The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-26 00:00:00

THE ESSEX MURDERERS.

The following additional particulars as to the
execution and List momenta of Thomas Drury and Sarah
Claesham are from a second edition of the Chelmsford
Chronicle of yesterday
On Monday night Drury was attended by the chaplain to
a late hour, and after be had been left by the officials he
went to bed and slept till four o'clock the following morn-
ing. lie then ruse, and began to prepare for the awful
proceedings. As the time approached he was faint, but
took little nourishment, and in the apprehension that
stimulants might be required, brandy was kept in readi-
ness.
At an early hour Drory was visited in his cell by the
chaplain, who continued incessant in his spiritual atten-
tion upon him until the fatal hour approached. Soon
after nine o'clock he was taken to the cell near the foot
of the gibbet, trembling on his way in every limb. Here
the chaplain took leave of him with a word of part-
ing consolation, and the executioner proceeded to the
operation of pinioning. The woman at the same time was
brought from the cell in the women's part of the prison,
from which she was obliged to be taken by two female
attendants ; and being placed in the second cell near the
gallows, the same operation of pinioning was performed.
Since her condemnation this culprit hail not left her cell
withoutcompulsion, and having had nu exercise, the coast-
, quence was that her legs were much swollen, and she
walked with difficulty. She left in the hands of the matron
a long written statement, which is merely a recapitulation
of the charges and recriminations she has made against
other parties as to causing the death of which she is acsused;
but she steadily denied to the last that she was guilty of the
foul offence fur which she was condemned. It is not true
that she has admitted poisoning several other persons. On
Monday night she retired to bed hat slept little, and was in
a state of deep agitation and agony of mind.
Drury, as we have noticed, freely admitted his guilt, but
stated, as detailed elsewhere, that dad Denny persuaded
him to marry Miss Giblin, and then poison her by holding
to her nose in her sleep a lel which she (dad) would sup-
ply. As to the mode in which the murder was committed,
be stated that they met by accident at the stile, when he
told her he could not talk with her then, but if she would
meet him in an hour's time, he would have some chat with
her; that they met accordingly, at the mead, but in the
mean time he had gone to the cellar, where a rope was hang-
ing that had been left in the garden a fortnight before by a
who came to buy some damsons ; the rope was brought
,term the the basket with, and the piece of tope that was
eiharwards found in the stable was a piece of that which
was round her neck ; he took this piece of rope, and put it
in his bosom—though on this point he was very contra-
dictory, fist stating that he carried it in his bosom, then
that he had carried it in his pocket, and then that he took
it out of the cellar; that having met the girl they walked
and talked together a few minutes, when they sat down at
her suggestion on the bank; while sitting there he got the
end of the rope out of his bosom and round her neck with-
out her being aware of it, it being dark, and it was not till
he had got the noose round that she was aware of what he
was doing, on which she immediately jumped up and peeped
the rope with her hand, but ha pulled it violently tight,
and she fell insensible ; he then, as she lay, twisted the rope
round her neck in the way it was found, and laying her
as she was discovered, left her and went to Brentwood with
his basket of eggs. He admitted he was the father of the
child of which Jael was pregnant; and expressed a hope that
his fate would be a warning to all young men and women.
Drury left a dot ument in his own handwriting, addressed
to the High Sheriff of Essex, and dated Monday, March
24th. We are not at liberty to publish it verbatim, but the
following may be relied upon as the substance of it. It
states that for the grievous and dreadful offence for which
Coulson took him into custody, be acknowledged that be was
justly convicted; that he was about to forleit his life se-
cordiog to law as an example, he hoped and trusted, to de-
ter others tram committing so wicked and horrid a crime ;
and he prayed God that it might have that effect,
and that his poor and unfortunate victim, that he so barba-
rously and maliciously deprived of life, was now in heaven
at rest, for with God all things were possible • and might
the Lord, in his gooduesa, have mercy on Id; soul. His
humble petition and request was that he (the sheriff) would
order, if possible, that the money (SI. Ils. 4d.) that was
found on his person and taken from him by Mr. Coulson,
be given over to the poor unfortunate deceased's mother,
Louisa Last, of Doffilinghunit, as part restitution for the
grievous injury he had done her, as he desired to die in
peace with all mankind; and this would greatly oblige him,
the unfortunate criminal.