William John Cronin

William John Cronin was convicted of manslaughter in 1897 and later again for murder in 1925 when he was sentenced to death. 1925 Murder In 1925 William Cronin was convicted of the murder of 40-year-old Alice Garnett and sentenced to death. He cut her throat at a house at 128 Old Street, Stepney, London on 12 June 1925. William Cronin had for most of his life been engaged in unloading coal from barges at London docks and for the previous ten or eleven years had made short voyages as a coal trimmer and fireman. He had a very bad record for offences of drunkness and violence and in 1897 he got seven years penal servitude for manslaughter. In 1906 he was sent to Brentry State Inebriate Reformatory for three years, and whilst there he took part in a riot and got four months imprisonment for assault and wilful damage. In 1917 he married a widow, but in 1918 he got 3 months hard labour for aggravated assault upon her and she left him. In the latter part of 1924 he went to live with Alice Garnett and cohabited with her at 128 Old Street, however, he frequently accused her of consorting with other men during his short absences at sea, and often threatend her. On the night of 12 June 1925 William Cronin and Alice Garnett left the house at about 8.30pm and later returned around 11pm, seeming to be on good terms and not the worse for drink. However, about midnight neighbours heard a cry of: xxxqxxx Murder! xxxqxxx coming from Alice Garnett's bedroom, and a man went to see what the matter was, and found William Cronin coming out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. When he asked him what the matter was, William Cronin replied: xxxqxxx Nothing. I've done her in. xxxqxxx The man then found Alice Garnett lying at the foot of the bed in a pool of blood and then ran off for help, leaving William Cronin putting in the kitchen putting his boots on. A hostile crowd theen collected outsde and when William Cronin came out they tried to stop him, and he struggled with one man and slashed him on the finger with a knife or razor, but he was overpowered. The police then arrived and found Alice Garnett with her throat cut. Whilst a policeman was bandaging Alice Garnett's throat, William Cronin said: xxxqxxx She's done now. She's brought this on herself. xxxqxxx Alice Garnett's throat had been cut on the right hand side, severing the important structures, and she died before reaching hospital. A bloodstained razor was found on a shelf in the kitchen. When William Cronin was charged, he said: xxxqxxx This is all through her pals. xxxqxxx And when he saw the razor case on a desk in the charge room, he said: xxxqxxx That is my razor and case, but I am innocent. xxxqxxx In court he denied the charge, stating that he was innocent. His defence was that he had been in bed alone, having left Alice Garnettat the table in the kitchen, and that he had gone to sleep, with the next thing he knew was of Alice Garnett saying: xxxqxxx Oh. xxxqxxx And pulling his feet at the end of the bed. He said that he then woke up and found his right arm covered with blood and that when he got up he saw that her throat was cut. He said that he then said: xxxqxxx Goog God, Alice, who's done this? xxxqxxx and that she replied: xxxqxxx Jack. xxxqxxx It was noted that at the trial no evidence was given as to the condition of his clothes, but that they had in fact been examined by the police, who had found copius stains of human blood on his trousers, the front of his shirt, and his braces, that he had been wearing at the time. He was tried at the Old Bailey and sentenced to death. After sentence he told the judge that an innocent man had been condemned. He was executed at Pentonville on the same morning, 14 August 1925, as the execution of Arthur Henry Bishop. 1897 Manslaughter In 1897 William Cronin was convicted of the manslaughter of a child. He killed the child with a shovel because the child's father had been working during a strike. Fifty four year old William Cronin was a ship's fireman who was convicted of murdering Alice Garret, whose throat he cut on 14th June. After being sentenced by Mr Justice Swift, Cronin said 'Thank you. I'm very glad that you have sentenced an innocent man to death!' He was hanged by Robert Baxter, assisted by Edward Taylor. The sentence was carried out on the 14th August 1925 in Pentonville. Age:- 54 Date of Execution:- Friday, 14th August, 1925 Location of Execution:- Pentonville Hangman:- Robert Baxter Assistants:- Henry Pollard, Edward Taylor, Robert Wilson Tried At:- Old Bailey, London Trial Dates:- 16th July, 1925 Trial Judge:- Mister Justice Swift Crime:- Murder Victims:- Name:- Alice Garnett Age:- 40 Location of Murder:- 126 Old Street, Stepney, London Date of Murder:- Friday, 12th June, 1925 Method of Murder:- Cut Throat Relationship to Killer:- Girlfriend