The 1931 case that shook the Inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills to the core
In the shadowy streets of 1930s Surry Hills, a chilling murder mystery unfolded that would captivate Sydney's attention: the brutal killing of Emma Philbrook, strangled with a silk stocking.
Between Crown Street and Elizabeth Street runs Reservoir Street, a stretch of Sydney’s trendy Surry Hills, today adorned with charming terraces and converted factories now serving as luxury apartments and office suites. Yet, in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, Reservoir Street was a hub of industrial activity. The area’s houses were dilapidated, and its streets, marked by soot and grime, echoed with the sounds of trucks transporting goods such as cured meats, chemicals, clothing, textiles, and paper products. The dark, narrow lanes were cloaked in smoke, winding through piles of decaying refuse. Razor-wielding thugs and cocaine-addicted prostitutes used these streets as secret passages between Central Station and Darlinghurst, evading the law. Amidst this squalor, a resilient community thrived—a community of hard-working individuals who shared what they had despite their meagre means.
The Eerie Discovery: Emma Philbrook’s Murder & the Puzzling Evidence
Andrew Dearsley lived with his wife and children at 9 Smith Street, a uniquely decorated terrace with roughly applied concrete. A few weeks earlier, their neighbour, Emma Philbrook, a widow in her 50s, had moved from number 5 Smith Street to 92 Reservoir Street, unable to afford the rent. The Dearsleys and other neighbours often delivered Emma home-cooked meals. On Sunday morning, the 26th of April 1931, Andrew delivered breakfast to Emma’s door. He knocked once—no answer. He knocked again—still no answer. Other neighbours had mentioned that Emma had not answered their knocks either, which was unusual. Andrew placed the plate on her front step and walked around to Little Smith Street, a narrow lane behind her house. He entered the backyard and knocked on the rear door, but there was still no answer. Climbing to her bedroom window, he peered in as both doors were locked. Through the remarkably clear glass, he saw Emma sitting on the floor with her back against the bed. He tapped the window loudly enough for her to hear, but she did not stir. In that moment of eerie silence, the truth began to unfold.
Detective Inspector William Prior of the Criminal Investigation Branch of the NSW Police was greeted by Andrew on the steps of the old home. They reached the rear window, which the police opened with a penknife. Inside, they found Emma Philbrook’s lifeless body. Her face was blue, contorted, and covered in blood. She was fully clothed, though only one leg wore a silk stocking with a slipper on her foot. The other stocking had been removed, tightly wrapped around her throat, and tied off with a reef knot. It was a disturbing sight.
News of the scene spread quickly, and soon, a crowd of concerned neighbours gathered at the old terrace house. By midday, detectives had swarmed the house. It appeared that Emma, known as ‘Old Kate’ in the community, had been struck on the head with a blunt object, causing bleeding, and had died from strangulation by the stocking around her throat. However, detectives were puzzled by the apparent lack of motive. Firstly, the doors were all locked, and there was no sign of a break-in. Secondly, there was no indication of a significant struggle. Thirdly, no burglary had occurred, as several valuables, including money, remained on her dresser. Could it have been a suicide?
Emma’s house, shabby on the outside, was immaculate inside, meticulously cleaned to the point of sterility. Neighbours mentioned that Emma suffered from acute insomnia for years, spending her nights polishing and cleaning. This insomnia led to depression, and Emma had often threatened to take her own life by poison or by throwing herself off the balcony. This supported the theory of suicide. However, one troubling detail cast doubt: a bottle of port was found on the mantle of a fireplace in a parlour attached to her bedroom. It had been opened, and a few sips were missing. Initially dismissed as belonging to the deceased, Detective Prior's suspicion led him to collect it as evidence. When analysed at the police labs, strange fingerprints were discovered on the bottle.
The deceased was moved to the morgue for a post-mortem, which confirmed she had died from strangulation. The head wound was caused by a sharp blow, and evidence suggested the silk stocking was wrapped around her throat after the head wound. This did not eliminate the possibility of suicide, as it indicated she had been struck and then strangled. However, it was still possible she had hit her head after drinking alcohol (alcohol was found in her system) and then taken her own life. However, the method of self-strangulation was not simple.
Determining the time of death was also challenging. While searching the house, detectives found a plate with an untouched dinner. A neighbour confirmed she had delivered it to Emma on Friday afternoon. Emma told the neighbour she had already cooked a meal but would save the gifted meal tea. The untouched meal suggested Emma had died before her tea time on Friday evening. Yet, several community residents insisted they had seen Emma walking around on Saturday night. Some heard running footsteps from the house at 11 pm on Saturday, and others claimed they heard muffled screams at 1 am on Sunday. The case was becoming a complex riddle.
Neighbours also recounted that Emma had been threatened by a male ‘friend’ twelve months earlier and was concerned for her safety. They described Emma as living an ‘immoral life,’ prone to alcohol addiction and moonlighting as a prostitute. She was often seen with ‘strange men.’ Detective Prior wondered if the man who left the fingerprints on the bottle was one of these ‘friends’ and could shed more light on the incident.
With no more insights from the crime scene and little from witnesses, media interest waned. In 1931, the razor gangs, embroiled in a blood feud between crime queens Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh, dominated the headlines. Soon, the Philbrook case was overshadowed by new sensational stories.
Detective Prior’s Relentless Pursuit of The Surry Hills Silk Stocking Strangler
Not everyone had given up on Emma. Detective Prior took the port bottle to the Central Police Station for fingerprint analysis. Over the following months, Prior worked tirelessly to identify who had placed the bottle on the mantle. He identified all the shops that sold the port, eliminating each one until he found a shopkeeper who remembered selling a similar bottle to a man on the day Emma was presumed to have died. He finally identified the man he sought to interview. Visiting the locations this man frequented, he found him nowhere to be seen.
In mid-July, Detective Prior went missing for several days, and colleagues had no idea where he was. Rumours swirled until a message arrived from Townsville in far North Queensland—the suspect had been taken into custody.
Gustav Heimer Reichardt, a 36-year-old Swedish sailor, was brought to Sydney in the custody of Detective Prior and Detective Sergeant Sedwick. Upon receiving a breakthrough on the case, Detective Prior embarked secretly for Queensland, not even informing the local authorities until he arrested Gustav in an undercover sting. Gustav was charged in a Townsville courthouse; the judge stipulated he be extradited to Sydney and remanded until his trial. Back in Sydney, detectives took Gustav’s fingerprints, which matched those on the bottle of port. They also managed to obtain a signed confession that he had assaulted Emma Philbrook in her home.
In his statement, Gustav claimed he had been staying with a lover, Mrs Latham, in Stanmore. After slapping Mrs Latham’s daughter, he panicked and left in a state of depression, acquiring poison from a chemist and a bottle of port to drink it down with. He then travelled to Darlinghurst to finalise some affairs before ending his life. Taking a shortcut through Surry Hills via Reservoir Street, he was approached by a woman who was offering to sell him beer. The woman, Emma Philbrook, led him to her house. Inside, Emma confessed she did not have any beer—only after taking his money—and offered to take him to bed instead. Gustav claimed he rejected the advance and asked for his money back. When Emma refused and began yelling, he hit her, causing a violent frenzy. He allegedly ripped a stocking off her leg, wrapped it around her mouth and neck to stop her screaming, and, when she appeared to pass out, put her down by her bed and left.
Gustav Reichardt’s Trial: A Dramatic Verdict and Its Aftermath
At the trial in September, Gustav, who pleaded ‘not guilty,’ called the statement false, alleging police trickery and manipulation. The man now dubbed 'The Surry Hills Silk Stocking Strangler' claimed the police arrested him for the assault on the child and questioned him on that basis. Referring to Emma Philbrook, they intentionally called her “little Emmy” to confuse the encounters. Gustav insisted he had not quarrelled with Emma, gave her the bottle of port, drank some with her, and left, claiming ignorance of how the stocking got around her throat. The prosecutor asked why he left the state so soon after, and Gustav said he went to Parramatta and then to Queensland seeking work. Police inquiries with the chemist revealed none of the staff recognised Gustav or recalled selling him poison on the proposed day. They also asked where the poison was, and Gustav led them to a deep well, saying he had thrown it in. The well was too deep to retrieve the bottle. On several other details, he replied, "I don't remember."
In a dramatic final statement, Gustav told the court, "Gentlemen, I am not fighting for my life—I am fighting for my honour." The jury deliberated and declared Gustav Reichardt guilty of manslaughter. The judge sentenced him to eight years of penal servitude. Gustav appealed, and on November 7, 1931, the Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed his appeal, and he was sent to prison to serve his sentence.
Emma Philbrook was laid to rest at Rookwood Cemetery on April 28, 1931. Her life, marked by mystery and squalor, ended in a violent act that would remain a haunting tale in Surry Hills’ mirky history.
Murky not mirky .