The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-04-11 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF TWO MURDERERS AT
MANCHESTER.

While Minbters were lighting their battle in the
Hon. On Friday night, and the University crews were
thinking of theirs on the nsirrow, three wen were ill
ga,lpn-paring for death— M itra WEATFIERHII.I. for the
murder of his sweetheart's fellow itervant, TIMOTHY
FLAHERTI fir the murder of his sweetheart, and
FREDERICK PARKER for the murder of Daniel Driscoll.

Tine ex.:m.11.4 Miles Westherhill for the murders a.. the
Todniorsien vicarage Wlllat Timothy Flaherty for the minder
of his sweetheart at Imo isden Ilene excited noire interest
Shari usually attaches to criminals of that ease. Tile
atrocious barbarity which distteguisheil them: murders
caused a thrill of horror throughout the entire country, and
that at Tioloorden, In which the Rev. Mr. Plow and his
servant were the victinis, arising. out of alleged 1,1...e.1ee.
Lions which seem so trivial by the side or a erinie so stupen-
dous, will To inhably ling stand out prominently in the public
mentor) on account of the node t heti ordinary deliberation
and cruelty with which it was peep, Crated. The Picts of both
cases have been so recently before the public that it is almost
unnecessary to recapitulate thi• pArtimiltew
Miles Weieherbill was a youth id 23, a factory weaver at
Tlllllll..roltil, in wince family it has beer) oilsge, Out with
what correctness there has been no public effort to as..•er-
tail , imarory last roil for general... l'erisitt it is there
was 110 id iintelleretit tereeptioin in his uNII 11111.1 of
the coneeitnenoes of his violent: • a 1.•11, Oil the night of the
2nd if Minot% he webt 5., Todunrilen vicarage and set
abort the der id three pem its, with whom his quarrel
could be lel 1 084114 C extennatme of the ferocity of his re.
setitment. The eternities., fir. Plow, Insist forbidden hall to
visit a young serv.it at the Vleierile,e, wino,, fVe.,then hitt was
your icg. firs Flow bad In..rne a tiart hi tho re ~,,, val of this
young woman to tier own home, at York, vi hen It tarried orit
that t lie 15et,1111.4,1..) ed. Are •ther 500 *Ol,
Jane Smith, was suppowad, but It Is said untruly, tin have
been a tale-hearer as to the transgression of her master's
authority. in all this there might be ground for provoca-
tion, more or lesa Inisfir and even natural. llut when
the Ittrin.t -conception of this was eornpared with the
savagsbess that would avenge it by the deliberately
planned nnurder of all the three offenders againat Weather-
hill's desires—though ally wrung they had dime lie
might be hopeful of rewairina—all idea of extenuation dis-
appeared Mr. Plow and Jane Smith bon their lives from
the persistent blows end wooed. ieflicted l.y Weatherhill ;
and it was through no relentii g no Ms part that Mrs. Plow
taiapeil with her life as she lay helpless in bed with her i.ew-
born infant. The hideousness of the tragedy was relieve-I a
little, not, indeed, by its connexion with a love story, hut
by the heriOsin of the three serval ita, who did them lost for
the protection of Mr. aisil Mrs. Plow, arid especially by the
favourable manlier in which the name of nine el them—
Ella ,beth Slinks—is absociated with the whole history of the
MLitt The murderer himself, save a few passing expressions
if regret at the death of Mr. Flow. seems to have remained
almost unmoved by subsequent reflection 111,011 his orioles.
Unless it shonl.l no itisc'oted by some better rinformation
than any obtainable up to tine last monteut of his existence,
there is little ground to mime that lie has not fulfilled. in Its
worst sense, his own reckless declaration that he " would die
like a dog."
. . . .

After file conviction and sentence Weatherbill declared
that be would hot make the least preparation fur death uhtil
he hail seen Ins sweetheart, Sarah Bell. In each interview
which he had with his unhappy tie .thee he strenuously de.
nranded a last interview with " his Sarah." S,eilig the un-
settled state i 4 the culprit Sarah Bell was written to and on
Thursday she arrived in ilauelester from York, aud in com-
pany with the e4rliviet's neither and stater proceeded to the
prisen, arid were admitted to an intarview, when they took
their het farewell of the wretched man. Passing through
the ancient iron gates of the jail, the creaking of whi.h
onset have struck the three unhappy women with horror, they
were coati acted by the humane governor, Captain Mitchell,
across the mace yard to the cotelemheil cell, which is
situated in the northere engle of the prison, and within 50
feet ot the wall no which the gallows was erected. It would
appear that Weatherhill was aware of the arrival of Sarah
Bell, fur directlt the formidable lock of bit cell was turned
he sprang front his seat, fergettine evidently far the tie ment
that he was a prisoner, and rushing towards the 410 or as it
opened, he received the unhappy girl in his nests as she en
*Need the cell, ejaculating, "My deareet Sarah." The piper
young woman wee deeply affected, and would have fainted
but or the premit aernitiistratiou of restorative. The an-
guish. too, ci the mother utel sister let It to have bet n heart-
rending, Indeed, the scene throughimt the entire interview
was ot the most painful descrintii.n. After the first emotions
had, inn measure, sul sided Weattierhill in the course of the
desultory sobateg conversation that followed coniplaiiied to
his mother who asked why he had not used the writing
pater and stamps with which she hail supplied him) that he
Inel not been allowed the use of pen and ink, iml that some
of his letters list been eoppresseil. The truth is, however,
that every possible indulgence was allowed the convict in
this respect; .d if Ins Ire:rule and relatives gint mit receive
' all the letter he wrote ti i them, it was because the contmits
; of those missives were so ustratirdinary, avid even shocking,
that it could have semen no good purpose whatever to
forward them to their destination. Tne interview was
prolonged for a considerable time, Dial when the parting
farewells and embraces were exchanged, the wretch I young
matt, who, while surrieindell II a loving aged mother, A
devoted sister, and . affeetionete eweetheart, foireht hard
ti suppress the emotion their present.° created in taint, gave
full emit to his grief us the three reareet end dearest
, creatures to him hi the world tented t.i leave, and the heavy
Iron door of his cell shut them for ever Irmo his view. It
was thonght, after the cenviet had taken a final farewell of
his friends, that his ruled would be noire ei ireposed, and that
he would turn hie attention to the exhortations of the
chaplain, who has been in constatat attendance upon hint,
but up to Thursday nielit be did not matidest symptinis of
remorse or contrition for his crime—indeed, an Mel unite was
he that at one time el,' It was mil; when the Rev Mr. Caine,
tile acting chant tin of the gaol, was endeavouriug to brieg
hint to a state et central., he ordered hint to leave the cell
and to take his books with him. It is setisfactom, however,
to be able testate that :a his time drew near lie listeeol with
more attention to the exhortations of the rev. gentleman,
and is said to have exprtssed stir, w for his crime, aud te
have admitted the Pearce of his dkont. the chaplain was
with him tills late hour on Friday night and early on if aturday
morning, arid accompanied the miletppy niati to the drop
maii Flaherty, who murdered los sweetheart by in at-
fag her on the head with a poker, was from the time he was
sentenced very contrite arid resigned to his fat. Ile was
visited every morning by the Rev. Father nimbi, whose user-
thins to bring the couvnt tins proper sense of his horrible
pot ,tin were uurtmi t ring. Th.- convict was deeply affected
by the meethig with his widowed m• direr, winch oink place,
after more than thirteen ye in of sera-mein, on Thu, slay.
shire that Interview his OeMeallOtil Way moderately quiet,
but the appearance of eAlna.eSt Feelited to Sri, hot so much
Iron] resignation of the hope of pardon hereafter, bet rather
from sullen hardihood unit a eelorolleation to meet his fde
wale ut nitiehing. lie repeittedly let lel that the crime was
pretnerlil,.ti d ; and prole peed ti hem w nothing 4 the actual
elrearnstanceit of the murder until he aim In a vlolist I) leg
bleeding upon the floor ol the chamber into which he had
pursued her.

The inhabitants of Manchester do not appear to be proud
of the distinotion which they have lively obtained, that,
namely, of having assizes held in their town. The honour
has a terrible drawback in the occasioual oedema.en of
l'alcraft, and In the gatherleg of the vast b.:t unlovely
audiences whidi mostly crowd to the spectacle. Within the
short time that Manchester has lot the privilare, six men
had been executed there before Saturday last, and of these
six, three, the lemma Larkin, and (Muhl, were hanged
at once. Of course, the extreme precautions which were
taken on that ocelaion, atut the extraordinary show of Will.
tarp and constabulary force were not needed on Saturday.
But the general arrangements for the execution were
very similar to those adopted when the Fenian' were
executed. Strong biUTiers were erected son so New
Ilailty-street (ah.ch runs on the norther:, side of
the prin.,' at intervals at fifty feet, for the to one if Avoid.
lug acchimita from overt:roadie, The ill, re t ,treeis
abutting on the main streets were harricsded, n tele space to
front .d the smdfold was also encl.-mei with strong. harrier.
The galloa-s, upon a platform overhanging the pavement
teen.), feet from the 'ground, was, as usual, dn.pco in black
cloth, and the fall was no mailmen' that only the heads and
shoulders of the culents could be Set by the inuittude
after the bolt was withdrawn. The plat iorm was erected in
an aperture or doorway made temporarily In the prison
wall, and was reached from the inside I.y a fhght of wooden .
steps, also temporarily erected.
During Frida) evening and night great numbers of pimple ,
visited the fnint of the gaol to have a look at the scaffold, '
and as it seemed to inspect the arrangements made by the
pollee. By midnight the streets were almost, hut not uttite,
deserted Men and 1101111.11. the tidier thinly clothed,
ni sere. h I. .1 I, creatures, stilt 1 thin the
priolike attueLtu,s widea had been erected new the gaol,
• - • hr•lich itav wee. delie,deesS ,rve fee twee c 'hate

CER_T
travelled-

. evidently walked from dietantplaces, lay,
sea ant weary, in doorways, under arches, and where-
••• or els- they could again an hour's sleep withoot the risk
,•I i•eing trodden upon. Others lounged about a few stalls at
stitch ready traglckers were offering hot coder and such
eatables as they usually sell to cold and hungry cuatonierk
It was not until after Wee o'clock that the muted became at
all numerous. When dawn came, and it was possibh•
the crowd, its motley character was =wife, N1...,y were
still asleep ; others were knot ii, the'r troes tine another,
or to In,, one in partvillar in some of the pens were young
win, a, some 01 WIIOIW Were charitable enough to lend part
of their shawls to those Who wk-ro watoout ahaa Is. Aleut
PiX o'clock the crowd rec., ived a sada., reinforcement. the
two stmarea nearest the aoadold hem, W.W dirWriy ItAcko.l.
At seven o'clock there were, perhsps, (KO present, and be-
fore eight the IlUrtlbet was nearly tl.itle As th y. lit tin
ePindiched, the immense erowd, as I p common ~ntent,
sta)ed their jesting, and as minute after minute parsed by,
a feeling which, if not solemn, was et least decorous in Its
manifestation, toek possession of the multitude.
. . . . . . . .

Weatherhill went io heal at about ten achica, but he was
very restless, the noise at the fust.gathsri.,t cr.., In New
Bailey street, which pAietrated it.to be cell, pievouted haul
Iran . sleeping more than slow minutes at Ii Little. Al one
iLI tie, I. wet Ir, the hubbub :dated somewhat. and Vie
e.ni Act was caudated to obtain more than an hour's sleep
The roar of the crowd awa,bra hint at half-past two
anal he got up, aleteriiiined to sleep Ile Mare. The Rev W
Caine, the prinatt chaplain pro tern, mei Mr. thomas
were wi, h Mtn mid they state that the 0,0%41 was
in a match sure becoming state of mind tart he hail
Vier previously niandested It was not, ironer, r, deemed
proper to adiniiiist, r the hob siteranhod Whim. Ile referred
to the circuinqatices of the mural. r, a d said he was sorry
for the dreadful ruin which he had Neollaht itt the family or
Mr. Plow. lie spent the remainder of his Wee el the cell in
prayer ; anal WU found praying when the executioner was
brought into his presence. During the iperstant of
pint oiling his arms, the convict's f initiate never forsook
him ; he even nninifested a sort ail cheerf illness, and cone. rNeal
with the chaplain and Mr. Wright without the least trraaar
or hentation.

Flaherty was attended during the night by the Rev. Fal her
Gadd. The convict had Icons Anna, el nine since he part.'
,rain his mother. He Mart Spied the deepest, and apparehtly
the most sincere repentance fir the areadlul crinse he had
a. nonitted and hie spiritual adviser adMildnt •red the
sommtent to him Flaherty slept during several hours of
the night, unit wlim he awoke meamal in prover Ile seemed
prelai eil to meet his fo•e Mil ealilrneeu hUt the a learishen
of eakr tir shook hini very touch, ahel tie vave noy for a
few mnments to the deepest ilsfeetion. Fr, ni this state,
however, he soon rallied, and when the signal was given Jar
ths setting out of the prmession, he had recovered his
wonted I, Tallness.

Icratt, was introduced to the convicts at precisely a
quarter to eight o'clock, Anil at eight o'clock, whilst the
prison hell was wounding the hour, the procession emerged
Irm the prison door. Flaherty walked first, with Father
lladd on his right hand and Calcridt on his hit. The um
hippy nian wm very pile lint remarkably nem. As he
approached tho foot ot the staircase he gave one upward
glance, as if measurin.r the height which he had to ascend,
and then he commenced the ascent with a firm military
step, which never faltered as he neared the summit. lie
repeated the responses to the service which Father G.i.dd lISS
reading in a clear and an iible voice.
. . . .

--ii;eatherhlll Came next, and lie seemed not in the least
diem a)ell at his terrible position. - Ile mounted the steps
Without henitation, repeating a pray. r as he ascended
Ills firmness underwent, a dreadful test, but It did
soot fail him. \Shen Calculi, got to the top of the steps
he requested Weatlserliill to stand below the platform
whilst Flaherty was prepared for death. Weatherhill
Instantly stopped, and gas d steadily at the exectiVoner
whilst he was hurrying Fiatierty forward t o the drip
To those who were loolong upon the svelte from below
the interval width elapsed before the signal was
given to moss on seemed interminatile. All eyes were
directed to W.,at herlia hut he stoml within three steps
of the drop, firni and unlainited. Che of the ward-is
held him by the arm, hut the convict shook him off, slot
said, " You need IPA holt{ ; I can stand by myself."
Almost at the same moment Calmat Caine back and
tie,koneol WO ttherhill to COMO up. Ili. appeerahce upon
the drop was the signal for an outburst of cries from the
nod, Flaherty appeared upon the scat( obl just after chili&
o'clock, wearing upon Ma breast a brass cross, and fol-
lowed by Father Gabl. Ile walked with a firm step, and
was appasentiy fervently engaged In prayer Odcrait, the
executioner, who followed Immediately behird the priest, at
once placed the white cap over the stvprit's head, aid
adjusted the fatal noose The ,titer convict, Weath,bill,
then appeared upon the drop, with a Prayer-hook in his
hotel, ',Mowed by Mr. Caine lie walked with the greatext
firmness, and, I ke his fellow-culprit, the few moments
Which he had ti spare were mauled hy him bi prayer. Oily
once he looked towams the crowd, lie underwent the same
procea as tfiat to which Flaherty hail been subjected, and
during the whole time Fatho r (held and the chaplain were
engaged in religious iiiiiiistratien.
. _ . .

While l'alcrsil was ailhati.tig some of the straps behind
the two men, who stood with the white cans over their
heads, Weatherhill turned suddenly round is d said some-
thing to him, avid Flaherty ahnost sintultaneously did the
same thing. Calcratt afterwards shook them each by the
hand :mil then withdrew the holt hey both fell heavily.
Weatherbill seemed to those who were elven the scaffold to
die almost instantaneously. but Flaherty stru,gled sdantly.
lellf a ndolite, however, there was to sum of life in
Weatherhill's list wi rds were, have mercy
upon my soul." fri herty li.ll 134 speak after Went !ierhili was
pla,ed beetle hilini atmss the trap.
'rho bodies, aft, hanglii,r Ifll hour, were cut down and
Mined in quicklime, the i. d ski, acre re 'el, mid by ten
o'clock this In !Oily Ail Mu 'biter resuoird its wonted
business-like aspect ; an I a etratiger paah.,, a' that hour
would not have known th At anything 11111.131 had happened.