THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Women weep as Ruth Ellis is hanged at Holloway Prison

Ruth Ellis, a 28-year-old mother of two children, was hanged at Holloway Prison on July 13, 1955, reported the News Letter, for the murder of the man who had been her lover.
By Darryl Armitage
Published 14th Jul 2020, 06:00 GMT
On the left, in a black wooden frame was the declaration of sheriffs. It read: We, the undersigned, hereby declare that the judgment of death was this day executed in Her Majesty Prison of Holloway in our presence. Dated this 13th day of July, 1955.On the left, in a black wooden frame was the declaration of sheriffs. It read: We, the undersigned, hereby declare that the judgment of death was this day executed in Her Majesty Prison of Holloway in our presence. Dated this 13th day of July, 1955.
On the left, in a black wooden frame was the declaration of sheriffs. It read: We, the undersigned, hereby declare that the judgment of death was this day executed in Her Majesty Prison of Holloway in our presence. Dated this 13th day of July, 1955.

A crowd estimated at almost 1,000 waited outside the forbidding red brick walls of the prison. Scores of police were on duty. Some women were in tears. A number of other people prayed.

As the last moments to nine o’clock ticked away, the chatter and stirring among the crowd slowly fell and died. All was hushed and still except for the sound of traffic passing on its way in the busy streets nearby, front of the massive oak gates the prison, 30 police officers stood shoulder to shoulder.

Across the road Mrs Van der Elst, a noted opponent of capital punishment, wearing a long black coat and a black hat, walked up and down.

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The hour of execution passed. Still the crowd was hushed. Behind them a small group of people quietly prayed. They were led by Mrs Anne Clark, of the Howard League for Penal Reform.

Eighteen minutes after nine o’clock, with dozen uniformed constables, three senior police officers and three mounted policemen almost obscuring the gates, the notices of execution were posted.

The silence was broken. As the warder hung the notices, the crowd rushed forward, blocking the road, halting traffic and sweeping the police aside.

Mounted police held their horses broadside on to the crowd, slowly moving them back Into two orderly queues on either side of the gate.

Slowly they shuffled past the two notices. On the left, in a black wooden frame was the declaration of sheriffs. It read: “We, the undersigned, hereby declare that the judgment of death was this day executed in Her Majesty Prison of Holloway in our presence. Dated this 13th day of July, 1955.”

In the queue arguments began about capital punishment. A man sank to the ground and began to shout: “She should have been freed." He was helped up by police and escorted to the outside the crowd.

Earlier, Mrs Van der Elst had figured in a protest scene outside the prlson. When a senior police officer asked her to move she said: "I will not go. This is my protest against this evil.”