Execution at Newgate
Thirty-one-year-old Henry Fowler and thirty-three-year-old Albert Milsom were hanged at Newgate at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, the 9th of June, 1896, by James Billington. At this time, the bell of St. Sepulchre’s Church was still tolled, beginning at 8:45 a.m. It was reported that as many as 4,000 people had congregated outside the prison to see the black flag flown. The crowd blocked off the Old Bailey to traffic.
Murder of Henry Smith
Fowler and Milsom had been convicted of beating to death Henry Smith, a 79-year-old wealthy retired engineer.
They had killed Mr. Smith during a robbery at his home, Muswell Lodge, in Tetherdown Lane, Muswell Hill, London, on the night of the 13th/14th of February 1896. The pair had tied the old man up and beaten him severely, leaving him to die on the kitchen floor.
The reason for the beating was probably to get Mr. Smith to reveal the combination to his safe, which was found to have been emptied.
On the 12th of April, the pair were arrested in Bath and brought back to London. Milsom confessed to the burglary in a written statement whilst on remand in Holloway Prison (this was before it became a female-only institution) and implicated Fowler in the murder, which he denied being involved with.
However, under the doctrine of common purpose, if they had both gone there to rob Mr. Smith, then both were responsible for his death and thus equally guilty.
Trial and Sentencing
They were tried at the Old Bailey before Mr. Justice Hawkins from the 19th to the 22nd of May. Given the overwhelming evidence, the jury soon found them both guilty. During the trial, Fowler attacked Milsom and tried to strangle him.
William Seaman’s Case
A third person was to be hanged with them: William Seaman, who had battered to death 75-year-old umbrella maker Jonathan Goodman Levy and Sarah Ann Gale, his housekeeper, in Turner Street, Mile End, London. Seaman had also been tried at the Old Bailey before Mr. Justice Hawkins, on the 18th of May.
Preparations for the Triple Execution
As it was to be a triple execution, James Billington had two assistants: William Wilkinson (previously known as William Warbrick) and Robert Wade.
To avoid further trouble between Fowler and Milsom, Colonel Millman, the governor of Newgate, decided to place Seaman between them on the drop.
When Fowler was brought into the execution shed, the other two were already hooded. He asked, “Is Milsom there?” and, having been assured that he was, said, “Very well, you can go on,” and Billington did so.
Execution Details
Milsom weighed 126 lbs. and was given a drop of 7’6″. The LPC4 form records that a longer drop was given “on account of the prisoner being small and slight.” Fowler, a heavier man at 169 lbs., was given a drop of 7’0″ as his “neck was very strong and muscular.” In both cases, there was fracture/dislocation of the cervical vertebrae. All three were hanged in the clothes they had worn at their trials.
Press and Public Reaction
The representatives of the press were excluded from witnessing the hangings, but afterward, the Under-Sheriffs, Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Ruston, gave a short press conference. They stated that Fowler made no statement, Milsom maintained his innocence, and Seaman said, “I have nothing to say.” They also stated that death was instantaneous in all three cases. It was reported that William Seaman had said this was the first time in his life that he had been a peacemaker.
Mishap During the Execution
William Wilkinson published an account of the execution in which he stated that he went through the trap headfirst with the prisoners, as he was still pinioning the legs of Milsom when Billington operated the lever. He held on to the man’s legs to save himself and managed to land feet first on the floor of the pit.
The problem was caused by the leather leg strap being new and stiff, and Wilkinson having difficulty getting the buckle pin into the correct hole. Billington was unable to see that Wilkinson was still trying to strap Milsom’s legs. This mishap was reported in the Illustrated Police News on Saturday, the 4th of July, which also deplored the secrecy surrounding these executions.
Identification Procedures
The person was required to show the backs of their hands in case there were any identifying marks, such as tattoos. Fingerprints as proof of identification were still a decade away.
Amelia Dyer
Originally, baby farmer Amelia Dyer was to have been hanged with them, but in the event, this was delayed until the following day.
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