Thomas Cholerton

Thomas Cholerton and Jane Smith had lived together as man and wife until the end of May when she left him because of his ill-treatment of her and went to stay with a family called Lynch. At 7pm on 6th June, Cholerton went to the Lynch house and later he and Smith left together. At around 10pm that night, an old man heard screaming and when he went to investigate he found Jane Smith on the ground with Cholerton kneeling over her, cutting her throat. The old man dragged him off and almost at once a police officer arrived at the scene. Before she died in the street, Jane Smith pointed weakly at Cholerton, who then attempted cut his own throat, pleading with the officer: 'Let me kill myself.' He was convicted at Nottinghamshire Assizes, before Mr Justice Hawkins on 28 July, and hanged by William Marwood on the 12th August 1878.