The death of David Thomas

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2 Murder in the Storm The death of David Thomas in Cowbridge, 1885 In 1885, a farmer and cattle dealer named David Thomas resided at Stallcourt Farm, Llanblethian. Llanblethian is a picturesque hamlet on the outskirts of Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan. David was well-known and popular within the district, and had a reputation for generosity. However, David was also shrewd and not one to be taken advantage of. He was fond of alcohol, but did not drink to excess. David was married and had several children. He had spent some years in America and was often referred to as The Yankee in the parts of South Wales where he was known. On 30th October 1885, Mr Thomas left his home before 9am and caught the train from Cowbridge to the market at Treorchy. When he arrived, he received 60 worth of money he was owed. Amongst the gold handed to him by a man called Jenkins, David found a sovereign which had a hole in it. Mr Thomas placed all the loose money in a canvas bag he regularly carried. He then went to have dinner in a tavern in the town and enjoyed a drink with some acquaintances. After visiting one or two other places nearby, the cattle dealer made for home. He reached the railway station at Cowbridge at about 8.30pm. He was under the influence of alcohol but was still capable of attending to business, as he received some more money from a farmer at Cowbridge. This man walked with Mr Thomas to the Duke of Wellington Inn, where both were well known as regular customers. Whilst under the influence of alchohol, Mr Thomas became excited and extremely generous with his money, displaying his heavily laden canvas bag to all the customers present. Drinking with the locals An old man named Edward Roberts was present in the tap-room. He had been there since about 7.45pm. Edward Roberts, and his son David Roberts, did not have good reputations. 2 The Duke of Wellington Inn, High Street, Cowbridge. Edward was a sawyer by trade and lived in a small tworoomed cottage on his own plot within a quarter of a mile of Stallcourt Farm. Father and son, the latter about 28 years of age, were well known in the district, but few people cared to have much to do with them. David Roberts in particular was shunned and avoided with the exception of a few. David Roberts was a heavy loutish-looking man with a sullen expression and a thick, dark moustache. However, he and his father were devoted to one another and quite inseparable. They lived alone in their cottage. David had returned home some three months earlier after serving in the army. David joined his father at the Inn shortly before Mr Thomas arrived. David did not have any money so his father paid for the drinks. They were joined by a third man, whose name was John Thomas, the nephew of the cattle dealer. Mr Thomas reached the Duke of Wellington at 9pm and joined the Roberts party, paying for the first round of drinks. He took the money from the canvas bag and boastfully said: I am willing to lend anyone here 20, and rattled the heavy bag upon the table. In the absence of any takers, Thomas put the bag away, and invited the Roberts' and his nephew to join him in a game of cards. Edward Roberts was too drunk to play and fell asleep on a settle in the corner of the room. He was able to leave the public house at 11pm with the others though.

3 The four of them were seen heading in the direction of their homes together. They proceeded down Church Street, Thomas and his nephew in front, and the two Roberts' following behind. After going down Church Street, they crossed a stile on the right hand side of the road, against the Town Mill, to the footpath leading to Stallcourt Farm. The weather had been very wet and gusty all day, and towards the evening a gale sprang up; the rain pelting down in torrents. It was blowing a hurricane when the men left the Inn, and they could hardly see where they were going or keep themselves steady. The footpath was almost under water, and the adjacent fields were like swamps. David Thomas, who was comparatively sober, though he had been drinking all day, remarked it was the worst night he had known in the years he had lived there. The elder Roberts, who was certainly drunk, fell down twice but was hauled up and supported by his son. To go to their cottage, Edward and David Roberts would ordinarily leave Mr Thomas at that point and go past the Town Mill to the left. A woman living next door to the cottage came forward afterwards to say that she went to bed a little after 11pm that night. Some time later, though how long she could not say, she was awakened by the sound of footsteps in the next cottage and two men talking. The voices were those of David Roberts and his father. Murder Most Foul At 7am the following morning, a man named Benjamin Williams made a shocking discovery on his way to work: he came upon the body of a man at a point half-way between the stile at Town Mill and Stallcourt Farm. The man had been most savagely murdered. The head and the face had been so battered as to render him unrecognisable. There were terrible wounds at the back of his head, two incised wounds in the front of his face, and one wound on the left side of his nose, penetrating to the bone of his skull. This last injury, inflicted with some blunt, heavy instrument, must have been instantly fatal. The rain ceased about 2am but as the dead man's clothes were saturated, it was clear that he had been assailed and killed before that hour. His pockets were turned out and no money was found on him. There was a notebook and one or two small articles, but that was all. The police were quickly on the scene, and the body was immediately identified as that of David Thomas. He was conveyed by ladder to his own house. The younger Stallcourt Farm, home of the murdered man Roberts, who with his father, had been attracted to the spot, actually assisted in carrying him to the house; a circumstance greatly discussed afterwards. On the night of the murder which robbed Mrs Thomas of her husband, she dreamed that someone very dear to her had met with an accident, causing death. In her dream she saw men running away from the scene. The dream was so vivid that, rising early next morning because of her alarm at her husband's failure to return home, she was led to speak of it to her children, who were in bed. Within 20 minutes of this conversation, whilst everyone was wondering about his absence, she learned that her husband had been killed within a stone's throw of the house. Mrs Thomas and her children were overcome with grief, and for some time she was out of her mind. The murder was committed within 200 yards of Mr Thomas's house, and 500 yards from a cottage called The Old Kennels at the bottom of the hill. 48-year-old David Thomas had four children; the oldest was 16-year-old. David s nephew, 23-year-old John Thomas, had recently married and worked in a bakery at Llanblethian. For some time, John was suspected of taking part in the crime and was actually arrested. However, it was proved that he had left the deceased at the stile and gone to his own home. He was discharged from custody at the first magisterial examination. The love of a devoted son The police acted promptly and arrested Edward Roberts and his son, as they were the last people seen with the murdered man. Both denied their guilt, with David remarking to his father: This is a nice job, dad, what do you say? To this, Edward Roberts replied: I know nothing at all about it. I never saw Mr Thomas last night at all. 3

4 That remark was obviously untrue. Many witnesses confirmed that the four men were drinking together at the Duke of Wellington, and then left the Inn together. Edward Roberts stated that he had been in a drunken sleep all the time he was at the Inn, but that was disproved by the landlord and several of the customers. The Roberts' cottage was searched and a blood-stained pocket handkerchief containing 66 in gold, and a sovereign with a hole in it, was found in a dark cupboard. The following morning, the police discovered a billhook which bore traces of blood, but upon examination, an analyst could not swear that the blood was human. The most he could say with certainty was that it was the blood of a mammal. When asked about the billhook, Edward Roberts said: I know it s mine, but I don't know any more about it. The doctor who first examined the body considered that the injuries might have been inflicted with such a weapon. Two or three days after the men were taken into custody, a conversation between them was overheard by an officer in the corridor of the police station. Edward Roberts remarked: It is a bad thing their finding all that money upon him, and having none the night before. The elder prisoner observed: He can say that he was saving up for Christmas. David Roberts replied: Yes, I will tell them I was saving it up to buy a new suit of clothes or something of that sort. With the exception of this conversation, there was very little to establish the complicity of Edward Roberts in the crime. In view of the son's complete exoneration of his father, it was doubtful that a jury would convict the older man. David Roberts was determined to clear his father of any involvement in the crime. Edward s story was that he was too drunk and sleepy to remember anything. However, if that were true, he may have known or been party to the concealment of the money. This meant he was still an accessory. The next door neighbour heard the men talking and moving about, which did not hold up David's account of his father being so drunk that he was incapable of speech or action. Edward Roberts was 60-years-old and employed by Mr James, a builder in Cowbridge. David assisted his father in odd jobs as a sawyer until he was 20-years-old. He had always been wild and intractable and not many people had a good word for him. In 1877, David enlisted in the Royal Scots. He served for seven years, but five of those were spent in prison for military offences. He was finally discharged as incorrigible. The Confession David s only admirable trait was his dogged devotion to his father, and it was this, no doubt, that led to the following confession: On the night of 30th October 1885, I was in the house in which I live in Llanblethian between 7 and 8 o'clock. John Thomas, the deceased's nephew, came to me and asked if I would go to Cowbridge. I told him I did not like to go because it was so wet and windy. He told me if I would come with him I would not stand out in the wet. I knew then what he meant by that, he meant to stand a drink, and so he did, in Warren's Public house. We had a blue each there, and then left to go home, but we came to the Duke of Wellington and I said, Let's see if my father is in there. So we went in, and my father was in there, and David Thomas, Evans the Keeper, and Lewis and Warren's son. I called for two blues of beer, which we put down to my father. Then we had a few games of cards for beer. Then we shook the hat for more beer, and the beer that was lost was brought in and was drank among the company. We were in the Duke of Wellington public house until 11 o'clock. David Thomas, his nephew, my father and I left the house together and it was a very wild night. We went with David Thomas as far as the Town Mill and there left him. David Thomas went over the stile by the pine end of the mill and we went to Llanblethian in a different direction. When we got to Llanblethian Mill, John Thomas went in the direction of his house. I also wish to mention that my father, when he left the Wellington was what they commonly call blind drunk and I had to lead him home. I brought him home and put him to bed. I am very sorry to say that after I had put my father to bed, I left the house by myself, took a big stick out of the house, and went to the top of Llanblethian Hill. I went down the footpath leading to Cowbridge and met the deceased coming up the footpath and I asked him for his money. He asked me where I came from, and I said I came from Cowbridge. He replied, Go to Cowbridge. I said, I want your money first. I told him he had better give it to me or I'd take it. So we had a little struggle, and I threw him down and struck him with the stick I had in my hand three times. Then I robbed him of all his money, and took all his papers which I burnt at home. Also the money 4

5 bag. I also wish to state that when I did get home my father was in bed fast asleep. After I burnt everything I went to bed and got up next morning at 6.15am. When I got up I went to the garden and counted the money because I did not want my father to know I had any money. He would want to know where I got it from, so I put the money where you found it, and nobody saw me put it there, my father being in bed at the time. Also I wish to say that the weapon that did the deed was that stick you had in court, not the billhook. I am the guilty person, and nobody else had anything to do with it. John Thomas and my father are innocent. David Roberts is my name. My life I now must part, for the murder of David Thomas. DAVID THOMAS, Son of Edward Roberts. David's statement gives the impression that he was seeking to minimise, as far as he could, the ferocity of the attack. He suggests there had been nothing more than a slight argument between him and Mr Thomas, which had ended in blows. The little struggle he alludes to was in fact a violent attack upon David Thomas. He was battered to death with three tremendous blows. Other parts of the confession also do not ring true. A stick could have produced such injuries, whereas a billhook could certainly have inflicted them. Aside from the traces of blood on the billhook, it was wet, suggesting that it had been taken out by the murderer during the night. According to the confession, David Roberts and his father left Mr Thomas at the stile, just a quarter of a mile from his home. Even if the heavy wind and drenching rain and David Thomas's inebriated condition were taken into account, it should not have taken him more than 10 minutes to get to his own doorstep. Yet, during this time, Roberts supposedly went home, assisted his father to undress, put him to bed, and then went out again to intercept his intended victim at a spot within 200 yards of his home. It is unlikely that David Thomas dawdled on the way home considering the horrendous weather conditions, and hung about long enough for Roberts to arm himself with a billhook, or the stick, then go out and murder him. It is much more likely that neither of the two Roberts' returned to their cottage until after the murder had been committed. The elder man may have been too drunk to fully appreciate what was happening if his son attacked Mr Thomas without word or warning as soon as John Thomas left. The terrible injuries to the victim's head and face could have been inflicted with a heavy stone. Several stones were lying near the spot where the attack took place, and one was stained with blood. Also, it would be strange for David Thomas to ask David Roberts where he was from. He knew the man perfectly well and had been in his company for two or three hours that very evening. Roberts may have intended to just rob the man, who as we know, was not the sort of person to just give up his money to the first person asking for it. It is almost certain that David Roberts had resolved on murder as the only means by which he could secure the bag of money for himself without detection. The Trial Lord Chief Justice Coleridge presided at the trial at the Glamorgan Assizes, Cardiff, on Wednesday 10th February Mr Arthur Lewis led the Crown prosecution, and Edward Roberts was defended by Mr Abel Thomas under the instruction of Mr Belcher, who had the case in hand since it began. David Roberts pleaded guilty and was not represented by counsel. His father pleaded Not Guilty and apparently wore the same calm expression as he did throughout the magisterial proceedings. Early on in the trial, following the opening speech of the prosecuting council, the Judge intervened and put it to Mr Lewis that the evidence against the prisoner was not of such a character as to render it likely that any jury would convict. He said he was unable to find any definitive evidence against Edward Roberts, except that he was with Mr Thomas the night he was murdered yet denied spending any time with him, and he had been overheard suggesting an explanation of how the money was found. The money found in his house would be strong evidence against Edward Roberts if his son, who had confessed to the crime, hadn t lived there too. Mr Arthur Lewis admitted that the case against the elder prisoner was not strong, and he was prepared to withdraw it with his Lordship's sanction. He could not prove more than he had told the jury, and he felt it was not sufficient to warrant a conviction. His Lordship expressed his approval of counsel's remarks, and directed the jury to acquit Edward Roberts of the charge. The latter was therefore found Not Guilty and discharged. The Deputy Clerk, addressing the prisoner David Roberts, said: "You have confessed 5

6 yourself guilty of wilful murder. Have you any reason to give why sentence of the court should not be pronounced against you? To this, David Roberts replied without emotion, No, Sir. His Lordship then passed sentence of death in the usual form, and the prisoner left the dock with the utmost indifference and composure. Beyond expressing his relief that his father was so well out of it, David Roberts made little allusion to his crime. However, a day or two before the execution, having heard that his father had suffered before the trial, he wrote a letter expressly exonerating his father from any participation in the crime. He again stated that he, and he alone, had any hand in the murder. He wrote a letter to the widow of his victim, expressing his deep regret for the sorrow he had caused her. The Execution of David Roberts Berry the executioner, arrived at Cardiff on Monday morning by the train leaving Swansea at 11.05am. Owing to the heavy fall of snow, the train was a few minutes late. On alighting from the carriage, Berry, who had never visited Cardiff before, seemed in doubt as to the way out of the station. He started down the subway which leads to the down line, but was called back by the porter. The executioner, dressed in a grey overcoat, was smoking a cigar, and wore quite a cheerful expression. On reaching the outside of the station, he jumped into a hansom, and ordered the cabman to drive him to the prison. The execution took place in unusual circumstances and led to quite a scandal at the time. The date was Wednesday, 2nd March The culprit, whose stoical bearing was so marked throughout the trial, maintained his composure up until the end. The only change that came over him as he awaited his execution was that he had turned to religion. He looked forward to the visits from his spiritual advisor and read the bible constantly. A fortnight before his death he had what was intended to be one last visit from his father, and his father s distress as he left him stirred emotion in David Roberts. Apart from this, he slept soundly, ate heartily and always appeared to be in cheerful spirits. On the afternoon prior to the execution, Edward Roberts, who had been staying with his sister since his release from custody, walked the nine miles from Llanblethian to Cardiff to say a last goodbye to his son. David wasn t expecting this. After his father left the gaol, Llanblethian Village, Cowbridge the condemned man ate a hearty tea and in the evening, after an early supper, he retired to rest. The Governor, Major Knox, visited him at 8pm and asked him if he had any requests or anything further to say. He replied: No sir, nothing. After being asked again, he replied coolly: Quite sure, thank you sir, very much obliged to you. David did not go to sleep until nearly 10pm and woke at 12am when he suddenly became very talkative and related events that had happened to him in the Army. At 4am he dropped off again and slept until 6am when he got up and dressed. The Reverend Mr Davies arrived soon after and remained with him until the end. David Roberts declined breakfast, but drank a cup of tea. He remained in prayer with the chaplain until 7.50am when the bell began to toll his death-knell. Nearly 1,000 people had congregated outside the prison. They stayed to see the hoisting of the black flag before dispersing quietly. Roberts was dressed in a striped pair of trousers and a dark blue coat and vest, both open in front, and he stood calmly while Berry pinioned his arms. He scarcely moved a muscle, and the only indication that he realised his predicament, was the anxious look in his eyes. The scaffold was 15 yards from the cell and a pit, 10 feet deep by 6 feet broad, had been dug. The gallows were erected according to the Home Office plans, and were the same in every detail as when they were used in Swansea on the previous day. The cross beam was pitch pine and the drop doors, which were on a level with the ground, had been used for a double execution at Hereford. David Roberts walked straight to the scaffold, and stood firmly with his back to the onlookers while Berry 6

7 pinioned his legs. Though looking pale and haggard, he did not give the slightest sign of unsteadiness and quietly repeated the responses after the chaplain. Berry then took off Roberts s hat, slipped the white cap over his head, and without a moment's delay, pulled the lever. The drop was only 3 feet 7 inches, with an allowance of 5 inches for the stretching of the rope, making it a total of just 4 feet. The drop was so unusually short because Roberts was 13 stone, and it was feared that a greater length might decapitate him. Onlookers thought the jerk of the drop seemed very short, but for the first few seconds everything seemed to be all right, as Roberts s head (about 3 or 4 inches from the drop-doors) did not move a muscle. However, to the horror of the spectators, his hands began to twitch and he started to heave violently for breath. As this continued, and the struggles of the dying man increased, a look of consternation came over the faces of those present. Berry crossed over to the Governor of the gaol and the High Sheriff and had a consultation with them. During this time, within a few seconds of 3 minutes, Roberts s continued to struggle. Reporters were asked to leave, and as they passed out into the yard, some signs of life were still visible. Immediately before Roberts s inquest, two of the reporters entered the visiting room of the gaol, where Berry was having breakfast. Berry remarked that it had been a clever execution. The reporters disagreed stating that according to the time they had noted, David Roberts had not died for three minutes from the time the bolt was drawn. Berry became enraged, and threatened to bring slander proceedings against anyone who circulated this claim. The reporter who represented the Press Association had pulled out his watch immediately after David Roberts had started to twitch in order to record how long the painful scene would last. It was this action that had resulted in the newspaper representatives being asked to leave. Notes 7

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