Abraham Jack Goldenberg shot William Edward Hall during the course of a robbery in the bank in which Hall was a bank clerk. Goldenberg got away with about £1,000 which although in 1924 seemed quite a lot of money, did not seem a lot to pay for someone's life.

Abraham Goldenberg

1924 July 30th: Winchester

On the afternoon of 3 April, William Hall, a clerk at Lloyds Bank, failed to turn up at the bus stop after the close of business.

A friend from a neighbouring bank, who travelled home with him, returned to the branch and peering through a window, saw his friend's body lying in a pool of blood behind the counter. He appeared to have been shot for there was a gaping hole in the back of his head.

Inquiries were centred on the soldiers based at a nearby camp, which was served by the bank. St Lucia barracks was the home of the 2nd East Lancashire Regiment, and during interviews with a number of soldiers, one name stood out as a likely suspect.

Lance Corporal 'Jack' Goldenberg was mentioned as one of the men who had business at the bank on the afternoon of the murder. When interviewed, Goldenberg admitted that he cashed a cheque at a quarter to two, and that he was the only customer in the bank at the time.

Police knew that Goldenberg needed money because three weeks earlier he had seen the Camp Commander and asked for a discharge so he could marry his girlfriend and take up new employment as a clerk. He was told that unless he could afford 35 to secure his release he would have to see out the rest of his time.

On the afternoon of 8 April, Goldenberg left the camp to post a letter to his girlfriend. Upon his return, he was spotted by Sergeant Major Alliott, who ordered a bandsman to follow the suspected soldier. Goldenberg entered a latrine where he reached up into the rafters for a package.

The bandsman entered unnoticed and watched as Goldenberg pulled out a handful of notes from the package, before slipping away and returning with the Sergeant Major. Goldenberg was caught redhanded in possession of the stolen money and placed in the guard room.

He was tried at Winchester Assizes on 19 June before Mr Justice Bailhache. The prosecution's case was that the murder had been deliberately planned to obtain the money he needed to marry his girlfriend.

The defence called a Harley Street neurologist who told the court that he was of the opinion that the prisoner was suffering from a mental condition known as 'Dementia Praecox', a recurrent form of disease that renders a person incapable of judging the nature of an action he commits.

The jury took only a short time to find Goldenberg guilty and he was sentenced to death. Hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint and William Willis.

  

Goldenberg, Jack

In April 1924 28 year old William Hall, the manager of a small bank near to Bordon Camp in Hampshire was found shot dead behind the bank's counter. Over £1,000 was missing in notes and coin.

Because of the proximity of the camp a check was made. A roll-call and inventory at the camp showed no missing personnel or weapons. One man, a signaller, told police that he had spoken to the manager about 1.50 and when he returned, around 2.15, he found the bank closed. If this man was telling the truth this gave police an approximate time of death.

Eighteen-year-old Lance-Corporal Goldenberg had also cashed a cheque that day and said that he was in the bank at around 1.45pm. When asked if he noticed anything unusual he said that while he was there he had noticed a car waiting outside and gave a description of the car and its occupants.

A couple of days later an alert warrant officer at the camp noticed Goldenberg climbing out of a hut window. Wondering why he needed to do this when he was free to use the door he climbed up onto the window-sill. When he stood upright he found that he was looking into the roof beams, in which there was a small parcel. On opening the parcel he found £500 that was later shown to have come from the robbery.

When faced with this evidence Goldenberg admitted killing the bank manager. He was charged and tried at Winchester Assizes. He pleaded insanity but this was not accepted and he was consequently hanged at Winchester prison.

greggmanning.scstamps.co.uk