The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-08-17 00:00:00

TRIPLE EXECUTION AT MAIDSTONE.

taneOtully.

Thomas Moore, aged 52, .4 old Crimean soldier,
Francis Bradford, 19, and Jam els Tooth, 42, the former
of whom was a private in the 3rd Bulls, and the latter
a marine, were executed on Turalay morning, at half-
past nine o'clock, within the walls of the county prison
at Maidstone.
All the prisoners had been convicted of wilful
murder; but in the case of the prisoner Tooth there
was no trial, as he pleaded guilty; and although Baron
Bramwell, the presiding judge, urged very strongly
upon him that the fact of his pleading guilty would
not have any effect upon the sentence that must be
pronounced upon him, he persisted in his plea. It
was intended in his case to have set up the plea of in-
sanity, hut the plea ef guilty prevented any inquiry
of his character taking place, and the offence sera, a,
serious that the authorities, after communicating with
Mr. Baron Bramwell, felt himself compelled to allow
the law to take its course.
The prisoner Moore, after his sentence, declared
that he was not guilty of the crime; hut almost im-
mediately afterwards admitted his guilt, and requested
the Rev. Mr. Fraser, the chaplain of the prison, to can-
vey his thanks to his counsel, the Hon. Mr. Stanhope,
for the able manner in which he had defended him,
and to inform him at the same time that he was
guilty of the murder. He subsequently entered
into full details. Although the prisoner and his
wife were separated, a very etrong feeling of af-
fection existed between them; and they used to meet
clandestinely, the deceased being afraid that if her
relatives, with whom she was living, became aware that
she was in correspondence with her husband, they
would turn her out of doors, he having no home to take
her to. One of these meetings took place on the day of
the murder, and, according to the statement of the
prisoner, they had walked along a lonely amt un-
frequented route in order not to run the ride of
meeting any of the deceased's relations, and eat down
to rest themselves. The prisoner reprerents that
they were on most friendly terms, but suddenly some
difference arose which led to angry words, and at
length, in a paroxysm of passion, he seized her by
the throat, and he said she was dead in an instant.
" At first," said the prisoner, " I stood aohlvt at
what I had done, and wished that POMO one might
have seen me, but afterwards I thought I would try
and escape." With this view he took the remainder
of the the change of a half-sovereign, which the peser
women had received just before, and put it into his
pocket, and threw the empty purse into the basket,
thinking to make it appear that she had been robbed.
He then shaved off his beard and whiskers in order to
dis'niss himself. This prisoner had served in the
artillery in India, and exhibited great gallantry.
Upon one occasion while in pursuit of the enemy
killing a native artilleryman, and wheeling the gun he
had the charge of to the British lines. For this exploit
be was highly complimented by the British general.—
At Moore's solicitation the following letter was sent
to Mrs. Tappenden. mother of the murdered woman,
by the Rev. W. F. C. S. Fraser, Chaplain to the
prison :
t' Kent County Prison, Maidstone, August e, 1572
Mrs. Tappenden,—l as, requested by Thomas Moore to
write to you to say he fully acknowledges his guilt in the
murder of his wife, your daughter, and to earnestly beg
that you will grant him your forgiveness for the crime.
He strongly protests that he committed the cruel deed
under an Impulse which came over him at the moment,
and that he by no means premeditated it. I would on my
behalf u well aa his, and indeed for your own sakes, beg
that you will at once write mid assure him of your forgive-
ness. I trust Its is very penitent for this and for his many
other heavi sins. lie will sign his name to this, in proof of
his accepting all I have said—Believe me, yours truly,
W. F. C. S. FRASER, Chaplain." "THOMAS MoOkE."
On receiving this letter Mrs. Tappenden communicated
with the vicar of Kennington, who wrote to Mr. Fraser
stating that Mrs. Tappenden wished him to say that
she did not feel capable of writing, but authorized
him to state that at the wish of Thomas Moore she
yielded to his request of forgiveness, having no de-
sire to do anything which would interrupt the
tranquility of his few remaining days on earth.
She, however, wished to say that she could not
accept Moore's declaration that he committed the
murder without premeditation, because inch an
assertion was inconsisteut with his previous threats
and conduct. Moore was much pleased to re-
ceive this letter, and on learning its contents he was
evidently greatly relieved by Mrs. Tappendeu's
assurances of forgiveness. He however, persised in
saying that he had not premeditated the death of his
wife.
The boy Bradford was convicted of the murder of a
comrade named Donohue, and it was proved that because
the deceased reported him to the corporal for disturbing
him and his other comrades in the sleeping-raoin of
the barracks at Dover, he got up in the dark, took his
bayonet, groped his way to the bedside of the deceased,
and thrust the bayonet into his holy to the depth if
above six inches, thus causing almost immediate death.
The prisoner did not exhibit the slighest remorse mem
being told that his unfortunate comrade was dead, but
on the contrary he appeared to h3ve made nee of a
most foul expression towards him, and said that now
lie would not report any one else.
The case of the third culprit, James Tooth, was
also a terrible one. He was at Chatham with his regi-
ment, in which the deceased was a drummer boy, and
after the regiment had been to church on a Sunday,
while the deceased was engaged iu reading in the
library of the barracks, the prisoner went behind him,
and before he could give any alarm or call out for as-
sistance, he cut his throat with a sauna cawing instant
death, the wound being of the most frightful character.
The prisoner was a Wesleyan, and had; been constantly
visited since his committal and conviction by the Rev.
Mr. Allen, a Wesleyan minister who officiates in
that capacity at the Marine Barracks, and who, from
the circumstances that had come to his knowledge, WN•
of opinion that there were strong grounds for believ-
ing that at the time the act was committed the prisoner
was in such a state of mind as not to be reeponsible
for his actions. The prisoner, however. all along stated
that he was fully aware he had committed a great
breach of military discipline, that he Mid committed a
murder, and that he. justly deserved the punishment
of death, and that punishment he wae prepared to under-
go. He, therefore, when placed in the dock to take his
trial, pleaded guilty, and although he was etrongly
urged to re consider the step he had taken, and told
distinctly that it would net have the least effect upon
the sentence that would be prenounced upon him, he
persisted in his plea. Since his condemnation the
prisoner has expressed the deepest sorrow for his crime,
and of his own will wrote a letter to the brother of the
deceased lad, who is a corvoral in the 3rd Buffo, and
begged him to forgive him the murder of his poor
brother. He stated that as he had heard there were
reports in the regiment that he had committed the
act out of revenge in consequence of the deceased
having done something to offend him, he was most
anxious to have it known that there was not
the slightest foundation for this risen, and that
instead of his having any animosity towards him
(the prisoner saiel,) "I loved the poor boy." "1
wish to assure you, this is the truth, aud you may
believe it as the dying statement of a man who will
goon be in the preeence of his Maker." He then
repeated that he never bore any malice to the deceased,
but on the contrary, he loved him as though he
were his own boy, and he said he had prayed very
often that God would forgive him, and if he was
sure the poor boy was in heaven he should die
happy. '1 he prisoner concluded his letter with this
expreesion, " I did it when I was mad with
drink." In addition to a petition sent to the Home
Secretary through the medium of the Anti-capital
Punishment Society, a memorial had also been sent by
the officers of the prisoner's regiment, representing
that he had no doubt been drinking heavily about the
time of the occurrence, and also that he had frequently
complained of pains in his head, and had appeared in a
wild and bewildered state, and on these grounds asking
for a commutation of the capital punishment. Those
representations were of no avail.
All the prisoners, according to the report of the
Rev. Mr. Fraser, the chaplain, and the officials of the
prison, appear to have conducted themselves in a most
exemplary manner since their conviction, and none of
them appear to have entertained the least hope that
the sentence would not be carried out.
On Saturday last, Tooth expressed a desire to write
to the brother of the murdered lad, who it a corporal in
the Marines, to ask his forgiveness for the crime. Ile
addressed him as "Dear Corporal Stook," and went on
to say that he was about to ask him to do something
which he was afraid was very difficult. and it was to
forgive him f. T the— of this poor boy, his brother.
The prisoner went on to say that it had been
reported that he committed the act from some
feeling of revenge, but he aesured him on the word
of a dying man, and who would soon be in the
presence of his God, that no such feeling ever
entered into his miud, and that he "loved the
poor boy," and at the time be committed the act
be did nit know what he was doing. The prisoner
requested him to forgive him, and to write to Min to
that effect. It apvears, however, that the brother of
the murdered had, instead uf writing, expressed a wish
to see the priamer, and to assure him that he for-
gave him, and he had an interview with the pri-
soner, who again assured him that he entertained
nu malice towards the deceased, and that the act
was quite unpremeditated. The brother told him that
he forgave him, and the prisoner appeared a good deal
gratified by what he said.
After his conviction, Bradford declared on several
occasions to the chaplain that until the inbtant when
the dreadful act wog c ,mmitted he had no animosity
against the deceased man, but be said that he was con-
stantly reporting him for little petty acts of annoyance,
and in an instant the thought occurred to him to get rid
of him. The prison tr. was described by the chaplaia
and the wardens as being a lad f apparently affec-
tionate disposition, and when the Rev. Mr. Fraser was
about leaving himon Monday evening, the rev. gentle-
man bade him good night, and said he wished he could
have done more for him, in allmion to the efforts that
had been made ta obtain a reprieve, he burst into teara,
and said, "Oh, sir, you have done a great deal for me;
you have been very, very kind, and no has the school-
master."

The chaplain (the Rev. Mr. Fraser) WM in the prison
on Tuesday morning at six o'clock, nod shortly after-
wards he adurinhtered the Sacrament to the prisoners
Moore and Bradford. It shonld be stated that although
the other prisoner, Tooth, wan repreeented to be a
'Wesleyan, and dr. Fraser NOM therefore precluded
from seeing him officially, still, at the earnest request
of the prisoner, he on several oceasicns had interviews
with him, and the prisoner expreseed himself grateful
to the chaplain for his kirolnese, The
Allen went to the prison on Monday evening, and re-
mained with the prisoner till he retired to rest, and he
was with him again at an early hour en Tnesday
morning, and remained with him till the last moment.
The execution was fixed to take place at half.past
nine o'clock, and shortly before that time Mr. Bren-
nen, the under aberitt of the county of Kent, arrived
at the prison with some of hie officers, and at this
time the representatives of the zees were al ad-
mitted. The ceremony of pinioning then took place
by Calcraft and hie assistant. Moore wns the first who
was taken to the re 0. 'l.eu 1 ' . rel. I!
. . .

iii 7 preparations-- se—el e gc;ing—on.-fie other culprit, Tooth,
remained in the cell with the list. Mr. Allen. All the
prisoners exhibited extraordMary firmness— inde,
Tooth appeared perfectly unconcerned, and no one could
have imagined, from his cool and collected demeanour,
the awful position in which he stood. When all
was ready he also was taken to the scaffold, and the
rope was at once placed round his neck, and the drop

fell almo4 immediately. Tooth and Moore, who were
large, heavy men, appeared to die almost instan-
taneously. Not so the boy Bradford, for he struggled
violently for two or three minutes before life was
extinct. The bodies, after hanging for an hour, were
cut down, and in the course of the day an inquest
was held, and the usual formal verdict woe returned.