The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-03-24 00:00:00

DOUBLE EXECUTION.

The execution of Alfred Scandrett and James Jones,
for thz. murder of Mr. Philip Ballard, took place on
Tuesday morning within the precincts of Hereford
Prison. Berry, who arrived at Hereford on Monday
afternoon, and testedthe apparatus, was the execu-
tioner. The scaffold was erected under a shed on the
north-western side of the prison buildings, the drop
being the same as was first used in this gaol two
years ago. Representatives of the local papers only
were admitted to witness the execution. At about
five minutes to eight Berry proceeded to the cell
occupied by Jones, and quickly pinioned him, then
proceeded to Scandrett's cell, where he performed
a like operation. The gaol chaplain, the Rev. G. L.
Spencer, had been with the men for some time pre-
vious. The men were then brought out and placed
between warders, by whom they were conducted to
the scaffold yard, the chaplain following, repeating
the words "Lord, remember not our offences." Both
men were ghastly pale, and appeared much agitated,
but bore themselves with firmness and walked with-
out assistance to the scaffold, where Berry quickly
strapped them. Neither spoke, but their lips moved
as though in silent pra3-cr. Berry then pulled two
white caps out of his pocket, and placed them over the
faces of the condemned men . As the closing sen-
tences of the service were being repeated, Berry
quickly stepped aside, pulled the lever, and the drop
fell. A drop of six feet had been allowed, and death
was instantaneous, although the rope to which Jones
was attached was seen to quiver for about a minute.
Scandrett never moved. There was not the slightest
hitch throughout the time occupied for the pinioning,
in the cell to the time when the drop fell. Not-
withstanding that the weather was intensely cold, a
large crowd had assembled outside the gaol to await
the hoisting of the black flag.
The inquest was opened at ten o'clock. The faces
of both bodies, when viewed by the jury, were
extremely livid. The following letter from the prison
chaplain was read to the jury: "Dear Mr. Coroner,—
I do not propose to attend the inquest to be held here.
I presume that the proceedings will be of a formal
nature, and it would be extremely painful for me to
be present. It may perhaps be a legitimate oppor-
tunity for satisfying reasonable public curiosity if I
ask you to state at the inquest that I received, very
shortly after the trial, a confession from both of the
condemned prisoners of the time and circumstances
of the crime which they have expiated with their
lives. Scandrett struck both the blows which caused
Mr. Ballard's death, Jones being close to him, and an
eye witness. The hatchet was in Scandrett's posses-
sion the whole time. Ido not think it necessary or
desirable to enter into details. Both men, before and
after their trial, submitted most readily to my minis-
trations; and I honestly believe that they both died
sincerely penitent,"

LOCAL GOVERNMENT..
MR. RITCHIE'S BILL.—OPINION IN THE
COUNTRY.
In London, all the leading papers have received
the Government proposals, as explained by Mr. Ritchie
in the House of Commons on Monday, with favour.
The Daily Telegraph, for example, said :—Mr. Ritchie's
Local Government Bill may be at once and confidently
pronounced a remarkable success. It has been drawn
up with painstaking comprehensiveness,vigilant care,
great tact and judgment, and thoroughly business-like
intentions ; nor is the credit for these char-
acteristics really diminished by the fact that the
subject-matter had been well discussed and
ventilatek! beforehand. It may be taken for
granted that the President of the Local
Government Board did not fail to profit by the
labours of those who have preceded him in consider-
ing the vast problem, and that he availed himself of
the assistance of more than one member of the
Cabinet. The upshot, however, in any case, is that
Mr. Ritchie has evolved a measure which is as
simple and practical as it is wise and all-embracing;
a bill which, on its first introduction, has had the
rare fortune to conciliate almost all opinions and
satisfy almost every interest; a bill of which it is
hardly too much to say that it stands already—as to
its general scope and purport—in a position to defy
adverse criticism. _ _ _

The Conservative county gentlemen, as a body, make
no secret of their surprise and consternation at the
magnitude of the Government's proposals on the Local
Government Bill. The Manchester Guardian London
correspondent says. While they prefer to reserve
judgment on the details of the measure, they regard
it, as a whole, as likely to lead to many mischievous
results, not the least among them being ruinous local
expenditure. It is, however, necessary to say that
this feeling is not unanimous. Not a few Members
with rural interests have come to regard a change in
county government as inevitable, and are disposed to
resign themselves to the Government proposals, on the
ground that since a reform had to be made, it is as
well that it should be carried out thoroughly, and
put on a durable basis. Among the experienced
Parliamentary tacticians on the Ministerial side of the
House, the view seems to be pretty generally taken
that the measure, as a whole, is far too large and
complicated to pass into law this season, and that at
all events the provisions with regard to London
government will have to be lopped off. This view is
shared by many of the older hands on the Opposition
side of the House. The Unionists as a body are
delighted with the measure. With regard to details,
opinion is at present undeveloped, except in respect to
the licensing clauses. These will be strongly opposed
by the Temperance party, who object to the vested
interests which they will create, and who think that
the handing over of the increased fund raised by
licenses to the county authorities will have the effect of
giving the latter an interest in maintaining the number
of public-houses within the scope of their authority.
There is much grumbling among the representatives
of the publicans at the proposed addition to
the cost of licences, but I understand (says the
Guardian correspondent) that several of the large
brewers have already intimated that they will accept
the proposal of the bill as a fair compromise and will
advise the publicans to do the same. The members
interested in the question of proportional representa-
tion object to the proposed single-member districts,
and will debate this point at the proper opportunity.
As a whole, however, there is no doubt that the re-
ception of the bill has been distinctly favourable,
though the feeling of satisfaction is much more
unanimous and strongly marked on the Liberal than
on the Conservative benches..
The Leeds Mercury declares it is such an advance
on the former attempt by a Tory Government to deal
with this question 10 years ago as almost to outrival
any political somersault they have yet attempted. To
sum up this bill in a sentence, the very best that can
be said of it is this : It is a revolution, and its
authors are a Tory Government! The bill is, in the
opinion of the Birmingham Post, an infinitely better
and more liberal measure than could have been ex-
pected. It is a scheme which, in its largeness of
scope and its frank and honest recognition of the re-
presentative principle, no Conservative Government
up to this time would have dreamt of proposing; and
therefore it may be taken as marking, in a most
striking and significant manner, the advance which
has taken place in general political ideas.
The Liverpool Daily Post says : "On the whole it
must be joyfully admitted that with all faults the Tory
Local Government Bill is a very liberal and large-
minded measure."
The Liverpool Courier thus concludes an article
expressing fair satisfaction: "Enough that the
Government has shot Niagara' with a great and
worthy project, with an open mind to avail itself of
all the wisdom of parliament, a frank confession that
it has been unable to deal witn every existing anomaly,
but will, above all, a firm determination to transmit
to the new elective bodies in no make-belief way
powers and privileges which are now reposed in
various Government departments.
The IVinvcastle Chronicle says :—" Without com-
mitting ourselves to the details of the scheme, as far
as we can gather from the statement of Mr. Ritchie,
we think the bill deals with an extremely difficult and
complicated subject in a comprehensive and liberal
spirit. Although it may be capable of amendment, it
meets in a fair way the universal demand for county
government reform. We believe Parliament and the
country will discuss it not in a partisan and captious
spirit, but with an honest desire to evolve from it a
workable scheme of county government which will
put our rural population in possession of the advan-
tages enjoyed by urban populations."
The Dublin Press regard the Local Government Bill
with evident satisfaction.

The Irish Times says: Mr. Ritchie's scheme has
decentralisation for its object. Conservatives and
Moderate Liberals have never been rash advocates
for centralisation. It has been the vice of extreme
Liberals and Radicals, and in Ireland all the methods
adopted for drawing everything to a centre at the
Castle have been Liberal methods, against which the
Irish Conservatives constantly bi.t ineffectually pro-
tested.
The Freeman's Journal says this Local Government
measure is obviously attempted to please two parties.
It remains to be seen whether the proposals will be
accepted by either party.
The Dublin &press says it is satisfactory to observe
that the new Local Government Bill is distinctly not a
revolutionary measure. The profound secrecy in which
the proposals have been shrouded by the Government
is one of the self-created difficulties of the measure.
The most satisfactory fact about it is that it offers no
point upon which the Unionist party is likely to be
divided.

_ .
EVERY day should be distinguished by at least one
particular act of love.
ANGRY words are fuel to the flame of wrath, and
make it blaze the more fiercely.
TEIE first degree of folly is to think one's Self wise;
the next, to tell others so : the third, to despise all
counsel.