The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-12-18 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF THE WOOD GREEN

MURDERER.

Frederick Hinson, aged 32, who was convicted or
the murder of a than named William Douglas Boyd,
(there being a second indictment of the some charm:ter
against him for the murder of a woman nemed Maria
Death, with whom he had cohabited for severn yeare,)
was executed in London on Monday, at nine o'clock,
within the walls of Newgate, pursuant to his sentence.
The details of the crime for which the prisoner
suffi Ted will be fresh in the recollection of the public.
Ile was a married man, hut had been separated from
his wife for several years. during which period he
cohabited with the deceased woman, who was a person
of better education and poeition in life than himself,
and he had six children by her, five of whom have died,
and there is consequently, happily, only one surviving.
The deceased woman had formed an illicit connection
with a man named Beyd, a pert of whose premises
the priamer occupied at Wood Green, and in a lit of
jcalous passion the prisoner destroyed the life of his un-
happy paramour, by 'dimities; her with a gun, which
he hroke about her bead while she was lying seneelees
and de Pig upon the ground, and then with the otter
barrel of the same weapon he beat out the brains of
the man with whom he eupprieed she had teen unfaith-
ful. The ptitoner was only tried upon the indictment
which charged him with the murder of the man, but
all the facts were brought before the jury, and the
defence that was set rip for the prisoner was that he
looked upon the woman in the light of his legal wife,
and that, considering the provocation lie had received,
the jury would be justified in finding him guilty of the
lesser offence of mansleughter. This defence was, of
course, at once repudiated by Mr. Justice Ryles, as
not being founded either on law or fact; and the jury,
without any hesitation, found the prisoner guilty of the
crime of wiled murder.
Ever Pilled his conviction the prisoner seems to have
entertained the opinion that the provocation he had
received was a justification for his act, and he re.
peatedly stated that he thought his life might have
been spared, and this feeling seemed to have existed
almost, if not quite, down to the Met moment of his
existence. In convematione he had with the Ordi-
nary of Nese gate, he frequently paid that lie enter-
tained a deep affection for the deceased woman, and
always regarded her as his wife, and that he war no
excited upon discovering that she ba I deceived into
that he did not know what lie was about. He at
the same time said he knew that he had committed a
great clime, hut still he thoueht that, under the cir-
cumetaucts, his life might have been spared.
Since his conviction the culprit hair been vieited by
his father, his mother, hie raster, arid an aunt. Tier
mother of the deceased woman has also seen him, but
this iuterview was very short. The two children, one
of whom was legitimate, and the other the survivor of
the family by Maria Death, have been kindly provided
for by a gentleman, who resides at Weed Green, and
who anew prisoner and took an interest in him, and
have been placed in a school at Wood Green. The pri-
soner repeatedly referred to these children, and yes
quested the Ordinary to watch their progrese through
life, and to prevent them, so far as was poseible, from
Buffering through the fate of their parents. The Or-
dinary promised that he would do en, and those who
know the reverend gentleman are aware that he will
keep his promise to the wretched man.
Ihe prisoner went to bed about ten o'clock on Sun-
day night, and slept tolerably well until four, when he
got up and dressed himself, anti the Ordinary went to
his cell at six o'clock and remained with him until the
heft moment. The greater portion of the time was
Client in prayer, and the culprit again admitted that
he had been guilty of a great crime, but expressed a
hope that he might receive pardon from above.
The sheriffs, Sir Joseph Causton, and Sir James
Vallentin, arrived at the prison shortly before nine
o'clock, and Calcraft, the executioner, was introduced
to the prisoner's cell shortly afterwards. When the
prisoner saw him he witireased him, and said, "Good
morning, Mr. Calcraft," and at tide time he exhibited
a good deal of firmness, which, however, partly forsook
him shortly afterwards. He expressed a desire to
shake hands with Mr. Jonas the governor and the
other officers of the prison, and just as he was about to
mount the scaffold, he exclaimed in an audible voice,
" Now for the grand secret!" The Ordinary prayed
Ca• some time with the culprit %virile Calcraft was
adjusting the apparatus of death, and while this was
gr dug On the culprit evidently became very faint, and
he WAS supporte.i under the drop by one of the officers
of the gaol. NVhen the platform fell the culprit
appeared to be dead almost in an instant.
The prison bell tolled mournfully while the prisoner
was proceeding to the scaffold, and at the instant the
drop fell a black flag was hoisted at the entrance of the
gaol, in pursuance with the terms of the act of parlia-
ment. A notice was also affixed outside the prison
stating that the execution had taken place.
lire only persons present were some representatives
of the prefer, the riffieiels of the prison, and some of the
servants of the sheriffs.
The urmal notice was forwarded to the coroner imme-
diately after the execution, and an inquest was hid
dur ear the day, after which the body of the culprit was
buried within the prison.