The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-04-03 00:00:00

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EXECUTION OF THE SALFORD '
MURDERER.
Oa Itlonday morning Michael James Johnson, who
w 4.1 [q.t./Med to death at the last Manchester Assizes,
was executed in the Salford Hundred Prison, Strange-
wave, NI anchester.
The prisoner, who, was a man of about twenty-five
years of age, on the mot of the 26tit of December last,
411.1 et a public-house in Salford, and demanded
drink, but owing to the state he was in and the
town violence of his character when in liquor
he was refused. The murdered man, Patrick Nurney,
endeavoured to aitl the landlord to get Johnson out,
and in the course of the struggle which followed
the prisoner stabbed Nurney in the thigh, who died
shortly after. As there was an utter absence of evi-
dence to show that the prisoner entertained any malice
against the deceased, it was submitted that the case
wes one of manslaughter. The jury, however, found
the prisoner guilty on the capital charge, but recom-
mended hin to mercy. Mr. Justice Brett, who sen-
tenced the prisoner, held out no hope of mercy, and
although the most strenuous efforts have been made by
the prisoner's friends and a large number of other per-
in Manchester to obtain a reapite. the Home
Secretary, doubtless acting upon the advice of the
judge who tried the case, has not seen fit to make any
buninutation of the sentence. The feeling in Man-
chester generally has been against the full sentence of
the law being carried out.
Since the prisoner was condemned he has been daily
visited by the Rev. Mr. Clarkson, the Roman Catholic
chaplain; but he has not exhibited that amount of
Jut have been wished from him

taert'i.....dven,nrrheeenr t. uponapaplm,,,znehyowei!hv
°err, ob:halatnerlifiez with
ct,litalwe,erhtiOeTilalitetetr, fiwaasattit,heeotnilmy eweintigzse::l4 in making
g 1
occur-
Sutton's three negotiations fir loans had fallen through, ~,„iico. He stated to the magistrates that the gun
and a. money was obtained toy her except that the £.lOO ''''
belonged to his father, who is a bit of a sports
iol was discounted. A written narrative which she had
draws up fir Mrs. 800 rodaile was put in. It de.crilled man, and the day previous was preparing
an interview which she had hail with Mrs. Borrodaile, who to shoot pigeons. Mr. Richards, senior, loaded
told tier story as to It ,chef, and she told her she had the gun, and in doing Ao unfoutunately broke
paid £l.OOO to wadame Rachel, and "1 " (wrote Mies off the brass end of the ramrod, which with the
Sot ton; "delved her to get back her money if she could, and powder he left inside. Placing the weapon in a vice,
have
Th notharratiingve t
went st It
o do with Madame Rachel or Lord
‘lrs. b Ranelagh."
he endeavoured to get the In iken ramrod , mt, but did
enon to ate that :e andwri °dada
went to see Rachel who asked rather sharply who her coin. not try the plan of applying a pi r.nrsion cap, and
maths was ;to which Mrs. Borrodaile replied that she was a firing off the contents. Young Stadtion Mil this as an
friend of her's front the c 'entry, upon which madame Rachel experiment with the exieibinemiechief stated. Taking
at once asked her what she could do for her ; and soggested up the gun which Mr. Richards had hurriedly left
that she required renovating. Mr.. Borroolaile, however,
standing against the wall, he remarked to the win that
exclaimed, .• Toll know you never can make at oy one
pa beautiful,
he alunild like to See whether it %anal go f. He then
you horrid old wont= ! W hen are you going to yMO back
iny money ?" To this Madame Rachel answered, " I never took a cap out of his waistcoat pocket, awl fired in the
had is shilling of your money ; you had better ask your dear direction of the gate. lie perceived immediately after
William." 1 .contitotted Miss Sutton in her narrative, wilted that someone was near the gate, and, turning deadly
Mrs, Borrodaile, " What does she mean ?" She said, "ohs pale, remarked to Mr. Richards, jun., that he believed
only says that to deceive you.h. There isall that no such
ickpersond as
t had killed come person. The corpse of the young
William ; it w. Lord Rattellig It is we old .i,
wontan's stories." And to tlmt story Mrs. Borrodaile had Man, JBllllo'3 Western, was found lying just outeide the
always adhered. gate ; the hands were in the poclieta., aud apparently
Miss Sutton Was croas-examined with great severity and death was as sudden as it could ime,iloly have been
at great length as to the details of her account, evecially as The Bench remanded the case mit 1 Tuesday, admitting
to lit r communications with O'Keefe. It WAS also elicited the prisoner to bail. On Saturday a phrt-marttni, exit-
that she had been somewhat mixed up with him in monetary mutation was made, when the surgeons discovered in
transactions connected with this matter, and a receipt for the skull of the untortunate man the broken end of the
£2.1 signed by her as for m,oney received from Mrs. Morbi-
d:tile was produced which she had, she said, oir.wii up and ramrod.
signed at her suggestion, but had not received more than 011 Good Friday another shockliu gun aceident ouurred
4.17 los. These money transactions were explained by V itss at Hamilton Lodge, Doncaster, the residence of Mrs.
•utton a: having hail to do wiih expenses incur it on Mr, Brooke. It appears that her son Frederick, about 14 years ,of
Horrodaile'e account in gettim!io7ormat through O.Ks fø age, who was It use from soloed for a short holiday, had been
by iourneys to Parts, he. The receipt ran - Received £23 out shooting sparrows with a sisal! gum On returning home
from E. 0. O'Keefe, the balance if Mrs. Borroolaile'a tic. lie toook the gull up-stairs, hut it was subsequently fetched
for £100." It c- -wed. that one of the letoleti.o.! dot - and reloaded - c hint in the kitchen. Whilst he was

fence which migi ceptance for an. _ appeareb
Ig,leed, his conduct in some instances has been most Miss Sutton's bill was &charge of k'l 55. for getting that bill
thsertalitable, which probably May be accounted for by discounted, and that out of the. proceeds she had eIT 10s.,
the fact that he has apparently never, until the very and had signed as she said, at el Keefe a Instance ) the above
receipt for s;s3.'
last, anticipated that he would be executed. Miss Sutton was also cross-examined as to a letter she had
The IZev. Mr. Caine, the Protestant gaol chaplain' written to Mrs. Borroulalle after the conviction of Rachel.
and Mr. Thomas Wright, the prison philanthropist, "1 would not see strangers. Lord Ranelagh Is still prowling
have also visited the prisoner. He was visited by his about." She was pressed as to what she meant by that, and
father, mother, and sisters on Friday, and the meeting .4.1 ii."l,es!nal seen Lord Itanelagh in Piccadilly-7811 she meant
t urn Mrs. Borroilaile from seeing strengers one
was of an affecting character, the prisoner s parents 11.1, she said, no intention to deceive tier. She was cross-
,,ehihitiug considerable feeling in parting with their an isni..ed, also as to a letter she bad drawn up au dil cops-
ti
son for the last time or. earth. Since then for Mrs. Borrodaile, ti• be sent to a person win., as Mrs Ber-
the prisoner's conduct has been more circumspect, and riaialle had said, hail written to her proposing maniage. She
as the tore drew near for his execution, he displayed ea. she knew nothit g at all about hint except what Mrs.
Borrodai c hail told her—namely, that he had proposed mar-
signs of penitence.
riage, and that ha real name waa Catnpbell. On the whole,
The ecaffold was erected within the prison walls, in the account she gave of Mrs Borrodaile was that ehe was
fleiaildatice with the provision, of the Capital Punish- weak and without any knowledge of the %valid, but that she
ment Within Prisons Act, and was situated Mime. haul only been toolish and not immoral. Mrs. liorroilaile,
tel in the rear of the new county police court. the said, had told her alailaine Rachel had brought her to
The sexdfold was erected on a level with the ground, a believe that Lord Rotelagh was very much in love with her,
deep trench being dug out below, into which the cul- rt7:;,l•/..utitiettl,t, marry her, and her advice to her was not to
prit hill tin the fall tif the drop. The scaffitld was Mos SuttoileTc7tUrit was confirmed by the evidence of two
draped with black. 'The only persons admitted to female witnesses, friends of hers, both of whom stated that
witness the execution were the public officials and they were widows one of them the w idow of a locksmith,
the representatives of the prem. Calcraft was the the nther of a " merchant ") who spoke to it dements by
Mrs. Borroulaile, which went to support Miss Sutton's ease
executioner. The widow of the locksmith state I that Mrs. Borrodade haul
The following are the particulars of the execution : said to her that she had empl .yed miss Sutton, and that
The convict, with two warders, made his appearance on Miss Snttoin ha I been of great service to her, and hail done
the scaffold as the prison hell tollesl eight, azeomPatited by many things for her which sun au could hate done for her,
ederaft, Sir. Wilson, the tinier-sheriff, and the Rev. Mr. and had been with her, for instanee, to see ' that odious
Clarkson, Ro nen Catholic chaplain, the convict being a cieature." The other witness, a Mrs. Bowler, said Mrs.
member of that Church, Mr. iiihbert, mi.., the chairman Borrodaile haul spoken to her of the assistance Mies Sutton
of the Halting justices, was also present. ha I given her in preparing for the prorieenton of NI atlases
Ito unhappy man took his pl ice under the beam with a &whet ; which, she said " I insttuted to make a public
arm step. renyating audibly and fervently the •i Litany of example other, that others may not be YU:Hutted as i have
Jesas" duriuk the time that Caleraft was completing hie iten ;" an observation whieh elicited sonte applaioe. Such
preparatiens. lie interspereed with the efaculations of the w. the general nature of the evideme on tile part of the
Willy fervent prayers for his parents, and after the cap was plaintiff, Mise Sutton A VICTIM TO ELECTION EXCITEMENT.
put over his head he still continued praying in a loud On the part of Mrs. Borroulaile it was represented that the
voice and never showed the learit sign of faltering. Calcraft claim wars eXimhltant sett absurd, eves if it had not been got An inquest was held at Gloucester, on Saturday, on the
shook bawls with him, the built Wan drawn, and the body tip i,etween her and iege,ife, who it w-,,,, said she hail riot body of Mr. Woodcock, solicitor, aged IS, who died from a
fell It se.shied Perfectly rigid for • few seconds, then it ventured to call. Miss Sutton was vehemently denounced pistol-shut wound ill the head, inflicted by his itwn hand.
began to struggle violetitly, but after a few convulsive gasps es living by her wile and as having baited herself upon Mrs. Mrs. Woodcock was too ill to attend, and the coroner
life appeared to be extinct. The priest continued for some pstroelaile, and concocted a claim without any real lowan. attended at her bedsi ie and took her deposition.
minutes to recite the Litany. tins, as a kind of i• fenmle attorney." Mrs. Woodcock stated that her husband had been
The only Pere.. present besides those alm n
ve amed were Mrs. itorrodaile her=elf wio called and examined in con- depres sod since ran anil that his depression had
the Rev. Wm. Caine, the Protestant chaplain, Sir Thomas tradiction of the case for the pinititiff.- She gave her
Wright, the repreaenta,ives of the press, sant a few of the denee with great clearness and podtivenese, and some sharp- entirely arisen from the Gloucester election petition.
officials. The absence of the accustomed crowd and the con- lies. of tine and denied everything Miss Sutton haul stated It seemed that at the election he acted as a sub-sheriff,
fired area of the scene appeared to concentrate the attention as to payment. She utterly denied that anything whatever and that while so acting he gave a policeman a glass of
of those who were present, and to render the spectacle over. was said about paying Miss Sutton, and stated that Miss sherry. When the petition was presented he fearedhe
powering to witness. The convict, who was es years of age eutton hail herself offered such assistance as she hail ren- should be called to speak to this matter. Further, he
- his birthday being the day of his conviction—appeared in dereul, and that it was but slight. She declared that she had
the ordinary dress which he wore during the teal. and heard nothing of t of the proceeds of the £lOO refused to record a vote tendered at the moment the
seemed unchanged in any respect by his confinement When hill by Silos Sutton the,
th receipough she said that the proceeds were clock was strikMg four, and he feared that this wotild
the drop fell a large black fisg was immediately hoisted to go to Mr. Critiland, and that she was aware he re- be brought up. The depression was accompanied
et• ye the prison, ass signal to the public that the sentence eeived money from O'Keefe. lint she said she could not Iby delusions, one of which was that he hail committed
heti been fulfilled, swear she had not said to the locksntith's man that 1 the " uopardonable sin." Dr. Washbourn was con-
The scene outside the gaol presented lint few features of she had .. employed " Miss Sutton, but she stated I suited, and to.dt the deceased to Dr. Rainer's establish.
any particular interest. An hour before the time appointed she had said nething ate ,ut payment ; and, in ''n" ,' ment at Malvern. While frcm Gloucester he was
lor the mention, • few straggling groups of hllers were .oen elusion Mrs. ItorrodM said she had thought Ilia 1
lounging in front of the prison, the gathering, such as it was, Sutton's iteerference useless, and it ft,rther appeared that much better, but as stein 04.44 he catue back the deluthnis
being the densest Lunieuliately opposite the gaol clock, Mrs. Borrodafie had somehow connected her with certain . returned. At length it was arranged that he should
among the people present—most of whom appeared to be paragiaphs which had appeared in the Press about her, and travel, and a gentleman named Ireland was to travel
of the lowest class—were several women and yeting lads, and that she had, in September, 1808, refused to speak to her, with him. On Wednesday morning Mr. Ireland
most of these, judging from their demeanour, hail been which was admitted by Miss Sutton. i and 3,lrs. Woodcock walked out into the garden.
friends or acumaintances of the condemned murderer. Tim. In support of these statements, Mr. CridlaniCs clerk,
wardseight o'clock the erowd grnulually increased. hut there and Mr. George Lewis the present attorney of Mrs. As the decease.' did. riot follow them as they ex-
112i shill a complete absence of anything resembling the eorrodad
e,were called to show that M cth n
Miss Sutton had ped, ad as a Might noise was heard, Mrs. W.A.
brutal behavi eir common at public executions. As soon as never given any material assistance. Mr. CridlaniCs clerk cock returned, went to her bedroom,. and found
the bell began to toll, the stillness became still more remark- Bahl that so far as the supposed Interviews with him her husband lying on the floor on ins ebbe a 'ix-
able, each succeeding stroke hieing, as it were, waited for by were ~,ncerned an attorney would have been repaid by barrelled Colt revolver pistol in his left hand, which
the crowd When the black flag was hoisted some few hats
.e 5. Mr. G. Lewis stated that Miss Sutton had proffered was under hit n, anti a small wound in his forehead,
were raised, and before the clock had done striking eight her assistance, and had given him her written statement; but iust over the nose. It was then found that the rin-
ee remark was frequently made, " It's all up," and the after that lie hail toll her that she could be of 110 service • '
crowd immediately dispersed. hirtunate gentleman ha i shot rnseif., and that the
nor am she. At a sulioquent period she complained that
In pursuance of the act of parliament an inquest on the Mrs Borrielaile had treated her with disregard, and witness ball had losieml in his head. Strange to say, he re-
bels, of the convict was held at two o'clock, at the County saw her in Mn,. nerrndalle's presence, and Mrs. norradaile covered consciousness, and was conscious nearly up to
Gaol, Strangeways, before Mr. Rutter, the come, coroner. eon,piained that she interfered too much. Mimi Satton .4i4.1 the time of his el. ath, which took place on Friday.
The mroner said that the jury were called open that daY t , Mr, "Why, You know, I have neyee mad,, any cha.ke, The ball was found after death at the hack id his head,
to inquire into the death 44 Michael James Johnson, who and have never sought to make any thing by you, and have
it having passed between the two hemispheres without
had been executed that morning within the precincts of done it all out of friendship." At a subsequent period, when
the County Gaol. The act of Parliament, which had been she made a claim, witness said to her, "Why, you know hurting the substance a the brain,
passed last year, had ordained that capital punishment you acted purely Out of kindness, and on her behalf." Wit. Further evidence showed that he had a relative in
sheuld take place li, prisons. Before that it had been car- ness added she only mode her claim on account of her hear- an asylum, and that his Cousin lately committed
red on publicly. This was the first case in this district big that lie had recovered a large SIMI for Mrs. Borroilaile. suicide in London, and that the death of the latter
seder the act. Ile then read the clause of the act of parliament Witness said he told her that the just debts should first be greatly affected the deceased.
under which the execution hail taken place, and said ell that paid; and that then if there Was any surplus, he hoped The Coroner commented on the fact that the re-
the jury would have toils WAS to inquire, n.it alit-then the man that Mrs. Rural:tile's family would make her a present.
hail beenduly convicted, but whether the body that they would
M
view was that of the peraon who had } teen so convicted and r. tee-Is was very severely cros-examinet about his volver shoUld have been left accessible to the deceased
statement that Miss Stabil' had said she never made in the state in which he was, and bore a warm tribute
executed. Be thought that they would all agree ii, the pro- any charge for unithhig she had done 'which haul to Mr. Woodcock's personal worth. A verdict of
priety of the present mi.le of execution in comparison with never been mentioned before nor sitegested in cross- " temporary insanity " was returned.
that which hail previously prevailed —The Buy then went examination of Miss Sutton', and it woe elicited that he haul
to view the body. after ehich the following evidence was not petit in the brief, nor coal he Flay that he hail men- .
tokens—Captain Mitchell, the governor of the New County Honed it to his counsel in consultation. Ile was pressed a
Gaol, said that the deceased had betel a prisoner under his good deal as to why he had not cotntuunicated such an int-
custody, and during the last assizes, held on the 6th March, portant amil.leeisive fact to his counsel, and was asked if it
he was put upon his trial 011 the charge of wi•ful mister. had not ocrirred rim Mtn first in the course of the trial;
Witness was present at the trial, and the decetuted W4IS (0014 d this, however, he .1, mad and positively reasserted his state-
guilty of the charge, alai septenced to be hanged by the neck timid, and said Mrs. Borrodaile was present at the time.
unol he was dead, and his tardy tube buried in the precincts Mrs. Borrodade was thereupon recalled t • coofinn hint,
of the prison. Ile prodeced the authority, signed by the but elle 11l not appear to i eitimniter distinctly, and all she
Clerk of the Crown, authorising the execution. He had could say was that she complained of Miss sutt it's inter-
been present that morning when the deceased was executed termitic, an t that Miss Sutton hot said she h. 1.1 acted for
at eight o'clock.—Dr. Bratition, the surgeon of the gaol, eaid her f,,ra sympathy. miss setton was then recalled to can-
he was present at the execution, 81111 he had given a certift• traffict the statement of Mr. Lewis. an i denied that she had
rite of the death of the deceased in the form required by said, "t have never made any charge, and have never
Act of Parliament.— klexander Hayes, one of the warden of . sought to make any thing lip you ;" but she admitted she
the gaol, said he Irnew the deceased as a premier, and was I add, " I have never worried you fur nimiey ; I have done all
present when the roan was c mvicted Wir nese hail been ' I c,m1,1 for you from sy mpatay."
with thejary t• view ttie hi itly, which was that of tie same. Mr. Baron Bramwell expressed a dear opinion that the
maii he had seen convicted sod eeeeated, _The coroner sail 1 plaintiff could 114114 maintam her el .dlll for the supposed oh.
that the jury haul now to consider whether the body they twining of minty, because no money hail been obtained,
had seen was that of Michael James Johnson, who had been 1 and the negotiatmc nun for it had been broken off and fallen
roevicted of wilful murder and executed th it morning. The thr„ugh
Jury immediately returned a verdict under the form required This, after some discussion, was assent." to by alias
by the Act of Parliament, to the effect that the deceased had Stilton's conneel, and the ceunsel for Mis Borrailade then
been executed accorline to law. , addressed the jury on the evidence as Pi the most of the case,
The body was buried in the predncta of the ptison, close. representhig it as fraudulent, and urging that Miss Sutton's
to the new graves of the three Fergana who were executed . rase was }Aida,' by the admitted fact that in Septe eher,
for the murder of Sergeant Brett. The corpses of these and ' taus, Mrs. Borroilaile Mut actually complained of her inters
theother three miirderers at different times executed at the , ference, and had tried th shake her off, and had refused to
New Bailey, have all iieen removed sad reduterred at the speak to her.
now gaol in Strangeways. The comae for the plaintiff havMg replied, the learned
Judge Bungee,' up at length, anti the Pay retired, and after a
- long absence, found a verdict for the plaintiff for Za.

oiwn and rema,.. . by him in the
doing that the servant, a young woman, Fanny Ellison, sat
reading in a chair opposite him, oral suddenly the gun went
off and lodged its contents In her heal. lier skull was shat-
tered, part of it being shot completely away. Medical assist-
ance was at once sent for, and wonderful to state, the girl
still lives, though it cannot he expe3ted she will recover.