
for boys in Kuala Lumpur, at the age of 19 in 1907. On the evening of 23 April 1911 she was alone in her bungalow while her husband dined with a fellow teacher. In the course of that evening she shot dead William Steward, a mine manager. Steward had visited her by rickshaw and had told the rickshaw boy to wait outside. Shortly afterwards the boy heard two shots and saw Steward stumble out of the house across the verandah followed by Proudlock carrying a revolver whose remaining 4 bullets she emptied into him.
Proudlock stood trial for murder in June 1911. There was no jury and her case was heard by a judge and two assessors. The trial lasted ten days and attracted intense local interest. Proudlock claimed that Steward had attempted to rape her and that she was acting in self defence. However the judge found her guilty of murder on the basis of inconsistencies in her testimony and other circumstantial evidence and sentenced her to death.
The verdict caused a furore in the local community prompting The Malay Mail
to issue the following notice
Proudlock appealed the verdict and spent 5 months in Pudu jail
awaiting her appeal. During the course of that time a number of petitions were got up for her, including one from her husband and the boys of the Victoria Institution, prompting the Sultan of Selangor to pardon her. Ethel Proudlock immediately left the colony with her three year old daughter for England and eventually America. She died in 1977.
William Proudlock left soon after for England. It's not known whether he ever rejoined Ethel but he did keep in touch. By 1931 he had moved to South Africa and ultimately to Argentina to teach at St. George's College, Quilmes
. He died in 1958.
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia. The trial became a cause célèbre scandalising British colonial society.
William Somerset Maugham
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham , CH was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and, reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s.-Childhood and education:...
wrote a short story about the case which he subsequently turned into a successful 1927 play The Letter
The Letter (play)
The Letter is a play by W. Somerset Maugham dramatised from a short story that first appeared in his 1926 collection The Casuarina Tree. The story is based on a real-life scandal involving the wife of the headmaster of a school in Kuala Lumpur who was convicted in a murder trial after shooting...
and which in turn received two film adaptions of which the better known is William Wyler
William Wyler
William Wyler was a leading American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter.Notable works included Ben-Hur , The Best Years of Our Lives , and Mrs. Miniver , all of which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, and also won Best Picture...
's classic film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
The Letter
The Letter (1940 film)
The Letter is a 1940 American film noir directed by William Wyler. The screenplay by Howard Koch is based on the 1927 play of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham, originally filmed in 1929.-Plot:...
. In addition it was referenced in a 1977 film East of Elephant Rock
East of Elephant Rock
East of Elephant Rock is a 1977 British independent drama film directed by Don Boyd and starring John Hurt, Jeremy Kemp and Judi Bowker. It was Boyd's second feature film following his little-noticed 1975 Intimate Reflections...
by Don Boyd
Don Boyd
Donald William Robertson Boyd Hon D.Litt is a Scottish film director, producer, screenwriter and novelist...
.
It was the subject of a 2000 book by Eric Lawlor.
History
Ethel Proudlock née Charter was a Eurasian who married William Proudlock, headmaster of the prestiguous Victoria InstitutionVictoria Institution
Victoria Institution is a premier secondary school for boys and one of the oldest schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The school is widely known as V.I. and a student of Victoria Institution bears the name Victorian....
for boys in Kuala Lumpur, at the age of 19 in 1907. On the evening of 23 April 1911 she was alone in her bungalow while her husband dined with a fellow teacher. In the course of that evening she shot dead William Steward, a mine manager. Steward had visited her by rickshaw and had told the rickshaw boy to wait outside. Shortly afterwards the boy heard two shots and saw Steward stumble out of the house across the verandah followed by Proudlock carrying a revolver whose remaining 4 bullets she emptied into him.
Proudlock stood trial for murder in June 1911. There was no jury and her case was heard by a judge and two assessors. The trial lasted ten days and attracted intense local interest. Proudlock claimed that Steward had attempted to rape her and that she was acting in self defence. However the judge found her guilty of murder on the basis of inconsistencies in her testimony and other circumstantial evidence and sentenced her to death.
The verdict caused a furore in the local community prompting The Malay Mail
The Malay Mail
The Malay Mail is a newspaper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, first published in 1 December 1896 when KL was the capital of the then new Federated Malay States, making it the first daily to appear in the FMS....
to issue the following notice
Proudlock appealed the verdict and spent 5 months in Pudu jail
Pudu Prison
The Pudu Prison was a prison in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Built in phases by the British colonial government between 1891 and 1895, it was located along Jalan Shaw. The construction began with its 394-metre prison wall at a cost of Straits $16,000, and had been adorned with the world's longest mural...
awaiting her appeal. During the course of that time a number of petitions were got up for her, including one from her husband and the boys of the Victoria Institution, prompting the Sultan of Selangor to pardon her. Ethel Proudlock immediately left the colony with her three year old daughter for England and eventually America. She died in 1977.
William Proudlock left soon after for England. It's not known whether he ever rejoined Ethel but he did keep in touch. By 1931 he had moved to South Africa and ultimately to Argentina to teach at St. George's College, Quilmes
St. George's College, Quilmes
St. George’s College is a private, bilingual, co-educational learning institution located in Quilmes, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Founded in 1898, it is among the most exclusive and upper-class schools in Argentina, and indeed in Latin America. St...
. He died in 1958.
See also
- Lord Erroll murder case. A 1941 murder case amongst the Happy Valley setHappy Valley setThe Happy Valley set was a group of privileged British colonials living in the Happy Valley region of the Wanjohi Valley,near the Aberdare mountain range, in the colonies of Kenya and Uganda during the 1920s - 1940s...
that similarly scandalised British colonial society in KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.