THE SAD STORY OF
GEORGE WALTER CARDWELL
A RASTRICK SOLDIER, HUNG FOR MURDERING A JEWELLERY SHOP OWNER IN 1918
RESEARCHED BY MR. ROB HAMILTON of HALIFAX
BACKGROUND
George Walter Cardwell was the son of Alfred and Martha Cardwell. The family came to live in Rastrick from Brotherton, Pontefract where Alfred had been a hewer in an underground coal mine. This was a very dangerous job, working at the coal face where many men lost their lives in rock falls and explosions. It was probably due to the fact that the couple had produced a large number of children that they decided to move to 22, Oldham Street, Bridge End, Rastrick from where Alfred found work in the silk spinning industry, a much safer environment than ‘down t’ pit’. The 1911 census shows that Alfred and Martha had eleven children, nine of which had survived up to that date. George Walter was employed as a 14 year old woollen spinner.
THE MURDER STORY
On the 16th August 1918, Mrs Rhoda Walker was found with serious head injuries in her jewellers shop at Town End, Pontefract. Mrs Walker was taken to hospital but died from her injuries the following day but not before she distinctly said the words “Oh George” several times, a clue perhaps to the identity of her killer.
Witnesses had seen two soldiers approaching and leaving the shop and one witness had seen one of the men standing outside. The local police quickly identified two suspects as:-
George Barrett of London and 23 year old George Walter Cardwell of Oldham Street, Rastrick. Both were serving soldiers with the Army Service Corps but it was later found that they had deserted in June 1918 and had gone to live with Cardwell’s sister in Ackworth near Pontefract. Nobody remarked upon them being in uniform as it was quite common for the army to allow men who were no longer fit for frontline service to work in mines, factories or farms and both men had found employment at Hemsworth Colliery.
The police were soon hot on their trail and followed them to the home of Cardwell’s mother who lived in Oldfield Yard, Foundry Street, Halifax (his mother and father had separated by this time). The two men had stayed there for two nights and before leaving, Barrett had asked Mrs Cardwell to pawn a ring for him which he said had belonged to his brother. After they had left she found two small rings on the carpet when she was sweeping up.
The investigation trail led to the house of Cardwell’s sweetheart in Walworth, London, where he was arrested by the Metropolitan Police on the August 20th 1918. In his possession was found a box containing six rings and a khaki handkerchief which contained fourteen more rings. Some of the rings had labels attached to them and were smeared with blood.
Barrett was also arrested on the same day at the Swan public house on the Old Kent Road. When he was searched, a woollen bag containing eighteen gold brooches, twenty-five gold rings, five lockets, eight silver rings, one gold ear drop, one silver ear drop, seven gold pendants, one gold cross, part of a gold bangle and a gold eyeglass case were found in his left hand tunic pocket. Most of the articles had labels attached and some were smeared with blood. When asked how he accounted for being in possession of the jewellery he replied, “It is some I stole at Pontefract. We have read in the paper about the murder and the jewellery. Cardwell and I went into the shop to buy a watch key. There was no one in the shop when we went in so we took the stuff and cleared. I went out first. I saw a woman in the back room but I did not hurt her.”
At their original hearing, where Barrett and Cardwell were remanded in custody, neither defendant showed any remorse or understanding of the serious predicament in which they found themselves. They were several times heard giggling with each other. Perhaps they had not realised the amount of incriminating evidence which the police were gathering against them. At a later hearing however, George Barrett made the following statement.
“I, George Percy Barrett, wish to state as follows. I beg to state the Pontefract crime as follows. We went to Pontefract on the night of August 15th and Cardwell put it to me that we should go into the shop the same night. I agreed, but we did not venture that night, and returned to Ackworth. Cardwell asked me if I would go the following morning, August 16th, which I agreed to do, for the purpose of stealing some jewellery. He said we would go in for a watch key and see how things were inside. He asked me if everything was all right would I go in. I agreed. He went in and as he did not come out for a minute or two I went across and looked in at the window of the shop door. He caught my glance and beckoned me to go in which I did. When I got in he told me to lock the door which I did. He had Mrs Walker on the floor gagged with his handkerchief and asked me to get something to put over her mouth. I went into the parlour and brought out a cushion which he placed on her mouth and that seemed to stop breathing. She was covered in blood and I could not see what he had done to Mrs Walker for the blood. He handed me some rings and brooches which I put up my tunic. Afterwards he went upstairs and washed his face, hands and clothes. I can explain about the exclamation, “Oh George.” When he got me to get something to give Mrs Walker I said to him “keep low George; there’s someone at the window. I can see through the frosted glass.” He had often asked me if I had the heart to go into the shop and knock out the man there. To this I would not answer or perhaps I would turn red and he would call me chicken hearted or say I have not the heart of a pussy. I did not know that Mrs Walker was a widow and he told me that he did not. It was done with a stout ash walking stick and as far as I remember it was thrown from the train between Hemsworth and Wakefield. I can honestly say I did not touch Mrs Walker”
At their trial on the charge of murder on 3rd December 1918, both defendants pleaded “Not Guilty” and each blamed the other for entering the shop on their own under the pretence of making a purchase and striking Mrs Walker on the head with a stick, causing her death. Witnesses were called who had seen two soldiers approaching and leaving the vicinity of Mrs Walker’s shop and one had noticed a soldier with six stripes on his left arm and crossed guns on his right, standing on his own outside of the shop. Police officers testified about the scene of the murder and the circumstances of the arrests of the two suspects and discovery of the stolen jewellery. Cardwell gave evidence explaining that he had been wounded six times whilst serving on the Western Front with the Royal Berkshire Regiment. This entitled him to wear six wound stripes on his left arm. He was also a marksman, entitling him to the crossed guns badge on his right. He had only deserted in February 1918 after being transferred to the Army Service Corps after being considered unfit for further frontline duty. Caldwell believed he should have been allowed to rejoin his regiment in France. The trial lasted from 10:30am to 6:50pm, when the jury retired to consider their verdict. It was reached in only seven minutes. Both defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death. An appeal was made on 20th December 1918 but was dismissed. Following this Cardwell wrote to his father.
“Dear Dad, I expect you know that my appeal failed. I did not think it would be any good when I sent up for it, but as there was a small chance for me I took it, and it failed, so there does not seem any chance now, so I suppose I shall have to go. But I swear to you that I am innocent of this charge, and I say that I am convicted on a coward statement; otherwise they could not have sentenced me to death. My counsel asked the judges what evidence they had to convict me other than Barrett’s, and not one of them answered him. They said they were sorry for me, but I don’t want their sorrow. I wanted justice, but they did not give it me. They say they cannot convict a man on an accomplice’s statement, but what have they convicted me on otherwise? And if that is so I say that I have not had justice given to me. Dear Dad, I shall send all my belongings to you, and you must keep what you want and give the remainder to my relations; you must write up to Woolwich and get what there is to come to me from there. I am sorry I cannot see you before I go, but I think it is better that you should not see me in these clothes, as I know it would break your heart and mine too! I don’t want you to worry about me, as you know they cannot prove me guilty of murder – not by fair means anyhow, so try and keep cheerful. If I have to face this disgraceful death you can always say that I fought for a few years in France, and that no man can call me a coward that has ever been led by me in action out there. As I think this will be my last letter to you, I will wish you all goodbye, and may God bless you all and keep your for the good you have done me.
Your loving son and brother Walter
PS Dear Dad – I think you said you were going to make a case to put my things in and I brought from France. If you do I should like you to put it over the mantelpiece.”
On 7th January 1919, Percy George Barrett and George Walter Cardwell were executed by hanging at Armley Prison, Leeds and are buried in the prison cemetery. The executioner was Thomas Pierrepoint.
Did George strike the fatal blows which killed Mrs Walker or was it his accomplice Barrett?
The witness evidence of the soldier with the wound stripes and marksman’s badge standing alone outside the shop, points to it being Barrett but the jury and the appeal judges considered them both to be involved and accordingly found them both guilty.
George Cardwell was undoubtedly a petty criminal. He had been convicted on two charges of wilful damage and theft of a pair of roller skates in 1909, and in 1914 he was sentenced to 3 years in Borstal for the theft of 13 shillings from gas meters in Brighouse and Rastrick and the theft of an overcoat. He was released shortly after the outbreak of war in 1914 to allow him to join the army where he served with the Royal Berkshire Regiment, being wounded six times and, according to his testimony in court, he was recommended for the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Medal for bravery although there is no official record of him ever having received either medal. What a sad end to his life after such distinguished army service.
The Halifax Evening Courier of the 8th January 1919 had the following report:-
DOUBLE EXECUTION
CARDWELL AND BARRETT HANGED AT ARMLEY
This morning at Armley Gaol, the double execution took place of George Walter Cardwell (21), of Brighouse, and Percy George Barrett (19), soldiers, who were sentenced to death by Mr. Justice Avory at Leeds Assizes on Dec. 3, for the murder of Rhoda Walker, (62), at Pontefract, on Aug. 16. After the murder, prisoners visited Halifax district, and subsequently went to London, where they were arrested on Aug. 20. On Sept. 3, Barrett made a statement, which he corroborated at the Assizes, concerning what took place but his story was denied by Cardwell.
The murdered woman kept a jeweller’s shop at Pontefract. On Aug. 16 Miss Lawn, a bank clerk, who lived with her, left home at 1.50 p.m., and on returning at 4.20, found Mrs. Walker lying in a recumbent position, terribly injured. The shop had been ransacked. Suspicion fell upon Cardwell and Barrett and when arrested a considerable amount of jewellery was found in Cardwell’s possession. Barrett admitted it was some of the property he stole at Pontefract. Cardwell had served in France, having been wounded five times and gassed once. On Dec. 23 Cardwell wrote a letter to his father, who lives at 22, Oldham-st., Rastrick. In this he stated: ” I swear to you that I am innocent of this charge, and I say that I am convicted on a coward’s statement; otherwise they could not have sentenced me to death. If I have to face this disgraceful death you can always say that I fought for a few years in France and that no man can call me a coward that has ever been led by me in action out there.”
Cardwell also wrote a farewell letter to his sister, Mrs. Pratt, with whom he lived at Ackworth, near Pontefract, for some mouths prior to the murder. In the course of the letter he says:—” Sorry I cannot see you again, dear, as it would only upset both of us, and do us no good, so I think it would be best for you not to come. I want to thank you very much for your kindness to me the short time I was staying with you, and to tell you how sorry I am to bring you so much trouble. But you can rest contented that I am innocent and no matter what any one says, I swear to you that I am innocent, so cheer up and keep smiling. Every cloud has a silver lining. Well dear, I expect this will be my last letter to you, so good-bye, and may God bless you, and may your years be brighter and more prosperous. —I am, my dear sis, your loving brother. Walter.
Cardwell’s father made application for a reprieve for his son, but the Home Office refused to interfere with the carrying out of the sentence of death.
THE INQUEST
BOTH MEN PLACED ON THE SAME SCAFFOLD
This morning’s was the first double execution at Armley for 15 years, the last being in 1903 when a man and woman were hanged for murder at Rotherham. The execution of Cardwell and Barrett was fixed for 9.30. From outside the gaol there was little to indicate that anything unusual was happening. A few minutes before the appointed time several small groups of gruesomely curious people assembled within sight of the gaol, but at no place was there anything resembling a crowd. At 9.30 prompt a bell tolled, this proclaiming to the public that the sentence had been duly carried into effect. The ‘passing bell’ tolled every minute for a quarter of an hour but no black flag was hoisted as was formerly the custom. Pierrepoint and Baxter were the executioners- the same two men who officiated in yesterday’s similar undertaking.
Shortly after the men had met their death, the formal declarations of the sentence having been carried out were posted at the prison gates. The declaration in reference to Cardwell was as follows:- “we the undersigned, hereby declare that judgement of death was this day executed on George Walter Cardwell in His Majesty’s Prison of Leeds, in our presence. Dated this 8th day of January 1919 – (signed) Edwin Gray, Under-Sheriff of Yorkshire: J. Finn, governor of the said prison: and H.T. Green, chaplain of the said prison.” Posted by its side was the certificate of death signed by John Exley, prison surgeon. Similar declarations were made in respect to Barrett.
The executions took place in the presence of the officials above mentioned, both men being placed on the same scaffold, meeting their death simultaneously and instantaneously. An inquest was afterwards held at 10.45, but no mention was made of any confession on the part of either prisoner or of any final message being left. The Governor, in response to inquiries by Press representatives afterwards said he had no information to communicate.
The inquiry, of a formal character, was conducted by Mr. J. C. Malcolm, the Leeds City Coroner, with a jury of eight.
After the swearing in, the Coroner explained that the jury had simply to perform a statutory requirement to satisfy themselves that the two bodies, of which they would have the view, were those of the persons mentioned, sentenced to death at the last Assizes: and that execution of the sentence of death had been duly carried out.
The jury having viewed the bodies, the Governor gave evidence that George Walter Cardwell and Percy George Barrett were received in his custody on Aug. 24 last, both being committed on the charge of the wilful murder of Rhoda Walker. They were both tried on that charge at the last Leeds Assizes and they were each convicted and sentenced to be hanged. They had remained in witness’s custody up to that morning, when he handed them over to the Sheriff for execution, which he saw duly carried out. The bodies were viewed by the jury that on the right Cardwell and on the left Barrett were the same persons so convicted and executed.
The Coroner: Were all the arrangements satisfactory, governor? – They were sir.
Mr. Gray, Under-Sheriff, said he received the persons of Cardwell and Barrett from the governor that morning and he produced the warrant for execution. He saw the sentence duly carried out.
Dr. John Exley deposed that he had the two men under his supervision since they were taken into prison. He attended with the Under-Sheriff that morning to receive the custody of them and saw them executed.
The Coroner: The cause of death was the same in each case? – Yes
Was it fracture or dislocation? – Fractured dislocation of the vertebrae.
Afterwards, the jury were taken to inspect the place of execution.