Gacy, John
*****
Gambrill, Stephen
*****
Garcia, Joseph
*****
Garry, Thomas
*****
Gartside, John Edward
*****
Garlick, Ted
*****
Garvie, Sheila & Trevendale,
Brian
*****
Gein, Edward
*****
Geraghty,
Rolt & Jenkins
*****
Gerrish, Charles
*****
Gibbs, James Henry
*****
Giffard, Miles
*****
Gilbert, Henry
*****
Gillingham, Michael
*****
Godwin, John
*****
Goldenberg, Jack
*****
Golding, John
*****
Gordon, Iain Hay
*****
Gordon, Thomas
*****
Gough, Alfred
*****
Gough, Edward
*****
Graham, John Gilbert
*****
Green, John
*****
Green, Leslie
*****
Greenwood, David
*****
Greenwood, Harold
*****
Gregson, John
*****
Grey, Thomas
*****
Griffiths, William
*****
Griffiths, Peter
*****
Gacy, John
He was known as "Pogo the Clown," and would perform at children's
birthday parties. On the other hand, he was convicted of raping, torturing,
and killing thirty-three young men and boys, a classic Pedophile and Sexual
Sadist according to DSM-IV criteria. Gacy was first suspected in 1978 after
the disappearance of Robert Piest. He was then put under police surveillance,
which made him very uncomfortable - to the point where he was even threatening
a law suit against the police. Nevertheless, police kept up the surveillance.
Finally, after questioning some of Gacy's employees and finding that he
propositioned them for sexual favors, police decided to search his house.
As the police noticed a strange smell in his house, Gacy admitted to
killing one of his homosexual partners four years earlier in self defense
and then putting his body in the crawl space of his house. He then confessed
to
killing almost 3 dozen people, which he had stored under the floor boards
and in the crawl space.
Gacy was a sexual psychopath, and was a very highly organized killer.
By storing his victims inside the house, he maintained complete control
over them, even after their death because no one would be able to find
their bodies without him knowing about it. This shows that he premeditated
his actions and learned from each mistake to finally perfect his technique
- which lead to his self confidence.
Many of Gacy's victims were boys that came to him looking for employment.
He would hold interviews in his garage which he designed, and he and his
construction workers made. The garage was sound proof and the only entrance
or exit was the motorized garage door. He then proceeded to show his victims
a magic trick. He would demonstrate how to use trick handcuffs, and then
encourage his victims to try. He then would challenge them to try the trick
behind their back, which he would then switch the trick handcuffs with
real handcuffs. He then had complete control over the situation. Gacy just
had the opinion that he would never be convicted - even after twenty-nine
corpses were unearthed on his property, and four more in the nearby river.
He never gave any evidence at his trial, and in his manuscript Question
of Doubt, he wrote: "I honestly felt that the state's case against me wouldn't
wash. The evidence was circumstantial, insubstantial. The charges could
not stand up under the questioning, explanation, the clearing testimony
that I felt would certainly emerge during the course of a trial."
One of the things found in Gacy's home was a map of previous places
where he had worked. Robert Ressler, a leading profiler that aided in capturing
Gacy, believes that there is no reason to think that Gacy didn't kill at
his previous employments, and in fact, the number of victims may be even
double the victims found. Ressler actually visited Gacy in prison. He had
lived in the same neighborhood as Gacy growing up, and Gacy remembered
in great detail bringing groceries to Ressler's house. Gacy painted Ressler
a picture of a clown and told Ressler, "A clown can get away with murder"
because as a clown, people can't see the true person behind the paint.
Ressler believes this painting symbolizes other victims that Gacy killed
who were never found. Gacy refused to admit the significance of the painting.
Gacy was put to death on May 10, 1994 by lethal injection.
Gartside, John Edward
As so often happens in the case of a murder it is events that are completely
outside of the control of the murderer that can often lead to his downfall.
It was May 1947 and Mrs Doughty decided to pay a visit to two of her friends,
Percy and Alice Baker. They lived in a house in a remote part of the Pennines.
When she arrived she was surprised to find the furniture from the house
being loaded into a removal van. When she questioned the driver he told
her that the Bakers had parted after a quarrel and decided to sell up.
Mrs Doughty didn't believe this and so got in touch with the removal
firm. She was told that a young man had called and told them that he was
separating from his wife and he was rejoining the Air force. He had a houseful
of furniture to dispose of. The dealer offered him £300 and he accepted.
He signed a receipt in the name of P Baker. When Mrs Doughty inspected
it she believed it to be a forgery and informed the police.
The dealer was able to inform the police that as well as buying the
furniture he had also been asked to deliver a number of suitcases to a
shop at Saddleworth. When police checked they found the shop to be rented
by 24-year-old John Gartside. When he was arrested he was actually driving
Mr Baker's car. When questioned he said that he had bought both the furniture
for £250 and given a further £200 for the car. The suitcases
were found to contain large quantities of clothing, household linen and
personal items which were identified as the property of Mr and Mrs Baker.
The police conducted a thorough search of the house and found bloodstains
in the dining room and a mark of a bullet on the floor. The police were
not happy with his answers and persevered with their questions. Eventually
Gartside broke down and took the police to a spot on the moors about three
quarters of a mile from the house where they recovered the bodies of both
Mr and Mrs Baker. When the bodies were examined it was discovered that
both had been shot, Mr Baker had been shot twice in the head and his wife
once. Both bodies were naked when discovered.
He was tried at Leeds Assizes in July 1947 where he made a feeble attempt
to show that the shooting had not been intentional. Gartside told the court
that he had arrived at the house while the Bakers were arguing. He intimated
that he was a regular caller at the house as Mr Baker was a friend of his.
On this occasion he had taken two guns with him which they were going to
try out later. Again he suggested that Mr Baker might have wanted to buy
the guns. He maintained that Mrs Baker had attacked Mr Baker with a poker.
Mr Baker, in trying to defend himself had grabbed one of the two loaded
guns and shot Mrs Baker with it. Gartside said he had then grappled with
Mr Baker trying to get the gun away from him and it had gone off accidentally
and shot Him. Apparently Mr Baker was writhing in agony on the floor and
Gartside had picked up the gun and shot him twice to put him out of his
misery. This was at odds with the forensic evidence. Gartside then said
he panicked and decided he would have to get rid of the bodies. His story
was soon pulled apart by the prosecution and he was found guilty. He was
subsequently hanged at Armley Gaol in Leeds on the 22 August 1947.
Garvie, Sheila & Trevendale, Brian
Maxwell Robert Garvie and his wife Sheila lived at West Cairnbeg Farm,
Kincardineshire, Scotland, with their three children. The couple had got
married in 1955 and by 1964 Max became interested in pornography and nudism
and helped to start a nudist club near Aberdeen. His wife Sheila was continually
complaining that her husband's sexual demands were 'abnormal'.
In 1967 Sheila Garvie met 22-year-old Brian Tevendale and he was recruited
to help around the farm at weekends. Tevendale introduced his sister Trudy
Birse to the Garvies and they made up a regular foursome. Trudy was married
to a policeman in Aberdeen and the arrangement stirred a lot of local gossip.
In March 1968 Sheila ran away with Tevendale to Bradford but her husband
went after her and persuaded her to return to him.
On 19 May Maxwell Garvie was reported missing by his sister, Hilda Kerr.
The last time he had been seen was about 10pm on the 14 May at a Scottish
Nationalist Party meeting at Stonehaven. Garvie's car was found parked
across the runway at the flying club at Fordoun. A search was carried out
and police searched the woods and wells were drained but still no sign
of the man could be found. While talking to her mother, Mrs Watson, Sheila
admitted that Maxwell was dead and hinted that Tevendale was responsible
for his disappearance. Mrs Watson went to the police and repeated what
she had been told.
On 16 August Sheila Garvie and Brian Tevendale were arrested. The next
day Maxwell Garvie's body was found in an underground tunnel at Lauriston
Castle, near St. Cyrus. He had first been beaten and then shot in the head.
The police also arrested Alan Peters, who was a close friend of Tevendale.
All three were charged with the murder.
At their trial at Aberdeen in November 1968 the real story emerged about
how Maxwell Garvie and Trudy Birse had been lovers, she apparently didn't
object too strongly to his demands, and also of the intimacy between Sheila
Garvie and Brian Tevendale. Alan Peters told of how Tevendale had shot
Garvie in bed and how they had disposed of the body. The jury found the
case against Alan Peters not proven, a verdict only available in Scotland.
Sheila Garvie and Brian Tevendale were found guilty of murder. They both
received life sentences. This had been the result of a complicated love
affair which may have started as a bit of extra marital fun but went sour.
Geraghty, Christopher James & Rolt, Terence Peter & Jenkins, Charlie
Henry
Charles Henry Jenkins, at 23 was the self appointed leader of a gang of
thieves who amonst others contained 21 year old Christopher James Geraghty
and 17 year old Terence Peter Rolt. Rolt was the youngest and newest member
of the gang and as such still had to prove himself. Jenkins was well known
to the police with a long and viscious record. He had spent time in borstal
and had actually been given the nickname of 'King of Borstal'. On 29 April
1947 at about two in the afternoon the three of them were to commit the
ultimate crime which would change their lives. They had decided to carry
out a robbery on a Jeweller's shop in Londons West End. The shop was Jay's
the Jewellers in Charlotte Street.
Wearing masks and carrying revolvers they entered the shop. One of the
raiders jumped over the counter but not before the director of the firm,
Alfred Ernest Stock had managed to slam the safe door shut. Frustrated
by this action one of the robbers proceeded to pistol whip him with one
of the guns. Mr Stock fell to the floor bleeding from the head.
They then turned their attention to the manager of the shop. They demanded
the safe keys from 70 year old Bertram Thomas Keates who answered by throwing
a wooden stool at them. One of the youths fired at him but the shot went
wide and hit the wall. Realising that it had all gone wrong they turned
and ran from the shop only to find that the Vauxhall saloon that they had
stolen for the job had been hemmed in at the kerb by a lorry. Still wearing
the masks and waving the guns they ran down Charlotte Street
As they ran from the shop they were approached by Mr Alec De Antiquis
on his motorcycle as he drove into their path. One of the robbers shot
him in the head and he was left dying in the street as they made their
getaway.
Two of the men were seen entering a building by a taxi driver. On investigation
the police discovered a scarf and raincoat. The coat was traced to Jenkins
and then the gun was discovered on wasteground. Once they had Jenkins it
was easy to put together the rest. They soon rounded up his friends. Rolt
being the youngest member was all too willing to talk to save himself and
the police soon had a rock solid case.
All three were tried at the Old Bailey in front of Mr Justice Hallett
in July. It took the jury only 15 minutes to return a verdict of guilty
and Charles Henry Jenkins and Christopher James Geraghty were both sentenced
to death. They were sent to Pentonville Prison to await their fate. Rolt
being 17 was sentenced to be detained during His Majesty's Pleasure. Jenkins
and Geraghty were hanged at Pentonville on 19 September 1947 by Albert
Pierrepoint.
Terence Peter Rolt stayed in Prison until June 1956 when he was released
on licence. Although they had not set out with the intention of murdering
someone this is often the result of a crime of this type. The motive for
this crime had been financial gain.
Giffard, Miles
Miles Giffard was a worry to his parents and at the age of 14 was being
seen by a psychiatrist who was concerned at his mental deterioration.
It was thought that part of the problem was that he had been oppressed
by a very strict father. By the time Miles was 26 he was in the words of
his doctor, an 'idle little waster'. He had been given every opporunity
and had even attended public school but had still been unable to hold a
steady job. Miles thought it was much easier to live off his parents. Both
his mother and father were busy and well respected people in St Austell.
His father Charles was 53 and clerk of the court to St. Austell magistrates
and his mother Elizabeth was vice chairman of the St Austell Conservative
Association and President of the Conservative Women's Association. Miles
hated his father and in return his father never missed an opportunity to
put him down.
In 1952 he met a girl that he liked and he soon developed a serious
relationship with her. Gabrielle Vallance was 19 years old and lived in
London. His parents however did not like her and told him that he had to
give her up. In one of the letters he wrote to the girl he said , 'Short
of doing him in, I see no future in the world at all.'
On the 7 November he asked his father if he could borrow the car but
his father said no. That afternoon his parents went out and Miles stayed
at home brooding and getting drunk. By the time his parents returned about
7.30pm Miles had decided what to do. He went down to the garage and using
a piece of lead pipe he beat his father to death. Taking the same piece
of pipe into the house he then went into the kitchen and bludgeoned his
mother to death. He took the bodies and tipped them over the cliff at the
end of the garden and then got in the car and drove to see his girlfriend
in London.
The bodies were found the next day and the police had little trouble
tracing Giffard and arresting him. Despite clear evidence of schizophrenia
presented at his trial at Bodmin Assizes it took the jury only 35 minutes
to find him guilty and he was sentenced to death. He was hanged at Bristol's
Horfield Prison on 24 February 1953.
Goldenberg, Jack
In April 1924 28 year old William Hall, the manager of a small bank near
to Bordon Camp in Hampshire was found shot dead behind the bank's counter.
Over £1,000 was missing in notes and coin.
Because of the proximity of the camp a check was made. A roll-call and
inventory at the camp showed no missing personnel or weapons. One man,
a signaller, told police that he had spoken to the manager about 1.50 and
when he returned, around 2.15, he found the bank closed. If this man was
telling the truth this gave police an approximate time of death. Eighteen-year-old
Lance-Corporal Goldenberg had also cashed a cheque that day and said that
he was in the bank at around 1.45pm. When asked if he noticed anything
unusual he said that while he was there he had noticed a car waiting outside
and gave a description of the car and its occupants.
A couple of days later an alert warrant officer at the camp noticed
Goldenberg climbing out of a hut window. Wondering why he needed to do
this when he was free to use the door he climbed up onto the window-sill.
When he stood upright he found that he was looking into the roof beams,
in which there was a small parcel. On opening the parcel he found £500
that was later shown to have come from the robbery.
When faced with this evidence Goldenberg admitted killing the bank manager.
He was charged and tried at Winchester Assizes. He pleaded insanity but
this was not accepted and he was consequently hanged at Winchester prison.
Gordon, Iain Hay
On the morning of 12 November 1952, 19-year-old Patricia Curran left her
parents' home in Whiteabbey, Belfast, to attend Queen's University. When
she had still not returned home by the early hours of the 13th her father
knew something was wrong. Mr Justice Curran, rang the police to report
her disappearance. Her brother, Desmond, left the house to look for her.
As he was walking down the drive he saw something lying on the ground.
When he got to her she was lying on her back covered in blood. She died
shortly afterwards. Initially it was thought that she had been shot with
a shotgun but a post-mortem revealed that she had in fact been stabbed,
37 times, with a fine-bladed knife.
Normally Patricia would telephone for a car to fetch her once she had
got to the bus stop, but on this occasion she hadn't done so even though
she had been found close to the house.
Police launched a massive manhunt questioning everyone they could. An
11-year-old girl told police that she had seen Patricia with a man.
Following receipt of this information police questioned every person,
military and civilian, at the near-by Edenmore RAF Station. Leading Aircraftsman
Iain Hay Gordon aroused suspicion with some of his answers to routine questions
and, when it was found that he had asked other airmen to supply him with
an alibi, he was given closer scrutiny. It was also discovered that Desmond
Curran knew Gordon and that Gordon had contacted him and asked if he (Gordon)
was mentioned in Patricia's diaries.
Put under pressure he eventually broke down and confessed to the killing.
He said that he had met Patricia as she walked home from the bus stop and
asked her for a kiss. After a few kisses he 'lost control' and started
to stab her. There was evidence of attempted sexual assault.
Gordon was tried at Belfast Assizes in March 1953. He was found guilty
but insane and was ordered to be detained 'during Her Majesty's Pleasure'.
Gordon, Thomas
Thomas Gordon was the son of a London surgeon who had decided to move out
of London and live with his family in Northamptonshire. Mr Gordon continued
his practice and was successful. His neighbours did not like him very much
and considered him an outsider in their small community. This ill feeling
would cause frequent quarrels and eventually a warrant was obtained against
him on a charge of assault.
A constable went to the Gordon house to serve the warrant only to be
told by Mrs Gordon and her son that Mr Gordon was not there. The constable
knew this to be a lie so he went away and soon returned with some neighbours
who tried to make a forcible entry. The mother and son tried to keep them
out while the mob threw stones at the windows. The son was armed with a
pistol and when his mother told him to fire, he did so. The shot hit the
policeman and he died instantly.
Both mother and son were arrested and tried. The son was found guilty
of murder and sentenced to death. On three occasions he was reprieved and
on each occasion he expected a pardon to follow but was to be disappointed.
An order eventually arrived for his execution. He was nineteen years old
when he was hanged at Northampton on 17th August 1789.
Graham, John Gilbert
John Gilbert Graham murdered his mother and 43 other people on a plane
in order to benefit from an insurance policy that he had taken out on her
life. He also hoped to inherit rather a lot of money that she had been
left by her husband.
On the 4 May 1956, John Gilbert Graham was found guilty
and sentenced to be gassed for the murder of 44 people in a plane crash
on 1 November 1955. The sentence was carried out in Denver
State Penitentiary.
Green, Leslie
Ex-Borstal boy Leslie Green was found guilty of the brutal murder of Mrs
Alice Wiltshaw and was hanged at Stafford Gaol, on 23 December 1952.
Mr and Mrs Wiltshaw lived in a large 14 room house called 'Estoril'
at Barlaston in Staffordshire. On Wednesday 16 July 1952 Mr Cuthbert Wiltshaw
came home from work to find the body of his 62-year-old wife lying in a
pool of blood in the kitchen. She had been hit over the head and her skull
was smashed, her jaw broken and she had been stabbed several times in the
stomach. Her body also showed other cuts..
The murder weapon, a poker lay next to the body and nearby was a pair
of blood-stained gloves, in which the left one had a tear in the thumb.
It looked as if robbery seemed to be the motive as £3,000 worth of
jewellery and a number of other items were missing. Also missing was an
old RAF raincoat that Mr Wiltshaw kept for wearing when he was gardening.
Detective Superintendent Reg Spooner arrived from scotland yard and
took charge of the case. When the murder had taken place all of the domestic
staff were off-duty, the house also showed no signs of forced entry, this
made it look as if the murderer knew the domestic routine of the house.
The police then set about the laborious task of contacting all former
staff at the house and slowly eliminated them from the inquiry. The only
ex-member of staff they could not locate had worked at the house up until
two months ago as the chauffeur. His name was Leslie Green who the Wiltshawws
had sacked for using the car for his own purposes. His name was not unknown
to the police as he had been in trouble before and spent time in borstal.
Green's picture was released to the press and he later walked into Longton
police station to 'clear himself'.
Police found a witness who was able to give a description of a man seen
near the house on the day of the murder which fitted Green. They also found
that he had given some rings to his girlfriend that matched those stolen
from the house. Gordon's alibi was that he had been sleeping in a park
in Stafford prior to catching a train to see his girl-friend in Leeds.
Spooner calculated that Green had time to get to Barlaston and back
in time to catch the Leeds train. Backing a hunch, he asked the Railway
Police to try and trace the missing overcoat. A couple of days later the
blood-stained coat was found in a lost property office. A porter had found
it on the Stafford-Holyhead train. When Spooner checked Green's hands he
found that Green had a recently healed cut on the thumb of his left hand,
exactly matching the cut in the glove. His rubber-soled shoes also matched
bloody footprints found in the kitchen.
His trial at Stafford Assizes took three days and the evidence was overwhelming.
He was hanged at Winsom Green prison on 23 December 1952 by Albert Pierrepoint.
Greenwood, David
On 9 February 16 year old Nellie Trew was reported missing by her father.
Nellie was a junior clerk and had left home that evening to go to Plumstead
Library but had not come back. The next morning her body was found on Eltham
Common. She had been raped and then strangled. The area was cordoned off
and a search was carried out. They found a badge of the Leicestershire
Regiment (a tiger) and a bone overcoat button. The two had been threaded
together through two holes with a piece of wire.
The newspapers the following day all carried pictures of the badge and
button in the hope that someone would recognise them. At Hewson Manufacturing
Company, one of the workers, Ted Farrell drew the attention of the badge
to his workmate, he thought it looked just like the one he had seen David
Greenwood wearing in his lapel of his overcoat. Farrell knew 21 year old
Greenwood did not have it any more. David Greenwood told Farrell that he
had sold the badge for two shillings to a man he had met on a tram. Farrell
suggested to Greenwood that he ought to go to the police to clear up the
matter.
At lunchtime Greenwood went to Tottenham Court Road police station and
gave them a statement. The police soon discovered during their investigations
that Greenwood had once been a neighbour of Nellie at Well Hall, where
she lived. The next day detectives visited Greenwood at his work and showed
him the badge which he admitted was his. They then asked him to accompany
them back to Scotland Yard. On the way Inspector Carlin noticed that Greenwood's
coat had no buttons on it. When he took a closer look he noticed that there
was a tear where one of the buttons had come out. Even though by this time
the police were quite certain that they had already got their man they
still lacked any hard evidence linking Greenwood to the murder. It was
later found that the wire that had been found fixed to the button came
from part of a spring of a type used at Hewson's. Even this was not all
that surprising as he did work there and had not denied owning the badge.
One area on which there did seem to be some confusion was that Greenwood
maintained that he had got rid of the button and badge a long time ago
but his workmates disagreed with this.
Greenwood's trial opened at the Old Bailey on 24 April 1918. The jury
took three hours to find him guilty but they added a recommendation for
mercy. He was, however, sentenced to death. He appealed and was reprieved
on the eve of his execution, 31 May, with his sentence being altered to
penal servitude for life. He was released in 1933 at the age of thirty-six.
Greenwood, Harold
No details listed for this case at this time
Gregson, John
On 13 October, 1869, John Gregson, a Wigan collier, took his wife and two
children for a day out and when they returned home later that afternoon,
he was drunk. After tea, he told his wife he wanted her to pawn some of
her clothes so he could buy more drink. His wife replied saying she wouldn't
pawn clothes for drink, especially when the children needed feeding, and
in a drunken rage Gregson savagely kicked her about the head and chest
with his heavy, iron soled clogs. A neighbour who tried to drag him off
also received a kicking. Mrs Gregson, who was covered in blood, was later
put to bed but never recovered from the beating, and died three days later
in hospital. He pleaded manslaughter through provocation at the trial,
at Liverpool Assizes on 20 December, but after a lengthy retirement the
jury found him guilty. He was hanged by William Calcraft on 10 January
1870 in Liverpool.
Griffiths, William
William Griffiths was fifty seven years old and he lived in Eccleshall,
Staffordshire. In 1883 he was convicted of the murder of his twice married
80 year old mother, Catherine Hughes. Griffiths stopped a policeman in
the street and told him I have done the old girl in!' The ofTicer went
off to investigate and found her dead from a cut throat. Sentenced to death
at Stafford Assizes by Mr Justice Roche on 4 July. and hanged by John Ellis
and Seth Mills on 24th July 1883 at Shrewsbury.
Griffiths, Peter
This case is unique in the fact that it involved the fingerprinting of
the entire adult, male population of Blackburn, Lancashire. It was 12.45
on 14 May 1948, nurse Humphreys was doing her rounds of Ward CH3, of Blackburn's
Queen's Park Hospital. When she reached the cot of four-year-old June Ann
Devaney she was horrified to find the child was missing.
Under the cot was a Winchester bottle and on the highly-polished floor
were the impressions of stockinged, adult footprints. The police were called
and a search was made of the building and grounds. The childs body was
discovered about 300 feet away in the grounds, huddled against a wall.
She had been raped and it looked as if the killer had beaten her head against
the wall.
The bottle found under the bed had some clear fingerprints on it and
examination of the footprints showed that they had been made by the socks
of an adult. By 15th June 2,017 people had been processed and eliminated
from the inquiry. It was at this point that the police decided that the
only way they were going to catch this man would be to widen the search.
it was decided to fingerprint the whole adult, male population of Blackburn.
Going from house to house and using the electoral register as a guide,
the police slowly fingerprinted every male over the age of 16. This included
people who had since left the area or had travelled abroad.
It was on 12th August that all the hard work finally paid off. It was
fingerprint set number 46,253 and belonged to Peter Griffiths of Birley
Street. He was a 22-year-old packer at a flour-mill. He was arrested the
following night and soon admitted his guilt. He had once served in the
Welsh Guards, was of low intelligence and beleived to be schizophrenic.
On the fatal night he had been out drinking and had set out to 'get sobered
up'. He made no mention about the rape and killing but said that he picked
the girl out of the cot and she had put her arms around his neck.
Peter Griffiths was charged and tried at Lancaster Assizes. It took
the jury only 23 minutes to return a verdict of guilty and he was hanged
at Walton Gaol on 19th November 1948 by Albert Pierrepoint.
Gough, Edward
On 7 July 1873, Edward Gough, a pitman. called into a pub at Sunnyside,
County Durham, and ordered a small porter. James Partridge, also a pitman,
was drinking with a group of friends, and told him not to order a small
drink, rather he should buy a drink big enough for them both to share.
Gough drank up and left the pub but later returned with a friend and challenged
Partridge to a fight. They went outside and as Partridge took off his jacket,
Gough rushed over and stabbed him in the groin. He pleaded guilty of manslaughter
under provocation, but was convicted of murder. He was sentenced
to death and the sentence was carried out in Durham on the 5 January 1874.
Godwin, John
Twenty seven year old John Godwin was a hearth-rug maker convicted of the
murder of his wife Louisa who was also twenty seven, at Islington. Godwin,
his wife, and their two children occupied a room in a house on Kinglands
Road, Islington. On 22 April, a neighbour heard noises coming from their
room. She knew that Godwin was in the habit of ill- treating his wife,
and thinking that he was beating her up, she knocked on the door. Godwin
refused to open up, saying that there was no trouble and that everything
was fine. The neighbour, Sarah Wilkins, then went back upstairs but watched
over the landing for someone to leave. Moments later, Godwin left the room
whereupon Mrs Wilkins entered and found Godwin's wife dead in a pool of
blood. She had been battered to death with a piece of wood later found
under the bed. Godwin was soon arrested, and after conviction he was hanged
by William Calcraft and Anderson. This was to be Calcraft's last execution.
The sentence was carried out in Newgate on the 25 May 1874.
Gibbs, James Henry
James Henry Gibbs was sentenced to death by Mr Justice Lush at Monmouth
Assizes for the murder of his wife at St Mellons. On 3 June, Mrs Gibbs's
fearfully decomposed body, partially eaten by insects, was discovered in
a ditch in the grounds of a farm in Llanrumney Hall, near Cardiff'. Investigations
led the police to her husband, a butler at the hall, and he was later charged
with her murder. The state of the body made it difficult for doctors to
be certain of the cause of death but Gibbs probably killed her by cutting
her throat. as there was evidence of neck injuries on the rotting corpse.
He protested his innocence and maintained fortitude in the death cell until
the hangman, Marwood, called for him to leave. Gibbs then broke down and
began to wail pitifully as he was assisted to the scaffold by two warders
where he had to be held erect until the drop fell. This sad happening took
place on the 24 August 1874 at Usk.
Gillingham, Michael
Twenty two year old Michael Gillingham was a respectable young man who
was sentenced to death at Durham Assizes by Baron Huddlestone, for the
murder of John Kiegoam, a young Irishman. Without any provocation, Kiegoam
was set upon by a gang of six youths at Darlington on 10 April, and witnesses
testified they saw Gillingham strike the man about the head with a sharp
instrument, which punctured his brain over the eyebrow. The execution was
carried out in Durham on the 2 August 1875.
Green, John
Green was a forty one year old painter who shot his wife, Emma, dead
at their home at Leicester on 21st August. They had lived unhappily
together due to Green being an alcoholic. On the day of the murder, he
told a colleague as they clocked off' work that this would be his last
day. Immediately after arriving home he walked into the house and shot
his wife in the neck. She died in hospital later that night, leaving a
family of nine children. The prosecution easily proved that it was premeditated
murder and he was convicted; He was hanged by William Marwood on 20th December
1876 in Leicester.
Golding, John
John Golding and Daniel Lord were friends and lived within a few streets
of each other at Edge Hill. On 16th July they had a quarrel which ended
with Golding beating Lord about the head with a poker. Lord died from his
injuries three days later. Golding was sentenced to death by Mr Justice
Hawkins at Liverpool Assizes, although the jury recommended him to mercy.
The sentence was carried out in Liverpool on the 21st August 1877
Grey, Thomas
Thomas Grey was sentenced to death by Mr Justice Hawkins on 31st October
at Nottingham- shire Assizes for the murder of Ann Mellor at Carcolston
in August. Ann lived with her mother and brother in a village shop and
was engaged to a man from Middlesborough named Holt, who at the time of
the crime was staying with them. Early in the morning of 20th August, Grey
entered the shop. He had repeatedly tried to court Ann but she had shown
no interest in him, and the appearance of Holt had fuelled him with a jealous
passion. Finding her alone in the shop, he tried to force his advances
on her; when she pushed him away he cut her throat repeatedly. He was hanged
by William Marwood on the 21st November 1877 in Nottingham.
Garcia, Joseph
On the morning of Wednesday 17th July, a young farm worker called at the
house of forty year old William Watkins, at Llangilly, near Newport, to
find out why he had failed to report for work. As he approached he noticed
smoke coming from an upstairs window and entering the house he discovered
the bodies of Watkins, his wife Elizabeth who was slightly older than her
husband at forty four, and their three children: Charlotte aged eight,
Frederick who was five, and Alice just four. Mr and Mrs Watkins had been
stabbed to death while the children had been hacked to death with an axe
as they lay asleep. Their bed was then set alight. On the previous morning.
a Spanish sailor named Joseph Garcia had been released from Usk Prison
after serving a nine month sentence for house breaking. On the Wednesday
night a mail cart driver witnessed him walking towards Newport, and offered
him a lift, which Garcia refused. When the driver reached the town he read
about the murder and reported the suspicious traveller to the police who
set up observation points around the town. Garcia was spotted as he entered
the town and police noticed that he had cuts, bruises, bloodstains and
other obvious signs of a struggle. When searched he had in his pockets
some items he hadn't been in possession of when released from prison. He
spoke little English and protested his innocence through a Spanish counsel.
He was hanged by William Marwood on the 18th November 1878 at Usk.
He was just twenty one when he died.
Gilbert, Henry
Thirty year old Henry Gilbert was an agricultural labourer sentenced to
death by Mr Justice Hawkins at Cambridge Assizes on 6th November for the
murder of his illegitimate child. Gilbert lived with a woman called Colbert
at Wailweston, near Huntingdon, and evidence showed that he had been repeatedly
cruel to the child and at various times had kicked and beaten it. The child
died as a result of being struck about the head as it lay in bed. Gilbert,
who admitted the crime but claimed he never intended to commit murder,
was recommended for mercy by the jury but later hanged by William Marwood
on the 25th November 1878 at Huntingdon.
Gambrill, Stephen
Twenty eight year old Gambrill was a farm labourer sentenced to death at
Kent Assizes on 14th January for the murder of Arthur Gillow who was twenty
four, the son of a gentleman farmer. The farm had been suffering from vandalism
and as a result Arthur had volunteered to stay up through the night to
keep guard. On the morning of 5th December his body was discovered beaten
to death in the grounds. Gambrill was suspected of the crime and charged
when enough evidence was collected against him. He confessed in the condemned
cell but maintained that he had only killed in self-defence. He was hanged
by William Marwood on the 4th February 1879 in Maidstone.
Gough, Alfred
On 20th August, a group of young children were picking blackberries in
a field at Brimington, near Chesterfield. At around 9.30am Gough, a hawker,
passed by the group with his barrow, and soon after one of the children,
six year old Eleanor Wendle, told her friends that she was going to follow
him and ask for a toy from his barrow. Gough was later seen with the young
girl in Johnsons Lane, and soon after she was found dead. She had been
raped and strangled. He was arrested on suspicion after he told a friend
that he knew something about the crime, and later witnesses testified that
they had seen a bundle on his barrow around the time the girl vanished.
He was convicted at Leicester Assizes on 2nd November and confessed in
the condemned cell. He was hanged in Derby by William Marwood on the 24th
November 1881 at the age of thirty four.
Gerrish, Charles
On Thursday 24th November 1881, two old paupers were sitting in front of
a fire at a Devizes workhouse. The two men began to quarrel after Gerrish
told the other man, Stephen Coleman, that it was his turn to get warm,
but when Coleman refused to move, Gerrish withdrew a red hot poker from
between the bars on the grate and thrust it into his neck. Coleman died
instantly and Gerrish was charged with his murder. After being convicted,
he was hanged by William Marwood in Devizes on the 31st January 1882 at
the age of seventy.
Garry, Thomas
Thomas Garry was a labourer convicted of the murder of John Newton who
was seventy four, a farmer, residing at Great Hale Fen, Sleaford. Newton
had lived alone on his farm since the death of his wife in the summer of
1882. Garry worked for him as a casual labourer and slept at the house.
At the beginning of 1883, he took to drink with the result that his work
became sloppy and he was warned by the old man that if he didn't shape
up he would have to move on. On 2nd February, Newton was found dead on
the kitchen floor at the farmhouse. He had been blasted in the chest with
his own shotgun which lay nearby. Police found a bloodstained footprint
which matched markings on Garry's boots; further examination revealed bloodstains
on his clothing. He was convicted at Lincolnshire Assizes and hanged by
William Marwood on the 7th May 1883.
1885
November 30th: Robert GOODALE
Norwich
Condemned to death for the murder of his unfaithful wife at Walsoken,
Norfolk. Goodale was a fifteen stone giant of a man who worked as a market
gardener and farmer. Each day after work, he and his wife would travel
into Wisbech where they would spend the night. On 16 September he returned
to the town alone and his manner caused some suspicion among his friends.
When a search of Goodale's farm was carried out, his wife's body was discovered
at the bottom of a well - her skull had been smashed with a sharp instrument.
He was hanged by Berry at Norwich Castle. The hangman, who already had
had two unnerving scenes that year with the failure to execute John Lee
at Exeter in, and the decapitation of SHRIMPTON, was to have another unfortunate
experience. He calculated a drop of seven feet eight inches but on observing
the condemned man's build, he decided on a shorter drop of five feet nine
inches. He selected the same rope he had used to hang WILLIAMS the week
before, and made his usual preparations. Goodale was in a state of terror
when Berry entered his cell and had to be half carried to the gallows.
When the drop fell, officials were horrified to find that his head had
been torn clean from his shoulders.
1888
May 15th: John Alfred GELL (32)
Manchester
Gell lodged with Mrs Mary Miller (46) at Moston, Manchester, and for
a time they had been on intimate terms. During the winter he was unemployed,
and as a kindness his landlady and sometime lover allowed him to stay without
paying until he found work. As spring neared, it seemed that Gell was making
no efforts to seek employment, and eventually Mrs Miller tired of this
and told him to find either a job or other lodgings. On 1 March he left
the house first thing in the morning but returned at noon and attacked
Mrs Miller with an axe. Her daughter, Isabella, called for assistance as
Gell turned his attack on her. A nearby police officer was attracted to
the house by the commotion and gave chase as Gell fled, arresting him a
few minutes later. Mary Miller died, but Gell admitted he had intended
to kill Isabella Miller as well, and then himself. He was convicted at
Manchester on 27 April and hanged by Berry. As the drop fell, he called
out 'Isabella Miller, I hope you have had your revenge!'
1889
January 2nd: William GOWER (18)
Charles DOBELL (17)
Maidstone
On the night of 20 July, Bensley Cyrus Lawrence, an engine driver and
time keeper at a Tunbridge Wells sawmill, was called from his home with
a message that someone wanted to see him. Minutes later a shot was heard
and soon afterwards, his body was discovered. A witness had seen Lawrence
talking to two young men just before the shot was heard but despite an
intensive investigation. the police had no clues as to the identity of
the assailants. It was almost six months later before the police had the
suspects in custody, after one of them confessed to a friend. The Whitechapel
murders of Jack the Ripper were filling the headlines. Discussing the atrocities
with friends, Dobell confessed that he had killed the man at Tunbridge
Wells. Word got back to detectives. and soon both Dobell and Gower were
in custody, where they made a full confession. Police blamed the crime
on the influence of 'penny-dreadfuls' comic books, which had fired their
imaginations. Hanged by Berry.
1890
June 10th: Daniel Stewart GORRIE (30)
Wandsworth
On 12 April, Thomas Furlonger, a baker at Neville's Bakery, Brixton,
picked up his week's wages. Later that night, he was found beaten to death
and robbed of his money. The attacker had used an iron bar which was found
lying nearby. Gorrie was picked up after he was identified as being seen
in the vicinity of the murder. When his pockets were emptied he was found
to be in possession of more money than he could possibly have earned. Hanged
by Berry.
1892
July 26th: John GURD (29)
Devizes
Gurd was engaged to Miss Florence Adams and was looking forward to
getting married. They had sorted out most of the arrangements and had the
banns read out in the local church. On 19 April, Florence told him she
wanted to call the wedding off but could give him no satisfactory explanation.
Gurd suspected that her uncle Henry Richards was behind the break up and
decided to confront him. During the ensuing argument he shot Richards then
fled. The local police started a manhunt for the missing gunman, and on
2 June he was accosted by two officers, Superintendent Perret and Sergeant
Moulden. In a desperate attempt to avoid capture, he fired two shots at
the pursuing officers, hitting Sergeant Moulden, who later died from his
injuries in hospital. Gurd was finally arrested, and after his trial at
Wiltshire Assizes, he was sentenced to death. He was hanged by Billington.
At the inquest held after the execution, it was claimed that the drop had
failed to break his neck which had very strong muscles.
1892
August 17th: Patrick GIBBONS (33)
Liverpool
Sentenced to death by Mr Justice Denman at Liverpool Assizes for the
murder of his mother. Gibbons lived with his parents at Royton, near Oldham.
On Saturday 9 July, he returned home drunk, entered her bedroom and cut
her throat as she slept. It was alleged that they had had a quarrel earlier
but Gibbons denied this and said he couldn't recall anything about the
day of the crime. He was hanged by James Billington at Walton Prison which
had recently taken over as the sole execution prison in Liverpool.
1894
April 3rd: Philip GARNER (49)
Leeds
Garner was a former army officer who had met and married his wife while
serving in Belfast. They had returned to England and settled in his native
Doncaster. and for a while they got on well. They went for a walk together
but he returned alone. She was later found battered to death and he was
charged with murder. Hanged by James Billington.
1894
August 17th: John GILMOUR (22)
Belfast
Convicted of the murder of Lyle Gardner (73), a farmer at Ballyhavistock,
in April. Gilmour had seduced the old man's daughter, and fearing legal
proceedings he deliberately went out one night and shot Gardner through
a window. Hanged by Scott.
1900
May 22nd: Henry GROVE (26)
Newgate
A hawker who killed Henry Smith (84), at Enfield on 24 February. Grove
rented a stable from the old man but was given notice to quit because he
had fallen behind with the payments. On the night of the murder Grove had
arrived at the stable but was refused entry by Smith. A fierce row ensued,
ending when Groves punched Smith to the ground and then attacked him with
two scythes that lay nearby. When Smith died from his injuries a month
later, Groves was convicted of murder, then hanged by James Billington.
1901
July 9th: Valeri GIOVANNI (31)
Bodmin
An Italian sailor convicted of the murder of Victor Baillif aboard
a ship off the South American coast in February. They had had a fight while
ashore with Giovanni coming off worse. When they had another altercation
back on the ship, Giovanni pulled a knife and stabbed Baillif to death.
In his defence he pleaded provocation and claimed self defence. The jury
disagreed and he was convicted, although they did add a recommendation
for mercy. Hanged by James and William Billington; it was the first execution
in Cornwall for nineteen years.
1903
December 29th: John GALLAGHER (30)
Emily SWANN (42)
Leeds
Gallagher, a miner, and Mrs Swann, a mill hand, were convicted together
at York Assizes before Mr Justice Darling of the murder of her husband,
William. The Swanns lived at Wombwell, Yorkshire, and had taken Gallagher
in as a lodger. When William Swann discovered his wife was having an affair
with Gallagher, he confronted them both. Gallagher then attacked Swann
with a poker while Emily urged him on. They were hanged side by side by
William Billington and John Ellis. Ellis later recalled that when he entered
her cell he discovered her moaning pitifully on the floor, while her two
warders encouraged her to meet her end bravely. Ellis gave her a glass
of brandy and after she had gulped it down, she regained control of herself.
When she reached the drop, she saw her lover waiting and as they were placed
back to back, she said: 'Good morning, John.' Gallagher found it hard to
speak but managed a husky: 'Good morning, love.' As Billington placed the
noose around her neck, Mrs Swann cried out: 'Goodbye. God bless you,' before
the drop fell.
1904
July 26th: Thomas GUNNING (48)
Glasgow
A native of Bridgeton, Glasgow, who murdered Agnes Allen with whom
he had lived for eight years. One night in April, he returned home drunk
and ordered her to get out of bed to fetch him something to eat. When she
refused he mercilessly kicked her about the head and body, breaking bones
in her face and cracking several ribs. He boasted to friends that he had
killed her and was later arrested and charged with her murder. He was sentenced
to death by Lord Traynor at Glasgow Circuit Court on 5 July and hanged
by William and John Billington. William Billington was originally hired
to carry out the sentence without the aid of an assistant. John had been
at Ayr to hang a man named Calebrere who was later reprieved, and so he
returned to Glasgow to assist his brother.
1906
February 27th: John GRIFFITHS (19)
Manchester
Sentenced to death at Manchester Assizes by Mr Justice Grantham on
6 February for the murder of his sweetheart Catherine Geraghty (17), at
Shaw, He had been courting her for several months and although deeply in
love, he had struck her after a quarrel. She forgave him but when he later
ruthlessly beat a man who had stopped to talk to her, she broke off the
relationship. On 19 December 1905, Catherine was seen talking to Griffiths
and the following morniag she was found strangled. Footprints near the
body matched those of Griffiths and he was arrested and later convicted.
Hanged by Henry Pierrepoint and John Ellis.
1906
August 7th: Edward GLYNN (26)
Nottingham
A sailor who murdered Jane Gamble after she left him because of his
cruelty. Despite his repeated requests, she refused to go back and live
with him. On 3 March, he met her in Canal Street, Nottingham, and stabbed
her in the back and neck. He fled but two witnesses to the crime gave chase
and detained him. Jane Gamble died in hospital the next day and a post-mortem
found that part of the blade was still lodged inside her spine. Sentenced
to death at Nottinghamshire Assizes by Mr Justice Walton at he was hanged
by Henry Pierrepoint and his assistant William Willis participating in
his first execution.
1911
June 20th: Arthur GARROD (49)
Ipswich
A labourer who murdered Sarah Chivers, whom he lived with, on 6 February
by striking her over the head with an axe, and then cutting her throat.
Hanged by John Ellis.
1911
October 17th: Francisco Carlos GODHINO (40)
Pentonville
A native of Goa sentenced to death by Mr Justice Avory at the Old Bailey
on 7 September, for the murder of Alice Emily Brewster (54) aboard the
P & O liner 'China' on the high seas. Godhino was employed as a bath
attendant in 1st class and came under the direct command of Alice Brewster,
who was the head stewardess. Miss Brewster was noted among the staff for
her brusque manner, and when Godhino did something to cause her offence,
she told him off. On 11 June, as the ship made its way from Sydney to London.
her body was found battered to death in her cabin and Godhino was immediately
suspected of the crime. From the position the body was discovered in, it
appeared that the killer had intended to throw her overboard, and then
disappear at the next port. Unfortunately, heavy monsoons had prevented
the ship from reaching land. In his defence, Godhino claimed that Miss
Brewster's death was an accident that had occurred while they had been
fighting.
1912
November 5th: Robert GALLOWAY (27)
Norwich
A seaman convicted of the murder of Minnie Morris, who was found strangled
to death at Walsoken, Norfolk, in July. Hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint and
George Brown.
1912
December 20th: William Wallace GALBRAITH (25)
Wakefield
Murdered his young wife Mary by cutting her throat at Middlesbrough.
He was sentenced to death on 20 November, and after his appeal was dismissed
on 2 December, he was hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint and William Willis.
1913
August 13th: Frank GREENING (34)
Birmingham
A painter who shot dead Elizabeth Ellen Hearne at her home in Birmingham.
They had formerly lived together and he shot her after she left him. While
she lay fatally wounded in hospital, he was being hunted by the police.
Disguising himself as a relative, Greening visited her and tried to persuade
her not to press charges. She later died, and he was arrested. Hanged by
Thomas Pierrepoint and George Brown.
1917
April 18th: Robert GADSBY (55)
Leeds
In 1914, after twenty four years of marriage, Julia Ann Johnson and
her husband separated. Soon afterwards she began a relationship with Gadsby,
who worked as a dyer's labourer at Bramley. Early in 1917, Mrs Johnson's
daughter paid her a visit but found the front door locked. Looking through
the window, she saw her mother lying on the living room floor with Gadsby
kneeling over her holding a bloodstained knife. She hurried to fetch the
police and Gadsby was placed under arrest. Julia Johnson had died from
a cut throat. When he stood trial before Mr Justice McCardie at Leeds Assizes
on 28 February, the reason for the crime was revealed. He had accused her
of seeing other men and had visited her house asking for the return of
a ring he had given her. She had denied his accusations, and refused to
return the ring, instructing him to remember a promise he had made to her
that the ring was a symbol that they would never part. A struggle ensued
during which he picked up a knife and cut her throat. Hanged by Thomas
Pierrepoint and Robert Baxter.
1919
August 8th: Henry Thomas GASKIN (25)
Birmingham
Following marital problems, Gaskin and his wife Elizabeth (23) had
decided to separate. They had lived at Bridgtown, Cannock, Staffordshire
but in the winter of 1918, she had moved out of the house and gone to stay
with her parents at nearby Hednesford. On Wednesday 19 February, a young
girl called at the parents' house with a message for Lizzie from Gaskin.
It was a note arranging a meeting for later that afternoon. Lizzie left
home and was never seen alive again. She failed to return home that night,
and the next morning Lizzie's mother called to see Gaskin. He admitted
arranging the meeting but claimed that he had failed to keep the appointment
and had no idea what had become of his wife. The police were called but
an initial search failed to uncover her body. A week later Gaskin broke
down and led the police to her mutilated and dismembered corpse. At his
trial, held at Stafford Assizes on 11 July, the court heard how Gaskin
had met his wife as arranged then returned to his house. He asked her to
come home for good, but she refused, and instead asked him for a divorce
so that she could marry her new lover. Gaskin became irate and grabbed
her by the throat, strangling her. He then hid the body until the next
morning when he wheeled it in a barrow to a sight near the local gasworks
where he set about dismembering it. The short trial ended when the jury
took just thirty four minutes to convict him of the crime. Stafford gaol
no longer housed a scaffold so Gaskin was taken to Winson Green prison,
Birmingham, where he was hanged by John Ellis and William Willis.
1920
July 27th: Arthur Andrew GOSLETT (44)
Pentonville
A South African born engineer charged ith the murder of his wife. Evelyn.
He had bigamously married several other women and the expense of having
more than one wife proved too much. She was found floating in the River
Brent at Golders Green on 2 Ma . Goslett - who had been suspected of being
a spy during the war - was questioned once the body was identified and
made a statement in which he denied the crime. He made another statement
the next day, still denying the crime, and went on to make a total of eight
statements in all, the last six giving varying accounts of the same events.
He was convicted at the Old Bailey before Mr Justice Shearman on 25 May.
Hanged by John Ellis and Edward Taylor.
1920
December 30th: Marks GOODMARCHER (58)
Pentonville
A Jewish tailor's presser living in Whitechapel, who cut the throat
of his married daughter. Fann Zetoun. on 23 September during the Jewish
Black Fast. He had quarrelled with his daughter and son-in-law. and committed
the crime after the failed to visit him on the 'Day of Atonement' hen.
according to custom. Orthodox Jews who have quarrelled seek reconciliation.
Goodmarcher attempted to cut his own throat after the murder. Sentenced
to death b Mr Justice Darling at the Old Bailey on 18 ovember. A plea of
insanity was ignored and he was hanged by William Willis and Robert Baxter.
It was Willis's first time in charge.
1921
February 4th: William Thomas GRAY (29)
Jack Alfred FIELD (19)
Wandsworth
A pair of unsavoury characters from Eastbourne who were convicted at
Lewes Assizes by Mr Justice Avory for the murder of Irene Munro (17), in
what became known as the 'Crumbles Murder'. Miss Munro was a typist from
London who had taken a holiday alone. Field and Grav were locals who spent
the summer cruising the promenade, paying attention to female holidaymakers.
Both men were out of work and Gra was supported by his wife who worked
as a dom- estic servant. On 19 August. 1920. a witness saw two men and
a girl heading in the direction of the Crumbles, a stretch of beach between
Eastbourne and Pevensey Bay. The following day, a boy discovered a battered
body partially buried in the shingle. It was identified as that of Irene
Munro, who had been reported missing. Four da s later. Field and Gray were
picked up b police acting on a tip off. The stood trial in December and
despite offering an alibi, they were found guilt but ith a recommendation
for merc from the jury who thought the crime as not premeditated. At their
appeal. the condemned men changed their stories. each blaming the other
as they fought to save their skins. Hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint. assisted
b Robert Baxter and William Willis.
1923
July 24th: William GRIFFITHS (57)
Shrewsbury
A joiner of Eccleshall, Staffordshire. convicted of the murder of his
twice married 80 year old mother, Catherine Hughes. Griffiths stopped a
policeman in the street and told him I have done the old girl in!' The
ofTicer went off to investigate and found her dead from a cut throat. Sentenced
to death at Stafford Assizes by Mr Justice Roche on 4 July. and hanged
by John Ellis and Seth Mills.
1924
March 13th: Jeremiah GAFFNEY (23)
Dublin
Sentenced to death by Mr Justice Pim on 14 February for the murder
of Thomas Brosnan at Scartaglen, Co Kerry, whom he shot dead on 6 December,
1923. Also accused of the murder was Dennis Leen (27), but he was deemed
to have acted under the terrorising influence of Gaffney. Leen was sentenced
to life imprisonment; Gaffney was sentenced to death. The jury recommended
him to mercy, which startled the judge, who then made the following statement:
'All I have to say is that the murder was premeditated, cold blooded and
as a horrible a crime as has ever been committed. I can conceive no reason
why any mercy should be extended to the prisoner.' Gaffney was hanged by
Thomas Pierrepoint; Leen served just over two years. being released on
licence on 8 May. 1926.
1924
July 30th: Abraham GOLDENBERG (22)
Winchester
On the afternoon of 3 April, William Hall, a clerk at Lloyds Bank,
failed to turn up at the bus stop after the close of business. A friend
from a neighbouring bank, who travelled home with him, returned to the
branch and peering through a window, saw his friend's body lying in a pool
of blood behind the counter. He appeared to have been shot for there was
a gaping hole in the back of his head. Inquiries were centred on the soldiers
based at a nearby camp, which was served by the bank. St Lucia barracks
was the home of the 2nd East Lancashire Regiment, and during interviews
with a number of soldiers, one name stood out as a likely suspect. Lance
Corporal 'Jack' Goldenberg was mentioned as one of the men who had business
at the bank on the afternoon of the murder. When interviewed, Goldenberg
admitted that he cashed a cheque at a quarter to two, and that he was the
only customer in the bank at the time. Police knew that Goldenberg needed
money because three weeks earlier he had seen the Camp Commander and asked
for a discharge so he could marry his girlfriend and take up new employment
as a clerk. He was told that unless he could afford 35 to secure his release
he would have to see out the rest of his time. On the afternoon of 8 April,
Goldenberg left the camp to post a letter to his girlfriend. Upon his return,
he was spotted by Sergeant Major Alliott, who ordered a bandsman to follow
the suspected soldier. Goldenberg entered a latrine where he reached up
into the rafters for a package. The bandsman entered unnoticed and watched
as Goldenberg pulled out a handful of notes from the package, before slipping
away and returning with the Sergeant Major. Goldenberg was caught redhanded
in possession of the stolen money and placed in the guard room. He was
tried at Winchester Assizes on 19 June before Mr Justice Bailhache. The
prosecution's case was that the murder had been deliberately planned to
obtain the money he needed to marry his girlfriend. The defence called
a Harley Street neurologist who told the court that he was of the opinion
that the prisoner was suffering from a mental condition known as 'Dementia
Praecox', a recurrent form of disease that renders a person incapable of
judging the nature of an action he commits. The jury took only a short
time to find Goldenberg guilty and he was sentenced to death.
Hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint and William Willis.
1925
April 15th: Henry GRAHAM (42)
Durham
An ex soldier, working as a window cleaner in Sunderland, who killed
his wife of four years when she left him. After failing to persuade her
to return and writing her numerous letters, Graham finally managed to arrange
a meeting between them a few days before Christmas 1924. They began to
talk when, without warning, he punched her in the mouth. As she collapsed
to the ground, he pulled out a knife and repeatedly stabbed her to death.
He tried to escape by running away but many witnesses had seen him commit
the murder and he was easily detained. After conviction, before Mr Justice
Acton at Durham Assizes on 6 March, he asked if he could be allowed to
see his adopted son. a wish that was granted. He read the Bible continually
in the death cell. and walked to the scaffold chanting: 'Oh Lamb of God,
I come.' Hanged alongside SHELTON by Thomas Pierrepoint and William Willis,
assisted by two new assistants, Henry Pollard and Lionel Mann, whose presence
had been requested by the Governor, probably for them to gain experience.
1928
January 6th: Sydney Bernard GOULTER (26)
Wandsworth
Early on the morning of Sunday 2 October, 1927, Constance Gertrude
Oliver (21), a Battersea typist, left home after telling her parents that
she had a date with her boyfriend, Bernard, at Putney railway station.
She was never seen alive again. On Wednesday morning, Charles Hicks, the
park keeper at Richmond Park, found her body concealed amongst some bracken.
She had been savagely attacked and strangled. A search of the area produced
her handbag which led the police to Goulter. He admitted the crime and
told police of events leading up to the murder. He claimed to have met
Constance whilst running a coffee stall near her office. He saw her daily
and eventually plucked up the courage to ask her out, and she agreed. They
went on several dates and while out together in Richmond Park, he asked
her if she would see him again on the following evening. She told him that
she had another date and was going out in a foursome with a friend from
work. A row ensued during which he lost his temper and killed her. Goulter,
an engineer of no fixed abode. and the son of a retired Metropolitan Police
inspector, offered a defence of insanity when he appeared before Mr Justice
Horridge at Surrey Assizes, Guildford, on 9 December. The defence failed
and he was hanged by Robert Baxter and Henry Pollard.
1928
January 31st: James GILLON (30)
Wandsworth
A gardener of Lower Beeding, Sussex, convicted of the murder of his
sister, Annie Gillon. They were both employed by a man named Holland who
owned a large mansion called Plummers Plain House at Horsham. Gillon lived
in a small two room hut in the grounds; while his sister, who acted as
housemaid and prepared meals for the staff, had a room in the house. On
18 September, 1927, Annie went into Brighton with some other members of
the staff and returned to the house late that night. Gillon was angry that
he had not been invited into town, and when his sister returned he demanded
that she make him some supper. She refused and retired to bed. The next
morning at breakfast, they quarrelled over her refusal to feed him the
night before. He snatched up a knife and stabbed her, embedding it in her
spine. He then fought off other members of staff who attempted to detain
him, before cutting his throat with a razor he took from his pocket. They
were both taken to hospital, and although James recovered from his injuries,
Annie died on 28 October. He stood trial before Mr Justice Horridge in
November and after the jury found him guilty, he was hanged by Robert Baxter
and Thomas Phillips.
Go to the top of the page
For more information contact:
Gregg Manning
