The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-11 00:00:00

THE CONDEMNED CONVICT WRIGHT.

A petition has been forwarded to his Royal Righ-
tism the Prinoe of Wales, from the medial practitioners of
Southwark, praying hie royal highnethe intarcessioa to
obtain from her Majesty a commutation of the sesame of
Wright, who now lie In Honemouger-lane gaol under sen-
tence of death, ea go act la graces on the birth of • prim
in direct succession to the throne. Amoogat the sigoatude
are included those of Dr. Enos, Dr. A. Edgar* Dr.
Almada, Dr. Neal. Eerie, Dr. Lieweffya, Dr. Hoodersoo,
Dr. P. Want, Dr. R. A. Bolt, Dr. J. R. Turner, Dr.
Howell, kg.
On titarday evening a crowded meeting of the
andemen and working-clams of Lambeth and South-
work was held at the Lambeth Baths, in the Westroin-
ster-road, to Mr the result of the memorials pre-
seated to Sir George Grey on behalf of the above unfor-
tunate man, and to make another and final effort to
procure a commutation of the capital punishment.
The following memorial to Sir George Grey was adopted:—
"That the memorialists heard with unfeigned regret of the
failure of the memorial already presented ; that they be-
lieve it Wright bad had his trial postponed and legal as-
lilltilboo, his crime would have bees reduced to one of man-
slaughter ; that the moral effect of the execution of Wright
wield be lost on the public, who. keeping in view the cle-
mency recently extended to another crunueol,would consider
him to be punished as much for his poverty and
position as for his crime ; and that they mother the
suspicions event of the birth of a young prince • fitting
opportunity for the extension of the royal mercy, kn. kr."
It has been dated already that the Secretary of State had
sent a reply on Thursday to the memorial of the visiting
magistrates of If oreemonger-lane Prison. The following i
the reply of Sir George Grey :
" Whitehall, Jan. 7.
" Geotlemen,—l am directed by Secretary Sir George
Grey to acknowledge the mead of your madam' in be-
half of Samuel Wright, now under sentence of death for
murder. In reply lam to acquaint you that, having re-
fared the petition addressed to him by the prisoner, together
with hi own statement, and other &canal' relating to
the cage, to the learned judge before whom the prisoner
was arraigned, Sir George Grey has boss informed
by him that be believes the primer to have perfectly
thelinacod what he was doing when he pleaded guilty.
and that in his opinion the result must have been the more
had be stood on aid, unless the jury neglected to do their
duty. He farther thinks that evened the satermat Mee
made by the primer could have been heard by the jay it
would not have Piddled them in retuning • verdict of
manslaughter, though, assuming its truth, it deprives the
crime of the character of being • cold-blooded and deliberate
murder. The judge, pander, while giving no opinion as
to whether, under the cireamilinemi, atomism of she law
should be executed or sot, adverts to the foot that there was
nothing tending to that that there bad been any violence se
the part of the woman, except the prima's exprethos
when apprehended (not as dated in the memorial that she
had threatened to run • knife laic him) but ' that is the
knife the took np tome,' meaning • knife found by the po-
liceman on the %hie ; and he adds that if there had been
env sock struggle es would in point of law have sufficed to
reduce the crime to manslaughter. he should have expected
that there would bay. been traces of it on the prisoner's
clothes and person, and that the noise would have Ms
heard. Sir George Grey has no ream to doubt the
AM that the wawa was • violent woman and • arailyeZ
chassoler, but he can find nothing in the cartons declass-
dons and documents which have been emit to him which
alters the view of theme taken by the learned judge. Two
indeed, in describing what took pia at the
Feathers say that on the prisoner coming to the
tavern and calling for • gime of ale tie woman began quer-
rennet with him, mid sand him twice, one of them adding
that 61 appeared to take it all in good part. Even on the sup-
that this is tics, Wader that the blows said to have
li
struck by the gram were sot snob as to cam pro-
vocation 'aliment to rodeos the crime committed is soother
glow, an boar afterwards, from murder to manslaughter ;
bet the statements themselves are not borne out by the
primer's own statement, in which nothing is said of these
alleged blows, or of any provogation until the woman woke
1 Ithe and said she woad ens • bet of odd steel into him ;
bet whether or not she had • knifes her hoed he
mid sot say. They then, according to his stata
=ad more words, sad • souffle ensued, when be
up the razor and cut her throat. Under these
@isthmian" however painful it is to see emu of hitherto
meth elmeter nada senteace at death for such • crime,
Sir
.George Grey regale that he can feel justified in sa
aiming, oadrary to the °pinto* of the learned judge sad to
She foci as they appear from the depositions and the venous
documents before him, either that the primer did sot
thew what be was daft, and the consequences of it when
he pleaded guilty, or that, if he had pleaded 'not guilty,'
and the trial had alma plan, the verdict could have bees
any ether than that of wilful murder. It is the of those
and area, unfortunately only too Name% in which, with-
. eei any *old-blooded or deliberate pregoodiation, life is taken
under the infiusuces of ungoverned park" bat with • full
belisstioe at the time, as evidenced by ths tmed• deadly wee-
. pm, end the nature of the injury isfildad, to take Iffe, and
. Tidied such provocation a oath reduce the grime to
. To pommels the seritesme ce the on
. wimakitrert beet pressed walk!, in fact, be to Ultra •
MI el law as to the distinction helms murder and man-
. daughter astray to that which is well - •th
' WM., in Me oda= of the learned judge, is to
. the present ome. It is, therefore, with mud regret that
Sir George Grey feels he would not be judified is seeding
to the pother of your memorial.--1 am, godlemen, your
thedient eirthat, piped) " 111.1rentiutoroa.
"The Ville" Julien et the likerrey County Geol."

Imsz-NALL.—The Sacred Harmoniz Sociags
mat omen tikes plese as Friday mask whoa Ha 's
Orwition will be yertarvesi slur Ilia arsesisa Mr.
flesh. Mamma Pam* Mr. Was Rams, sad Mr. Santis,
Mai tie pulsolpehemaible.