THE end of a violent crime was played out 100 years ago this week.

Herbert Brooker was led to the gallows in Lewes gaol after being found guilty of the Three Bridges train murder case.

The former navy sailor had been courting his victim, domestic servant Ada Stone, who was separated from her first husband, and had told her relatives he was to marry her.

Letters between the pair found after Ada’s murder had revealed that the pair had furious arguments but on the day of her death, the pair were said to have been friendly with each other as they boarded the train from London to Horley.

In Horley they preceded to have a whale of a time, visiting local taverns, singing and dancing in the street.

The pair then boarded the 8.16pm service to Three Bridges and a passenger in another carriage then sensed something was wrong when he heard a noise come from the pair and saw Ada sitting on the floor while Brooker was “bending over her doing something which aroused his suspicion”.

At first he couldn’t find a communication chord to raise the alarm and this proved fatal for when the passenger looked back again he saw a knife in Brooker’s hand and although he raised the alarm it was too late.

When he looked at Brooker for a third time he could see his hand was covered in the blood of his lover.

Brooker tried to leave the train at Three Bridges but the eye witness raised the alarm and he was quickly apprehended.

In court, Brooker tried to claim he had been so “besotted” by alcohol he had lost control of his sense but this was dismissed.

And so it came to be that, after a final plate of eggs and bacon, Brooker would meet his maker.

The Argus reported that at 7.30am that morning, there was not much of a crowd but within half an hour and at the appointed time of death, a crowd of 200 had gathered.

Eyewitnesses said that the condemned man marched to the scaffold without the slightest resistance.