Thomas Neill Cream
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Thomas Neill Cream emigrated to Canada when he was four years old. Moving to America, he qualified as a doctor.
In 1881 he was jailed for life in Chicago after having been convicted of killing Daniel Stott, his mistress’s husband, with strychnine. Stott’s gravestone inscription reads, “Daniel Stott Died June 12, 1881 Aged 61 Years Poisoned By His Wife & Cream”.
Life on that occasion meant ten years and, on his release, Cream moved to London and into Lambeth Palace Road. At night, Cream would accost prostitutes and offer them his pills, which he said would improve their complexions.
In fact, they were laced with strychnine and Cream returned to his home fantasizing about their death agonies.
In October 1891, he murdered two women – Nellie Donworth, a 19-year-old prostitute and Matilda Clover, a 27-year-old prostitute – and then had the audacity to complain to Scotland Yard that he was being followed and asked for a “reward” of £300,000 for naming the Lambeth Poisoner.
On 2 April 1892, he gave his poisonous pills to Lou Harvey but she only pretended to swallow them.
Nine days later Cream met two more prostitutes, Alice Marsh, 21 and Emma Shrivell, 18 and gave them Guinness laced with strychnine. Both women died in agony.
His downfall came about thanks to his boastfulness. He wrote to the police accusing two other doctors of murdering prostitutes but in his letter revealed rather too much inside knowledge, including the fact that Matilda Clover’s death was suspicious when publicly it has been announced as natural causes.
When his home was searched, the police found seven bottles of strychnine and equipment for making pills. The jury took 12 minutes to find Cream guilty and he was sentenced to Death.
Cream was hanged on 15 November 1892 at Newgate Prison.
(Source: 501 Most Notorious Crimes 
