The Oven Tragedy
Only ten years had passed since Jack the Ripper terrorized Whitechapel, but the London was not done with horrible murders.
November 12, 1898
This story became known as The Oven Tragedy as reported by the newspapers of the time.​
A shocking murder was committed at 82 William Street, Hampstead. It was alleged that two men quarreled and that one of the men after killing the other, cut the head off and threw both body and head into a baker's oven.
The details were ghastly. They were committed on the premises of a baker named Ross, in William Street, close to Portland Road Station. The victim was a German baker named Bernedt. His murderer was Polish, named Montague.
It seemed that Montague, who was getting up in years was discharged by Mr. Ross from his employment and his place was given to Bernedt.
The night before the murder, Montague came to Mr. Ross and complained of being very hard up, and he was allowed to sleep on the premises. At three o'clock in the morning Mr. Ross according to his usual custom, made his way toward the bakehouse to help Bernedt with his work. On entering the kitchen Mr. Ross saw Montague, and on asking where Bernedt was, Montague replied "He is not well, and has gone to bed". Ross then remarked, "It is fortunate you are here, as you can do his work."
On going to the bakehouse, Ross stopped to examine the furnace when he was felled with a blow from behind. On regaining his feet, he saw Montague with a knife in his hand. A struggle ensued, in the course of which Ross received a severe cut on the hand. Eventually Ross rushed from the bakehouse, and locked the door imprisoning his assailant.
The police were summoned, and when they searched the bakehouse the body of the unfortunate Bernedt was found in the furnace. Montague was arrested immediately when the police reached the house. The police discovered that Bernedt's body before being pushed in to the furnace, was shockingly mutilated.
The prisoner Montague, was in reality named Johann Schneider, age 36. He was brought to the Marylebone Police Court, and charged with murdering Conrad Bernedt, and with attempting to murder William Ross. He was also charged with stealing a watch, etc. the property of Bernedt.
Inspector Gough said that on the stairs leading from the bakehouse, he found a hatchet. There were hairs and stains of blood on it. The body was brought to the morgue to be examined by a doctor.
On November 15, 1898, the jury returned a verdict of "wilful murder" against the man in custody, Richard Mankelkow, alias Johann Schneider, alias Richard Montague.
A month later a likeness of the murderer was added to Madame Tussaud's Exhibition on Baker Street Station. He was found guilty on December 28, 1898.
Two days after the new year of 1899, the murderer was executed by hanging at Newgate Gaol and had to be helped to the scaffold, his only visitor had been his wife the day before.
Later certain facts about the reporting of the case turned out to be different.
The victim's head had not been cut off, however it was determined he probably had been alive, and just unconscious when the assailant had stuck him into the oven. The assailant had also knifed the bakehouse owner in the chest.
The murderer was described as Polish or German, and he told the police he was Russian. His true nationality was never verified. His wife was English, and records indicate he might have had two or three children with her.
Afterward Mr. Ross the owner of the bakehouse, found nobody wanted to buy bread made in an oven where a human body had been charred into ashes. He replaced the oven with another one, but eventually he had to relocate to Holloway in order to escape the stigma of the horrific murder.
It’s not known what new business, if any moved into the vacant location.