9 “Murder in the Storm” The death of David Thomas in , 1885

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

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

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

4 bag. I also wish to state that when I did get home my The terrible injuries to the victim's head and face father was in bed fast asleep. After I burnt everything could have been inflicted with a heavy stone. Several I went to bed and got up next morning at 6.15am. stones were lying near the spot where the attack took When I got up I went to the garden and counted the place, and one was stained with blood. money because I did not want my father to know I Also, it would be strange for David Thomas to ask had any money. He would want to know where I got David Roberts where he was from. He knew the man it from, so I put the money where you found it, and perfectly well and had been in his company for two or nobody saw me put it there, my father being in bed three hours that very evening. at the time. Roberts may have intended to just rob the man, who “Also I wish to say that the weapon that did the deed as we know, was not the sort of person to just give up was that stick you had in court, not the billhook. I am his money to the first person asking for it. the guilty person, and nobody else had anything to do with it. John Thomas and my father are innocent. It is almost certain that David Roberts had resolved on David Roberts is my name. My life I now must part, murder as the only means by which he could secure for the murder of David Thomas.” the bag of money for himself without detection. DAVID THOMAS, Son of Edward Roberts. The Trial David's statement gives the impression that he was Lord Chief Justice Coleridge presided at the trial seeking to minimise, as far as he could, the ferocity of the at the Glamorgan Assizes, , on Wednesday attack. He sug gests there had been nothing more than 10th February 1886. a slight argument between him and Mr Thomas, Mr Arthur Lewis led the Crown prosecution, and which had ended in blows. Edward Roberts was defended by Mr Abel Thomas The “little struggle” he alludes to was in fact a violent under the instruction of Mr Belcher, who had the case in attack upon David Thomas. He was battered to death hand since it began. with three tremendous blows. Other parts of the David Roberts pleaded guilty and was not represented confession also do not ring true. by counsel. His father pleaded ‘Not Guilty’ and A stick could have produced such injuries, whereas a apparently wore the same calm expression as he did billhook could certainly have inflicted them. throughout the magisterial proceedings. Aside from the traces of blood on the billhook, it was Early on in the trial, following the opening speech of the wet, suggesting that it had been taken out by the prosecuting council, the Judge intervened and put it to murderer during the night. Mr Lewis that the evidence against the prisoner was not According to the confession, David Roberts and his of such a character as to render it likely that any jury father left Mr Thomas at the stile, just a quarter of a would convict. mile from his home. Even if the heavy wind and He said he was unable to find any definitive evidence drenching rain and David Thomas's inebriated against Edward Roberts, except that he was with Mr condition were taken into account, it should not have Thomas the night he was murdered yet denied spending taken him more than 10 minutes to get to his own any time with him, and he had been overheard doorstep. Yet, during this time, Roberts supposedly suggesting an explanation of how the money was found. went home, assisted his father to undress, put him to The money found in his house would be strong evidence bed, and then went out again to intercept his intended against Edward Roberts if his son, who had confessed to victim at a spot within 200 yards of his home. the crime, hadn’t lived there too. Mr Arthur Lewis It is unlikely that David Thomas dawdled on the way admitted that the case against the elder prisoner was not home considering the horrendous weather conditions, strong, and he was prepared to withdraw it with his and hung about long enough for Roberts to arm Lordship's sanction. He could not prove more than he himself with a billhook, or the stick, then go out and had told the jury, and he felt it was not sufficient to murder him. It is much more likely that neither of the warrant a conviction. two Roberts' returned to their cottage until after the His Lordship expressed his approval of counsel's murder had been committed. remarks, and directed the jury to acquit Edward Roberts The elder man may have been too drunk to fully of the charge. The latter was therefore found ‘Not appreciate what was happening if his son attacked Mr Guilty’ and discharged. The Deputy Clerk, addressing Thomas without word or warning as soon as John the prisoner David Roberts, said: "You have confessed Thomas left.

5 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. Llanblethian Village, Cowbridge 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 the condemned man ate a hearty tea and in the evening, had caused her.” after an early supper, he retired to rest. The Governor, Major Knox, visited him at 8pm and The Execution of David Roberts asked him if he had any requests or anything further Berry the executioner, arrived at Cardiff on to say. Monday morning by the train leaving Swansea He replied: “No sir, nothing.” After being asked again, he at 11.05am. replied coolly: “Quite sure, thank you sir, very much Owing to the heavy fall of snow, the train was a few obliged to you.” minutes late. On alighting from the carriage, Berry, who David did not go to sleep until nearly 10pm and woke at had never visited Cardiff before, seemed in doubt as to the 12am when he suddenly became very talkative and way out of the station. He started down the subway which related events that had happened to him in the Army. At leads to the down line, but was called back by the porter. 4am he dropped off again and slept until 6am when he The executioner, dressed in a grey overcoat, was smoking got up and dressed. The Reverend Mr Davies arrived a cigar, and wore quite a cheerful expression. On reaching soon after and remained with him until the end. David the outside of the station, he jumped into a hansom, Roberts declined breakfast, but drank a cup of tea. He and ordered the cabman to drive him to the prison. remained in prayer with the chaplain until 7.50am when The execution took place in unusual circumstances and the bell began to toll his death-knell. led to quite a scandal at the time. The date was Nearly 1,000 people had congregated outside the prison. Wednesday, 2nd March 1886. They stayed to see the hoisting of the black flag before The culprit, whose stoical bearing was so marked dispersing quietly. throughout the trial, maintained his composure up until Roberts was dressed in a striped pair of trousers and a the end. The only change that came over him as he dark blue coat and vest, both open in front, and he stood awaited his execution was that he had turned to religion. calmly while Berry pinioned his arms. He scarcely moved He looked forward to the visits from his spiritual advisor a muscle, and the only indication that he realised his and read the bible constantly. predicament, was the anxious look in his eyes. A fortnight before his death he had what was intended to The scaffold was 15 yards from the cell and a pit, 10 feet be one last visit from his father, and his father’s distress deep by 6 feet broad, had been dug. The gallows were as he left him stirred emotion in David Roberts. Apart erected according to the Home Office plans, and were from this, he slept soundly, ate heartily and always the same in every detail as when they were used in appeared to be in cheerful spirits. Swansea on the previous day. On the afternoon prior to the execution, Edward The cross beam was pitch pine and the drop doors, Roberts, who had been staying with his sister since his which were on a level with the ground, had been used release from custody, walked the nine miles from for a double execution at Hereford. Llanblethian to Cardiff to say a last goodbye to his son. David Roberts walked straight to the scaffold, and stood David wasn’t expecting this. After his father left the gaol, firmly with his back to the onlookers while Berry

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

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