THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Five men escape execution for murder of police constable

Five of the six Belfast men condemned to death for the murder of police constable Patrick Murphy on Easter Sunday 1942 were granted a reprieve from their sentence by the Governor of Northern Ireland (James Albert Edward Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn.

Instead their sentences were commuted to penal servitude.

Meanwhile, the execution of Thomas J Williams, 19, of 46 Bombay Street had been fixed to take place on Wednesday, September 3, 1942.

A statement was released on behalf of the Governor of Northern Ireland announcing the decision, it read: “His Grace the Governor of Northern Ireland has considered the cases of Thomas Joseph Williams, William J Perry, Henry Cordner, John Terence Oliver, Joseph Cahill and Patrick Simpson, prisoners lying under sentence of death in HM Prison, Belfast, and has decided – That in the case of Joseph Williams the law must take its own course. That in the case of William J Perry, Henry Cordner, John T Oliver and Joseph Cahill sentence of death shall be commuted to one of penal servitude for life; and that in the case of Patrick Simpson sentence of death shall be commuted to penal servitude for 15 years.”

The Governor’s decision was communicated to Mr D P Marrinan, solicitor for the six men, who immediately went to the prison and had an interview with them.

He told them he had very good news for all of them with one exception.

When the five men heard that Williams had not been reprieved they embraced him.

He was reported to have said: “Don’t worry about me. I am all right. I am fully prepared to die.”

It was also reported that Williams did not betray any emotion.

The 3rd Duke of Abercorn was the great-grandfather of the Diana, Princess of Wales, he is the great-great-grandfather of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.