The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-08-22 00:00:00

EXECUTION IN YORK CASTLE.

On !Tuesday morning at eight o'clock, the first
private execution was performed in York Castle, when
William Jackson suffered the last sentence of the law
for the murder of his sister, at Kirklidgton, a village
near Ripon. Jackson, a fine-looking man, only 29
years of age, and of military bearing, had for several
years served in the 77th root, and afterwards in the
Army Reserve. The circumstances of his murderous
act are fresh in the memory of the public, being simply
that, after a course of drinking, he left his house
one evening for the avowed purpose of going to
Ripon ; that the same evening he was seen in
the company of his sister in some lelds, and
that, near this spot, the dead body of the sister
was found on the following morning, her throat being
frightfully cut; and that the prisoner was not seen
afterwards until apprehended near Bishop Auckland.
The evidence which attached the act to Jackson was
the discovery of a pipe marked with blood and a razor-
case belonging to Istm near the scene of the murder,
and subsequent admissions of his knowledge of the
murder. Since his condemnation he has stoutly
protested his innocence, verbally both to those around
him, and in letters to his friends. On Monday he at-
tended Divine service in the chapel, and was afterwards
visited by the High Sheriff's chaplain, the Hon. and
Rev. E. C. Glyn, who had, at the convict's request, had
frequent and long interviews with him, who remained
with him for nearly two hours, and to whom and the
Rev. J. C. Thompson, the prison chaplain, he asserted
his innocence, and said he had not had a fair trial. On
Monday night he wrote a letter to his father and
mother, in which, after sending his love to two of his
brothers in America and other relatives, he carefully
wrote out the whole of the 514 Psalm, which he
begged them to read in remembrance of him. The
letter, however, contained no denial of his guilt. At
one o'clock on Tuesday morning the convict sounded
the bell for the Governor (Captain Lowrie), who im-
mediately went to him, when he at once said, "I am
guilty of the murder ef my sister." He then made the
following confession :
- I went to Bedale at nine o'clock in the morning of the sth
of May. My sister told me I waits come neck at three o'clock
in the afternoon, and then I should get my tea, and she
would set me to Kirklington. I came back to my mother's
house at three o'clock from Bedale and got my tea. I left
Carthorpe for Kirklington at ten minutes past five o'clock
with my sister We most to Kirklington together, and when
we got to Kirklington we went to Mrs. Husthwalte's and
stayed there for halt an hour, and then left for Ripon,
nip sister saying she would set me on the way. When we got
to Kirklington Church I told her she had better go back
again, as it was petting rather late. She said, 'No ;
go a little further yet.' SheJwent with me till we got to the
other side of the barn field. She then wanted to go with
use altogether. I nail, 'No, it's no use your talking, Lizzie ;
you shan't go with me, not at present.' But I said she
could conic to me when I got work. She said, 'No, I will
go with you now; for when you get away you'll never write
any more.' So I told her • Yes, twill . you needn't fear;'
but she said, • No, go with thee for I know what
thou is when thou gets away' So I said Good night' to
her. She commenced crying when I shook hands to part
with her. So when I shook hands with her and turned my
hack to go away from her, walking, as quick as ever I could,
she ran after me. Two men passed us while this was
taking place. When she got up to use I turned round and
mist, ' Now, Lizzie, you had better is hack." She says
to me, 'I will not go hack; wherever thou goes I'll
go with thee.' So I made no more to do, I opened my
black hag and took out my razor and cut my sister Lizzie's
throat. She screamed out when the blood flew out.
She dropped on the footpath and I lifted her off. She
muttered, 'Oh, Will.' I think, and then I ran away. My hand
was Moody when I opened the gate close by. I put the razor
in the hedge on the left hand aisle of the road, about a mile
from Well, on the Masham road. The razor is marked '77-
15L 0.0,: the handle, which I separated from the blade. I
went to a farmhouse near maalkam, at Gybdykes, and stopped
there in the barn till after three o'clock the next morning.
Then I pot up and proceeded to Gunton. I got there about
a quarter past nine o'clock and inquired lor Vs illlam Grainger.
'the mall I inquired of was the very man I wanted, and every-
thing took place as he stated in his evidence. I left Bunton
for Darlington about eleven o'clock, and got there about half-
past ten o'clock that night. I left Darlington, where I pawned
is coat and waistcoat, about noon on the 7th, and on my
jobriney to Bishop Auckland called at Mrs. Storey's public'
house, where the convenation she gave in her evidence took
place. I rode in a waggon to West Auckland, and had the
conversation given In evidence with the man it belonged to.
I was a little 'fresh; though I knew what I was doing, but
I could not help talking about it somehow. I stopped at
West Auckland all night, at the cinder ovens, and left the
next day for Bishop Auckland about eleven o'clock. I
arrived there at half-past twelve, and went to Mr. Thompson's,
the timber merchant, and asked if he wanted a wooddeader,
and he said lie sli,l, but I was to conic the next day. I left
Bishop Auckland on the Saturday morning for West Auck-
land where I was apprehended. lam very sorry for what I
have done, and cannot express lay remorse as I should like.
I loved her dearer than myself, and I hope that Gott will
forgive me ; and I am very sorry for not confessing this
great sin before this. WILLIAM JACKSON.
Condemned Cell. York Castle, 2 30 a.rn.,
Aug. IS, 1874."

Later in the morning—just, in fact, before the execu-
tion—be called the Governor to him, and uaid that the
v;iiimiee I.f AIN. Johnson, who wau a neighbour, WaN
quite true, and that was false which he had wiitten
since hi v eotalenniati.n attributing falsehood tuber.
" -- •

Shortly before eight o'clock, the High Sheriff (the I
Hon. Admiral Duncombe) and the Under-Sheriff 1
(Mr. W. Gray) arrived at the Castle, followed j
shortly afterwards by Captain Childers H. Thomp-
son and Mr. I'. Lockley, two of the visiting jus-
tices of the prison. Askern, the executioner, who
had entered the Castle on the previous night, en-
tered the "condemned cell," and the process of
pinioning was quietly submitted to by the convict.
The melancholy procession then left that place, the
chaplain re aim; the commencement of the burial ser-
vice. The bell of the adtacent Church of St. Mary's
tolled. The convict walked with a firm step and un-
moved appearance. He was pale, but not a muscle
could be men to fluiver. Arriving at the drop, which
projected from what had been formerly one of the
cells, and was wet with the staedy rain which was fall-
ing at the time, he knelt down and earnestly joined
in the service. which was being read. He audibly
repeated the Lord's Praper after the chmtlain,
and just as the Castle clock had announced
thd fatal hour, exclaimed, Lord have mercy
on me." Askern then stepped forward, covered
the convict's face in the customary cap, tied his legs,
and adjusted the noose round his neck. In an instant
the bclt was withdrawn, and the condemned man was
seen to be attongly quivering. He did not die nearly
' so Boon as most culprits, for the twitching of the nerves

and the spasmodic movements of the body could be
seen for fully three minutes after the bolt had been
drawn. II- was a strong-built, hale, and healthy man,
and strucided hard with death. The convict's
demeanour bad been of the most solemn and orderly
kind, and he evidently realized the awfulness of his
position. Those present, in accordance with the
requirements of the law, signed the formal document
of having seen the execution carried hut. Au Mouest
was held on the body at half-past ten.