The 1924 Bordon Murder Case: The Death of William Edward Hall

credit - Farnham Herald 

Today’s bank robberies, like the 2024 theft in Grayshott—where a JCB was used to wrench a cash machine from its housing—are often swift, mechanical, and, mercifully, relatively bloodless. A century ago, however, such crimes could unfold with far darker consequences. The murder of Mr. William Edward Hall, 29, in 1924 remains one of the most chilling examples.

Early Life and Family Background

William Edward Hall was born in 1895 in Swansea, the son of Griffith Jenkin Hall and Elizabeth (Mary Elizabeth) Jones.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the family living at 122 Bryn Road, Swansea, a comfortable address in the Uplands district, where William’s father, Griffith, aged 30 and born in Illinois, United States of America, was described as “Living by Own Means”, suggesting a household of some independence and security. His mother, Mary Elizabeth, then 34, managed the home, which included their three young sons—James Griffith (7), William Edward (6), and Bernard (4)—as well as a domestic servant, Rhoda Evelyn Vichot, aged 20, whose presence further reflects the family’s stable and comfortable circumstances.

Education and Early Promise

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, William appears as a pupil at Queen’s College, Public School, Trull, Taunton, a respected independent school known for preparing boys for professional careers. This glimpse of his youth shows a young man on a clear academic path, one that would later lead him into banking and a life of responsibility.

Marriage and Family Life

William Edward Hall and Letty Gladys Harries
marriage certificate
St. Mary's Church, Swansea

In April 1920, William married Letty Gladys Harries at St Mary’s Church, Swansea, marking the beginning of a hopeful new chapter.

1921 Census

By the time of the 1921 Census, the couple were living at 38 Castle Street, Farnham. William, then 26, was employed as a Bank Clerk with Lloyds Bank Limited, while Letty, aged 23, cared for their infant daughter, Kathleen Gladys, just three months old. It was a young family at the start of its journey—rooted, promising, and full of quiet optimism.

South Wales Daily Post

A Community in Mourning

When Hall’s body was returned to Swansea following his murder, the tragedy resonated far beyond his immediate circle. The South Wales Daily Post, in April 1924, reported solemnly on the home‑coming of the young bank clerk, describing the grief that swept through the community as his remains arrived at Swansea High Street Station. From there, the coffin was taken to his parents’ residence at 110 Bryn Road, where family and close friends gathered in quiet sorrow.

The following morning, the coffin was removed from the chapel at Farnham Cemetery, where mourners assembled to honour a man held in high regard both professionally and personally. Representatives of Lloyd’s Bank from Farnham, Aldershot, and neighbouring branches stood alongside civic and military figures, a testament to the esteem in which Hall was widely held. After a service conducted by the Rev. H. Llewellyn Williams, he was laid to rest in the family grave.

The Crime at Bordon

On the afternoon of April 3, 1924, Hall—then a clerk at Lloyds Bank near Bordon Camp—failed to appear at his usual bus stop. His friend, Charles Brooker, a clerk at the neighbouring Midland Bank, was puzzled by his absence. After checking with the postmaster, who had not seen Hall, the two men went to the bank to investigate.

Inside, they made a horrifying discovery. The back door stood open, and behind the counter lay Hall’s body in a pool of blood. A gaping wound to the back of his head revealed he had been shot. Around £1,000 in cash and coin was missing—equivalent to roughly £50,000 today.

Superintendent Jones launched an immediate investigation. Forensic examination revealed that Hall had been killed with a .455 Webley revolver, a weapon commonly issued to British soldiers. This pointed detectives toward the nearby St Lucia Barracks, home to the 2nd East Lancashire Regiment.

A roll call and weapons check revealed no missing soldiers or firearms, but two servicemen were asked to give statements. One signaller reported speaking to Hall around 1.50pm and finding the bank closed when he returned at 2.15pm—helping police narrow the time of death.

Another witness, Lance Corporal Abraham “Jack” Goldenberg, aged 18, had visited the bank around 1.45pm to cash a cheque. He claimed to have seen a car waiting outside and provided a description. Yet suspicion soon turned toward Goldenberg himself.

The Suspect: Lance Corporal Abraham “Jack” Goldenberg

Goldenberg’s background added an unexpected twist to the case. Like Hall, he too had been born in Swansea, in 1901, making the two men not only close in age but from the same city—an eerie coincidence that only deepened the tragedy.

Goldenberg served as a Lance Corporal in the 2nd East Lancashire Regiment, stationed at St Lucia Barracks. Three weeks before the murder, he had applied for discharge so he could marry his girlfriend and take up civilian employment. He was told he could leave only by paying £35—about £1,800 today. Unable to raise the money, he remained in service, and this financial pressure became the central motive presented at trial.

He had visited the bank on 10 March 1924 to open an account, giving him an opportunity to observe the premises and Hall’s routine. On 3 April, he returned shortly before 2pm, cashed a cheque, and was the last known customer to see Hall alive.

When confronted by police, Goldenberg initially confessed, admitting he had stolen an officer’s revolver, returned to the bank, ordered Hall to put his hands up, and shot him when he moved toward a drawer. He then took the keys and stole approximately £1,000.

His arrest came after he was seen hiding a package of banknotes in a latrine roof. When confronted, he was caught with the stolen money. Later, he attempted to change his story, claiming a mysterious accomplice named “Meredith” had fired the fatal shot, but investigators dismissed this as fabrication.

Goldenberg was charged with murder at Alton Police Court and tried at the Winchester Assizes on 19 June 1924. A neurologist claimed he suffered from dementia praecox, but the jury rejected the insanity defence and found him guilty.

South Wales Daily Post

Petitions for Clemency

Before Goldenberg’s execution, several petitions were launched in a final attempt to save him from the gallows. The South Wales Daily Post, reporting in July 1924, noted that three Members of Parliament—David Williams, D. R. Grenfell, and H. Walter Samuel—had publicly supported efforts to secure a reprieve, reflecting a growing unease among some observers about Goldenberg’s youth, mental condition, and the troubling circumstances surrounding the crime.

Mr. W. Goldenberg
letter
South Wales Daily Post

A Brother’s Appeal

The campaign for mercy also extended to Goldenberg’s own family. His brother, Mr. W. Goldenberg, penned a heartfelt letter that was published in the South Wales Daily Post, appealing for compassion and urging the authorities to reconsider the sentence. His letter added a deeply personal dimension to the public debate, showing the anguish felt by those closest to the condemned soldier.

Despite these appeals—from MPs, members of the public, and Goldenberg’s own family—the Home Office declined to intervene. Goldenberg was executed at Winchester Prison on 30 July 1924, aged 22.

A Crime That Still Resonates

The £1,000 stolen from the bank—just over £50,000 today—was a significant sum, but it was far from worth the life of a young man respected by colleagues and community alike. As mourners gathered at Farnham Cemetery to bid farewell to William Edward Hall, many hoped that justice, though grim, would bring some measure of closure.

A century later, the contrast between today’s largely impersonal, machinery‑driven thefts and the brutal intimacy of Hall’s murder remains stark. His story stands as a reminder that behind every crime statistic lies a human life, a grieving family, and a community forever changed.