The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-04-11 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF PARKER AT YORK.

Perhaps not within the recollection of any person living in
the city ia York has the severest sentence of the lair loth
Carried out 11l any single Dietance iu a Lich the late of the
culprit has molted less in mouthy than that klariell iii the
execution of Feptierilt Parker for the murder of Datitel Dris-
cull, at S tuth thiflield, rear stilly. The Ww.laintatiee o; the
Murderer and his victim commenced iu the Beverley II isle
of Correction, to which the former was consig iii bur steal-
ing fowls, sod the latter for stealing a coat. Their periods
If imprisonment tirminated tin the same day, awl anti; alvait
ten minutes elapsed between the time f the discharge cf
ea-h. The same niorning they met at is publie.hidve iu
it, viirley, where they hail refteihtneh( together, and during a
c..ityerNittimi a, to the cans., of their imprisonment, Driscoll
. who was a tramplig bricklayiT mom 'edition) remarked that
his wan not from the want of money, at the saute time ilia-
pl 71 g about £5 before his cointithioe's eyes. The vision
wan too ninth fix Parker, anis 41elernalatig V. possess I If
of the monev, he at the noire time deed to ace i quid ish his
end hy an act of murder. The long hours of that day and
night they spent together, the latter in the neighbottrhood of
South Duffield Is which direction Either had enticed
his victim, under the promise that he would there be
enabled to find work ; and on the billowing morning,
which was Sunday, the Ist of March, Parker, whilst, tile
compinion was bending down ti wards the rood for the Jr.
plan of fastening his bout, possessed liiinselt of a hedge-
stake, and with a blow rendered Driscoll insensible, and by
repetition thereof killed him. Driscoll's hotly was a few
hours afiera-suds found fearfully injured and perfectly life-
less in a ditih, and the weapon which loot accomplialiml the
deed lay by his We. No 4.1 witnessed the act, mid the evi-
dence which traced it to the culprit Raker Wan of a circum-
stantial character. Within a few hours of the discovery he
was within a .ew miles of the scene of the murder found
dealing with deceased'n watch, and almost precisely the
amount of money which he had possessed, whilst Parker
hinist If when he left the prison haul only a few slollings.
Ile was there tire apprehended, COMMittc,l. and at the leceltt
York asazes found guilty end sentenct it ti hue 111111 g. At
first. after condemnation, he confeetted to the killing, hut
sahl it way time la a iplarrel, and then, fintlitig all hope if
Me gone, he acknowledged ac-ant of money, and a preds
ternthistion to murder front the time he Brat saw the de-
erasers money at Beverley. His confession Wan a rosy
minute detail of the circumstances, and corrolsorated the
evidence of every reliable witness who was heard Oa the
trial.

After his condemnation Parker, under the ministration of
the Rev. J. C. Dammam', the chaplain of the Ca.tle, was
Utterly penitent, and when during ltet, week he rerileit the
visits of mine twelve or fourteen of his friends he cub, tried
thein to avoid drink, whleh he signified was the rto,k upon
which be had been wrecked, mot to turn to their Plater a*
the only one who c mild find them twane now Mid in the time
to Otto. In his earnestness after the nnioistrations if the
Chaplain he preserved the greatest cheerio he so, awl ou
day morning, after partaking of the Help rho, sliest. lie, by his
own desire, attended chapel to take part sir the usual morn-
ing prayers. Ihalf an hour before the little of execution
(twelve o'clock at noon, he was removed fro., his e,:it to the
pinioning room, where, apart from his devotion, Ins last act
was to hand to the charge of the governor a letter too friend
to lie read to a r.umber of others, warning them 44 the result
of his weakness, and prays g them to ay.A.l the temptation/I
of the war it. tlll the senth .1,, lie 51111 11 prayed, anti then sur-
rendering himself to the hand. ot Thomas Askern, the eve.
enhance of Maltby, near Rotherha., a cap was drawn over
his hgad, the noose adjusted, the bolt dream and his soul
launched into eternity. A slight cotivillsive twitelpng was
all that indicated the Momentary life left, and in sri hour
lifter the lady wn, out elven and interred within the pre-
cincts of the prison.
The crowd who assembled to wituess the execution would
be nearly 10,000, and amongst Vie whole body hot a word of
sympathy was heard for the fate of the culprit
Parker, when only a lioy of tee age of tell, was committed
to Beverley !louse of Correction for a month Sr placing a
rail across the line if the 801 l soil SelhN Railway, snot sill,.
tAIVII, 10 the atistiioo rnf parental authority—be tieing an
orphan—liaS beem notoriiiiiii as a mischievoue person. Ills
age was but twenty-,ote.
That the s (flee of executioner is net fir a while to go •
brio:log, it, nosy be mentioned that early on naitilany morn-
ing a countryman volunteered his rermees at York Castle.