The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-11 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF THE MURDERER

BOUTHEY.--(TEMS DAY.)

The execution of the above extraordinary crimi-
nal was to isle place this morning at 12 °Week at Maid•
stone.

It would be needless to recapitulate at any great length
the particulars of the fearful crimes committed by
Southey. In 000 l blood and with the utmost deliberation
he, in the first instance, destroyed the lives of three
children at the Star coffee-home, in Holborn, and then,
apparently bent upon carrying out his minion of blood.
he rushed off to Revenge, where his wife, whom he had
deserted for eight years, and a child, whom he bad nos
seen during that period, resided. These be murdered in
the most harbaroue manner, shooting first his wife and
then his daughter. He made no attempt to escape, but
apparently gloried in what he had dose. He has never
appeared to entertain the slightest notion that any of the
dreadful acts he committed constituted a crime;
whatever the condition of his mind really may have been,
there seems to be no doubt that he fancied he was
justified in what he did. Although an endeavour was made
to establish the defence of insanity at the trial, it appeared
to have no impreeeion either upon the jury or the audience
In the court. The almost unexampled occurrence of the
counsel for the prosecution being actually cheered when he
bed ooncluded a painful reply on behalf of the crown, and the
fatal verdict of guilty, the effect of which would necessarily
be to consign the wretched prisoner to the scaffold,
being received in • similar manner, duly testified the
abhorrence created by the crimes the prisoner had
committed, and at the same time conveyed the impres.
sion that no denbt was entertained that the prisoner was
entirely responsible for his actions.
The prisoner's conduct has been very extraordinary ever
since he has been convicted ; such indeed as to create e
strong impression in the mind of the Rev. Mr. Woolmer,
the chaplain of the gaol, that his mind was disordered,
and this opinion was not altered down to the
last moment of the culprit's existence. The effect al
this opinion wee to create a strong effort during the last
few days to induces Sir G. Grey to respite the sentence until
an opportunity was afforded for instituting • sales
tifie inquiry into the state of the prisoner's mind.
It should be explained that in order to justify
the Secretary of State in taking this step, it Is necessary.
under the provisions of a recent statute, that the visiting
justices of the gaol when the culprit is confined should
elan • certificate of their belief that he I. Meese. Mr.
Ormerod, • barrister in the Hoene Ober% aid other
gentlemen who took an interest in the matter, acting in
conjunction with Mr. Gold, the attorney for the prieones,
took the necessary steps to bring the matter before the
justices, and by their direction the prisoner was Cited by
Dr. Kirkman, the physician of the County Lunatic Asylum
at Harping-heath, and • gentlemen poemmed of great ex-
perience in cases of insanity. Dr. Kirkman, after full
opportunity had been afforded him for forming • conclusion.
gave • certificate, which was handed to Mr. Method, the
ch►irman of the visiting justices, end they ware nasal.
measly of opinion that the certificate of Dr. %khans was
not of a character to justify them in expressing an opinion
that the culprit was insane. The Home Secretary
would have no power to stay the execution of • culprit
on the ground of insanity, except upon the expression
of such an opinion by the visiting justices, but
as it is understood, out of deference to the opinion of the
chaplain and other circumstances, they resolved upon di-
recting Major Bannister, the governor of the gaol, to pro-
ceed to the Homeofilos snd lay the certificate of Dr. Kirk-
man before Sir G. Grey, bat they positively declined to ex-
press any opinion upon it. Major Babnister accordingly pro-
ceeded to London on Monday, and bad an interview
with Sir G. Grey, and handed him the certifi-
cate of Dr. Kirkman, but, upon perusing it, and
ascertaining that the visiting justices had not given any
opinion upon the subject, and that, in point of fact, they
did not miesider themselves justified in mating that they
believed the prisoner to be insane, he at once, in the most
positive manner, stated that he could see nothing that
would justify him in interfering with the course of the
law, and that the execution must proceed at the
appointed time. It should be stated that the
prisoner was not at all aware of the efforts that
were being made to delay the sentence, sad me-
sequently there was no necessity to make him
acquainted with the fact that they hal entirely failed.
Southey has all along been led to understand that
there was no chance of the sentence being in any way
commuted, and he latterly appeared to be quite raking.
When the governor of the gaol communicated to him the
fact of his having received the warrant for his execution
from the sheriff, he addressed the governor in the same
affected tone of voice in which he spoke during the trial,
and said, " Major Bannister, will you favour me
with a sight of the document by which a fellow
creature is to be consigned to another world?'
The major handed him the warrant, which merely
formally states that the prisoner was convicted in due form
of law of the crime of wilful murder, and that he was
thereupon ordered to be hanged by the neck until he was
dead, and that this sentence was to be carried out on the
11th of January, and Southey, haring carefully perused
it, banded it beck to Major Bannister and smiled, but did
not make any further observation.
Ile has occupied himself almost constantly in writing,
and Major Bannister permitted him to so employ himself
until 12 o'clock at night, on several occasions, at the pri-
soner's earnest request. He has appeared to enjoy his meek,
and slept soundly almost every night.
The culprit does not appear tl have been visited by any
relation since he bas been at Maidstoae. The only persons
who have seen him arc his attorney, Mr. Gold, and Dr.
Kirkman.

Mr. Scsidarnore, the under•sheriff for the county, whose
duty it was to see the sentence of the law csrried into efface,
arrived at the prison, accompanied by some of hie officers.
shortly before 12 o'clock, but, in accordance with the rev-
lotions sod the order of the Secretary of State, no strangers.
the representatives of the press included. were allowed to
be present.

WAITING AT THE HOSPITAL-S.—The following
letter appears in the Times :—" Last Siturday evening I
was passing along Commercial-road East when I saw a
young man fall down, sod in endeavouring to says himself
he broke his arm at the wrist, nearly driving the broken
portion of the bone through the skin. Seeing the serious
nature of the accident I bound it up as well ss I could with
any handkerchief, and took him at once to the London
Hospital, arriving there at 25 minutes to 9 o'clock pre-
cisely. We were shown into the room where they re-
ceived accidents, sad were there kept waiting until past
10 o'clock before a doctor came. Allow me to mention two
or three of the cases kept waiting besides the young min
I was with. When I arrived there was one man who
had met with an accident to his left eye, already wading ;
another was that of a women who had fallen down two
flights of stain. thereby dislocating her shoulder, or
otherwise injuring herself io that locality ; this case
arrived, as near as possible, at 9 o'clock. The poor eras•
tore was moaning in a most piteous manner for upwards
of an hour before a doctor came down. Her husband
was with her, begging that the doctor might be fetched.
Allow me here to give you a specimen of the hospital
nurse. The perspiration was rolling off the poor woman
from the pain she was suffering. The nurse attending to
this room gave the woman something to moisten her
lips with, when the poor creature took the corner of the
nurse's apron to wipe the perspiration from her face. The
nurse, in a high state of indignation, pulled it away from
her, and would not give her a cloth of any kind, and stood
by while the husband tore a piece from the under clothing
of his wife to soak up the perspiration from her face.
Another case was that of a child five years of age, who, is
fetching some paraffin oil io a glass bottle, had fallen down
'admit himself terribly on the hand and bead,: the oil going
into the wounds. There were several others I might mention,
but for fear of oecopyine too much of your valuable apace.
The nurse having pulled the bell for nearly five minntas
shortly after 10 o'clock four young men came down. I
happened to make a remark that I thought it wrong to
keep such urgent mess waiting so long, when I was imme-
diately told that I should be tuned out if I said another
word and was told that the doctors* time to come dews was
9 o'clock, according to regulations. I have merely kept to
the feats, and will leave persona to form their own opinions
as to the stets of thlop la one of the largest metropolitan
hospitals. At foot is my name and address, sad I sal
willing to some forward and substantiate what I assert at
any time. Allow nil to say that the young man I went
with was a total stranger to me.—l am, sir, yours respect.
fully, JAM= Pniutre.-54, Rutland-street, Stepaey."
Ton Pnoroisrlos or ROYAL Ruomort.--.A.
Uo hype letter hes the subjoined:—" In well-informed
po tioal circles the warrior of the Priftol4lll with
the new (tread Duke, heir of Reines, turetheri=toemer
betrothed, is mouldered m certain ; that maim will be,
adds the rumour, publicly meounced on the lonsleatt of
the present mourning. What appears to *optima tide f
h that the primes, although nineeses yeen of ege,•
not yet been emilrmed sword* to the Lutheran rite, in
order to be able with more propriety to adopt the Omsk

We (Birmingham Pod) understand that Berl
Dudley baa given 5,0001.* towards the pueblos of tie'
Arboretum pleasure pounds. Worcester, in order that they
may bermes the property of the city.