The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-17 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF ROBERT COOPER.-(THIS LAY.)

The execution of Robert Cooper, who ens COll-
- at the list session of the Central Criminal Court of
the murder of • young woman, named Anne Jane
Burnham, by shooting her with a pistol, took place this
morning, at 8 o'clock, at Newgate.
The circumstances ander which the crime was committed
will be fresh in the recolle :Bon of the public. The
prisoner had cohabited with the deceased for
considerable time, the ceremony of marriage having
been previously gone through between them, but upon her
discovering that the culprit had a wife living she refused
reside with him any longer, and in • fit of desperation and pas-
sion he shot her. Notwithstanding the fact of his having
destroyed her life, there appears to be no doubt that be
entertained the deepest affection for the unhappy young
woman, and he has never ceased to express his deep re-
morse at the crime ; he aocouncs for his conduct by
saying that he was driven almost to frenzy, and that he did
not know what he was doing at the time he committed the
offence. He, however, declared on several occasions that
it was not true, as stated by one of the isituesses
at the trial, that he had shown three pistol bullet
to her a considerable time before the murder was
committed. He at the same time said that he
only purchased the pistol on the day before the
act was committed, in the Westminster-road, and that on
the same day he bought the bullets and the gunpowder at
another shop in Fleet-street, that he had no bullets in
his possession until this time, and that be committed the
offence under a sudden impulse.
The prisoner, it has been already stated, served in two
cavalry regiments. As he was a man of some education
and in particular a very good penman, be speedily obtained
the rank of corporal, and was for some time at the mili.
tary school, to be trained as an army schoolmaster ;
but it appeared that he deserted, and was branded
as • deserter with the letter I). After he wee dismissed
from the army he obtained • livelihood by his trade, which
was that of a painter and grainer, and at which, it is said,
he was very expert and able to earn good wages. Since his
conviction he has conducted himself in the most becoming
manner ; he was constantly engaged in apparently meet
fervent prayer, and he paid the most earnest attention to
the exhortations of the Rev. Mr. Davis, the chaplain of the
gaol. During his confinement he has been visited by one of
his brothers, the only relative he has in London. On
Friday his child by the unhappy deceased was brought
to the gaol by her grandmother. It is rather a singular
coincidence that she attained her second year on the very
day her unhappy parent died on the scaffold.
The culprit went to bed on Sunday night about ten
o'clock. It appears that he then slept soundly untilmt
' four when he got up and dressed himself, and
self in reading the Bible until he was visited engaged
Rev.
Mr. Davis, with whom he continued in prayer for • con.
siderable time. He acknowledged the justice of his sen-
tence, and expressed bin readiness to meet hisfate. Fors
considerable time after his conviction the culprit exhibited
• great deal of despondency, but as the fatal moment drew
nearer his confidence and firmness appeared to increase,
and be endured the fearful ordeal he had to pass through
with firmness.
Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Lawrence and Mr. Sheriff
Jones, accompanied by the nodersheriffs, Messrs. Mackrell
and Farrar, arrived at the gaol shortly before eight o'clock,
and they at once proceeded to the prees-room, accompanied
by Mr. Jonas, the governor of Newgate, Mr. Humphreys,
the chief warder, and other officials. After the culpi,t bad
been pinioned, he prayed for a short time in a loud firm
voice, and uttered • fervent request to the Almighty that
he might be pardoned for the sins he had committed, and
particularly for the heinous crime for which be was to
suffer. He had previously handed a written paper to Mr.
Sheriff Lawrence, but it appeared to be composed merely
of religions matters, and it was not considered dna-
able that it should be made public. Just before
d o'clock the mournful procession passed from the press-
room to the scaffold. Just as the culprit was about to
go up the steps he turned round and shook bands with the
sheriffs and thanked them for their kindness to him, and he
then walked on to the scaffold with • firm step. The
moment he was seen by the crowd there was a loud shout,
and several persons were heard to call out " Where's the
sweep ?" in allusion to the man Gardner, who had been
respited, and • good many persons at the same time ex-
Zeretheir belief that the greeter criminal of the two
/aped. When the bolt was drawn the culprit ap-
peared to struggle convulsively fora few woods, and then
all was over.
After hanging the usual time the body was cut down and
placed in a obeli, and in the coarse of the day it wail buried
in one of the passages of the gaol, by the id& of Catherine
Wilson, the poisoner.
The number of perm= present at the execution was not
considerable, but there were a larger number of women
among them than usual.