CONDEMNED TO DIE

Evening Star, Issue 21753, 22 June 1934, Page 10

CONDEMNED TO DIE

THREE JAUNTY MEN LONDON MURDER DRAMA After fighting grimly against the law for three days—-days that must have been filled with an agony of suspense —three men recently stood in the dock at the Old Bailey, London, and heard sentence of death passed on them for the murder of a seventy-six-year-old widow. Only the bones of three pairs of hands showing whit© through the flesh revealed their emotion as, tightly gripping the dock rails, they heard the quiet voice of Mr Justice Macnaghten decree their fate. At the back of the court their three wives sobbed, and in the jury a woman gasped and swayed. Then the men walked almost jauntily from the dock, one of them carelessly blowing a kiss to his relatives as he vanished down the steps to the cells. It was a scene without precedent in the history of the present Old Bailey, built thirty-two years ago, for never before had three men been sentenced to death together within its walls. They were Leslie Martin, aged thirtytwo, motor driver; Albert Henry Ansell, aged twenty-nine, warehoiiseman; and Walter Thomas Ross', aged twentyfour, leather stainer. Their crime was the murder of Mrs Elizabeth Juliet Ray, a seventy-six-year-old widow. On the evening of February 17 the old woman was found dead in her home. According to the prosecution, she had been struck in the face and her arms held while a handkerchief was stuffed into her throat, stifling her cries, and another one tied round her mouth. She died from shock before asphyxiation was complete. Mrs Ray’s house had been ransacked by the criminals, but by an irony of fat© the men missed a drawer in which were £l4 10s and some jewellery. It was believed —mistakenly—in the neighbourhood that the old woman was wealthy, and the object of the crime was apparently robbery. TALK ABOUT £3,000 IN HOUSE. The principal witness for the prosecution was a local street trader called William Knowles, who was allowed to keep his' address secret. jHe described an alleged conversation with Martin in which he mentioned that there was supposed to be £3,000 in a neighbouring house—the home of Mrs Ray. Martin, in the witness-box, alleged that he waited in the road while Ansell and Boss went into the house. Ansell and Ross, in evidence, strenuously denied all knowledge of the crime. In his summing up, Mr Justice Mac l naghten said: “'The law of England is this—that if two or three men join to commit a felony which involves violence, and the violence to bo used is such that any reasonable person must have thought it likely that injury would befall the person towards whom the violence was to be exercised—injury of such a character that it might cause death—then all the . persons _ participating in or inciting the crime are guilty of murder.” The jury took' an hour and five minutes to consider their verdict. Then came the three sharp raps on the oakdoor that told the packed court the jury had reached a decision. The accused were brought up from the cells to hear their fate. The judge took his seat. The clerk called the names of the three men, and each time the foreman of the jury spoke the word that meant death—“ Guilty.” Half a dozen warders closed about the condemned men,_ but they showed little sign of emotion as the judge passed sentence in the formula prescribed by the law. “ I AM NOT A LIAR.” Boss and Ansell said nothing. Martin, a jaunty figure in a sports coat, pullover, and flannel trousers, leaned toward the judge, one hand in his trousers pocket, tire other toying with bis tie. “I.may, my lord, in my time have been a hit of a thief,” Martin remarked almost casually, “ but I am not a liar. I have told you the truth, and I have nothing on my mind—only a little bit of moral guilt.” • Then he turned and went down the steps of the dock with Els customary “ don't care ” attitude. Ansell disappeared next, and Ross, the youngest of the lot, a little pale, but nonchalant as ever, followed him. As he went he looked to his mother, wife, sister, and brothers, and blew them a kiss. With Ross’s relative sat Mrs Ansell, dressed in a light coat and with a bright red hat. Mrs Martin sat in front of them. Martin has several children, Ross two, and Ansell, recently married, none. The little tragic band of women made an unavailing attempt to see their husbands, and then they were shepherded out of the court and driven to their homes. “ 1 know my sou is innocent,” Ross’s mother declared. “ Being out of work preyed on his mind, and he could not bear the thought of his children going short of anything. If I can save him I will.” Mrs Ansell is little more than a child. “ They are going to take him awav from me,” was all she could say. All three men were removed separately to Wandsworth Prison an hour after the trial ended. It was expected that notice of appeal would be lodged. TRIPLE SENTENCES. In the past seven years there have been two cases of a triple death sen-