Henry Thompson

Henry Thompson was convicted of the murder of his wife Mary Thompson 48 and sentenced to death. He strangled her at 18 York Street in Liverpool on 31 July 1910. They had been married for 8 years and were both addicted to drink. It was also noted that Henry Thompson had a bad record of drunkenness and assaults and that in 1904 he had been convicted for wounding Mary Thompson after he cut her throat with a razor, however, he was only sentenced to three months on that occasion because Mary Thompson made a plea for mercy before the judge. However, it was still noted that Mary Thompson was afraid of Henry Thompson when he was in drink and Mary Thompson had slept the night in a neighbour's house on 19 July 1910 on that account. Later on the night of 30 July 1910 they had retired to bed. Mary Thompson was sober, but Henry Thompson was described as half-drunk. However, shortly afterwards Mary Thompson took refuge in a lodger's room and hid behind her bed, but Henry Thompson followed her and kicked her out from her hiding place and took her back to their room. xxx1xxx Then, a few minutes later, the lodger heard Mary Thompson cry out, 'Harry don't choke me'. The lodger said that she called out, 'Let the woman alone' and said that Henry Thompson replied, 'Mind your own business we are going to bed'. Then at 3am the lodger said that she heard the sounds as of a body being dragged about and bumped on the floor. She said then that at about 6am she heard Henry Thompson at his window and then later in the street shouting 'Mary, Mary'. It was heard that Henry Thompson pretended for the whole Sunday that Mary Thompson was still alive and well and taking food and drink. It was also heard that he drank hard all day and strenuously resisted attempts by neighbours to go up and see his wife. Later, on the Monday morning the lodger slipped up into their room and saw Henry Thompson in a drunken sleep and Mary Thompson lying dead beside him. It was thought that she had been strangled by a strip of linen or a strap that was found in the kitchen. She had a mark round her neck and abrasions on her body showing signs of a struggle. When the police arrived he said, 'You knew this business was coming off some day with this piece of goods'. He then later said, 'I don't know anything about this. The bloody thing lying like a stuffed dummy beside me. I may have struck her or knocked her down. It was done in drink. She was a good woman when sober but a perfect nag when in drink. I know I am fixed this time. I will go on the drop this time and that is an end of it'. xxx2xxx At his trial his defence put forward two defences, the first being that he was in drink at the time and that the crime was manslaughter, and the second that of insanity due to epilepsy. However, it was said that Henry Thompson was sober enough to have known what he was doing on the Saturday night when the murder took place and further that there was no evidence of Henry Thompson having had a fit on the night of the crime, with it being noted that his coherent answer to the lodger’s cry, 'Mind your own business we are going to bed' and his concealment on the Sunday of Mary Thompson both being quite inconsistent with a theory of epileptic unconsciousness. However, it was noted that he had had an epileptic fit whilst in prison on 23 October 1910 and the doctor at the prison had said that he appeared to be a nocturnal epileptic. The jury found him guilty in 15 minutes and he was sentenced to death with no recommendation to mercy. When he was sentenced and asked if he had anything he wanted to say he said, 'No. Let 'em go ahead with it. I don't care. I never was frightened of death'. Then, when the judge assumed the black cap and began speaking to Henry Thompson, Henry Thompson broke in by saying, 'I'm not guilty'. One of the police ushers cried 'Silence' and Henry Thompson retorted 'I'll not silence', whilst glaring at the usher in a savage manner. Then, before the judge could resume Henry Thompson said, 'I'm not guilty. You can sentence away now!'. Henry Thompson was a powerfully built, hard drinking sailor who strangled his wife Mary who was forty seven years old at their Liverpool home. Thompson was as much feared by his workmates as he was by his family, for he had a terrific temper, especially after a drink. One night in the summer, he returned home from the pub in a foul mood and callously strangled his wife. He then climbed into bed next to her and went to sleep. Her body was discovered the next morning by her son, a handkerchief covering her face, while her husband lay asleep beside her. When asked by the Judge if he had anything to say before being sentenced to death, Thompson leaned his big body against the dock rail, looked the Judge in the eye, and replied in a conversational voice: 'No, I've nothing to say. Sentence away and be done with it.' He later told relatives that he had been miserable with his wife and he was certain that he could not be more miserable in the next world. On learning that CRIPPEN was to be hanged the day after him at Pentonville, Thompson said to a warder: 'I'll be waiting to sing for him.' Turning his gaze on the Governor, he added: 'I'll sing for you too, when your time comes.' He was adamant that the suit he was to wear to the gallows should not be damp, as he did not want to shiver and then have people think he was afraid. He was hanged at Walton prison by John Ellis and William Willis on the 22nd November 1910 at the age of fifty four.