CRIME IN OLD ROTHERHAM: Attack on a friend for no reason

Even though Beckett was only 21 the two men had formed a friendship that transcended the years. The younger man worked for Mr Langley, a tailor of the same village, and it was his custom to call in on Goodlad, who enjoyed a last pipe full of tobacco before retiring to bed.

On entering the little cottage Beckett casually asked Goodlad what he was doing, and he replied that he was writing to his wife. Beckett then went over to where the elderly man was sitting, and he put one hand on the arm of the chair, and the other hand on his shoulders. Suddenly and without any warning Beckett took hold of Goodlad by the neck, and drawing out a butcher's knife from his pocket, he attempted to cut John’s throat saying ‘damn thee then’.

Goodlad saw the knife and shouted ‘what's amiss with thee Sammy’ as he grabbed the young man's wrist. In an attempt to save himself in the violent struggle, Goodlad received several wounds to his neck, face and hands. The old man shouted out ‘murder’ at the top of his voice before Beckett thrust his hands into the elderly man’s mouth in an attempted to seize his tongue and quieten him. 

In the course of the struggle, the back of the chair on which Goodlad had been sitting, broke, and he fell back upon the floor before rolling quickly under the large dining table where he had been writing the letter. Several neighbours, hearing the commotion, dashed into the cottage, and the first to enter was a man called Joseph Watts. Beckett immediately dropped the knife back into his pocket, and coolly told him that a stranger had been in the cottage and was attacking the old man. Beckett claimed that he had simply gone to the old man’s assistance. John Goodlad declared emphatically that Beckett was the man who had attacked him.

He was seized and Watts marched him through the streets of Conisborough to the house of Mr Haywood the constable. As James Watts was handing Beckett over to the constable, his wife who had been following behind, told the constable that she had seen the prisoner surreptitiously take a knife out of his pocket and threw it away. The knife was retrieved and it was found to be covered in blood. Beckett was taken into custody and charged with the attempted murder of John Goodlad. Meanwhile back at the cottage, the shaken elderly man was recovering, although he was barely able to talk for the damage to his mouth and tongue. 

The following morning Beckett was taken to Doncaster and placed in the gaol there. One of the county magistrates Mr E Dennison Esq., was at York when he was informed him of the attempted murder. He requested that the prisoner and the witnesses were to be sent to York where he would be tried without delay.

Samuel Beckett appeared at the Crown Court at York the following week, on March 9 1837 charged with attempted murder. His defence Mr Milner stated that because no serious wounds had been inflicted on the elderly man, that the charge should be reduced to one of serious assault.

As such, he suggested that it could be more easily dealt with at the West Riding Sessions instead of at the assizes, and the judge agreed. On Thursday March 26 Beckett was brought into the court at the Town Hall at Sheffield, where John Goodlad was the first witness. He described the sudden, vicious attack, and admitted that he had suspected that Beckett was drunk at the time. In a most forgiving manner, he claimed that the young man was particularly ‘foolish’ when in such a state. 

William Lawton the tailor who employed Beckett, gave him a glowing character saying that he was generally a man of great humanity and honesty and the attack was completely out of character for him.

Several other witnesses also spoke of his former good behaviour, but no one could give any reason as to why this respectable young man had suddenly made a completely unprovoked attack.

The bench summed up the case and the jury found Samuel Beckett guilty of the lesser count of common assault. The chair of the bench ordered that Beckett was to be sent to prison for six months, and afterwards to enter into recognisances to keep the peace for 12 months. But why he should attack a man who had simply befriended him remains a mystery to this very day.