Thomas Cox

Thomas Cox was convicted of the murder of his wife Elizabeth Cox 49 and sentenced to death.

He cut her throat at 37 Upper Galdeford, Ludlow on 11 August 1917.

Thomas Cox had been a hawker of rags and bones and had been married to Elizabeth Cox for 30 years and had had at least seven children although in evidence he claimed that he had had about thirteen. It was noted that at the time of the murder that one of his sons had been serving in France and had since been killed in action.

Thomas Cox and Elizabeth Cox had lived at 37 Upper Galdeford with two of their sons, one aged 13 and the other 6.

On 9 August 1917 all four of them had been out picking sticks in a wood during which Thomas Cox quarrelled with Elizabeth Cox. Later that night Elizabeth Cox went out with her sister and when Thomas Cox later met them Elizabeth Cox's sister smacked him in the face.

The family went out again the following day to gather sticks during which time it was heard that Thomas Cox and Elizabeth Cox had been on better terms, however, during the day Thomas Cox bought a razor.

It was noted that Thomas Cox had not been in the habit of shaving and that there was little doubt that he had bought the razor with the intention of using it on Elizabeth Cox although he said that he had bought it to give it to his son as a present who might have been coming home on leave.

That night the family were all sleeping in the usual single room and at about 2am the elder boy was awakened and heard a sound as though Thomas Cox was knocking Elizabeth Cox's head and said that he heard her say, 'Don't do it for the sake of the children'.

He said that Thomas Cox and Elizabeth Cox then both got out of bed and that Elizabeth Cox asked him to go downstairs and get her some water so that she could bath her head. However, the boy said that whilst he was on the stairs going down that he heard a scream and said that when he went back he said to Elizabeth Cox, 'has he cut your throat?', to which he said she replied, 'Yes'.

He said that he put that question because Thomas Cox had 'always said something would happen'.

It was noted that Thomas Cox had also inflicted a slight wound on his own throat from which he was bleeding profusely.

The boy said that he then asked Thomas Cox whether he should go to his aunt's but said that Thomas Cox replied, 'No' and threatened that if he didn't shut up and get back into bed that he would knock hm under the ear.

The boy then went back to sleep but at about 7.30am Thomas Cox woke him and told him to go and give the alarm.

When the police arrived they found Elizabeth Cox lying on the floor with a deep gash on the left side of her throat that had severed all of the arteries.

Thomas Cox was found on the bed with his head hanging over the side and although he was weak from loss of blood, he was conscious and able to walk downstairs.

When he was taken to the infirmary he said, 'I don't know what made me do it. It is a bad job. I didn't ought to have done it'.

When he was later charged with murder, he said, 'On Thursday night August 9 my sister-in-law came to my home and asked my wife to come up the street and she would not keep her two minutes. They were away a good time and I got angry about it and later I met them on the Bull Ring and her sister smacked me on the face and my wife came home with me and the following day I got a razor from a shop at the right hand side of the Bull Ring and a woman served me. I gave her 2/6 for it. My wife said I was always watching her about and that made me angry'.

It was noted the the only defence used at the trial was that of insanity, however, there was no obvious evidence in support of it and it was stated that it was quite clear on the facts that Thomas Cox had known perfectly well what he had done on the morning of the murder even though at the trial he professed that he did not remember anything that took place that night.

It was noted that some time earlier that Thomas Cox had seriously attempted suicide but that even if that were true, it would not of course afford sufficient evidence of insanity.

When he was convicted there was no recommendation to mercy and the judge made no notes. He appealed his conviction but his appeal was dismissed.

He was executed at Shrewsbury on the morning of Wednesday 19 December 1917.