Billy in the Bowl
Bizarre/Strange
Thursday 13th, January 2022
In eighteenth century Dublin, an individual known as the 'Stoneybatter Strangler' is thought to have been a man known as 'Billy in the Bowl'. Billy was a beggar and decided one day to move into theft which seemed to target only women.
Billy was born with no legs and used a large wooden bowl strengthened with iron with wheels on it to move around, Billy is said to have been handsome with very strong arms.
Billy hid in some bushes in Grangegorman and started to moan and cry to attract the attention of his first victim as she passed by, as the woman came to help Billy he overpowered her and Billy made off with the woman's purse, the middle aged woman survived but wasn't able to give enough of a description to point to Billy as her attacker.
After getting away with his first robbery he went on to rob more women but in 1786 Billy had set himself up in position for his next victim but this time he attracted two women with both of them said as being sturdy cooks, one of the women struck Billy in the eye with a hatpin, Billy's screams attracted the police patrols and he was arrested.
After Billy's arrest the robberies in Grangegorman stopped. It is also reported in some places that Billy strangled a servant girl when she fought back during the robbery.
1786 was the year that the Dublin Metropolitan Police was formed and after Billy’s arrest he was carried into prison in a wheelbarrow. Jailed in Green Street and sentenced to hard labour for the rest of his life.
Billy was born with no legs and used a large wooden bowl strengthened with iron with wheels on it to move around, Billy is said to have been handsome with very strong arms.
Billy hid in some bushes in Grangegorman and started to moan and cry to attract the attention of his first victim as she passed by, as the woman came to help Billy he overpowered her and Billy made off with the woman's purse, the middle aged woman survived but wasn't able to give enough of a description to point to Billy as her attacker.
After getting away with his first robbery he went on to rob more women but in 1786 Billy had set himself up in position for his next victim but this time he attracted two women with both of them said as being sturdy cooks, one of the women struck Billy in the eye with a hatpin, Billy's screams attracted the police patrols and he was arrested.
After Billy's arrest the robberies in Grangegorman stopped. It is also reported in some places that Billy strangled a servant girl when she fought back during the robbery.
1786 was the year that the Dublin Metropolitan Police was formed and after Billy’s arrest he was carried into prison in a wheelbarrow. Jailed in Green Street and sentenced to hard labour for the rest of his life.
