1807 Newgate Disaster
On February 23, 1807, a crowd was gathered around London’s Newgate Prison to witness a triple execution. Three murderers- John Holloway, Owen Haggerty, and Elizabeth Godfrey were all being hung for their crimes. Their stories had been highly publicized in the newspapers, and many people believed Holloway and Haggerty may be innocent. So 40,000 people showed up to watch them hang, with many people shouting that they were innocent. A wooden cart collapsed from the weight of too many people standing on it, which caused them to be crushed. Nearby, someone was startled by this and dropped their merchandise all over the ground, which caused more people to push one another and step on people. At least 100 people were seriously injured. One newspaper reported that 27 people had perished, while an eyewitness counted at least 34 people lying still on the ground.