Sun Inn Murders 100 Years "the Whole Story"

[johndawsonjune1955]

Yes Watsons Wake is a good little story. He was sleepwalking when he fell from the tower.

Them pics would be nice too that you took at the Sun Inn.

The policemens monument was all done up by the Police Federation only a few years ago. I believe it was them ?

So it looks very good now. It was in a very bad state of repair.

Getting back to the murders. If you go into the cellar you can see the old cellar stars as they are as they were. Its just the location of the cellar entrace was changed in later years.

Have a look and you can see where Mrs. Grice fell. Dark stains from blood were visible about 8 years ago. If the stairs aint been renovated it will still be the same.

Mind you i wouldn't remove them old stairs as they tell part of the story. Really an artefact in situ i would say.

On our website we are putting local murder stories up. Hopefully our webmaster will have them up in a week or so. Got that one too from the Hirst Head Farm that was Mrs. Swann.

Thats the one mentioned in the Sun Inn story when people turned out at the funeral.

Speak soon Wilma

[Malcolm Robinson]

Speaking of Watson's Wake..........

[Malcolm Robinson]

Good job on the murder John.

[johndawsonjune1955]

thanks malcolm.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Anyone know where the coppers were buried?

[johndawsonjune1955]

yep m8 call me.

[Keith Scantlebury]

thanks malcolm.

Brian knows now Malcolm, it was explained to him last night. Edited April 3, 2013 by keith

[Malcolm Robinson]

Good.

Its the cops that want to know Keith.

[Keith Scantlebury]

Good.

Its the cops that want to know Keith.

Might have been the memorial, he was enquiring about. but the graves wont be too far away.

[Malcolm Robinson]

The police are wanting to mark the centenary I believe.

You tend to forget the victims when this sort of episode becomes folklore.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Northumbria Police are organising a grave side Memorial Service which is open to all members of the public, it will be conducted by the Northumbria Police Force Chaplin at 3.00pm Monday 15th April in West Lea Cemetery.

The service will be held at / near the memorial stone which is located in the old part of the cemetery adjacent to two large conifer trees. (To the left of the main driveway).

The Memorial Service will take place to mark the centenary of the murders.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Sorry folks, I have just been informed the time has changed to 11.00am not the 3.00pm as originally stated!

[Maggie/915]

Extra Extra

Read all about it!

[johndawsonjune1955]

Extra Extra

Read all about it!

Super. Was that at Beamish ?

It just gives you a great impression of how it may have looked after the murders.

Well-done

[Maggie/915]

It was Beamish.

Could not resist taking the picture.

[johndawsonjune1955]

thought so, but cracking pic. Just imagine if we were around then ?

Just really good pic and the old signs too.

thanks for that

[Maggie/915]

Tomorrow night the Bedlington History Society is giving a talk about the Murders at the Sun Inn in 1913.

The meeting takes place in the Coffin Chapel at 7.30.

[Maggie/915]

There are some interesting letters written by the murderer.

They appear to show he was not of 'sound mind'!

Post traumatic Stress from being a hero, plus a 'bent' commercial traveller who had lent him money.

Lots of reasons why Amos became so desperate.

Pity no one could help him before it was to late.

Do we learn anything from History?

[Stacey Howard]

Being of the family of 'Jocker' Amos I find this an extraordinarily romanticised version of events, especially with dialogues in the events leading up to the day in question.  I would politely remark "citation needed".  Can the author of this piece add references please? I'm very keen to learn of the sources, eg court transcripts, actual witness statements/testimonies? Also which "family members" he was working closely with.  Any ideas please?  I am happy to provide my contact details directly to the author to discuss this further in private.  Thank you.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@Stacey Howard :- The author - John Dawson is not a frequent visitor to the site. The last time he logged in was September 25th, 2017. You can check a members profile by clicking on their name tag :-

John runs a Facebook group - Sixtownships History group - where he posts info daily.

There was a site called http://shop.sixtmedia.org.uk/ where John also had many stories from Bedlington and surrounding towns. That site was used to promote and sell media covering the 'sixtownships' . I've just attempted to go to that site, via Google, but the site wasn't found. Don't no if this is temporarily not available or the site has been discontinued.

 

Edited July 31, 2018 by Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

[Stacey Howard]

Thanks @Alan Edgar (Eggy1948), I'm also in the Facebook group, I'll send him a message there too. Cheers.

[mercuryg]

Stacey, we would be interested to hear more if you are party to information we are not? It's a very interesting and important local story.

[AJL44]

Hi,

Been interested in this for a while.

Does anyone know, specifically, what type and calibre of rifle was used in these shootings and whether it was ever recovered? I know it was stated as being a "Winchester repeating rifle" but that covers a lot of ground. Firearms dealer so a bit of professional interest. 

[Symptoms]

I understand it was a Winchester Model 1890 (a .22 pump action).  I've been a Firearms Certificate holder for 54 years and went shooting with my Dad when we lived in Bedders back in the late 50s and 60s.  One of my Dad's guns was a Model 1890 and he always said it was this type that was used in the Sun murders.  When he died I was left his large gun collection and so still have this Winchester.  I have no difinitive proof, just what he told me.

[James]

There is an article on the murders in the Northumberland Archive website and it mentions that the weapon used was a Winchester Repeating Sporting gun (not a “rifle”).The doctor’s report states that he saw “pellet marks on the victim’s tunic and on exposure saw many small circular wounds”. This and the other injuries he mentions in his report indicates that the weapon used was a shotgun. Also the police “extracted pellets from the wall and more recovered from the floor”. Pellets are what are fired from a 12 bore cartridge. 

In Evan Martin’s book “Some Men, Murders and Mysteries of Old Bedlington” there is a short story on the Sun Inn murders and he states the weapon used was a Winchester shotgun.