The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-06 00:00:00

THE CONDEMNED CONVICT IN MAIDSTONE

GAOL.

We understand that within the last few days a marked
=retetittit=rdWLaiett tirsMtlystre"
of the sesteses of death in hiaidatone Gaol. The chaplain,
the Rev. C. Shirley %too'mar, and the amistant-chaplsin,
the Rev. H. F. Woolrych, are with him daily. Be reads a
number of religious books, including the Scriptures, but
constantly quotes the latter in support of his own conduct.
He refuses to attend service in the gaol chapel, but owe
allowed the chaplain to pray with him, "out of respect" to
the chaplain, although he added, it was also because of
" that moral weakness which has been his weak point
through life, as he considered it his duty to protest against
the general formalism of religion which prevails, by ref risbg
to have anything to do with forms even is prayer." Dur-
ing the last three or four days, however, helms received the
visits of the chaplains with great intoreet, and peayed with
them daily. Although Southey acknowledges the kindness
with which he is treated by all the officials be complains
greatly of WOO of the gaol regulations. One of his principal
grievances is that he is not allowed to be at any time kit
alone, and that a light is always kept burning in his cell.
The execution, it is expected, will take place oa Thursday
next.

It ippeare that Southey never admits that the murders be
committed were =WIMP. Indeed, be appears to think that
he has really done a service to the community. With re
gard to hie approaching fate, be cossiders himself as
already dead ; but the two persons he wished to die with
him (Mrs. White sod her child), he says, are some back
from life to moral death. Os* of his great anxieties is
lest certain MSS confided by him to his solicitor should
get into the hands of Lord Dudley. The paper' con-
sist of 48 pages of manuscript, and contain a
tough sketch of Mrs. White, the woman with
whom he was living, and whose children he de-
stroyed. It is beaded--" Account of two visits to Wittily
Court, showing the oironmstanoss which have united to
roues my death." The number of eminent persons who
were visited by Southey, or to whom be wrote letters and
detailed the circumstances upon which "eight lives de-
needed," was *Glower than 200, and all their names were
carefully preserved, He asserts that his immoral autos
with Mrs. White wea not entered into until all bops of the
payment of the mosey he had won at billiards from Mr.
Dudley Ward was gone. There is no doubt that for
eight month, previous to the crimes for which
he is oondmitned be entertaiued murderous thoughts
against others, and particularly against Lord Dud-
ley. Hs say. that on several ocessious he was on
the point of shooting his lordship within a few days pro-
vious to the perpetration of the other murders. He eves
files the places where this intended deed of blood had so
nearly been consummated—at a dab to the Opera Coles-
nude, but his lordship at the critical moment stopped to
speak to a policeman ; at another time at Fortnum and
Mason's ; and on another occasion he actually held the
muzzle of hie pistol close to his lordship's beck while he was
looking into the window of as Albanian shop in Sagest-
street, but concealed the weapon in his coat pocket. He
could not, however, make up his mind to fire, as " he had
received no direct vole* from Gad to rid the world of the
tyrant," and bemuse his motives might be pat down to
viadietivesam