The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-08-22 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF WILLIAM FISH AND
RICHARD THOMPSON.

FISH'S LAST STATEMENT.
(THE SCENT 014 THE SCATCOLD.)

On Monday morning, at eight o'clock, William Fish was
executed within the precincts of Kirkdale Gaol. Liverpool.
for the murder of the child Emily Mary Holland, at
Blackburn, on March tith last. The culprit was twenty- ,
six years of age. and had a wife and two children, the
youngest of whom 'was 'little more 'than two years of age.
The crime was certainly on of the worst that has ever been
reconlel, and the facts are in themselves so terrible that
they will scarcely hear repetition. It will be sufficient ,
now to state that there was never any hope held out to
him of a reprieve, and that from the first he must have
known that his life would have to be forfeited. Along
with him was also executed Richard Thompson, for the
murder of • companion named Blundell Thompson was
only twenty-one years of age, by trade a stonemason, and
the murder for which he was executed WU one in which
premeditation was clearly shown. One of his friends was
a man named John henry Blundell about the same age
as himself, and so intimate were the two that on Blundell's
marriage, at the beginning of the present year, Thompson
was "best man." Blundell was at this time courting a
young woman who lived at Thomon's house and for
some reason he became violently jealous of his former
friend. Ile uttered threats against him on many occasions,
aml on the 15th of April, at midnight, he waylaid him in
Coronation-street. Ile did not attempt to disguise his
purpose, for meeting a man whom he knew he showed him
an open clasp knife, and playfully drawing it across his
breast, said, "It's not for you, but for the other -- up
there." Soon afterwards Blundell entered the street,
carrying an empty box upon his shoulder,. Thompson
went up to him and without giving him any warning
stabliedi him repeatedly in the breast, lie WAS said to
have struck at I twelve times, and 'even wounds were
found upon the body. The stab which Was the immediate
cause of death proved how determined Thommon st
have been. Thu blade of the knife fractured one of the
rib, and iienetrated the lungs. On his trial Thompson had
no defence to make, the only thing he could say being that
Blundell had threatened to 'lay him out." There was no
evidence to support this, awl lif course no notice was taken
of such an assertion. It was pretty generally expected
that Thompson would be reprieved, as a petition had
been sent to the Ilunie Secretary, but the expectation was
never realised.
. . . .

On h lay the two men attended divine service at the
chattel in the prime', and the Bev. F. O. Piggott, chaplain,
preached the usual sermon. lie took for his text St. Luke
xxiii. ti -" Father forgive them." The service was a
very impressive One, meld in the afternoon Mr. Piggott
read the Litany for the dying, and special hymns were
sung. Both culprits were very attentive, and Fish cried
out several times in a half hysterical manner —" I know
Fin saved, I know I'm saved." The sacrunieut was
administered to both men, awl the chaplain expressed
himself .ll pleased with the manner in which they had
conducted themselvw; since their condemnation. They
had been quiet and exceedingly attentive to everything
that was said to them, and never displayed the least
bravado. Mr. Piggott asked each of them if they wished
to say anything through hits, to the other prisoners., and
Fish wrote on a slate Use following statement:—' While
there is a chalice lead a new life. You can see may had
end through breaking off Sunday School and keeping bad
company. Those were happy days. when I attended
Sunday School. When I neglected it I went from bail to
woree,, and so I have been brought to this sad end. If I
heel time over again I would lead • different life. It is
not too late for you to mend. If I had served Gm instead
of Satan I should not have been here. Avoid those had
cheap journals, on which I spent all toy spare time. May
we meet in Heaven, through God's mercy."
Thompson ill not make a statement of en groat a length'
as he wee very illiterate. Ile asked Mr. Piggott, however,
to say to the prisoners: "Attend your places of worship
regularly, avoid drink, and keep out of bad company. I
was always death on the drink. This was a slang mode
of saying that he was excessively fond of drink and he
abio wished it to be known that the man who !IPA asked
him into a public-house to have a glass of beer, was the
first witness called to give evidence against him on his
trial. This was certainly a very strange coincidence.
It was about &quarter to eight when the representatives
of the pries were admitted into the prison yard. The morn-
ing was rather dull, and a light mist served to hide the sun.
Only a stray prison official in uniform was to be observed
in the neighbourhood of the open gravelled space in front
of the scaffold, and he did not seem to take much heed of
the slow tolling of the bell. The effect of this dismal
tolling WILK far from comfortable, especially as it was the
only sound which broke the silence of the PiACO. There
was nothing uncommon in the scaffold, the customary
noosed ropes depending from three or four strong iron
links, securely rivetteil Into the beans. This is to prevent
such fearful accidenta as the breaking of the rope—
accidents by no means uncommon when Caleraft was the
executioner. Marwood was the exeoutioner, and it was
plain from the length of tho ropes that he would employ
what is known as the "long drop." One rope was hex feet
long, and this was for Thompson, who was the heavier
culprit. The rope for Fish, who was • diminutive man,
was about seven feet in length. The carpenter having
tried the scaffold and drop to see that all was in readiness,
the procession was formed from the piuioning room to the
scaffold.
A few minutes past eight o'clock the voice of the clergy-
man reading the Litany for the Dead could be heard in-
side as the procession started on its way. Immediately
behind him was Fish, with his arms tightly pinioned to
his sides. His head was bare, and the conmion woollen
shirt he had on was open at the throat He was dressed
in the same suit of black he had worn all through the
trial. Ile was ghastly pale, and his usual cadaverous face
seemed pinched and shrunken. It was plain that he was
under the influence of excessive emotion, and se is metal
with most prisoners about to be executed, he looked up
at the scaffold before ascending the steps. Ile was
apparently praying, as his lips moved, but no sound could
be heard. Two other warders came next, with Thompson
betweeu them. Ile was a powerfully built man, and
looked younger than he had stated his age to be. He was
also bareheaded, and his shirt was likewise open at the
throat. Ile was dressed in his ordinary working clothes.
He seemed perfectly self-possessed and calm: and did not
display the least sign of fear. In the room at the top of
the steps a halt was made for a few seconds, and Thonip-
t4oll was then led on the drop, and Fish was then placed
close beside him. Marwood came forward and strapped
Fish's legs tightly together, :uid just at this moment the
culprit seemed to lei in • state of great terror. His head
was thrown back wet on one side, and he heat the air con-
stantly with his hands, and moved them convulsively to
and fro, as far as the pinioning straps would permit him.
Ile moaned repeatedly, and then began to pray. Thomp-
son stood as erect and tins as if he had been on the ground,
and he had emnewhatof a soldierly bearing, wale waited for
elerwood to strap his legs. Jut as this was done he com-
menced ,tinging bloody and Sankey'e will-known hymn.
'• Safe in the arms of JeSUll." He continued this faintly
as the white cap was drawu over his head and the noose
fixed. Fish had then another white cap drawn over his
ewe, and Harwood having fixed the rope securely aletut
his neck examined the pinioning straps, and seen that the
111011 were on the drup, drew the bolt. The men appeared
to 'lie without a struggle, awl no 110Ubt Lilts was the case,
as the fail would be sufficient to cause dislocation of the
neck. Fish's body swung round, as the rope had been
twisted. After the bodies had hung an hour they were
rut down, and a foruml inqueet held. The usual verdict
was returned. The nook of each of the criminaals was
deeply bloated be the rope. and the faces preseuted a
ghastly appearance.

Government has offered 1250 reward for the dia.
covery of the murslerer of Mr. Bravo. Sixpence
would have been quite as effectual !
The accident at ltadstock is still being enquired into
by the Government inspector. We shall give a ecru siE
of the fact, elicited at the conclusion.
The first box of grouse despatched (non the High-
lands went to the Queen. (In Saturday some 2,000
brace were sold in London at 14s, each, and about the
same number of starving people were wondering how
they could get a dinner.
A well known firm of coach-builders in Bath
advertise:
IaIOOICC of the Maui Kluplom Society of Operative
rietenbiellilens at liteertsvil hating CA Win OUT the SOCOITII
sitt.t.r2l7 .14.1.
mg% present, at ullet I nu:, hell in our Factory, on the
t.Shlt inst..to support us in (lie following resolution,- That
aml after Saturday, the :Ali Auguel, we shall suiploy emir
Non-0.0o). urn^
Really I after a time, tinse societies will attempt to
ablate to the masters how long they may take to
Too/owl-a and THAt KLI.KL4, LAINIY.3 RINKING,
imiting the seaside, or otherwise exposed to the
I scorchina•• rays of the sun and heated particles of dust
I will find ltowtssme KA LY DOR MAL utKang and
' refreshing to the face, hands and arms ; it enulimites
sunburn, tan, fnmkles. b.c., and is especially mom-
mended for the skin after sea bathing; 4a. MI. and
Kt. Cal. per bottle. ROMANIA' M ACASNA R OIL
prevents the hair falling off during hot weather;
ItowtaNos' ECKONIA is a new and fragrant toilet
powder, 3s. per box; ROWLANIXS' °micro whitens the
teeth; 2s. 9d. per box, sold by chemists, perfumers
and hairdresser,: always ask for ROWLAND6' articles.

A COMMUNIST DUEL
A most savage duel has been fought in Belgium
between Citoyeus Pindy and Chardon, two well-known
Commtmist refugees. They fought with sabres. One
received six gashes and the other eight, when they
fainted from lean of blood. Both of them had pieces
of flesh sliced off their faces and bodies. The cause of
the encounter wan a quarrel in which they accused
each other of rubbing the funds of the Cummune.

A STRIKE OF MAGISTRATES.

On Friday, Mr. W. H. f'ooke, lie—cc7(l-e-r 'a
-Oxford,
attended at Walsall as the deputy of the Recorder,
and the Mayor and several of the magistrates, who
had been officiating in the Petty Sessions Court,
instead of taking their mate on the bench in the
quarter Sessions Court with the Recorder, cc has been
their custom when at home. This action on their part
was to chow their resentment at the strong expressions
used by Mr. Cooke the other day to the Mayor and
magistrates of Oxford, when he told those gentlemen
they were his servants, and that they attended his
court, not as a matter of right, but as private citizens,
and had no voice in the proceedings.

BURNING OF A LIVERPOOL SHIP.
NINE PELSON!! AAAAA ED TO DEATH.

A fearful story is reported from Lloyd's. It appears
that last January the Liverpool ship San Rafael from
Birkenhead to Valparaiso, with coals, was totally
destroyed by fire off Cape Horn. Eleven of the crew
were picked up a fortnight later, after having suffered
fearful privations, from one of the vessel's boats, and
landed at London in April by the ship Yorkshire,
from Melborne. The longboat, containing Captain
M'Adams, his wife, the carpenter, four seamen, and
three boys, which left the vessel along with the other
boats, parted company, and it now appears that the
occupants above named all landed on New Year's
Island, near Cape Horn, and, M the island in barren
and uninhabited, they have evidently starved slowly
to death, as a vessel recently arrived at Stanley.
Falkland Isles, reports having discovered the bodies of
eight men and one woman on the island, which in said
to be the mingling boat's crew of the San Rafael.