The Mesmerising Tale of Joe Clarke: From King’s Lynn to the Liverpool Gallows
Joe Clarke’s story is a captivating tale of deception, hypnotism, and ultimately, murder. Born in Hilgay and raised in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, Clarke’s life took a dramatic turn that led him from the quiet streets of his hometown to a shocking crime in Liverpool.
Early Life and Education in King’s Lynn
Joe Clarke was adopted at just three weeks old by a Mrs. Clarke and grew up on Keppel Street (formerly between Hospital Walk and Windsor Road) in King’s Lynn. As a student at All Saints’ School, he was known as a personable but shy lad.
His early working life as an errand boy was short-lived as he travelled to America in 1913. In the United States, Clarke reunited with his birth mother in Virginia and furthered his education at Princeton University, where he studied psychology. This experience would prove pivotal in shaping his future life.
The Transformation in King’s Lynn
On returning to King’s Lynn at age 17, Clarke was a changed man. His newfound confidence was striking. He told his friends that he had become a hypnotist and intended to never work for a living again.
The Art of Deception
Clarke’s modus operandi was both clever and sinister:
1. He set up a wireless dealership as a front for his true intentions.
2. He cultivated relationships with numerous young women, using his hypnotic influence.
3. His exceptional conversational skills and apparent “mystic qualities” drew women to him.
4. He wooed his targets with carefully crafted letters and poems, showcasing his ‘literary ability’.
However, Clarke’s ultimate goal was not romantic or sexual. He aimed to hypnotise these women and manipulate them into parting with their savings, freeing him from financial worries.
The Wider Web of Deceit Beyond King’s Lynn
Clarke’s deception extended beyond King’s Lynn. He also had other significant sources of income from two unsuspecting women in Nova Scotia – one in Southampton and another in Halifax. He manipulated these women through heart-rending letters, claiming to be ill and in need of financial assistance for medical care.
The Downward Spiral
In 1926, Clarke left King’s Lynn and embarked on a journey of deception across the country. His actions eventually caught up with him, leading to a six-month imprisonment for deception charges in Shepherds Bush.
In October 1928, now living under the alias Reginald Kennedy, Clarke met 19-year-old Mary Agnes Fountaine in Liverpool. He moved in with Mary and her widowed mother, Alice, at 110 Northbrook Street. When Alice confronted Clarke about his lack of employment, the situation took a tragic turn.
Alice was not susceptible to Clarke’s techniques of persuasion. We will never know for what reason precisely, but Clarke lost all control and strangled her. He then strode into Mary’s room and announced what he had just done and that he was goingto kill her too. Mary managed to escape onto the street to raise the alarm. Clarke stood outside the house and enquired of the startled people standing nearby, “Have you sent for a policeman?”
Clarke was arrested at the scene and made a detailed confession. “I suddenly put my hand round her (Alice’s) throat and threw her over the arm of a chair. She murmured “Oh,Teddy Bear”. That is the name she used to call me. I pressed her throat quite hard for about a minute, and she stopped breathing …When Mrs Fountaine had finished gasping I went into the bedroom to Miss Fountaine. I asked her if she still loved me, and she replied, “You know I always did.” I said to her, “I have killed your mother, and because you have turned me down I am going to kill you.”
I gripped her by the throat and she screamed and struggled fiercely. She scattered all the furniture in the room but eventually I got her under control. Her lips turned black but all of a sudden she revived and she struggled more fiercely than ever. I thought her screams would have attracted the whole street.
There are some pieces of electric light cord upstairs, one of which I tied round her throat. She began to gasp like her mother had done. Then suddenly I realised I was killing her. I had in my pocket a shoemaker’s knife. I cut the cord round her throat and tried to bring her round. She screamed afresh. Then I cut her throat. She seemed to go quiet for a time. Then she recovered …’
Swift Justice In Liverpool
Clarke’s trial at Liverpool Assizes on February 4, 1929, was remarkably brief. After the indictment had been read Clarke was called upon to plead and replied in a steady voice, “I plead guilty.” Asked by the judge, Mr Justice Finlay, if he realised the implications of his plea and confession Clarke replied, “Yes, my Lord.” Finlay asked again, “You have thoroughly and clearly thought it over and understand?” Clarke replied confidently again, “Yes, my Lord.” Finlay then replied, “Very well.” The judge motioned to the Clerk of the Assize who asked if Clarke had anything to say. He said he had nothing to add.
Justice Finlay then had no other recourse but to don the black cap and pass the sentence of death. The entire proceedings lasted less than five minutes. Despite an appeal, Joseph Reginald Victor Clarke was executed by Tom Pierrepoint at Liverpool prison on March 12, 1929.
© James Rye 2026
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Sources
- Storey, N.R. (2012) Norfolk Villains: Rogues, Rascals, and Reprobates, The History Press