The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-03-03 00:00:00

TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS ON THE
SCAFFOLD.

Tllll PRLSONSII RIMPITICD.

vokt o'olock in Moadray morning was the hour
Owl fee Ow execution of the omelet J..be Lee, eon.
dowsed to death for the murder of Mies Keyes at
Babblootobe on the 115th of November, but boppßg foe
fae wretched ism, tirbep.. the exestuUos, after three
ifforopte had beim Dade to carry the sentenoe of the
1.. bd. effect, had to be postponed. As the hour
egod for the emoutim drew nowt large nimehisre of
oo„ple gathered on tbe slopes of Northert hay, is the
Noir N rrth-road, sad at other poluts of 'vantage,
though all that coati be seen to ladled* what was
about to take place, or, a. the result showed, &Uses pad,
wet the melasolsoly.looking black pole which had bona
mowed os the t of the prison este. The repreeentie
tires el the PIM were Weaned by special arra, from
taii Under-Sheriff. mad were witnesses of the terribly
sidewise mos which followed. All thou represestes
Om wee* witnittsci through the carefully watched
mid riordog prison nate, they were er ones taken
coop of by • warder and mootted to the Committee.
room, from the windows of which s,l.w wee obtained
of ha old plain of emotion la the prlam-yard 012 the
right. Tele. however, is Dot ths newt retreat one, the
'Ohm@ rood for the szeoaUeo of Mrs. Took haring
608 erected le the workshop at eire at the rear 01
the bolichog. The trap used, however, Is the lame as
I. that eau, but, with this difference, that la the
previous lag/gm it was died 111 111 platform relied
woo distaste above the pound, wb reas now It h
tot is flab with the soot of the oosch-hostar. a one.
dam buiki ISM on the right of the prisoe, which
bent fitted up with the inteetlun of making it
peemaneat p/ace of execution. The beam fr. ra which
tho tope was ...ponds d 1. 1. the roof, and ander the
'mien' there Is • deep pit late which It wee lump
row, whim the bolt was drawn and the trap fen,
the body would drop out of sighs. As the hour of
ow o'clock approached the prison bell lieges to toll,
beg abort], afterwards the repremestativee of gm,
Pries wire rammonod frogs the Oatmeal nreeroom to the
lobby through whirr!, the primps*, bad to par on hie
iny to tee sallow,. Shortly beforeeight o'clock Barry,
did Weer, sad the peeps oMgge preceded We
priooser's Dell, where Lee was Whitened that the
hoer for his nacelles had arrived, sad he we.
pisioesd wild headwind. Jost 'thee the al..ak streak
the bow of eight the does Is We far sed of It. bail
"Olsad the solemn word, of the Burial &relay of
bseeli fell apes ogee es, with woedufel
missile, an Um moo/alai preemies emerged. Bing
sine Ohiel-Warder lialaford. followed by the Prieell
Chaplain film Rev. J. Pit kip), sad Om eehooliniebar
ildr. W. 'Abby). Following them 0n... the ;Meow
1,4 e, upright, sad with heat thrown beak sod walking
'gib 00 Ars, .611864 in tread. He WWI deathly pale.
sad him floe gave sae the hapreeelos of dolma
bopeleameie. The primeser's bowleg, In farsir:::
keening
quite is with that whirls ham altari
Wseli throughout his trial awl isetroggloe, that
of a was aware of the doom before him, awl
detormieed to meet 11, if be Elms, Libel', slama if
.weeeeing, bed use with indifforaeos. Oa seek side
of Use pelmets, woes warden, end following him oew
the ezesatioser, the °oversee of the gaol (Kr. 111,
Coartae). and the I.lader4letsin (Mr. H. U. James),
end gulublyt lee oroeseeloa passed through the hall Intej
prop leading to the eourt•yerd below, 1. the ri
wets also the Pries. Surgeon end the Ohisf-Ooselebbli
of Devoe. Alibi opposite side, osly a few feet Iron
the main buildleg, steads the oveolPhonee, trom the
roof of which the rope we. is. haaglag emu the
yard. The prisoner walked with a firm- treed, and
allowed hltneell to be plated la position midst li. rope
without inhibiting my Illeableg, yet, ex uditiotialy
bad deaterouely did Berry do Ids work. Jail before
the white cap was pissed over the pel•Onee'd feu he
gave one despairing gest upers/d.—s look which wee
awfully sad In Ito ult. r hopeleestie a, yst, as be stood
then Ell but hue t lac. with desth, he serer
flinched, sn I when 11.iry w • fillet the rope be
turned Ms heel aro, appareetly raid- suourthisi So
ben. All this while the rolei of the Chapliale, lit
solemn toiler, was heard reciting the liariel errerkies
When all was ready, the aseistaate stood dear.
Bony dr.tir back, aid the noise of the bolt, beige
drawn wee heard, and almost lastingly a IhrlUei
horror ran threuf b the sosembled spectators, lot it wee
&poorest that smith's' was wrong, though, at AM,
What we. amiss we' out quit* olau to the repoetore,
who viewed the promedlngs from the windows. Bob
II soon town* &emeriti—the stamping of the
executioDer end the marlin showed that the trap
would Doi work. Again and mail) they stomped, but
gl Ii no purpose, and during thee* momenta the
unfortunate man stood firm, swot, and unmoved, save
by the slight Jerk mud on the Wisp-do,, by the
stamping of the officials. Riposted efforts to make
the trap work bevioe failed, Berry at six minutes
lifter sight, took on the rope, and prisoner we.
walked off the trap-door and brought to ths front,
while the executioner aiel tho acista t.wardeis
endeavourei tu pt lb. door to work. For four minutes
the wretched prisoner had to Hates hi the praperali ins
going on around him, and WI the while be remained
erect Lai unmoved to all appraranoes, th,ugh his
features could not be men, as they were still o yard
by the white cap. The sous at V.I. period we.
sickening in ill painfulness, aid that which 11l wad
waa still more so. Once male the unhappy man netted
under the rope, and thri noose ideal arouud his neck.
Aida the holt we. drawn, and again the trap refused
to work. There was just a slight Fmk, sufficient to
have seat • thrUl of untold agony through the
pri oner's brain, sad then the trap stood. And
the executioner end l wordier, 'blamed on the door
sod tried lo fo•re it dove., sad slid it rebated al
that seats, and prisoner had again to be removed
from oft tee togs while se sedesrour we. reed' to
get it SO with, but without avail, and at last the
rope was taken off the prisoner's neck, the cap we.
relnoVed. and la was taken hack into the gaol.
Avidly sad was the moo. TM wretched maa's
features were corpse-like, and he walked as he WU
gelded. meohmically. The
.governor of the gaol and
Ilse under-sheriff WWII terribly moved, and soposied
almost frantic. About 10 minutes past eight Lee was
again brought out, and ono* more Ma flue was covered
with Oa white cap ad the nooes was fastaued around
hie neck. the warders stood clear, and the lever we.
pulled, with the same result. There was • dull thud,
• slight jerk, and the trap et rod firm. Once more the
rope ea. taken off hie neck, and he was taken into an
adjoining waiting-room. Tools were brought, and a
portico of the aides of the trap door was cut away,
but even than it would not work, and at half-pat
sight o'clock It became evident that the execution
would have to be postponed, ad afar waiting with
the governor end chaplain, the under-thoriff decided
to postpone It. It Is long shim if aver, such • sad
aid distroedog scene was witaemed at Se sweatier'
I. Lester, and it Is to be sincerely hoped that the like
nay aaaaa mane agaig. Poe what ham hominid no
blame perhaps should-be sittathed to this executioner,
who tasted the working of the apparatus on Saturday,
said bound that it answered la uory war, although
Is raggested one or two slight situations which he
thought would improve it. But since that tirm there
has been heavy and frequent ran, and the fact this&
the woodwork of the trap-door is let Into the Boor of
the ooeohbouse, mad is cosserimatly ledge to be
affected and ben me swollen by damp, appear' to
have been overlooked. There can be no quadri.
that to Wu swelling of the woodwork, which
radlearlly ilia tight, we. due the sad sane that we.
wiaiesed on Monday morning. After all, it we. the
woos of saving the prisoner's life, for, bevies, in view
the fact that the wretched man has more tban once
pared through, as It were, the very pang of death,
the tuchar-sheriff. Mr. FL M. Jame., prooseded 18
floor. to London in order to take the opinion of the
Home 8 °rotary se to what further steps should be
taken, sad the result of his auras, has beets th it
telegram haa beets received by the toerrnor stating
that the premier ear been respite! ; awl Mr. H.
Etokse, clerk to the undereberiff, hag Ma received •
telegram from Mr. James, desiring Min to leo it he
ksown that the preoner be. been reapitsd, and that
commutatioa of the death meanie would follow, '
The moat remakable oirounutaace Is UM -
transactiou was the marvellous firmaiens of the pris.
But this is only what has clutraoterised his &memos/
116, 11. time be was omitted ; and. We ouch alm art
ooetemptuous, Ind flereinall when on his trial war such
that even the lodge who peoeounoed the sentearse of
the law oomemeted on It. The priesawee reply in
answer to that observation we. that he we. calm
because be wits innoomt, and to this assertion he haa
adhered. In his oonversalions with his relative.,
indeed, be hoe, so iii. said, made statement* which
affaes wow parties, and which would seem to indicate
some knowledge of the tragedy; but he his
made any oonlimeloc, or raid auythirg which would
affect himself. tip to almost the very last, too, he hae
preserved the same tiool, onoonosrool dem-amour
outwardly, end during tlei terrible some of Monday
his courage and detwmisatioo never forsook hi=
The minty he must have 'offered during that •wful
\Whitely In which the varioaa attempts to oarry the
seetenoe into onset were made cane t be ooaosived ;
bgllbs ghastly, dial h-like expression of his lam when
tire white cep we. removed plainly Indicated that it
was latrines. Still bls strong wares bore him up, sad
it emptily on going back to his cell that he betrayed
any marked gigs of the mental strain he had under-
(o's,. In going up the steps on his way back to the
"41 he stumbled, but was saved from falling, and so
retickly recovered his sell-pacession and control that
he refused I) take the stimulant that the governor bad
sent for, and soon resumed tali wowed demeanour.
In the seeping Lee was said to have quite recovered
his former self, and to appear none the worse fur what
be had undergone. The news of th• respite we. not
made known to him. IN it was not deemed advisable
to do so until the official annotineemeot arrived.

wibolepi

17110111 RICILITAIOI RTATIMCCT IN THE HOUSI OF

commons.
In the Tikes' of Commons on Monday sight, Sir
W. HAIWOUIT (In reply to Oolonsl Making) said that
the under...bud of Exeter came op that evening and
staled the faco. is reference loth* painful soma at the
"tempted execution of &b. lial,b•combe murderer.
considerstion. he (Sir W. Hato met) afloat it
eroald shook the feelings of overyons if the man were
again to uedorgo the pangs of death on the ecelfsid,
end he had that afternoon signed respite during der
hiectsisty'm pieeteure. (Hese, h• sr )
NAM= asked would the right bon, gentle-
ems take some notice of the sigligesos of those
Me lot the gallows machinery?
HAICOUtT : Yes, Most orrhelnly.

A LITITZ 1111,011 LEL
Jobs Los, who woo to have Wan executed no Moo.
hit at Meet*, for the murder of Miss Keys*, but
•'S rwpited after 1t,.. abortive attempts at
...VIC wrote the I Ilowlsi liettrar
Her Mai/stem Polrea. Briar, Feb. 24th.
DI" Ilfrer.—Tear Wet to bur thee se suing. It w+ll
remold with nude pimento, awl I was gi.d to her from you.
I-614 UNA MI We gate well. Me I NW WlSllii. Tbe Met
mow I omde to you I did sot enrol to Ir., kers the
Warn el wilting •hie lats,. It war the Lords wW thr
shotsd erd aot die yesterday at the time appointed by ma..
tall lOU Mr everything Wad right and in working
Ibd it its not the fo at of soy ono that everything
wee ar dooe to carry out the onion of Ur es; .try, but it
"'Wm 'Araks el that wall sot lot the low be eerried oat
bur goer,l did or fear to walk Is death wib g Snit=
hftle lam the Loml we. wish IN. awl If IMA

4,mi1m10...m0

throat); tbit shadow of de th I knew I should hare wool to
boos winch the blessed Lori has promised all who
be test in his. Ile ire bid Mod attention shown
dear Motor I Ins at the brink of death three Lees. It erne
my will to die. awl !hope to do so yet. I hone flit hos I
Ii to the naelfoll that I null psis Iron this hfe to the hose
.I.st It I, way wish SO die. INI Lind of Mks world, sad
tfl so welting for the Una to sante, and I hope It win not be
Wont lb. Wad does stew I hare beets dead to Ibis
.d %no tissue, sat I inn myna up to the Lout and
whatever Ble will In—' Hli will b. dn.. I llaWe it all in the
Lord.. bands. I hollered what has oeourre.l ma • hassle worked by the Lord. Dot,WSW% I us meshed. Tie;
sontenee of death is put el for • day or two. I bops moth., sod fonts, are bearing up at wII as they tan, MI kaow trial it OI.M• than I do. I Isar nothing whEs the Lord Is
with me. Clive nay lore te all. I wrote to Miss P. before I
went to men ray does, V. 11101 t sot forget to pray to tb•
Lord, and glee theolut to Sias for lilt nag. Ibid • dreamt ea Sunday sight that the .stll woe sot ready, and that
Hwy bad to sake saothe,. I told Use 0111 ars what they
were ea welch tiva se at Ma o'elock I. lia irelog, but I did Mt tivok It was oceans Oros—but It did, Dear ut.r, I
nest bring this letter to • ekes Uood•bye.
Frogs YOU, sieeltoeste brother,
Jou Lis.

Imperial farlianttnt.