The Express.
London, England, 1865-03-17 00:00:00

SHOCKING SCENE AT AN EXECUTION.

Yesterday morning Matthew Atkinson, the pit-
man, who was condemned to death at the Durham spring
senses, was executed in front of Durham Gaol, for the
murder of his wife, Ellin Atkinson, os the 17th Desember,
1864, at the Spec. • collier village neer Wielatoo, in the
minty of Durham. The time appointed for the enmities
was eight o'clock, and by six intending spestators of the
ghastly eons came thronging thickly into the city. The
greater proportion of them were evidestly miners, many of
whom must have walked toe`` &Mann. Amongst the
motley gathering were a 000aidersWe comber of women,
and young girls sad boys the females flaunting in the
gaudy colours which characterise the holiday attire of the
women of the mining population. About half past levee
Aiken, the executioner, appeared upon the scaffold,
and proceeded to attach the rope to the crossbeam.
He gave it sufficasot length for • fall of four feet, but r d
not satisfied with that, he shortly afterwards returned sad
increased the fall by about half a foot more. As the prison
alook struck eight, the undereheriff stepped time the
scaffold, closely followed by Atkinsoo, who looked wholly
cool and collected, but deathly pals. He walked forward
and placed himself beneath the gallows. White ed
in brief devotion with the chaplain, his internee seemed to
be affected by an irrepressible convulsive twitching of the
lower jaw but this was the only sign of emetics per-
ceptible. Just before Ashore put on the cap and drew the
noose around his seek, Atkisson cast a rapid glance up-
wards end mound, as if taking • last look at this earthly
sone. The bolt was drawn, and the drop fell,
but as the rope tightened with the weight of the miser-
We culprit, it napped like • pion of psekthread,
and he fell with • thnidering crash into the interior of the
scaffold. The dreadful merit was rendered more horrible
still by a hoarse sad deafesing cheer bunting from the
throats of the bridal spectators. The greatest excitement
instantly prevailed. What was peering within the grim
scaffold no one without could tell, and speculations were
heard on all aides as to whether the fall kid killed the
wretched man, or, if not dead, whether the officials would
proceed to reeinset the ghastly tragedy there sad this.
At the expiration of 20 neuter Askero settled all doubts
as to what would be does wider those unusual
and frightful eireurnaterese by appearing os the
scaffold with • piece of rape ias thin again
NI that which hd Illanna. While attaching it to the beam
he was saluted by &storm of groans sad hisses aid loud
odes of " Oh, you villain." A nuance two afterwards,
to the surprise of every_ one, the 11111rd•rer stepped seep-
ported
upon the scaffold, his pallid features hawk; seamed
• purplish tinge, and his meek being circled by a dark red
mark, showing what • terrible wrench the rope had give.
him. Ashen put the noose sroned his nook mid put forth
so much strength in drawing it tight as to draw down epos
him soother storm of hoots and groans. Own; to the
thickness and rigidity of the rope, however, he failed todraw
it close, and the consequence was that when the drop fall
the unhappy criminal struggled frightfully for several m-
onde before the gallows did its horrible mission.