An Internationally Famous Murder Case

“…the most extraordinary case ever tried in this or any other country”

Lord Justice Barry

On Thursday 29th June 1871 the little town of Newtownstewart, was rocked by the news of a brutal murder committed in their midst. A young man aged 27, named William Glass, who worked as a cashier in the local branch of the Northern Bank had been killed during a robbery. The villagers were stunned and the shockwaves of this crime with an unusual ‘twist’ were to spread throughout Ireland and beyond.

“The case has become historical. It is known everywhere as one of those crimes which have an especial interest from the skill and deliberation with which it was carried out”

Perth Gazette and West Australian Times, 26th September 1873

The Brutal Robbery

The day had begun as normal. As was usual on a Thursday, the bank manager Mr James Gordon Strahan, attended the fair at neighbouring Drumquin on bank business. William closed up the bank at 3 o’clock with the plan of securing the day’s takings in a cash-box to be locked in the inner office.

At around 4:15pm, a servant girl, Fanny McBride (one source calls her Emma McBride) came down from the upstairs accommodation to check the bank clock. Unfortunately, she discovered more than the time!

When looking through the glass door she saw a large quantity of blood on the floor. She ran upstairs and told Miss Mary Thompson, the elderly aunt of Mr Strahan, who was visiting the family at the time. She then raced across the street and informed Mr McDowell, a local shopkeeper, of her macabre discovery.

The pair returned to the bank where they found the battered body of William Glass lying in a pool of blood. It appeared the victim had been attacked in the inner room and had attempted to crawl through to the office.

Mr McDowell ran to the constabulary barracks and returned with sub-constable John McErlain. The local G P, Dr Todd, was also summoned. However, the senior investigating officer, sub-inspector Thomas Hartley Montgomery, did not arrive until around 5pm that evening.

Initially the idea of suicide was mooted by Montgomery and this rumour spread throughout the town. However, on uncovering the extent of the injuries this was dismissed. William had been struck 10 times with an instrument such as a cleaver or hatchet. Each injury would have been sufficient to cause death.

Also, a steel receipt/ bill spike had been inserted into his brain through his left ear, where it was still visible.

“The mutilation caused to the head was horrible brutality. From the appearance of the wounds, they had been inflicted suddenly and unawares”

Downpatrick Recorder 8th July 1871

The vicious nature of the attack was attested by the blood stains on the counter and the blood splatter on the walls. Blood and hair of the deceased was also found on the door frame.

Local Suspicions

Newtownstewart is a village in County Tyrone located on the River Strule. In the mid-19th century, it was a largely agricultural community.

It was immediately believed that the perpetrator of the heinous crime must have had local knowledge, especially to be aware that the manager, who kept a loaded pistol in his desk drawer, would be absent from the premises and William would be on his own. It was supposed that the murderer had entered the bank during opening hours and had somehow hidden himself in the corridor leading from the public section to the inner office – so catching Glass unaware.

William Glass was last seen alive at about 8 minutes to 3pm, when he served Mr Robert Montcrieff, who owned a mill in the town.

The amount stolen was £1,605, the empty cash-box was found lying beside the body. A sum of £35 in gold was left untouched. The Northern Bank offered a reward of £100 for information leading to a conviction and £50 for private information leading to an arrest.

The Search for Evidence

A widespread search of the town and vicinity was organised in the hope of obtaining evidence. Railways and hotels were asked to look out for any suspicious activity.

At 1:00am the sub-inspector and his constable were in Grangewood, when Montgomery halted the hunt and sent the searchers home for the night. However, Montgomery himself did not return home. More than an hour later we was seen by District Inspector Purcell, who was driving to Newtownstewart from Omagh. The two policemen returned to the town together.

“For so far the authorities and the public know just as much of the mysterious and brutal murder at Newtownstewart on the evening of the occurrence as they do now. Not a vestige of anything wherewith to trace the murderer has been found – not a weapon, nor a single note that could be identified as belonging to the stolen money. Meanwhile the excitement continues and increases.”

Northern Whig, 6th July 1871

William Glass

William Glass, the son of a widow, was from Cloghanduff, near Templepatrick in County Antrim. A Margaret Glass is listed as living here in the 1870’s.

He had been employed for some years in the Head Office of the Northern Bank in Belfast, then a stint in Derry before coming to Newtownstewart. However, William may have been considering a change of career, as it was noted that he was very friendly with the local sub-inspector Montgomery and was studying to become a policeman. He was described as an affable and courteous young man.

“The deceased was a young, athletic man, several years on this side of thirty. He was a general favourite in the town, highly esteemed by those doing business in the bank, and he enjoyed the fullest confidence of his superiors”

Cork Examiner, 3rd July 1871

William was boarding in the town at a certain Captain Caine’s. Whether he was quite so popular a lodger may have been doubtfed as it was reported that he was learning to play the bagpipes!

William’s funeral took place on Tuesday 4th July. He was interred in the Templepatrick burying ground. A large number of friends and relatives attended the service.

“The funeral cortege was very large, and a general sympathy was expressed for the friends of deceased. The tragedy has formed the topic of general conversation”

Kilkenny Moderator, 5th July 1871

A Suspect Revealed

A great number of policemen were drafted to the area to aid the local force in the search for the ruthless murderer. They were headed by the County Inspector A W C Heard Esq., and detective officer Mr French. However, quite soon the suspicion fell on an unlikely suspect – sub-inspector Thomas Hartley Montgomery!

Witness Testimony at the Inquest

The inquest opened on 6th July before the coroner William Orr Esq. Commander Scott JP and T W D Humphrys JP were also attending. Mr Charles Hunter was the foreman of the all-male jury. As the inquest progressed, Mr Montgomery, retained Mr John Rea, a well-known Belfast solicitor.

Mr James McDowell, the shopkeeper, gave an account of the discovery of the body of William Glass. He also asserted that he had witnessed Montgomery leaving the bank at around 3:30pm that afternoon, about 30 minutes after the bank had closed. He was carrying what appeared to be a waterproof coat over his arm.

Another witness, Patrick Nogher, claimed to have seen a man leave the bank sometime after 3pm, with a dark coat over his arm. However, he was unable to identify the man in court.

Two other men who were on the street at the relevant time were Michael McLouglin and Charles Haughey. They both claimed to have heard a noise coming from the bank interior “as if a heavy weight had fallen inside”. Some 15 minutes later Mr Haughey saw the sub-inspector leave the premises and proceed up Back Street. The only other people on the street were two men selling cockles from a barrow who were surrounded by a gaggle of children, but they had departed before the policeman allegedly emerged.

Mary Anne Cameron, who was in Mr McDowell’s shop across the road from the Northern Bank, was called as a witness. She claimed to have seen a young man…

“come to the (bank) door and, looking around him, went in again”

Belfast Morning News, 7th July 1871

This was shortly after 3 o’clock. She pointed to Thomas Montgomery as the person she had seen.

Fanny McBride, the servant girl, testified that she had not heard any disturbance, as she had been busy in the kitchen or in the bedrooms which were on the top floor. However, she had left the premises sometime after 3pm to buy cockles. The only male employee was a young lad named Robert Cooke, but he had been working in the garden all day.

As the murder occurred sometime after 3 o’clock, a number of young ones, having been dismissed from school, were playing in the street behind the bank and reported hearing the sound of heavy blows and deep groans. However, the windows were too high up and protected by iron railings for the children to investigate the noise. Indeed, it was perceived by some, that there may have been an historic innate reason for the children’s reticence

“The parents of the children living in that street share the strong national prejudice evinced by the Irish peasantry generally against becoming themselves, or allowing their children to be made informers”

Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, 7th July 1871

Montgomery’s Evidence

Thomas Montgomery, who was 30 at the time, had been engaged in banking employment himself prior to joining the police force. Before coming to County Tyrone, he had been stationed in Newtownards. As the primary suspect, his lodgings at Mr McClenahan’s house were minutely searched but nothing untoward was discovered. His clothes were taken by train to Belfast to be forensically examined by Dr Hodges, Professor of Chemistry at Queen’s College. No traces of blood were found.

Montgomery was described as a tall, square-shouldered man with a ‘dark visage’ He sported a long bushy black beard. Mrs Annie Montgomery (nee Bell) was the ward of the clergyman Rev Bradshaw of Milecross. The couple had been married on 26th October 1870 at Dundonald in County Down. Surprisingly [for one about to commit the crime], numerous witnesses testified that Montgomery had mentioned to them how easy it would be to rob the bank.

When questioned about these sightings, sub-inspector Montgomery stated that he had indeed been to the bank on the Thursday afternoon in question.

He and his wife were friendly with the Strahan’s and he had gone to make arrangements for a fishing trip with Mr Strahan. He had spoken with Miss Thompson about the time of her nephew’s expected return home and then left. He did not see William Glass at this time.

Mary Thompson confirmed this account. She gave evidence that she had received Mr Montgomery in the drawing room between 2pm and 3pm. They had spoken about a fishing trip and Miss Thompson suggested Montgomery return at 6pm that evening. At this point the sub-inspector departed, though crucially Miss Thompson “did not observe whether he passed out to the street or not”.

When questioned Mr Strahan said that the two couples were on a friendly basis but he had never been fishing with Montgomery and there were no plans or suggestions to do so.

Public Interest

As can be expected rumours flooded the village and surrounding districts. We can imagine the gruesome crime was the only topic of conversation for miles around!

It was said that the policeman had been seen washing clothes in the river at the Bloody Bridge. Others asserted that his “calm demeanour” when viewing the body of his dead friend was an indication of guilt. Also why was he so late attending the scene of such a shocking occurrence?

“The uncommonness of the crime, made doubly so by the fact of suspicion resting upon an officer of good standing and character in the police force, has excited the entire district…. And the popular mind in the neighbourhood is greatly exasperated against him”

Cork Examiner, 5th July 1871

A true bill was found against Thomas Montgomery for the murder of William Glass. He was held for trial.

A Surprising Find

Some 6 months after the crime, a surprising discovery was made by local lad, Edward McPhilomy.

He had been in Grangewood with his dog. The weather had been particularly wet and stormy. The dog scented a rabbit and Edward was following when he came across piles of wet paper. These turned out to be some of the missing banknotes!

Alerting the authorities, a search was carried out and in a deep hollow underneath a boulder the rest of the money was uncovered. Close by in another hiding place a bill-hook weighted with lead was found – was this the murder weapon?

The Trial

The trial took place at Omagh Courthouse, on High Street, in July 1872, with Judge Lawson presiding. The Attorney General was for the prosecution and Mr Donagh QC for the defence. The courthouse was crowded with spectators.

“An hour before the opening the courthouse was besieged by a throng of ladies whom the High Sheriff gallantly admitted to the galleries, both of which they completely occupied, their presence and their gay toilettes looking rather out of keeping with an event so full of dark associations”

Weekly Freeman’s Journal, 20th July 1872

The trial took 5 days, with McDonagh arguing that all the evidence was circumstantial. Plus, there was no motive for Montgomery to kill his close friend William Glass.

After 8 hours of deliberation, the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. At 10pm on 22nd July the jury were dismissed and a mistrial declared.

The Second Trial

A second trial was held 6 months later. McDonagh continued for the defence but the prosecution team was led by Serjeant Armstrong, nicknamed ‘The Big Serjeant’.

Here the question of motive was firmly established.

“In his (Serjeant Armstong) opening statement he declared that he was prepared to prove that, at the time of the murder, the prisoner was in a position of difficulty and pecuniary dishonour”

M McDonnell Bodkin KC, Famous Irish Trials 1918

It appeared that Montgomery had obtained money from his colleagues Constable Kelly and Constable Robert Kenny, on the pretence of investing it for them in the Westminster and London Bank. He also owed several hundred pounds to his father-in-law, the Rev Bradshaw.

“Early in June 1871, at least one of his creditors was becoming impatient. The Sub-inspector realised only too well that if his debts and the financial dealings with subordinates came to light, his career in the constabulary was finished. At his age, as a cashiered police officer, the future could hold little for him”.

John V Ballentine, Police Beat 1982

However, Mr McDonagh ably cast doubt. He argued that it would have been impossible for his client to have left the bank, after committing the crime, and walk away in front of witnesses whilst hiding about his person several wads of notes and the murder weapon. This would have been immediately noticeable.

The jury, under foreman Mr Farrar, again could not agree. Another mistrial was declared.

The Third Trial

Thomas Hartley Montgomery faced trial for a third time in August 1873. This commenced with a dramatic ‘reconstruction’.

A policeman, Constable O’Neill, who was of a similar build to the accused and dressed in the very clothes Montgomery wore on the fateful 29th June, paraded about the court. Nothing seemed amiss, until Serjeant Armstrong, removed from O’Neill’s person a weapon and over a thousand pounds in cash, thus proving that Montgomery could easily have left the bank with his ill-gotten gains and not be noticed.

“…the theatrical effect of the whole upon the jury destroyed the last hope of the prisoner”

M McDonnell Bodkin KC, Famous Irish Trials 1918

This time the jury reached a unanimous verdict in less than half an hour – Guilty.

“There is no word of pity for Thomas Hartly Montgomery. Mercy is dumb. Before such huge and many-sided infamy, the tender-hearted stand horror-stricken and speechless. The deed was one of unparalleled atrocity; friend cutting down friend in horrible remorselessness”

Ballymoney Free Press and Counties Advertiser, 7th August 1873

Montgomery Confesses

After his conviction Montgomery made a startling confession, obviously hoping to mitigate his sentence on the grounds of insanity. He admitted killing Glass but claimed he had been suffering from “mono-mania” for at least 12 months prior to the crime.

This condition he blamed on the trickery of his in-laws, the Bradshaw family. Montgomery claimed that on visiting Mr Bradshaw he had been “deliberately drugged and poisoned with the object of rendering me weak-minded”.

He asserted that in this confused state he had married Bradshaw’s ward and become obsessed with robbing the bank in order to solve his dire financial circumstances.

These accusations were given little credence.

“The aspersions cast upon Mr Bradshaw’s family by the doomed man are positively fiendish. They have utterly extinguished commiseration which his awful fate excited. They are so improbable – so grossly inconsistent with the characteristics of the Bradshaw family – that no person gives them a moment’s serious thought”

Ballymoney Free Press and Counties Advertiser, 7th August 1873

Execution

On Tuesday 26th August 1873 Montgomery had breakfast and was attended by the prison chaplain Rev William Chartes. At 7:00am, at his own request, he visited the chapel in the company of the Rev Christopher Irvine and Rev Mr Donald.

Montgomery wore the same clothes he had worn to the inquest – a short black walking coat, waistcoat, light grey trousers with a discreet pattern and a blue necktie.

At 8:00 with his arms pinioned to his sides he climbed the 21 steps to the scaffold where a white cloth was put over his head. Waiting nearby was a rough black coffin and an open grave half-filled with water from the previous night’s storm. The execution was quick.

“Just as the man had stood a second before on the platform, with face turned to the jail building, so hung a mass of insensate clay”

Belfast Newsletter, 4th September 1873

Remembering the Newtownstewart Bank Murder

The sad story of William Glass’s death at the hands of a trusted friend, and a member of law enforcement at that, has passed down through the generations.

When the Northern Bank was refurbished the section of blood-stained counter that marked the fatal attack was, somewhat morbidly, cut out and mounted in a glass case.

The bank itself closed in 2012.

“It has, indeed, been a life for a life – a victim to murder on the 29th June, 1781 – a sacrifice to inexorable justice on the 26th August 1873. So ends the Newtownstewart tragedy – a story never to be forgotten in the province of Ulster”

Derry Journal 27th August 1873