Welsh Country March-April 2017

STORIES IN STONE
Butler gave varying accounts of his
movements, which were found to be
untrue, and he was unable satisfactorily
to explain why on Thursday 11 th
November he had no money and the
next day he was spending freely.
boots which left prints larger than his own shoe size.
The police felt that he had been motivated both by a desire to
steal money to pay for his defence and to frame the West family, for
he placed the front door key on the window-sill of the West’s house
when he left. They believed that Butler had searched fruitlessly
for money downstairs and so went upstairs. When Mary awoke he
battered them both to death. All he found was a small sum of about
£5 in coins which Charles had received as sick pay from a benefit
club that he paid into. Butler never found their life savings of £160
hidden in a laundry basket.
He knew the murders were not likely to be discovered until
late on Friday 12 th November. So early that morning he made sure
he was seen in Cardiff. He had walked there in order, he said, to
consult his solicitor, but even in those days Cardiff solicitors were
never hot-to-trot at quarter to eight in the morning. He then went
by train to Newport and returned to Cardiff in the afternoon to see
his solicitor and then of course on Saturday he was in the cells.
Butler gave varying accounts of his movements, which were
found to be untrue and he was unable satisfactorily to explain why
on Thursday 11 th November he had no money and the next day
he was spending freely. He said he had backed the Derby winner
but the bookmaker had no knowledge of any such bet. He hired
his solicitor using coins in the same denominations as those in
Charles’ sick pay, he generously tipped a waitress in a café.
The police lacked direct evidence of his guilt. He seemed to have
protected himself from the splattering of the victim’s blood perhaps
with a piece of newspaper but there was circumstantial evidence
which convinced the jury. His death sentence was followed by a
remarkable scene of raving, shouting, and blasphemy. He had to be
restrained as he was taken away.
His previous convictions were also revealed. He had been born
in Gloucestershire as Thomas Clements and he was 68, ten years
younger than he claimed. He had never been in the Crimea. He
had a string of offences for stealing and poaching. In fact he had
spent over twenty years in a variety of prisons under a variety of
aliases. He had once threatened policemen with a revolver.
He maintained that he had been framed. After the trial he not
only expected to be released and promised to murder the witnesses
who all told lies about him by cutting them to pieces, which even
in Newport was considered unacceptable. His appeal failed and he
was hanged in Usk prison on 24 th March 1910 still protesting his
innocence. “I never did do it,” he said.
Following the execution it was suggested that he might have
been responsible for the murder of Mary Hogg in Camberley in
1906. She too had been beaten to death with a hammer. Butler
had spent time in both Winchester and Oxford Prisons and he
seemed to be wandering around the area at the time. He fitted the
description provided by Miss Hogg’s sister Caroline, who had also
been attacked. However, no direct link was ever established.
It is said that Butler now haunts the Tredegar Arms on
Caerphilly Road, Bassaleg stamping on the floorboards in the
Lounge Bar where the inquest into the deaths of Mr. & Mrs.
Thomas was held, still protesting. Tank Cottage was demolished.
Charles and Mary were buried on Tuesday 16 th November in
Bethesda Chapel where they worshipped every Sunday. Bethesda
Chapel stands on Cefn Road and the grave they share is in the
bottom right hand corner of the cemetery. It is just one amongst
many, with nothing to indicate the terrible story it contains.
We know about it now and suddenly that gravestone looks very
different. U
Words & Picture: Geoff Brookes
Illustration: Charlotte Wood
www.welshcountry.co.uk 13