A few years ago, I wrote a blog about the Sun Inn murders in Bedlington using the inquest report and witness statements held by NorthumberlandArchives.
https://northumberlandarchives.com/test/2016/06/09/the-sun-inn-murders/
In 2018, I wrote another piece about the funerals of the victims
https://northumberlandarchives.com/test/2018/04/13/funerals-of-the-sun-inn-murder-victims-1913/
Over Easter, I visited the graves of the three victims, and it inspired me to write a final blog about the tragedy.
On 15th April 1913, James Wood Irons, owner of The Sun Inn public house in Bedlington went to the premises to terminate the employment of his manager John Vickers Amos due to deficiencies in stock and takings. Irons had with him Richard Grice who he intended to make his new tenant manager. Richard’s wife Sarah was also present. After much agitation and anger at being told that he would not be entitled to his bond/deposit, Amos produced a gun resulting in the horrific murders of three innocent people. P.C. George Bertram Mussell (30) Sergeant Andrew Barton (40) and Mrs Sarah Ellen Fenwick Grice (33). John Vickers Amos fled but was captured and arrested the same day.
The Morpeth Herald covered the court case which was held at the Northumberland Summer Assizes on 2-3rd July 1913. The indictment charged John Vickers Amos with the murder of Sergeant Barton, P.C. Mussell and Mrs Grice, but the prosecution only proceeded on the count charging him with the murder of Sergeant Barton. There was a great deal of public interest in the case and the court was rapidly filled as soon as the doors opened. A large crowd also gathered outside the Moot Hall in Newcastle. The charge put to the prisoner was that that on 15 April, 1913 at Bedlington, he did wilfully murder Sergeant Andrew Barton. In a firm voice he answered, “Not Guilty.” Counsel for the prosecution were Mr Bruce Williamson and Mr Jardine; defence, Mr W. J. Waugh and Mr Leon Freedman.
When addressed by Mr Freedman, [for the defence] Amos stated that in June 1912, when working as a miner in America, he was in a coal and gas explosion. As a result of this, two men were killed and 14 severely burned. Amos was asked if he was badly injured after his heroic attempt at rescuing two men, and he confirmed that he was and said that he was laid up for three weeks. Mr Freedman then asked him to tell the judge and jury the affect that his injuries had upon his health and he claimed that the explosion had given him pains in his head, made him very nervous and unable to sleep. Amos also stated that about a month after that explosion he was in another in which eight men were killed and many burned. This time, he was uninjured but was blown about 15 yards which affected his nerves and seemed to make him ‘’lose his senses that day.’’ This further accident led to more sleep disturbance, head pain and a feeling of extreme anxiousness.
When asked about shooting the three victims in the Sun Inn, Amos said that his memory was a blank. He had no recollection of sending his son to the shop to buy cartridges or of shooting at anybody. He claimed that the two policemen were good friends of his.
In his address to the jury, Mr Waugh [for the defence] said that the prisoner’s plea was that he was not responsible for his actions on 15 April. They were told that Amos was a different man after returning home from America. His time there had had resulted in a terrible strain on his mental faculties. His defence stated that although angry at Mr Irons, Amos was prepared to kill anybody. Due to a loss of mental balance, his reason had been dethroned. At the time of the shooting, it was clear that he had become temporarily insane as a direct consequence of the injuries he had received when employed as a miner.
In his address to the jury, Mr Williamson [for the prosecution] said that the prisoner took the life of Sergeant Barton deliberately and intentionally and was therefore, guilty of murder. He pointed out that there was no medical evidence to support the claim that Amos has suffered mentally as a direct result of the explosions in America. The only evidence provided by a medic was from Dr Haworth, the doctor who was first called to the scene after the murders had occurred. He had witnessed Amos’s behaviour after the event and described him as being quiet and perfectly composed. There were many questions to consider. Were the jury going to accept the fact that Amos could simply not remember the crimes he had committed? Mr Williamson asked them to assume that Amos had real grounds for thinking that Mr Irons had treated him unfairly. Did that not show that Amos had the strongest possible motive for anger and a desire for revenge against Mr Irons? Could the jury have the slightest doubt that Sergeant Barton was deliberately shot by Amos? It was evident that Amos feared that the sergeant would disarm him before he had the chance to kill Mr Irons, so he had to eliminate him.
The jury retired and after an absence of only eight minutes, returned with a verdict of guilty of wilful murder. When Amos was asked if he had anything to say about the death sentence that was about to be passed, he answered, “I don’t remember anything, they were good friends to me.” Amos received the sentence calmly and as he left for the cells he waved his hand to some friends in the court room.
John Vickers Amos was executed at Newcastle Gaol on 22 July 1913. The only witnesses were prison officials and the Under Sheriff, Mr Percy Corder. Outside the prison a large crowd gathered eager to try to catch a glimpse of the rope or hear the thud of the trapdoor bolts. However, on this occasion, the trap doors were so muffled that no sound could penetrate the huge walls of the prison. The execution was carried out at 8am and a bell tolled from within the prison grounds, so the waiting crowd knew it was over.
Soon after 9am, the inquest on the deceased was conducted within the prison by the city Coroner Mr Alfred Appleby. He found all procedures had been carried out correctly and it was noted that Amos had been given a rope drop of 6 feet 6 inches. On examination of the body, the prison doctor confirmed that the cause of death was due to a fractured spine. The newspaper reported that John Vickers Amos was buried within the prison walls.
Morpeth Herald 4 July 1913
Morpeth Herald 25 July 1913
Northumberland Archives – QSCP/6