John William Eastwood

John William Eastwood was convicted of the murder of 49-year-old John Joseph Clarke and sentenced to death. He battered him to death at 20 Lister Road, Sheffield on 29 July 1923. John Eastwood had been a chimney sweep by trade and since June 1922, until shortly before the murder, he had been the licensee of the Bay Horse Inn in Sheffield. In July 1901 he married a woman and shortly afterwards was sentenced to 4 months' hard labour for housebreaking, although he had since been clear of convictions. In 1912 there was trouble between John Eastwood and his wife owing to his association with a woman and his wife obtained a separation order and 12/- a week. A little later however, they became reconciled and lived together again. In February 1914 John Eastwood was in hospital for a month suffering from syphilis. He was rejected for military service. In June 1922 he became licensee of the Bay Horse Inn and he and his wife carried on the business of the Inn, assisted in the evenings by John Clarke, who was a married man. John Eastwood's wife also had a 'buffing' shop in Sheffield, which she carried on on her own account, employing fourteen hands. John Clarke himself was employed as a spoon and fork stamper by a firm in Sheffield. However, it was noted that the firm, from time to time, noticed a leakage of their forks and it was suspected that he had been handing them over to be finished in John Eastwood's wife's buffing shop. For some time prior to the murder there was little doubt that John Clarke had been intimate with John Eastwood's wife, and it was suggested that John Eastwood had been somewhat complacent about it. On 30 June 1923 John Eastwood induced a married woman to go away with him to Liverpool where they lived together for twelve days. However, they then returned to Sheffield and the woman was forgiven by her husband and taken back. However, in his absence, John Eastwood's wife had secured transfer of the licence of the Bay Horse Inn and she stoutly refused to allow John Eastwood to return to sleep there. He seemed to have from then on frequented the house, but he was not allowed to remain after permitted hours. John Clarke meanwhile continued to assist in the serving of drink in the evenings. John Eastwood himself appeared to have, for a night or two, slept on a sofa at John Clarke's house, however, John Clarke's wife objected to the arrangement and John Eastwood found lodgings at the house of a couple. About 1.30am on the morning of Sunday 29 July 1923 John Eastwood went into the couple's bedroom with an axe, which was usually kept in the yard of the Bay Horse Inn, in his pocket with the head sticking out and told them that he was: xxxqxxx Going to knock Clarke up. xxxqxxx And upon the man saying: xxxqxxx Don't be a fool. xxxqxxx John Eastwood threw his latchkey on the table, and said: xxxqxxx I shan't want it anymore. xxxqxxx He then went away. He went to John Clarke's house at 20 Lister Road and threw pebbles at the window. John Clarke got up and went downstairs and opened the door, whereupon John Eastwood struck him on the head with the back of the axe, knocking him down. He then struck him twice on the head whilst he was on the ground. John Eastwood then went to the police station and said: xxxqxxx I have come to give myself up. I believe it is murder. In fact I am sure it is. I have hit Clarke with a hatchet on the head three times. xxxqxxx He then told the police where he had thrown the hatchet away and it was found at that place. When the police went to 20 Lister Road, they found that John Clarke was still alive and he was taken to hospital where he was operated on, however, his skull had been badly fractured by at least one of the blows and he died the following morning. The defence at the trial was insanity, but the medical officer at Leeds gave evidence that John Eastwood was of sound mind and there was nothing whatever to indicate the contrary. The medical officers evidence was corroborated by another doctor at Sheffield University, who said that John Eastwood's mind was normal and that he was sane. John Eastwood's blood was also tested, and although one of the tests indicated inflammatory reaction of syphilitic infection, the two other tests, which were tests for general paralysis of the insane, gave negative results. The doctor that carried out the tests said: xxxqxxx Taking the three tests together, they are strong against the presence of general paralysis of the insane. The prisoner could not, in my opinion, have been suffering from incipient general paralysis of the insane on July 29th. xxxqxxx The deputy medical officer of Leeds was called for the defence, but he could only say that he thought John Eastwood's mind was unbalanced at the time of the murder, adding that when he saw him in prison he was not insane. He said that he saw no evidence of insanity, but that that did not prove sanity before, that being at the time of the murder. After the jury returned their verdict, the judge said: xxxqxxx The jury strongly recommended the convicted man to mercy. They gave no reason and I thought it best not to ask them. xxxqxxx The police report noted that there was little doubt that John Eastwood's wife and John Clarke had been carrying on together, and it was noted that John Eastwood told the police that on the evening of 28 July 1923 his wife had asked him: xxxqxxx If he (Clarke) could have what I had this afternoon. xxxqxxx Meaning connection with her. However, John Eastwood told the police that he refused to allow it. It was noted that John Eastwood had threatened 'to do Clarke in' several times since his return from Manchester, both to the police and others. It was heard that to the police in the street on 21 July 1923, that he had said: xxxqxxx It is a bit of a b---r that a man can't go into his own house and that b---r nearly lives there. But if I can't have her Clarkey won't. I'll kill him. xxxqxxx However, the police advised him to keep cool and not to be so silly. The police report noted that no doubt John Eastwood had provocation of a kind in his wife's conduct but, on the other hand, his own conduct as a husband was not above reproach, and it seemed that what really nettled him and provoked him to action against John Clarke was the fact that he had lost the licence of the Inn and that his wife had turned him out of the house after he ran off with the married woman. As such, the police report stated that they thought that it was not a case in which effect should be given to the recommendation of the jury and that the law should be allowed to take its course. John Eastwood was executed at Leeds on 28 December 1923.