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Execution of Sydney George Smith aged 23 years - Hanged by William & John Billington.

H.M. Prison Gloucester - Wednesday 9th March 1904.

The next hanging took place on Wednesday the 9th of March 1904, when 23 year old Sidney George Smith was hanged by William Billington for the murder of his girlfriend, 21 year old Alice Woodman at Cheltenham. It was a very sad case. Sidney loved Alice and wanted to marry her but due to money problems couldn’t. Sidney was deeply depressed by his financial troubles and at being given notice to leave their home. He resolved to kill Alice and then himself but did not succeed in his own suicide.

The sentence of death passed at the last Gloucestershire Assize on Sidney George Smith for the wilful murder of Alice Woodman at Cheltenham on Wednesday 14th was carried out within the walls of Gloucester Prison on Wednesday morning.

There was greater privacy than has ever before been observed, the County Under Sheriff H.H. Scott who made all the arrangements, his clerk, the Prison Chaplain Rev J. Hughes Owen, The Governor Mr J. Finn, The Medical Officer Dr Oscar Clark, PC Barnes and a few Warders being the only persons present.

It was known there would be nothing to indicate to the public outside the walls that the execution had taken place, it having been decided to discontinue the old custom of tolling the prison bell before and the hoisting of the black flag after the death of the culprit. The Chaplain arrived at the gaol before seven and immediately went to the condemned cell.

At a few minutes before eight the County Under Sheriff entered the condemned cell and handed the doomed man over to Billington, the hangman, who at once pinioned him. Then the little group, with the Chaplain leading and reading opening sentences from the office for the dead, moved out along a passage to the execution yard, the condemned man not being so effected as some of those present.

He walked with a firm step but his expression was sorrowful. The scaffold was erected over a pit where previous executions have taken place and the route taken was one which hid it from sight until smith was almost on the trap. Billington expeditiously strapped the condemned man’s legs, placed the white cap over his head and adjusted the rope: then, stepping to one side, he pulled the lever and Smith was launched into eternity.

Death was instantaneous. The whole of the proceedings from the time the man left the condemned cell to the pulling of the lever which opened the drop, occupied only about two minutes. In accordance with Home Office regulations the body was left hanging for an hour and was then taken down to await the usual coroner’s inquiry.

The inquest was held in the Boardroom at ten o’clock, the Coroner said it was an extremely painful case, but the facts which were known to them were simple. All they had to ascertain was the identity of the deceased, and the cause of death so as to say if the sentence had been correctly carried out. It seemed to him it had been carried out very satisfactorily. Mr John Finn, Governor of His Majesty’s Prison at Gloucester said the body the Coroner and Jury had viewed was that of Sidney George Smith.

He was about 23 years of age according to the information supplied to witness who received him into custody on December 30th, on commital by the Cheltenham Justices on a charge of wilful murder. He was tried on February 12th at Gloucester Assize and sentenced to death.

After sentence he was taken back to Gloucester Prison and the sentence was that morning duly carried out. It was carried out in a perfectly satisfactory manner at eight o’clock that morning.

Death was practically instantaneous, there being a slight tremor of the body after Billington pulled the bolt. Dr Oscar W. Clark, Medical Officer of the prison, was present when the sentence of death was carried out on Sidney George Smith; he examined the body afterwards and found that the cause of death was dislocation of the neck. The execution was carried out in a satisfactory manner.

A verdict to this effect and in the usual form was returned, the Coroner expressing a hope that it would be a long time before they were gathered together again under similar circumstances. He said he believed the previous occasion was in 1894.

It will be remembered that Smith and his victim lived together at Cheltenham.

He was not in regular work and the furniture he once possessed was disposed of gradually to obtain necessities. He told some of his acquaintances of his plight and declared that it was his intention to 'do' for himself and the girl. He purchased a razor and on the night of the 14th bade several of his acquaintances goodbye and went home with the young lady Woodman to the cottage they occupied.

As the neighbours did not see anything of them next morning, an entrance to the cottage was effected when the girl was found dead with a terrible cut in the throat, inflicted in the opinion of the Doctor whi

1904 Pope-Tribune 6hp. Taken at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire, England.