The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-08-07 00:00:00

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TRIPLE EXECUTION.

The extreme sentence of the law was carried out
Monday morning in Durham Gaol on three prisoerd
sentenced to death at the last Assizes for the erita -
wilful murder— William M'Hugh, labourer,
throwing Thomas Mooney into the river Tees,
maltreating him in a fight at Barnard Castle oe
11th of April; Michael Gilligan, labourer, for
John Kilcian in a street fight at Darlington
28th of March ; and Elizabeth Pearson, a
woman, for poisoning her sick uncle, James.
whom she was nursing, by mixing Battle's
killer with his medicine, at Gainford on the •
-March.
An application had been made to the Home
for a commutation of the sentence of each oft,
prits, but to no purpose. Marwood was the
tioner.
About 300 people assembled outside of the...,
The execution was private, no one but the (-).
Sheriff, his bailiff, and the gaol officials being,
The black flag was hoisted over the prison gate\
three minutes past eight o'clock to announce
outside public that the law had taken its course.
At the inquest which was afterwards be
Under-Sherd stated in his evidence that the pr'
died without a struggle, but he declined to
whether any of them made any confession of the
or not.

On Friday, Gilligan wrote the following letter t°
brother
"My dear brother, i now rite these Few lines t
in return to your kind and affectonate letter, i 103
happy to hear that you are all in good hes% Ith.
brother you Can only get to see me on fridaY
last time if you can come; and if not you will rillu
your last ferewell, but if you by any means, i
like you to come and* pournance the last Wl'
ferew ell with me at Durham, as the fatal hour is drs'
nie whitch is to take my innasent life away. dear b'
I am not relaying upon a reaprive, but if it is
ness and liberality of the gentlemen of
to gain it for me, and if they believe that i am It
man i will receive it with a smile, but if the
i am still the man, and wishes to sue for mercy .11
i wood reather die than bare the name of a our`
for my.god still stands by me, and will cleare
wounded heart, and will give me curage to die.
dear brother I hope you will looke with kindaeOg
wards my poor mother which I lave broken beati
behind as i canot expect you to do anything fa
poor wife and children, i hope here friends will rek
here Still with Kindness as, this fond heart ths•
lies in chains can never more return to assist /I:31;o
now send you my affectionate love, and may god 50 so
my poor wife, mother, and sister and too childre, ;ite
I will bid you good night for the present and viilL '
again."

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