John Keen

John Keen was convicted of the murder of Noor Mohammed. He stabbed him and dragged him down the stairs at 56 Water Street, Port Dundas, Glasgow on 16 May, 1925. Noor Mohammed had been an Indian pedlar. John Keen was said to be part of a gang who first called at another man’s house in Clyde Street seeking jumpers and, after being refused, went to nearby 56 Water Street, premises used by Indian pedlars. They were seen to rush up the stairs to the Indians’ room and witnesses then described a violent assault with knives and iron bars. Shortly afterwards Noor Mohammed was found with a severe stab wound, having been dragged into the close. The white wife of an Indian, a 22-year-old Irish girl, said that she saw John Keen with a dagger in his hand rush up to the Indians room followed by a crowd of men, and heard him shouting: xxxqxxx Rush them, boys. xxxqxxx When the police arrived, it was found that a quantity of Indian silk scarves and jumpers had been stolen. The court heard that although the woman was married to an Indian that she was not necessarily pro-Indian or pro-John Keen, with it being heard that she and the Indian had frequently quarrelled and that she had complained to the police about their fights and at the trial she suggested that if he ever took a knife to her that she should take a knife too and they should fight it out. She however denied in court that her marriage had caused bad feeling in the district or that her husband had been starving her. She also denied that he had forced her to go out peddling his wares. When she was asked whether or not the whole district was against her husband because of his treatment of her she replied: xxxqxxx The people would have sided with him before they would have sided with me. xxxqxxx When the Indian's wife was asked whether her husband had ever threatened to take a knife to her, she replied: xxxqxxx No. If he had, I would have taken one too, and we would have fought it out. xxxqxxx A neighbour that lived next door said that she recognised John Keen and another man and saw them come to the close with other men and heard them running up the stairs and soon after saw the woman's Indian husband come out with a sheet tied round his hand. The neighbour’s son confirmed his mother's story, and said that he saw the two Indian's go upstairs and heard John Keen shouting and that he afterwards fetched the police and guided them to the scene. He said that they heard John Keen in the street call out: xxxqxxx Send down that countryman of yours. xxxqxxx He said that he also saw the white woman's husband come out with a brush to force the men away, but that he was unsuccessful, and went back in and that he then saw Noor Mohammed come out with the brush, but said that he was unable to get back in the house quick enough and saw John Keen stab him in the left breast. He said that Noor Mohammed then fell and was dragged into the close. Three other Indians also said they saw John Keen striking Noor Mohammed with a dagger. The court heard that the action of the gang, and the calls by John Keen to rush them, followed by the missing garments, indicated that the motive was robbery and not a private domestic fight. However, the defence attempted to suggest that there had been domestic discord and that the Indian man's white wife had been siding with her husband at the trial, which she denied. John Keen was tried at the High Court in Glasgow and sentenced to death and executed on 24 September 1925.