The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-09-11 00:00:00

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Dotijr ,
'iLiza EXECUTION AT LIVERPOOL.

dEadYwnlard Cooper,
orningth
convicted
er and two
at the
William
Liverpool
tallizes of murder, were executed at Kirkdale Gaol,
Vigorous efforts were made to obtain are-
Melo for Baker' who was the son of a publican, and
Pe had many acquaintances in the town, and a peti-
' of ,Was also forwarded to, the .Home Office in favour
tt, oeper. It was generally understood, however,
the efforts would be unmiccessful, both cases being
'11,a1,4 aggravated character, more especially that of
"'er, who shot down a man in the street.
Both tom
Pale on being led to the scaffold, were deadly
I • , and required assistanee, Baker being in a half-
Condition. Beyond responding in a low tone
'lie Church Se*vice, he was not heard to speak,
TtPiettabe: " Good-bye "to his fellow-sufferer.
Peb however, spoke several times, saying, (jowl'
je au, God bless you," and " All I've got to say,
that I didn't get justice." The : dropsix fe i
et, and death appeared to be absolutely ▪
n-
-4tnntaneous„in. each case,. not the slightest muscular
raction or contortion being visible. Both men
the: resigned to their fate when it became known that
io
84( Catholic
no hope of reprieve, and paid great atten-
n 40 _ ,
' the administrations of the Protestant and
the latter faith
being of the former,
of
taa irrh,ircoriime for which Baker was executed was the
o."'ezlsting
a Man named Langan, against whom he had
at enmity, by shooting him in the street
• e,Trinight,
—P to the last moment, however, he
terl' in saying he had no intention of shooti▪
ng
blg, hell?" Was convicted of a murder also by shoot-
t
hoatoi,La.ving been a sailor, and having shot he
Wood his vessel during a quarrel at sea. Mar'
as the executioner.
elliTphrie'tus
hverTooi Courier of Monday says :—" Neither of the
Atobabi ueen visited since Thursday, and Baker's friends
them aAteund
"1 the ordeal of interview too painful both for
ititnioo,._ their condemned relative. Yesterday morning and
Which the chapir 33ekl attended divine service in the church, at
raorti
ain, the Rev. 0. F. Pigott, officiated. At the
1 usth perg aervi,e the rev. gentleman preached from the text
'l'lll del? °I Plalte 'Call pon Me in the day of trouble:
collr„,
0. v,er thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.' and in the
Preachb; nisi sermon made especial reference to the ap-
apNarea°gteXecution. Towards the close of the service Baker
re 7 site be very much affected. He has been throughout
an ntive to the constant ministrations of the chaplain,
nd_ent titatellt, but he persistently adheres to his state-
"wiperattehoSnever intended to kill Langan. The culprit
ded the service at the Roman Catholic chapel
401%3 and afternoon, and during the day the Rev. Father
reoraf„ administered the sacrament to him. Yesterday
assetg, afternoon, and evening a number of young men
tiotvuted outside that part of the gaol where public en-
wber m
g
inerly took place, and offered up earnest prayers on
4
141114° Hie condemned criminals. They also sang several
Lee Moody and Sankey collection."
Dai/1

the ttY Telegraph give's the following account of
,mion •
„Irikber otelarge
the gaol on Monday morning an un,i_is_ll,,ll„y
.ju_
"at& f,.., D'oPle were assembled, probably about *
all to ~.., 'lased, the it presented by the gathering was such
e
Vasa '2'serable more the spectacle to be witnessed at a.pd _
ete,APrivate execution This similarity was most strikingly
.....1241th,vgifitehcle411°rilY befor.e the time of executionhad
people
-,rivea , ten minutes preceding eight o'clock
l'ai forw a large tiorong that appeared to fill the road-
thev.,,— considerable distance from the gaoL The
Z workh,e°lllposed of various elements, but chiefly of
be Class. Class. Conspicuous amongst thee".,were a
lloktu, of bakers and bricklayers, the scene. cf whose
kasdinWas Probably M the immediate vicinity of the gOaLa
btt gbl i,!, er ~,„. seDarate groups, persons apparently of _
;Le t 6—", as well large number of boys, entered
L°llllg v,-„,,...eNttioaitionas of thcrowd, together with many
"rai, s, .V",e,n. at,d girls osomeeof whom had children in their
l'ast in Ileold curiosit'y appeared to be the motive upper-
-5 dia." Motley a s a bly, which seemed to be ripe for
ReitialieriqY
get.the ribaelindry—generally . incidental to such
,w.ctlre, itan,..L".3 was unmistakably evidenced by a single
N„,"s li ---A A little b fore eight o'clock some prisoners
-•ewa krated from th:p prison, and as they passed by the
i ere was a lively Interchange of coarse badinage.
Dlikto Pateire NV.ere no
Ilto
tpermitted by , be ot 4 e main „trance of the gaol ; but this seemed
the police on duty
eto
‘ 414,14_
Ittle e
-ebaeauence, as the place which had the t
' aele w7a saeitation for them was that portion of the wall
201)ositeetiltbe Public executions used to take place,
private
eecatt.,,,e Which the scaffold was erected for the
.. `eat the'7,B. This was at such a short distance from. the wall
kight lje"irlaWing of the bolt and the thud of the falling bodies
" /11. eard bY an attentive ear.
1104114 s3a
‘eaffold
occupied its old. position adjoining the
, Dkr.,l4:B4onwile of the prison enclosure, and without
dangling
~,,,wea wo„, , edge of the fact the length of the two I ilree tir have told that Marwood was to be the executioner.
by
Ile Wholong as old Calcraft used !.' was remarked
ev w._ as witnessed many an execution ; and perhaepas. sarin,.!re the longest that have ever yet been employed, m
tile. ipouot less than 6 feet 3 inches Less punctual than usual,
bhillii
talispessaalteneic,dhidt
on,olt emerge
hfrOm the doorway until two
s probably accounted for
kpreftet tll4_Bake°relliawdhbroken down sadly during the
il'slor'„Cooper came first, receded by Chief Warder
11:msebit ~,',lu accompanied b rpPig,ott. He looked pale and
_ila fielTitaPPeared to reqyu'ire. the support of an official,
^44110,4,,L1s left arm, Baker, also supported by a warder,
bat ostiati7g so cadaverous and changed in aspect that his
'la), foucit„a_te companions might have fBiled to recognise
e og
swayed
4 1 4
it' no reo,asatibllrrt:hdy:t: Weak did he appear that hish
b egory, t .
lortlnasidho3 (1): I deegrg,
eatitu, :1
Governorh isey e s w were e
tobgh. nder-Sheriff • and Mr. Wilson, Deputy-Sheriff,
to the
the closed
Gaol;head
in
3 semi.
f r .
areD,Lilli the rear of the procession- The passage d
a
teNrk"'nlA„acllatel Cooper gave utterance to th
eboyotearkenroonppeared under it, followed
Willia‘7.:l„l haVe to say is that I have not
.had justice;'e.
'."O eaP was being drawn over his face he ex-
ante
gooqb . 'Oentlenaen
taLs giaPn.a.t,p.er good bye ll • God bless you all, an
B. onle l ' During a this time Baker appeared
frpearoemd
xec
~,,"4rotniqi„l,-, ln silent prayer and utterly abstracted
67 alsd 11-00gleir.clunstances. The process of adjusting the
a e„,, e i
11 Cooper's case having been accomplished,
fl oraw
_LiEioner proceeded to pinion Baker, who, during ,
vdzdel:,,,vf.lts ret heard the
to utter a response to the prayer
rsolnert'a Pigott Was offering. While waiting the n
_ale".
teade
tikta. It :?, °1)1' was loud and fervent in prayerful eia 111 _
,'lLthe I / wst five minutes past eight when Mar wood had
tdillg•t,sat Preparation for drawing the bolt. This, ac-
,,,"agbact-hule custom, was not delayed for an instant. Step-
'''a we1r,..4 Dbleed hik hands ut.bn.the lever, and then came
~.aver. eThlenibered •thud of the falling drop, and all was
"4114 'Vtil Men evidentl died instantly, and cep.,
keriev4thout the sic. htestY quiver of the limbs. so that =
(Ir, ~is Probably gjustified in the use of the "long
~,"radiatf,"• which his name has become associated in c•on-
,4leraii. otion to the very short drop which his predecessor
Illatil a`.".. Was, accustomed to use Baker did not go to 130 s
Lege! midnight on Sunday, *and he slept very little.
afteq .:irsva arid six o'clock he rose, and was immediately
'41.1D br °n bY Mr. Pigott, gaol chaplain. Ile ate.t. n
-t
4.1 the eakfast, and was in a very prostrate condition-
as io
.41444errti:JAniea.1 hour drew near he had what Mr. Pigott
anthadTtowas evidently In as 'a strong outburst ' lie called loudly to God 1
140,, st-Te tt also says that he has been throughout a
" 4 tlbaellable man, and that he has given him
the agony of penitence.
itialie last, however, he has persisted in
never intended to kill Langan.ltlf•po,' who has maintained almost without interruption that
'keallh7"ed, iroPassible
in antnner sleep wh
which he displayed on the
'
444+„ sle4 "
trial, retiredearly on Sunday night,
n'olr a tw, all- He rose about the same time as Baker, and,
die rer_!,/e breakfast. Father Bonte waited upon him, and
"er d
self.tc:_r_end gentlema quiet report is that he was very ll!et
,a_.l
atTeenT • and that he was as grateful a man as he had
N "er .bell. The gaol officials also state that he was us a l'Ttbef r-. 0 gave no trouble. The two condemned men,
the scaffold, interchanged blessings.
/'After t
1:141119%,,111.16,1d30.diea were cut down, and the useural, forr.miil lEn
.-
, ela, th!,,inv the gaol by the zounalocroron M
Leggett, testified
0111 he re`,,_e.rnor of the Gaol, M
hey
we,;eLyeezetchnzersonerre Into the gaol, and stated
o din to the sentence of the
Ae4„,, ,The tnedical officer of the gaol said that death ap.
41 41722_1ce instantaneous in each case. The usual verdict
terktiZu bY strangulation ' was returned by the jury. ir
'elt ca,,,,0_ of the visiting justices Mr. Bridges, !oreanopioefrs t
ell tilibiaw2l_Rs of the heads of the culprits. A smile p
lt,a I:a ot Cooper, but Baker's countenance presentedi
, urekleath.„ gree the haggardness
de
_ ' which distinguished it