Charles Peace- Sheffield born murderer

[jjbarnesfan]

Just a further note that the lane is still cobbled and it was a man called Dyson rather than a woman who Charlie Peace shot dead.

[smithy661]

Charlie was employed by my g-g-grandfather John Holmes in his Picture Frame manufacturing factory (Pond Street/Lane?). Charlie also used to enter the Holmes family house in Eccasall Rd in the middle of the night and raid the pantry (scared my g-grandma and her sisters!).

 

Was told that he used to be able to alter his skin colour, and avaided caputre by appearing as a coloured man.

 

The tools he used for picture frame manufacturing (and burglaring) have the initials JH engraved in them (for John Holmes' factory) and are in Scotland Yard.

 

Anyone know were I can find more information on the Picture Frame Factory?

[gillymo]

Thanks for posting a reply about Charlie being empleyd by your g-g-grandfather John Holmes in his Picture Frame manufacturing factory -

Charlie used walnut oil to make his skin darker to avaid capture- I am sorry we do not know any more about the picture framing factory, but if we find anything we will let you know thanks gillian & Maureeen

[Asif]

He lived on britiannia road, darnall.... 2nd house from the library

[medusa]

Threads merged.

[nasirovsheff]

i know his great great grandson, good friend of mine, lives in darnall still

[sband]

i can remember a comic strip called charlie peace but can,t remember what comic it was.

[rodfretwell]

I have been told a little about the infamous Charlie Peace who terrorised the smog filled backstreets of Sheffield. Apparently he used to scale drainpipes and wait until his victim was passing underneath when he would drop a cast iron grate on to their head. His intention was to rob the victim and disappear into the night without the threat of being seen or detected.

It is said that some of his victims actually died from head injuries sustained and so he went on run from the police. I believe he operated down Attercliffe/Darnall area but to be fair that is only what my dad told me when I was a lad.What is true is that my dad went on to run the 'Black Bull' pub in Aughton, Nr Swallownest and I remember him telling the story of Charlie Peace to the lads in the taproom.

If you go on to the 'Black Bull - Aughton website it tells a story about Charlie Peace which mentions that he escaped from the police by jumpimg out of the pubs toilet window after they had stopped to use the facilities of the Black Bull.

I dont think that this story is true but you never know!!

[bladesman123]

The railways next and probably most momentous event took place on January 17th

1879 and involved one of the country’s most notorious criminals – Sheffield-born

Charles Peace.

A quick-witted and prolific burglar, Charles Peace graduated to the ultimate crime in

November 1876 when he murdered Arthur Dyson at the latter’s home in Banner

Cross. With a £100 price on his head, he went on the run and evaded capture for

almost two years. A burglary in London on October 10th 1878 did not go as planned

and in trying to make good his escape he shot and injured a police constable.

Following his arrest, he gave his name as John Ward and was charged with burglary

and attempted murder and sentenced to penal servitude for life. However, his true

identity soon came to light and he was taken from Pentonville Prison to stand trial for

the murder of Arthur Dyson.

On January 17th 1879, Peace was taken from Pentonville to King’s Cross Station where

along with two warders he was put on board the 5.15am train to Sheffield Victoria

which was due to arrive at its destination at 8.45am. Throughout the journey, he kept

making excuses to leave the train to visit the toilet whenever it stopped. To lessen the

hassle the two warders provided him with special bags which Peace could use and

then throw out of the window. Just after the train had passed Worksop, Peace asked

for one of the bags and the carriage window was duly opened for him to dispose of it.

Peace, with lightning agility, took a flying leap through it. One of the warders caught

him by the left foot. Peace hanging out of the carriage grabbed the footboard with his

hands and kept kicking the warder as hard as he could, with his right foot. The other

warder, unable to get to the window to aid his colleague, was making vain efforts to

stop the train by pulling the communication cord. For two miles the train ran on with

Peace struggling desperately to escape. At last he succeeded in kicking off his left shoe

and dropped onto the line. The train ran on for another mile until, with the assistance

of some gentlemen in other carriages, the warders were able to stop it. They

immediately hurried back along the line and there, near Kiveton Park, they found

their prisoner lying alongside the track, apparently unconscious and bleeding from a

severe scalp wound. A slow train from Sheffield was stopped to pick up the injured

man and he was lifted into the guard’s van where he asked them to cover him up as he

was cold.

By January 30th, a doctor pronounced Peace fit to face the magistrate, the

proceedings taking place in one of the corridors of Sheffield Town Hall. He was

committed for trial at Leeds Assizes on February 4th 1879 where he was found guilty

of the murder of Arthur Dyson and inevitably sentenced to death. Before his

execution on the 25th of February he made a confession to a priest and admitted to the

shooting of another police officer in Manchester on August 1st 1876. 18 year old

William Habron had been arrested and sentenced to death (later commuted to life

imprisonment) for the killing. Peace had even attended the trial, but had kept silent

thereby condoning a miscarriage of Justice. He was executed at Armley Prison on

Tuesday February 25th 1879, aged 47

 

info from the kiveton park and wales history society "railways around kiveton and wales"

[salmonbones]

About 20 years ago many members of my family undertook a family tree. I may have to go find it because I remember their being a massive argument when one person suggested our family was related to "Charlie Peace" - I had no idea why until reading this thread!!