The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-27 00:00:00

EXECUTION AT JEDBURGH.

(Poem the Bonier 4dvertieer.)
On Thuteday John Wilson, ore of the two railway
labourers convicted a; the recent Justiciary Court at Jed-
burgh for the murder of William Lauder at last Bt. Boswell's
Fair,. and concerning which we published full particulars at
the lame, underwent the utmost penalty of the law in front
let the county jail ; the other man, Bred y, who was alto
Illmind guilty of to, same crime, having oltalsed a respite
for three week', but respecting th • course that the law will
ultimately pantie regarding him nothing is definitively
known, though it is generally believed that his
sentence will be commuted to transportation for life.
At an early hour the town presented an unusual
and bustling appearance. Throughout the entire
night it rained incessantly, and when the dayaky
broke the rain still continued. Notenthstesoing, Wigs
numbers of counts y people flocked into the town, and eon-
gregau d in the neighbourhood of the Council-house, where
a burgher guard, numbering upwards of 200, armed with
batons only, were drawn up. About 7, they proceeded
In regular marching order, under their respective officers, up
Castle-street, and defiled in front of the gaol, sad on both
sides of the inclosed ground within the outer gate they took
up their station. About half an hour after a detachment of
upwards of sixty soldiers of the 21st regiment of infantry
marched up is the prison, and lined the space Mune-
diatily around the leaffeld On the top of the jail
the black flag was hoisted very early. The death
Deli within began to toll about half past seven,
sod was continued up to the time the unfortunate
man was brought out, which was exactly 8 a.m. Wilson
ascended the steps leading to the scaffild, accompanied by a
Roman catholic priest and the magistrates, with a firm step,
but pale face. He was deemed in a blue jacket, light vest,
and drab trousers—the same, it will be remembered, as he
alleged he had on on the fair day. He joined in the reading
of the L•ird's Pray.er, the Creed, and a portion of the 15th
chapter of Ist Cunnthians. He appeared extremely fervent
in his devotions. If he made any confession to the priest, it
is not known ; but just as he was about to ascend the drop
he was asked if he had any declaration to make, on which he
spoke nearly as follows : 'I am going to be launched into
eternityto face my Ood, and I em not going with a lie in my
mouth. I neither lifted stick norstone on the fair day. lam
about to suffer for another men." He then pardoned the
judge, jury, end witnesses who had condemned him ; he also
freely torr.v• all his enemies. The executioner, Murdock.
of Glasgow, a feeble old man, and said to be upwards or HO
years old, the same functionary who officiated at the pre-
vious execution in Jedburgb 18 years ago, then adjusted the
rope around his neck, after which be handed the napkin to
Wilson to give the missal when he wished the fatal belt to
be drawn. TLis was done al.nost immediately after it had
beet handed to him, and in en instant he was suspended is
mid air. Death must have been almost instantaneous, con-
sidering the depth he fell, and as he scarcely gave a struggle.
He was about 20 years of ige. lie was a native of the county
of Down, in Ireland, and, as will nave been gather d, •
Roman estho3c. The provost of the burgh and the catholic
clergyman were with him till an early hour in the morning.
He rested but little, but was wonderfully composed and col-
lected. The crowd which had assembled to witness the ex-
ecution was not numerous; we are of opinion that it did not
exceed 2,000, amongst which number were a few females, a
great number of whom left the ground when Wilson a--
eluded the scaffold. All appeared te he wee. or Um itheeted
by the scene; a few of the burgher guards fainted, and rimy
Wed tears. Most of the spectators were from the matey,
there being comparatively few townspeople peewee.
Handl% ds of =entry people arrived too late to
witnaes the execution, but they all pressed for-
ward to obtain a view of the body as it swung to and fro.
Thi re were no navvies present at the execution, but a dorm
arrived shortly after, and a few of them, as well ea a woman
who was in their company, wept very much sod very bit-
early on behelding the dead body, which was cut down about
9 o'clock, and interred within the precincts of the prison. It
is now eighteen years since any one has been s xecuted at
Jaen orgh. The last individual who suffered Do ignmaktously
was Thom as Rodger, • native of Coldstream, who was con-
victed of the wilful murder of en Irishman tear Kelso.
Much sympathy was felt for Rodger iu these.
quence of his previous good conduct, and certain other
extenualeg circumstances. It is somewhat singlet., that
whilst the last QM previous to Wilson should have been
hanged for murdering a Irishman, that It should have been
exactly reversed on this occasion. It is also worthy. of re-
mark that similar weapons should have been wed in both
wee. It certainly ssys a good deal for the morality of th:
border °Dundee, competing those of Berwick, Peebles, Sel-
kirk, end It ',church, containing somewhere between
110,000 and 120,000 inhalidents, and extending over an
area of 1,684 square miles, that only one execution should
have occurred during the long (but not too long) period of
- %teen years.