The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-04-24 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF SHEWARD.

The last act of a terrible tragedy is over, and the
"Extraordinary Murder at Norwich," which has occu-
pied so much space in the papers for some time past, has
now become a matter of history. William Shisward was
executed on Tuesday morning for the murder of his first
wife, Martha Sheward, in June, 1851. It is scarcely
necessary to recall the circumstances of the case—the
strange csanfessii in made by the convict at the Wal-
worth police station in December, 1888 (up to which
date he had been an almost unsuspected man, though
he had bean repeatedly questioned by his wife's rela-
tives as to her disappearance), his removal to Norwich,
his lengthened preliminary appearances before the
local magistrates, his trial before Mr. Baron Pigott,
and his condemnation to death.
•• • •

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The attempts made to save Sheward's life by an
application to the Attorney-General for a writ of
error, on the plea of informalities in the trial before
Mr. Baron Pigott, and the appeal for mercy, also
made to the Home Secretary (who declined to inter-
fere), are fresh in the public recollection, as are the
anonymous letters which were sent to the clerk of the
Norwieh magistrates,and which sought, extraordinarily
enough, to show that Mrs. Sheward was still alive. On
Monday the Home Secretary not having given Ids deci-
sion on the memorial presented on the prisoner's behalf,
several documents were received by Lim from persons
in Norwich and elsewhere, urging him to commute
the capital sentence. In the course of the afternoon a
gentleman from the office of Messrs. Sharpe and Co.,
the agents for the prisoner's solicitor, had an interview
at the Home Office, and it was intimated to him that
the Secretary of State would not interfere with the sen-
tence, and that the law must take its course.
Remorse seems to have preyed strongly upon the
convict's mind, and notwithstanding that his friends
were taxing their ingenuity to obtain a short further
lease of life for him, he persisted in continuing the con-
fession which he had already begun at Walworth four
months previously.
At the time of his execution, Sheward was 57 years
of age, but he looked much older, doubtless owing to
his having carried about with him for years a weary
load of remorse and anxiety. His behaviour in the
gaol was good, and he was an attentive recipient of the
religious advice and consolation which the prison
chaplain (the Rev. R. Wade) offered him.
The scaffold was erected at the extreme end of the
south-east angle of the prison, and As Sheward was a
patient in the gaol infirmary, as he suffered from acute
rheumatism in the ankles, he had to be removed for
execution quite across the prison.
The chaplain (the Rev. R. Wade) arrived at the
gaol between six and seven a ni., and the next hour
was passed by the convict in earnest prayer with the
reverend gentleman. On receiving a summons
from Calcraft, the executioner, the convict made
an attempt to walk to the scaffold, but the
acute pain in his ankles prevented him, and
he was carried by two warders to a room
near the drop, where he was pinioned. He had shown
considerable nerve and composure thus far, but after
he was pinioned a tremor set in, which continued until
his execution. On leaving the pinioning room, the
officials formed a short procession, headed by the
Under-Sheriff of Norwich (Mr. F. G. roster), and
comprising the prison surgeon, the chaplain, the
Governor of the gaol, Calcraft, the prisoner (supported
by two warders), and a few reporters. There were no
other spectators. As the procession advanced, the
chaplain, who was much moved, read aloud part of the
service for the dead. On reaching the scaffold the pri-
soner again appeared to pray earnestly. The last pre-
parations were then completed, and the convict, having
shaken hands with thre-e about him, met his fats His
struggles were slight and brief.
There were about 2,000 persons assembled outside the
gaol, and an intimwion that the extreme sentence of
the law had been executed was made to them by the
hoisting of a large black flag. The body of the convict,
after hanging the usual time, was cut down, and an
inquest was held upon it in accordance with the provi-
sions of the new Act regulating exenutions
On Monday the convict bad his farewell interview
, with his second wife. It was, of course, very painful,

and appeared to have been unexpected by the convict,
who had addressed the following letter to the poor
woman:— .

" St. Giles, April 19.

_
"My dear wife —I write to you under the impression
that it is the last I ever shall write, and I sincerely beg of
you in the name of God to be resigned to your fate, for it is
God's providence that has brought on this change, and who
knows but it may be for the bent? I want you, by God's
help, to forget me, save knowing that I have gone to
eternal rest. I have by my prayers committed you and
the dear children to the care of Almighty God, and I am
sure lie will hear my cries. Put your trust in the Lord, and
he will in no wise cast you out I am very sorry
and heartily grieved that I should have been the instru-
ment of drawing pm into all this trouble and affliction,
and I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart
that you have beeu able to forgive me, so that now I shall be
able to rest in peace with God and man. I think. if you look ,
back for these post two years, you will see tile handiwork of the
Almighty in reducing our stock and trade, and taking nearly
everything from us. as a judgment on me for my hidden crime
(As I have often thought), but now I have confessed before nay
Maker I hope he will restore unto you and my childr-n that
pe,tee of mind which passuh all under:tending, and that
lie will by his di doe will allow you all to prosper for
the future. You will, t hope, try and keep up a little com-
munication with Mrs. —, anti not stop because you don't
get an answer from her to your letters, because you know
she cannot see to write. I should wish you to correspond
with Mrs. and Mrs. —, who, I alit sure, would ever
receive a note from you with much pleasure, and per-
haps, when the children get older, might be the means of
finding them employinent Now it is my painful duty to
say good-bye, and that for ever, for I must turn my mind to
higher things. It will give you great consolation to know
. that, by making all the reparation in my power to God, I
feel that I can die happy, in the full assurance of a blessed
I Redeemer interceding for me at the throne of Grace, and
that I shall be forgiven. May the Lord's blessing ever attend
you, and may you and the children ever be happy is Illy
utmost wish. Now, by God's will, I must bow nip in-adiii
peace, and sly genii-bye 000 d-bye from your unfortunate
husband, WILLIAM SIIEWAIIIi."
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(The term, " St. (Thes," in the date of the letter is rather
• carious one; it refers to the parish in Norwich in which
the gaol Is situated.)