The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-08-17 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF DETHERIDOL
Few 110 sad his expenses (whith amounted 17.5
last Thursday moraine strangled at the
county Prime alibied/tied &villein asever enabling, via,
Jonah Detheeidge, who murdered Warder Truett, by
striking him on the heed several thus with a plekoitport-
lend Convict Pli•012. on Tuesday, Mush 23, many in
hour after they had had • few words about the way in
which Detheridge was doing his work.
No one who woo present at him trial at our lest
Summer Andra, on the 22iid July, an forget the
brutish indifference he displayed as the horrid wounds
of the poor warder wen &loathed, shoeking ell in
court, or the heedless dawdling spirit of him muttered
remark, "I'm not the first that's been hung lencoseke
when he WM cast for death • and the man* unfeeling,
ensuing disposition eltaraimbetriud him from the judg-
ment to the execution.
For the sake of uniformity lebythetheiatillicotln 018..tespi:41
punishment, it was suggested
that the third Moodie .6" mew". 'bet" be
appointed for buries the culprit ; but Oalcraft was
engaged for Worcester that day to officiate at the
don of the wools. Fanny Oliver, since reprieved, and
the Deputy-Sheriff (Thomas Coombs. Esq.) then op.
pointed to-del. Detheridge was informed of the time
when he would be hinged on Monday, the 2nd inst. , but
he received the awful intelhgeren unmoved, and when
subsequently minted by one of the prison offloen, who
frequently reed and prayed with him, be made no re-
ference to the information be had received, and there
wto nothing in hie manner to indicate the least distur
hence of nand.
The tau WOO horribly heartless, and one would think
to must have arrived at that state alter • long course
mime. It NICOL, indeed, that he had been convicted
eleven tunes summarily before he was sentenced to
seven yeers' penal servitude for pocket-picking, but the
fact of his being dealt with summarily it wouli rather
lead to the conclusion that his offences were not at uy
rate of • serious character, and when sent to Pentonville
from Stafford county gaol, his cosdact while in prison
wu reported as "good." 13 trade he was a bricklayer,
and hh native plus is W in Staffordshire. '
In that county it appears he has at the present time
several brothers and enters, nod h.' he' one dale* in
Bristee convict establishment. To her he los written
Once hie incarceration and also to • brother and another
mimes, d. reply ens sent to Dietheridge from his
convict mister, thou& tiot written by her, in which
good advice trio temired to him, but on the whole, his
relations seemed to think but little of the miserable

man's ecrodition.
Det 's convict sister willed him to send her a
look ofbriladair, but ho refnaed to do it, and never an-
mimed the letter.
As 4000 as be was committed to the county gaol,
special efforts were made to impart to him ench religions
inatruetion as the gravity of his petition required The
Chaplain (the Rev. B. Leas Watson) was unremitting
in his care for the wretched convict, sad the 'chief.
master (Mr. Bawler) also visited him frequently with •
view to urging him to repentance. The ministrations
of Mr. Watson and the efforts of Mr. Bawler wore afire
received with attention and willingness. As soon as
the Chaplain appeared in the ward, the convict it talc.
leg emcee would at ones return to his cell and take
up his Bible ready to have the Scriptures read to him
and expounded, and prayer offered on his behalf. He
would twiny avow the truths of our religion in their
general application, and unhesitatingly repeat the Lord's
Prayer after the Chaplain, but he would not suffer any
allusions to his own petional sin and need of forgive.
seas. When Naked if he prayed for pardon, he angrily
replied, "Pray to think's to pray ;" and, again, when
pointed to the passage, " I (God) have no pleasure in
the death of hire that dieth," be retorted, in his fierce
way, "I know better. I know He has," and while he
would own that he hail sinned against man, he would
not admit be had sommitted any sin against God. His
singular readiness to listen to 'wheelie Instruction seems
to be only suceeptible of explanation as obedience in-
culcated by his experience of gaol discipline, for, as he
had been commited *levee times before at the age of
'2O, be must have early learnt to obey the directions of
privet officials.
Bat, though he has been so indifferent, the thought
of his approaching death has not been altogether absent
from his mind, for a few days before his execution he
Inquired of the warders, two of whom have attended him
day and night sins his oondeconstion, why they now
hung people in private. Being told that it was done
according to Ask of Parliament, be remarked, " Ah I I
know what it's for, it's so that a man mayn't say any.
thing; if I'd s-known that, I'd have given them a piece
of my mind up in court." He bag been regular iuul at.
tattoo at the chapel services, and several times the
hymn has been selected, commencing
I,nl lab des ith pitelta• eve,
Awl Noe the told ...rannined die,"
and he has freely joined in singing these words, but ap-
parently without the least thought of their personal
application.
Finding that the culprit was untouched by the miniver*.
lions of the chaplain, it was thought that be might
possibly pay more heed to a minister of the denomina-
tion to which be was described as belonging—the
Wealeyens, though obviously his cionnection with that
body was very slight, and it seems that be has only
attended a Sunday wheel about two or three years,from
the age of 6to about eight or nine. However,
the Depety-Sheriff (Thomas Coombs, Bag.), invited the
Bev. J. Mann. to visit the convict, and he at once did
so, and strove to bring him to. sense of his condition,
teat it is (tared, with but little suocese although he
showed the same readiness to hear him as he had pre-
viously done the chaplain.
Daring all this time he ham ate and slept well; in
haort, he pursued the even tallow of his way emcee'
by the dreadful doom which was steadily approttohing.
It i 5 worthy of note that red the least effort was
made to obtain a reprieve for Detbeeidget. Those most
averse to capital pumsbmi ft must have felt that the
enormity of his crime jelly justilied—if anything can
justify it—the death penalty.
On the evening prior to his execution the convict
went to bed about half-past seven and was asleep by
eight o'clock, and :tppeared to sleep at intervals daring
tier first part of the night. About midnight he awoke
and had a eup of tea, After which he again .1,0 till
&bent leafiest five, when tho warders, thinking it tints
that he should awake, anti have to long an oppor-
tnuity U pomihhi to peeper° tor his &radial end,
moved about the ward, and made sufficient noise
to arouse him. Being asked if he had slept
well, Ile replied " Yes f Why shouldn't I. If Igo to
It I shan't stop been long r This appeared to
agree with the general sceptical tone of his remarks
when spokes to by the rev. gentlemen, weo have
so anxiously and repeatedly urged upon him the neces-
sity of repentance. 011 one occasion, when urged to
look to Jesus for salvation, be replied "Seem 1 He
can't lave me; Ho couldn't save himself." From
reeeral remarks dropped in convenetion with the
ltev. J. Mann, it would appear that he bad im-
bibed infidel notions by reading with bin companions
tracts and books of a Socialist tendency. Ile was
well acquainted with the teachings of Socialism, and
took every opportunity of making remarks slighting the
(In-hales faith and religion of any sort. The only oar-
mien on which be seemed to be in the least moved was
when the Rev. B. L. Watson urged with great earnest-
ness and power the awful lresee convoyed in Ezekiel vii.
The rev. gentleman, noticieg the impression that had
been wade, continued to press haute his exhortations on
the next day, awl for the first two days the impre.ion
remained, aod Mr. Watson hoped that some permanent
eiiect might be produced ; but on the third day the
corivict's hardness of heart gained the mastery, and he
listened without wincing to the awful wareings ad-
driswel to hint.
Aleut helf.pait net he was visited by the Rev. J.
Mann, who found the convict taking the usual exercise
the yard ; ho bid his bards behind him and his head
hung deem. Le walked In his ordinary gait; but
weiffial rather mere subdued in him manner. Mr.
Mewl asked hint if he had been praying during
th. night, and Detheridite replied, "No, what's
the geed of preying?" Mr. Mann mired him if he would
kneel down, and he (Mr. Mann) would pray for him ;
hut Detheridge refused for the first time to bend his
kip ea. Ho said" The devil gets on God," which seemed
to he his slang phrase for expressing his notion that the
devil bad power with God. Mr. Mann replied to him,
" But God is steamier than the devil," and then pro-
ceeded to read from St. Luke the history of the dying
thief on the cross. The convict listened with amens
and Mr. Mann sought to mere.' on him the
importance of confessing his sin before he left the
world; but ho began muttering incoherent complaints
to the effeet that they were all banded together to
injnre him, and Mr. Mare found it hopeless to /matinee
the conversation at that time ; bet before going
be said he would not take leave of him just yet; and
aeketl Detheridge to join him in prayer. Detheridee
muttered "It', no use praying." Mr. Mann rejoined,
" Will you kneel down, and I'll pray." The convict
sullenly answered " No, I won't." Mr. Mann
again saw him shortly before the execution, and
then mired him if he would like him (Mr. Mann) to
write to his friends. Ha replied "No, I can send no-
thing to m• friends. If I were to write they would
rot send it" Mr. Mann told him that if be would in'
tics e garbing he wished to say to them, ho would
nee very meant in his power to see that it re iclied his
friends ; but Detberidge said "Be, I won't do it." He
seemed t he in a state of comelete hard-hquiedness,
and ante' R it, remarks were the words, "If they get
tun down abet ern do!" Mr. Mann replied" I would
not get ' upon you' or knock you down I with to lift
von up, and no one here would injure you, but your end
Is near, and we can't prevent it." No impression was
made.
Soon after seven o'clock the convict had breakfast in
box No. 56, of the misdemeanant ward, where he had
remained under the guardianship of two warders. This
misdemeanant ward is about 10 yards by 5, filled with
boxes each large enough for one prisoner to sit in. The
boxes are arranged in tiers one above another, end at
con side is • raised platform for the keepers commanding
a view of the whole. It is lighted from the front, but the
windows only look in to the exercise yard teethe! ward. In
this yard the prisoner walked frequently enclosed on
every side by the high grim walls of the surrounding cells.
Ile ate a picoe of breel-miffibutter„ and drank the tea
provided for him ; but he left on the seat of his box one
whole slice of the buttered bread. There also remained
aevend books of a religious character which had been
lent him to read. Around the walls of the ward are
printed several tents of Scripture,
among
shall not nb'otinbeg
the particularly appropriate words, 't
will with the wicked, neither shell he prolong his days,
which are am &shade w, because be feareth not before G od."
At half rpent seven the deputyatheri It, Thomas Coombs,
1..1 CAttle SO the pei‘ou, and klioCked at the outer door.
'iie• 4 lovernor es.lirjycol " WhO is there," and the reply
-,
TI,I. 41t,rtit of h)orset is cow', to 'lowaud the body
wheals:4, and the awful tones of the prima bell Cals.
tieeeed euundiug on the air, strik•ing Awe into the
minds of all who heard thew, 'and remembered the; sad sea of
w in tea
theiri t'ntubng. the lavutrali
Ilet,ll'Y'll'4,eraor. the tlit On' ; the (4°.ern"'
the Bev. .1. Menu, the j`","--ng he surplice,
warders, tier. re tour pollees (e. fk.brthEL"l.)' a few
tvtiree of the Pres, pr0ca,,,A.,,e7.-',„.1""- the ',Preen-
to the misdemeanant want The— 74rd 6°Dtigq""
brought out frost the ward .bent tied had been
beet, nation,
and be looked op boldly In she fa‘e
lore as they le,rehed into the yard. Ho
oftle4a specie.
;oiler than %el:9n on his trial, and was nit,oowbat
boil Moro cons..l oppesranoe, yet ii
Lis old reckless spirit animated him, av"d
ek,"'nt
It' hail nerved himself to "dying reeenaa
criminal slang has it, hot the pries°, "
execution
pied the ~bviuualy official Character of those

a.