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'''John Frederick Stockwell''' (31 March 1915 - 14 November 1934) was an English ]. He was executed for murdering Dudley Henry Hoard with an ] in 1934.
The '''Bow cinema murder''' occurred on 7 August 1934 in ], ], where 19-year-old '''John Frederick Stockwell''', an attendant at the Eastern Palace Cinema on that road, attacked his manager Dudley Henry Hoard with an axe. Stockwell was arrested by the police in ] four days later. He admitted at his subsequent trial that he had stolen £90 of the cinema's takings and attacked Hoard when the latter tried to stop him removing a suitcase in which it was hidden. Stockwell was found guilty of murder and sentenced to be hanged at ], which he was on 14 November 1934.


==Murderer's background==
==Early life==
Stockwell was born in ]. His father, also named John Stockwell, was killed in November 1915 during the ] while serving with the ]. His mother died soon after and he spend the rest of his childhood and youth in various ] ]s.<ref>{{cite book|title=Lord Goddard: my years with the Lord Chief Justice|page=79|author=Arthur B. Smith|publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson|year=1959}}</ref> Stockwell was born in ] on 31 March 1915. His father, also named John Stockwell, was killed in November 1915 during the ] while serving with the ]. Stockwell's mother died soon after, and he spent the rest of his childhood and youth in various ] orphanages.{{sfnp|Smith|1959|p=79}}


==Events of 7 August 1934==
==Bow Cinema murder==
On the morning of 7th August 1934, cleaners arrived at the Eastern Palace Cinema in ], London and found the partially clothed body of the manager, Dudley Henry Hoard, with multiple wounds and fractures to the skull. Mrs Maisie Hoard was found alive but unconscious with a wound to her head. After being taken to hospital, she described the attacker as a young man of about 19 years old. The following day police found a bloodied axe in a storage room behind the stage. A bloody thumbprint, identified as being made by somebody other than Hoard, was found on one of the walls. On the morning of 7 August 1934, Dudley Henry Hoard, manager of the Eastern Palace Cinema on ], London, was attacked by an axe after answering the door. He received fourteen blows to the head and was left for dead.{{sfnp|O'Conner|2013|p=74}} Cleaners later arrived at the cinema and found the partially clothed body of Hoard, with multiple wounds and fractures to the skull. Hoard's wife, Maisie, was found alive but unconscious with a wound to her head. After being taken to hospital, she described the attacker as a young man of about 19. The following day police found a bloodied axe in a storage room behind the stage. A bloody thumbprint, identified as being made by somebody other than Hoard, was found on one of the walls.


Hoard's body was taken to his mother's home in ] and he was buried at Croydon Cemetery on 13 August.<ref name=pen/>
⚫ On 10 August, police in ] received a letter confessing to killing Hoard at 7.40am on 7th August. It was signed J.F. Stockwell. John Stockwell, a 19-year-old employee at the Eastern Palace Cinema, had not been suspect as 7th August was his day off. Stockwell's clothes, wristwatch, ], and an apparent suicide note were found on a Lowestoft beach later that day. However, holidaymakers had spotted a young man placing the clothes on the beach and notified police when news of the confession letter was made public.


==Investigation==
On 11th August, a young man fitting Stockwell's description checked into Metropolitan Hotel in ] under the name J.F. Smith. He aroused the suspicion of the hotel manager as "Smith" had given his address as ], ] even though Luton is in ]. Yarmouth police arrested the man who confessed to being Stockwell.
⚫ On 10 August police in ] received a letter confessing to Hoard's murder at 7:40 am on 7 August, signed J. F. Stockwell. John Stockwell, a 19-year-old employee at the Eastern Palace Cinema, had not been a suspect as 7 August was his day off. His clothes, wristwatch, ]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-06-13|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Postal savings system#Great Britain|reason= The anchor (Great Britain) ].}}, and an apparent suicide note were found on a Lowestoft beach later that day. However, holidaymakers had spotted a young man placing the clothes on the beach and notified police when news of the confession letter was made public.


The following day a young man fitting Stockwell's description checked into the Metropolitan Hotel in ].<ref name=pen>{{cite news|url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000290/19340811/217/0009|title=The Bow Kinema Murder: Stockwell brought from Great Yarmouth to London|newspaper=Portsmouth Evening News|date=11 August 1934|page=9|access-date=15 April 2015|via=]|url-access=subscription }}</ref> He aroused the suspicion of the hotel manager by giving his address as ], ], whereas Luton is in ].{{sfnp|Storey|2013|loc=Bow Cinema Murder}} When Stockwell arrived back at the hotel after a shopping expedition he was confronted by Yarmouth police and taken into custody for questioning. A large crowd had gathered at Bow Road waiting for him, though only around 30 remained when he arrived.<ref name=pen/>
⚫ Stockwell was charged with murder and brought before the ] on 13th August. He did not enter a plea and was remanded until 21st August.


==Trial and execution==
⚫ At his next appearance he admitted to stealing £90 from the cinema takings and hiding it in a suitcase on the premises. On the morning of 7th August he arrived at the cinema claiming to have left some personal money there the night before, and asked Hoard if he could look for it. When Stockwell tried to retrieve the case, Hoard tried to stop him. Stockwell then hit Hoard several times with an axe he had concealed under his coat. Mrs Hoard came to investigate the noise. Stockwell hit her once before hiding the axe and fleeing with the money.<ref>{{cite book|title=Handsome Brute: The True Story of a Ladykiller|first=Sean|last=O'Conner|publisher=Simon & Schuster|p=74|isbn=978-1-471-10135-9}}</ref>


⚫ Stockwell was charged with murder and brought before the ] on 13 August. He did not enter a plea and was remanded until 21 August.
⚫ On 22 October 1934, Stockwell formally pleaded guilty to the charge of murder. He was sentenced to death by hanging and executed at ] on 14 November.<ref>{{cite book|title=Hanged at Pentonville|page=60|author=Steve Fielding|publisher=The History Press|year=2013|isbn=075095339X}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=MEPO 3/896: Murder and robbery of Dudley Henry Hoard by John Frederick Stockwell at Eastern Palace Cinema, E.3|author=Metropolitan Police Office|publisher= The National Archives|year=1934}}</ref>

⚫ At his next appearance he admitted to stealing £90 from the cinema takings and hiding it in a suitcase on the premises. On the morning of 7 August he arrived at the cinema claiming to have left some personal money there the night before, and asked Hoard if he could look for it. When Stockwell tried to retrieve the case, Hoard tried to stop him. Stockwell then hit Hoard several times with an axe he had concealed under his coat. Mrs Hoard came to investigate the noise. Stockwell hit her once before hiding the axe and fleeing with the money.

⚫ On 22 October 1934 Stockwell formally pleaded guilty to the charge of murder. He was sentenced to death by hanging by ] and executed at ] a few weeks later, on 14 November.{{sfnp|Fielding|2013|p=68}}<ref>{{citation |title=MEPO 3/896: Murder and robbery of Dudley Henry Hoard by John Frederick Stockwell at Eastern Palace Cinema, E.3 |author=Metropolitan Police Office |publisher=The National Archives |year=1934}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
'''Citations'''
{{Reflist}}
{{reflist|30em}}

'''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Fielding |first=Steve |title=Hanged at Pentonville |year=2013 |publisher=The History Press |isbn=978-0-7509-5339-9 }}
*{{cite book |last=O'Conner |first=Sean |title=Handsome Brute: The True Story of a Ladykiller |year=2013 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-1-471-10135-9 }}
*{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Arthur B. |title=Lord Goddard: My Years with the Lord Chief Justice |year=1959 |publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson }}
*{{cite book |last=Storey |first=Neil R. |title=East End Murders: From Jack the Ripper to Ronnie Kray |year=2013 |orig-year=2008 |publisher=The History Press |type=eBook |isbn=978-0-7524-8445-7 }}
{{refend}}


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⚫ ]
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Latest revision as of 01:08, 12 January 2025

The Bow cinema murder occurred on 7 August 1934 in Bow Road, East London, where 19-year-old John Frederick Stockwell, an attendant at the Eastern Palace Cinema on that road, attacked his manager Dudley Henry Hoard with an axe. Stockwell was arrested by the police in Great Yarmouth four days later. He admitted at his subsequent trial that he had stolen £90 of the cinema's takings and attacked Hoard when the latter tried to stop him removing a suitcase in which it was hidden. Stockwell was found guilty of murder and sentenced to be hanged at Pentonville Prison, which he was on 14 November 1934.

Murderer's background

Stockwell was born in Manchester on 31 March 1915. His father, also named John Stockwell, was killed in November 1915 during the Gallipoli Campaign while serving with the Manchester Regiment. Stockwell's mother died soon after, and he spent the rest of his childhood and youth in various Salvation Army orphanages.

Events of 7 August 1934

On the morning of 7 August 1934, Dudley Henry Hoard, manager of the Eastern Palace Cinema on Bow Road, London, was attacked by an axe after answering the door. He received fourteen blows to the head and was left for dead. Cleaners later arrived at the cinema and found the partially clothed body of Hoard, with multiple wounds and fractures to the skull. Hoard's wife, Maisie, was found alive but unconscious with a wound to her head. After being taken to hospital, she described the attacker as a young man of about 19. The following day police found a bloodied axe in a storage room behind the stage. A bloody thumbprint, identified as being made by somebody other than Hoard, was found on one of the walls.

Hoard's body was taken to his mother's home in Croydon and he was buried at Croydon Cemetery on 13 August.

Investigation

On 10 August police in Lowestoft received a letter confessing to Hoard's murder at 7:40 am on 7 August, signed J. F. Stockwell. John Stockwell, a 19-year-old employee at the Eastern Palace Cinema, had not been a suspect as 7 August was his day off. His clothes, wristwatch, Post Office savings book, and an apparent suicide note were found on a Lowestoft beach later that day. However, holidaymakers had spotted a young man placing the clothes on the beach and notified police when news of the confession letter was made public.

The following day a young man fitting Stockwell's description checked into the Metropolitan Hotel in Great Yarmouth. He aroused the suspicion of the hotel manager by giving his address as Luton, Hertfordshire, whereas Luton is in Bedfordshire. When Stockwell arrived back at the hotel after a shopping expedition he was confronted by Yarmouth police and taken into custody for questioning. A large crowd had gathered at Bow Road waiting for him, though only around 30 remained when he arrived.

Trial and execution

Stockwell was charged with murder and brought before the Thames Magistrates' Court on 13 August. He did not enter a plea and was remanded until 21 August.

At his next appearance he admitted to stealing £90 from the cinema takings and hiding it in a suitcase on the premises. On the morning of 7 August he arrived at the cinema claiming to have left some personal money there the night before, and asked Hoard if he could look for it. When Stockwell tried to retrieve the case, Hoard tried to stop him. Stockwell then hit Hoard several times with an axe he had concealed under his coat. Mrs Hoard came to investigate the noise. Stockwell hit her once before hiding the axe and fleeing with the money.

On 22 October 1934 Stockwell formally pleaded guilty to the charge of murder. He was sentenced to death by hanging by Mr Justice Goddard and executed at HM Prison Pentonville a few weeks later, on 14 November.

References

Citations

  1. Smith (1959), p. 79.
  2. O'Conner (2013), p. 74.
  3. ^ "The Bow Kinema Murder: Stockwell brought from Great Yarmouth to London". Portsmouth Evening News. 11 August 1934. p. 9. Retrieved 15 April 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. Storey (2013), Bow Cinema Murder.
  5. Fielding (2013), p. 68.
  6. Metropolitan Police Office (1934), MEPO 3/896: Murder and robbery of Dudley Henry Hoard by John Frederick Stockwell at Eastern Palace Cinema, E.3, The National Archives

Bibliography

  • Fielding, Steve (2013). Hanged at Pentonville. The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-5339-9.
  • O'Conner, Sean (2013). Handsome Brute: The True Story of a Ladykiller. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-471-10135-9.
  • Smith, Arthur B. (1959). Lord Goddard: My Years with the Lord Chief Justice. Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
  • Storey, Neil R. (2013) . East End Murders: From Jack the Ripper to Ronnie Kray (eBook). The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-8445-7.
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