Bio

William Cornelius Jones was born in 1904 and lived in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. By his early twenties, he was working as a labourer and also served as a part-time soldier with the West Riding Territorial Regiment at the Halifax Drill Hall. Historical accounts describe him as a young territorial soldier who had access to a service rifle through his military duties.

Jones married Winifred Jones in late 1925. Winifred was only 18 years old, while Jones was 22. After their marriage, the couple moved into a home on Crib Lane, Halifax. Their relationship soon became troubled. Winifred later consulted a solicitor about Jones’ cruel treatment toward her. After the solicitor wrote to Jones, his behavior reportedly improved for a short period, and the couple appeared to reconcile.

By July 1926, the marriage had deteriorated again. Winifred, who was pregnant, left Jones and went to stay with an aunt. Her solicitor again contacted Jones and informed him that divorce proceedings were being taken against him. The letter became a key event in the hours leading to the killing.

Murder Story

On July 10, 1926, William Cornelius Jones received a solicitor’s letter informing him that his wife, Winifred Jones, intended to pursue divorce proceedings. That day, he visited the solicitor’s office and denied allegations that he had been cruel to his wife. After leaving, Jones changed into his Territorial Army uniform and joined other members of his unit for a trip to a local rifle range.

While travelling with fellow territorials, Jones reportedly told one of the men that he intended to shoot his wife with a live round he had in his pocket. The remark was not taken seriously at the time. Later that afternoon, Winifred was walking along Crib Lane in Halifax when Jones fired a single shot from his service rifle. The shot killed her. Witnesses saw Jones fire the weapon, and he was arrested shortly afterward.

Jones was tried at Leeds Assizes before Mr Justice MacCardie on December 6, 1926. His defense claimed that the rifle had discharged accidentally. Prosecutors argued that the shooting was intentional and amounted to wilful murder. The jury rejected the accidental-discharge defense and returned a guilty verdict within minutes.

Following his conviction, Jones was sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging at Leeds on January 5, 1927. The execution was carried out by Thomas Pierrepoint and Robert Baxter.