The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-04-01 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF BOUSFIELD, FOR THE
MURDER OF ais WIFE & CHILDREN.

HORRIBLE SCENE

Yesterday morning the extreme penalty of the law wag
carried into effect in this case, under circumstances of so
horrible and appalling a character, that we fairly believe
such a see& has never before been witnessed. Before
narrating the immediate circumstances of the execution, it
will be necessary to refer to the cond'ict, of the wretched
murderer since his conviction. It will be recollected that
he was convicted at the last sessions of the Central Criminal
Court, for the murder of his wife Sirah Bousfield, aged 28,
and their three children, in Portland-street, Soho, under
circumstances of peculiar atrocity, the only assignable motive
being unfounded jealousy.

On Saturday he was visited by the sheriffs, and told he
must undergo the extreme penalty of his sentence. He made
no reply, but exhibited the same sullen and morose conduct
which has characterised him throughout. About twelve
o'clock on that day his two sisters took their final leave of
him. They appeared to be respectab'e women, and exhibi-
ed much distress, but the prisoner, even with them, was
impassive. About four o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday,
the wretched man was sitting at the foot of his bed, facing,
but at some distance from the fire, apparently in a low and
desponding state, watched by the turnkey, when suddenly
he rose from the bed, and threw himself head foremost on to
the fire then burning in the grate, the entire head from the
chin being placed over the top bars. The turnkey immedi-
ately rushed upon him, and forced him back, hut not until
the lower part of the face and neck mere much burned from
his neckerchief having caught the flame. Mr. Gibson, the
prison surgeon, was on the spot immediately, and adopted
every remedy to abate the fearful pun ; the burns. however,
proved last to be of a dangerous character, merely
a slight vesication of the neck and lower part
of the face, but from the livid and swollen ap-
pearance of the face, he became a hideous spec-
tacle, apparently helpless and almost lifeless, and from
that hour to his death he continued in the same state, never
uttering a word, and taking no sustenance except a little
milk and wine. During the whole of yesterday (Sunday)
the wounds were constantly bathed, and lotions applied, and
this in some degree reduced the hideousness of his appea-
rance. He was visited by Alderman and Sheriff Rose, and
Mr. llnderisheriff Rose, on Sunday, and then a linen rag,
covered the lower part of his face. It is scarcely necessary
to state that all attempts to converse with him on religion,
or any subject, entirely ceased, there being nothing left for
the turnkeys and officials to do but assist and watch him.
During the whole night the governor and assistants were
constantly with him, and the only occasion on which he
sooke was this morning about six o'clock, to ask for a glass
of wine, which was given him.
At half-past 7 o'clock Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Ken-
nedy and Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Rose, with Mr. Stone
and Mr. James Anderson Rose, the under-sheriffs, arrived
at the prison, and at a quarter to eight they proceeded,
accompanied by the reverend ordinary and Capt. Wether-
head, the governor, to the cell where the wretched man
was sitting, or rather held, on a chair, in a state of:apparent
utter prostration and h'lplessness, supported by two
assistants, and a third constantly wiping a frothy fluid from
his mouth. He exhibited no consciousness of what was
taking place, but appeared to be in a dying state, his limbs
refusing their office. That this was feigned, his conduct at
the last moment renders more than probable. A few minutes
before 8 o'clock Calcraft was introdnced into the cell, and
immediately proceeded to pinion the arms. At this time the
wretched man appeared in such an exhausted state that Mr.
Sheriff Kennedy desired the surgeon to examine him ; this
he did, and reported that his pulse was very low, but that
the arteries were active. It being now eight o'clock, the
signal for the procession was given, and then the sickening
spectacle commenced. The wretched man to the last
exhibited all the helplessness of death, no inducement
could succeed to make him stand, although raised
up and supported, and it became apparent that he must be
carried. Two men took hold of his legs and two supported
his shoulders, and in that state he was conveyed to the foot
of the scaffold; the sheriffs and under-sheriffs preceded
him, the Rev. Mr. Davis reading the Burial Service, and
the prison bell was the signal to the crowd that the last and
fatal act was about to take place. On arriving at the foot
of the scaffold, a difficulty arose as to the means of getting
the wretched being under the fatal drop. at last it was
suggested by some of the officials that he should be
placed on a chair, and in that manner carried
on to the scaffold. A high chair of the governor's
office was obtained, and upon this the wretched man was
placed. leis almost impossible to imagine a more hideous
and revolting spectacle. He was conveyed on the chair by
four men on to the scaffold. The chair being placed tinder
the fatal beam, Calcraft, • who appeared in a state of
nervous terror, lost no time in putting on the cap,
and adjusting the fatal noose. As soon as he had
fastened the hook to the chain above, he ran down
the steps and withdrew the fatal bolt, the chair and the
wretched man falling at the same time. Scarcely two
seconds had passed before the wretched culprit exhibited a
power and strength truly astonishing to those who had seen
him but a minute before. He raised himself upward by
sheer muscular strength, arid succeeded in placing both of
his feet on the right side of the scaffold, and in that position
supported himself for several seconds. Calcraft having dis-
appeared the moment he had withdrawn the fatal bolt, one
of the turnkeys ascended the scaffold and threw
off his legs, when he dropped once more ; the yelling
of the crowd being terrific. Again the wretched man
struggled, and again succeeded in planting bath feet on the
left side of the scaffol4. The sheriffs were horrified, and
Calcraft being brought back, withdrew the legs, and for
the third time the body fell, yet life was not extinct, for in a
few seconds, for the third time, the wretched criminal
succeeded in planting both his feet on the right side of the
scaffold. The cries, hooting, and yelling of the crowd
became frightful. Again the legs were withdrawn, and the
body for the fourth time suspended, when, by the legs being
secured, after a fearful and convulsive struggle of several
minutes duration, life ceased to exist.
In explanation of the conduct of Calcraft it is stated that
he was under some apprehension of personal violence,
having on Saturday last received a letter in which he was
warned to obtain from the Horse Guards a helmet, to wear
on the occasion, as it was the determination of the " Kent-
street Roughs" to shoot him, to put an end to any more
executions. This silly epistle alarmed Calcraft, who showed
it to the governor, and the Rev. Mr. Davis, who endea-
voured to point out to him the folly of exhibiting any
fear, as he (Mr. Davie) was in yet greater danger, as
he remained longer on the scaffold, but Calcraft was by
no means satisfied that some mischief was not intended
against him; an extra body of police were present, a
strong body being placed within the prison, but it is
almost unnecessary to say that no attempt at violence
was made by any of the crowd, their manifestation being
confined to shouting and yelling at what appeared to
them some negligence in prolonging the sufferings of the
murderer.

At nine o'clock the sheriff proceeded to the fatal drop,
when the body, having hung the usual time, was cut
down, and in death as in the last forty-eight hours of its
life, it presented a hideous appearance. The body
will be interred within the precincts of the prison this
evening" (Monday).