The Terrible Execution Of Robert Ward For Br*utal Mu*rder Of His Two Daughter. “The Walworth Tragedy”.

Robert Ward - “The Walworth Tragedy”.

On the 3rd of October 1899 the Billingtons were in action at Newgate for the hanging of Frederick Preston.  The following day, Wednesday the 4th of October, they were at Wandsworth to hang Robert Ward.

Originally Ward was to be hanged alongside Frederick Preston at Newgate, but the High Sheriff had him transferred to Wandsworth as the crime had been committed in South London.

Robert Ward was a 27 year old bricklayer who had been convicted at the Old Bailey, before Mr. Justice Phillimore of the murder of his five year old daughter Margaret Florence.  A further charge of murdering his other daughter, two and a half year old Ada Louisa, was not proceeded with.

Ward had been married for some six years and lived at 11 Boundry Lane in Walworth.  

He went to work on the morning of the 20th of July but came home at lunchtime.  His daughters were playing outside.  He took them into the house and his wife left on an errand.  The Ward’s landlady, Mrs. Mills, heard one of the children cry out “Oh Daddy don’t, don’t do it Daddy” and went upstairs to investigate.  Here she saw Ward with his arm round the child’s neck, which was bleeding profusely.  She ran for a constable and a doctor was also called. 

 By the time they arrived both children were dead and Ward had attempted to cut his own throat.  He told the policeman “I have done it and I want to die as well.  I did it with the penknife that lies at my feet”.  He was taken to Guy’s hospital for treatment.

Subsequent examination showed that both children’s throats had been slit with considerable violence.

It seems that the murders were triggered by jealousy.  A few days before the murders, Ward and his wife had met a man named Oliff, who had just returned after seven years serving as a soldier in India. 

He had been Mrs. Ward’s first boyfriend and showed an interest both in her and the children.  This caused Ward to become very jealous.

Ward was remanded to Holloway prison on his release from Guy’s Hospital.  Here he was examined by Dr. Scott who found him to be legally sane.  The defense was one of temporary insanity, caused by jealousy.  The jury took just 35 minutes to reject this.

Ward was 5’ 3” tall and weighed 136 lbs. James Billington gave him a drop of 6’ 10” and death was reported as “instantaneous”.  In her biography of the Billingtons, Alison Bruce says that although William Billington isn't mentioned on the LPC4 form, he did assist and was paid for doing so by the Governor of Wandsworth.  A small crowd waited outside the prison to see the black flag hoisted.

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