Thomas Jones

Thomas Jones was convicted of the murder of Mary Burton and sentenced to death. He kicked her to death on a remote mountain near Llan Ffestiniog on or about 2 March 1898. They had been living together for over a year and had at the time been on the tramp. On their tramping they passed through Llan Ffestiniog where they took lodgings, however, they left without staying the night and headed into the snow covered mountains where Mary Burton was found dead the following day, naked and covered with bruises and wounds. Thomas Jones denied murdering her but was convicted. Thomas Jones had been a hawker of no education. He and Mary Burton had been Tramping and had arrived at Llan Ffestiniog where they stayed at a lodging house, however, they left after Thomas Jones was told not to drink and to go to bed. It was heard that they were seen at various locations after leaving, but in effect made their way to Graig Dou Quarry, a remote place up in the mountains, where Thomas Jones killed Mary Burton. The following day Thomas Jones came down the mountain and said that Mary Burton had gone mad and taken off all her clothes and run off in nothing other than her boots and dashed herself against some rocks, noting that it was cold and that in that state she would not last long. xxx1xxx When the police went to find her they first found her torn clothes lying along the track and then later marks of blood that formed a trail leading to larger pools of blood. However, it was noted that the trail of blood stopped at a point and that Mary Burton's body was found about 150 yards away, there being no trace of blood between the two locations. Her body was found on a level piece of swampy ground a little below a path on the right hand side near a powder magazine. It was submitted that Mary Burton had died at the spot where the last of the blood was found and that after her body had cooled and the blood ceased to bleed from her body that she had been carried to the place where it was found and dumped. When Thomas Jones was examined he was found to have marks of blood on his clothing. He denied killing her. When he was charged he said: xxxqxxx I have nothing to say. The Lord was helping me. I did all I could to save her. xxxqxxx However, witnesses came forward to give evidence of him having mistreated her before and it was heard that before leaving the lodging house in Llan Ffestiniog he had threatened to do her harm. The court heard that upon arriving at Llan Ffestiniog they went to a lodging house at about 6pm, but left by 10pm. It was heard that during their time there that there was conversation that led witnesses to believe that Mary Burton had been very much afraid of Thomas Jones. It was noted that Thomas Jones had been a married man, but that Mary Burton was not his wife. They were said to have been tramping the country for some weeks and Mary Burton was said to have been very much attached to Thomas Jones. Thomas Jones was said to have boasted of his influence over Mary Burton by ordering her to take her boots off at the lodging house, which she did. When they left Thomas Jones tried to get the money back that he had paid for his lodgings, but without success. Thomas Jones was said to have appeared to have turned right when he left the house but that after passing the police station which was a few yards away from the lodging house he turned left and went down a steep bit of road and in the direction of the road that led to Llanrwst. It was said that Thomas Jones must have known the Llanrwst road because the night before he had been seen by a policeman approaching Festiniog with Mary Burton along it and it was thought that they had come from Llanrwst or that direction. It was heard that on the sharp steep bit of the road that led from the police station to the beginning of the road that led to Llanrwst, Thomas Jones passed a policeman and asked for direction to Llanrwst, the policeman telling him: xxxqxxx Bottom of the hill, turn to the right, keep straight on and that leads to Llanrwst. xxxqxxx A few yards from the turning at the bottom a road branched off to the right from the main Llanrwst Road, and it was noted that it would have been difficult for anyone that had wanted to follow the main Llanrwst Road to mistake the fork in the road for the main route. It was described as having turned off not at a high angle, but at a low angle and to have started off as a good cart road to begin with but by and by ended at a gate by a farmhouse after which it was more of a mountain track that led up to the quarry where the body of Mary Burton was later found. It was noted that about three quarters of a mile from Festiniog there were a couple of small houses, at one of which Mary Burton asked the way to Llanrwst and she was informed that she was on the wrong road. The person that she spoke to noted that when she asked that she saw a man with the woman, passing on and that after she spoke to Mary Burton, that Mary Burton went on following the man. It was noted that the moon didn't rise until long after daylight and that the night was dark. Nothing of Thomas Jones and Mary Burton was known after that except for the traces that were later found and from what was said. However, it was stated that they must have passed on and in some capacity found their way into the mountain road that led into the quarry and that they must have passed by, or very near, to a small farmhouse above which the road began to rise very steeply. It was noted that it was three miles from Festiniog to the quarry and that in the course of that distance there was a rise of nearly 1,100ft, with the bulk of that rise being after Cae Canol where the road then became very steep, and although better marked than before, was nevertheless a very bad road. Shortly after the farm there was a gate through which they must have passed apparently right up to the quarry road. The next thing that was known was that at about 6am the following morning, Thomas Jones came down the mountain alone and made his appearance at Cae Canol where he said that he had been up the mountain the night before with a woman who had followed him, and that she had suddenly behaved like a mad woman and had stripped herself of her clothing and run away up the mountain as naked as on the day she was born, except for her boots. He said that he had followed her and found her in a hut on the mountain but that he had left her there, noting that she would not be long alive as it was very cold. It was noted that it had been a very rough and cold night. Thomas Jones added that on his way down that he picked up Mary Burton's shawl and he was allowed to put it and a basket in a cowhouse. However, it was noted that the initial time of that first encounter with Thomas Jones must have been either wrong, or that he had afterwards loitered about, as he was next said to have been seen at 7am by a quarryman going to his work. However, Thomas Jones didn't speak to the quarryman, and instead went on down to Festiniog where he went to see the police and told them the same story, with some variations, and he was then accompanied by a police inspector and another officer back up the mountain. On their way, when they came to the sheep gate they found a number of articles of woman's clothing, a hat torn in two pieces, a skirt and other things, and Thomas Jones explained that that had been the place where Mary Burton had begun to get wild and strip herself of her clothing. It was noted that there were also at that place groups of rocks of no great size where Thomas Jones said that Mary Burton had dashed herself against the rocks in an attempt to do herself mischief. He said that she had thrown herself down and that he had struggled with her until he had bene dripping with perspiration, but added that she was stronger than him and that she got away. However, it was stated that the evidence was that, beyond the fact that there was a quantity of clothing there, more or less torn, that there was no physical evidence of anything like a struggle. They then went on about three quarters of a mile and came to a rough stone wall where on one spot began the physical evidence of something more serious, there being a pool of blood in the path and on some of the stones in the wall, where it was submitted that in one way or another some violence must have come to Mary Burton. Thence, for about a quarter of a mile there were marks of blood dripping along the path, which was a very rough and broken piece of way. The ground then opened up to the right over a small piece of more level ground covered with turf where there were marks of a very serious encounter, it being noted that the ground was more or less torn up and there was a great quantity of blood. However, it was noted that Mary Burton's body was not found there, but was found 150 yards further on and that there were no marks between the place where the struggle occurred and where her body was found on a level piece of swampy ground a little below the path on the right hand side very near a powder magazine. As such, it was submitted that it looked as though Mary Burton had died at the spot where the blood was found and that she had then been allowed to grow sufficiently cold for the wounds to cease bleeding, and that her dead body had then been carried further and then cast out on the mountain side where it was found. Mary Burton had been naked when found with the exception of one boot, however, she was covered with some articles of clothing. When Thomas Jones's clothing was examined, it was said to have had marks of blood on it, as well as a frothy matter that was said to have been like the mucus that came from people's mouths when killed under circumstances of violence. However, Thomas Jones denied having done anything. At the trial a police sergeant said that he had known Thomas Jones for 18 years and Mary Burton for 12 months, stating that they had been in the habit of being together and had been living in a small house in Rhos Place, Amlwch, noting that Thomas Jones had had a wife who was living. He said that on 27 November 1897 that he had called at their house and found Thomas Jones there drunk and causing a disturbance. However, he said that Mary Burton took Thomas Jones's part and said that another man at the house was to blame. However, he said that he saw Thomas Jones push Mary Burton back and say: xxxqxxx You stand back or I will murder you. xxxqxxx He said that he then suggested to Mary Burton that he took her to a common lodging house but said that she replied: xxxqxxx I would rather be with Tom than anybody else. xxxqxxx He noted that Thomas Jones was subsequently given 21 days for having been drunk and causing a disturbance. The other man that had lived at Rhos Place, Amlwch said that on 21 and 28 December 1897 that he saw abundant evidence of damage being done to Mary Burton by Thomas Jones, stating that he saw him put her on the ground, beat her, kick her and he also saw him take her boot and beat her about the face with it until she was beyond all recognition. He said that they were generally at it night and day. xxx2xxx The landlady at the lodging house in Llan Ffestiniog said that she was a widow and that she lived at Penybryn Barracks at Llan Ffestiniog where she sometimes took in lodgers. She said that on the evening of Tuesday 1 March 1898 that Thomas Jones and Mary Burton came to her house on the afternoon. She said that she had not been home at the time, but got there at about 6pm and that they asked her for lodgings and Thomas Jones paid 8d for it. She said that at the time that they had been sober as far as she could see, but stated that during the evening Thomas Jones brought a pint of beer into the house which he drank, giving Mary Burton a cupful. However, she said that Thomas Jones later went out again about 7pm and that when he came back he appeared to be under the influence of drink. She noted that Mary Burton appeared to be afraid of Thomas Jones. She said that when Thomas Jones sent Mary Burton out with a shilling to get food for the morning that he said to her: xxxqxxx You watch the influence I have over this woman. When she comes back I will make her pull the boots off her feet. xxxqxxx The landlady said that she asked him why he would want to do that, noting that she was innocent enough and quiet. She said that when Mary Burton returned that Thomas Jones said to her: xxxqxxx Mary, take your boots off I am going to sell them to the woman of this house. xxxqxxx The landlady noted that she had not said anything to him about buying or exchanging the boots and that Mary Burton started to take off her boots, but that she stopped her, saying: xxxqxxx Don't be a silly woman! For shame to you man. xxxqxxx The landlady said that after that that Thomas Jones wanted Mary Burton to go for more beer, but that she told them that they were to have no more beer and that they should go to bed. She said that Thomas Jones then said: xxxqxxx It's not nice to make a row in a lodging house. xxxqxxx And that she added that neither was it anywhere else. She said that Thomas Jones then said: xxxqxxx On the road it will be. xxxqxxx And that he called Mary Burton to go out. She said that on their way out, Thomas Jones said to Mary Burton: xxxqxxx Do you want me to be killed by men about here? xxxqxxx She said that shortly after they left that Mary Burton returned for an apron and that as she did so, Thomas Jones put his head round the door and said: xxxqxxx Are you coming you devil. xxxqxxx The landlady said that she then asked Thomas Jones where they were going, but said that he didn't reply, although she said that she heard him say to Mary Burton: xxxqxxx On the road you will get it. xxxqxxx The landlady noted that whilst in her house that Mary Burton gave Thomas Jones no provocation and noted that they left between 10pm and 11pm. She said that when Mary Burton was in her house that there were no marks of violence about her. Her post mortem found that there were no fewer than 27 injuries to her body, which it was stated could not all have been caused by her falling about, with it being stated that they were exactly as you might imagine having been caused by being kicked with heavy boots. When the judge summed up, he said that Thomas Jones's version of events was not beyond being worthy of comment, that it presented features of improbability and criticism. He noted that the fact that Mary Burton's clothes were found at different places suggested that they had been dropped there to help bear out his story, it being noted that whilst Mary Burton had had only one boot on when she was found, her bare foot was not cut in a way to suggest that she had been running about without her other boot, and was more indicative of it having been removed after she died. The judge noted that he saw nothing in the case to suggest manslaughter. The jury were absent for nearly an hour deliberating and it was thought as such that a verdict of manslaughter might be returned, however, they found him guilty of murder. Thomas Jones was executed at Carnavon on 3 August 1898. He was said to have slept well the previous night and to have walked to the gallows with a free, swinging step, and to have been entirely unsupported by anyone up until the time the bolt was released. It was noted that he left no confession and that he had all along denied his guilt. Thirty five year old Thomas Jones was a hawker who was sentenced to death by Mr Justice Wills, for the murder of Mary Burton, with whom he lived. He had deserted his wife and was residing with Burton in a common lodging house at Ffestiniog. After a quarrel on 1 March, her body was found on a secluded hill, covered in bruises and wounds. He denied the crime but was convicted, and hanged by James and Thomas Billington in Carnavon on the 3rd August 1898.