Samuel Sydney Dashwood and George William Silverosa - hanged by a palm print.

At 9.00 am on Thursday the 10th of September 1942 two young thugs dropped through the trap doors of Pentonville prison’s gallows. Both had prior criminal records and had served time in Borstal.

The crime for which they hanged was the robbery murder of Leonard Moules. 71 year old Mr. Moules was a pawnbroker who ran a shop at 229 Hackney Road in Shoreditch, London. The crime occurred at lunch time on Thursday the 30th of April 1942. Thursday was early closing day and Dashwood and Silverosa waited for Mr. Moules to put up his shutters and then followed him into the shop where they pistol whipped him with a 45 calibre revolver. He was left unconscious on the floor while the two ransacked the shop and took £40 and three rings from the safe. The crime was discovered later that day when police entered the shop to find out why there were lights on during the blackout. Mr. Moules was taken to Bethnel Green Hospital. A police officer was stationed at his bed side to obtain a statement if he regained consciousness. He never did and died on the 9th of May.

The police got a tip off that Dashwood and Silverosa were the culprits and also had some other evidence. Earlier on the 30th the two were seen by a soldier in a café in Bethanal Green and he saw one of them showing off a revolver. He later identified this man as 22 year old Dashwood. He was also able to identify 23 year old Silverosa. He had also heard the men refer to each other as George and Sam.

Investigation of the crime scene yielded a good palm print on the inside of the safe, which matched Silverosa’s. This was the first time a palm print had been used to identify a criminal.

The pair were tried at the Old Bailey before Mr. Justice Wrottesley on the 17th to the 21st of July. Dashwood asked to dismiss his counsel, Serjeant Sullivan and Mr. Fordham, on the 20th of July and be given fresh lawyers. The judge refused this so Dashwood represented himself. Both were convicted and as usual both blamed the other for the murder.

Dashwood attempted to appeal on the grounds that he must have been insane when he dismissed his barrister. The Appeal Court, consisting of Justices Hilbery, Humphries and Tucker ruled that this would set a dangerous precedent and therefore the appeal was denied on the 26th of August 1942. Silverosa’s appeal before the same judges had been denied on the previous day.

Silverosa reportedly attacked two warders in Pentonville on the 4th of September but was overpowered by a third warder and returned to his cell. He had asked permission to burn some letters in the prison incinerator which was granted. He picked up the poker and attacked his two guards with it, putting both men on sick leave.

Albert Pierrepoint, assisted by Herbert Morris, Steve Wade and Harry Kirk carried out the double execution. Samuel Dashwood weighed 162 lbs. and was given a drop of 6’ 11” causing fracture/dislocation of the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae. George Silverosa weighed 168 lbs. and was given a drop of 6’ 8” causing fracture/dislocation of the 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae, with complete severance of the cord.

Silverosa’s brother was a soldier serving abroad and had been granted special leave to allow him to visit his brother in Pentonville. He was outside the prison and stood to attention and saluted when the executions were carried out.

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