Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-14 00:00:00

THE LAST SCENE

took pl.tc3 at twelve o'clock, when the executioner appeared
for a short time on the dry, to try if the beam was all
right.
Prevlons to this the crowd became so great, that the
barriers began to giro way, and props bad to be used to
keep them in their cosition.
At this moment there were various estimates made of,
the number of pcop'e present—certainly there never was
such a crowd co;!e:ed about li,rkdale on any like occa-
sion. The best judg&s confidently assert that there were
frAn forty to fly thouFand persons at least present, and
our own notion is that this is not over-rating the number.
At the hour stated, the unfortunate convict came on the

fatal. drop, preceded by the Bev. Mr. Apleton, the chap-
lair, reading a portion of the burial service, and the offi-
dials of the prison, the executioner, and Mr. `Wright.
There was a strong impression amongst the crowd that tae
unhappy man would address them, but in this they were
dissappointed, as he did not utter a word.
We are gl4d to say, also, that there was no demonstration
on the part of the crowd —he stood for a second on the
drop, whilst the rope was being adjusted round his reek, thee
shook hands wi,h the parties oa the platform, raised his
oyes towards Heaven., as if in prayer, and in a scaond
more be was launched into eternity. He died without a
struggle, and the d-ath of Andrewßose. the sailor, was this
avenged by the shedding of the blood of the unfortunate
Henry Roger,.
The crowd then began to disperse and soon after the
place was left without any mark of the tragedy that had
been enacted.

THE CVLPRIT'S DEMEANOUR WHELE INCAR-
CERATED.

From the regular order issued b., the Home Office, as to
the treatment of criminals after the awful sentence of
death•is pronounced upon them, they are forbid intercourse
with any, -except their own immediate relations, and that,
too, at only stated and short intervals. By this well
regalited or lee, the urif)rtnnate• culprit has no inter-
course with the world, and therefore his dune and attention
is entirely devoted to s?iriteal matters only; and, like:vise,
by the same regulation, all that transpires within the
precincts of the condemned cell is kept strictly private.
This is as it should be, for it has a tendeccy to check the
morbid curiosity that is but too frequently displayed by
the public on such awful occasions as that in which
the life of a henna being has to be stcritced by
the laws of his c ;nary. flowerer, notwithstanding this pre-
cau}ion, there are little incidents • that will
ouzo out, and from them we learn, that
from the first moment that Henry Rogers was ap-
prised of the fact that the appeals to the Home Office for
a mitigaiou of the awfal sentence of death had been un-
successful, and that the time for his execution was fixed
for this day at noon, he paid the greatest attention to his
religious duties, and frequently, earnestly, and fervently
offered up prayers to the Almighty. On the day preceding

the executi on, he wes visited by his wife ani three of the
children, to bid him a final farewell, daring which the
eulp'it partook of ttLe solemn ordinance of the secrement,
is which be was joined b 7 the two mate?, Miles and
Seymour. • Before taking final leave of his late com-
rades, he tried to impress upon their minds the necessi y
of preparing for death whenever it should come upon ;
them, and a sense of gratitude fur the favour which had
been extended to them. The mates, in their turn,
exhibited a very kind, warm feeling towards the • captain.
After the separation from his wife and chi& m he was
very much agitated for some time. But although through-
out his religious bearing and demeanour bat been most
gratifying, he from yesterday morning seemed to have
experienced a new, deep, and happy change in his feelings ;
he felt more satisfied with himself; he !Olt assured that
his contrite prayers were heard, aad that he would be
'forgiven. Re displayd no vindictiveness towa-da any one,
and offered up supplications fur those who had in any way
injured him. Sometimes he talked about the revolting
mode of death which awaited him, and seemed to feel
acutely the disgrace which his ignominioes end would
cast upon his family.
However, after the poor and unfortunate Henry Rogers
was cut off, and while his lifeless body was still hangin g
from the fatal beam, the members of Press, were, through
the kindness of the Under Sheriff and Gaoler, admittel
within the prison, where they were most
courteously treated by the worthy chaplain,
the Reverend Mr. Appleton, Mr. Gibbs, the
the gaoler, and all the officials connected with the es ab-
lisnment. II q•etofore we have abstained from publishing
any of the rumoured scenes that were alluded to have taken
place unless from good au hor:ty, but we new give the
following official account as to how the culprit spent the
last hours of his existence on this earth, previously to his
sufnring the extreme penalty of the law.
This case. although one of the most painfel nature—
the culprit being a man who has hitherto conducted him
self in a way as to raise himself Worn the sphere of
society in which he once moved, but the offence being of
=nch a character. as scarcely to have its parallel in the
annals of our criminal records—was somewhat different to
many that has preceded it. .Than the great and ina2or t-

ant question has been—has the culprit confessed ? But
the tae's is this case were tou patent. There was
the patent fact that the poor and unfortunate deceased,
Andrew Ruse, died from the brutal and atrocious treat-
ment he had received while on board the ship Martha
Jane, of which Henry R3gera was the master, and whom
a jury had found guilty of his wilful murder,
and who this day died an ignominious death.
Therefore, it only now remaics for U 3 to
to des- vibe the manner in which he passed the night previ-
-033 to his ex,,cutim, and what ha stated will regard to
his conviction. From the statement or the chaplain it ap-
peared that he retired to rest abaut 11 o'clock last night
and after sleeping for abcut two hours prayed most fer-
vently and sclemly by himself. He then laid down
and had anoner Short steer, and kept on, throighout
the remaindar of the eigh, praying and bleeping alternifelr.
A m)re penitent prisnner the chaplain never attended to
such art awful end. Ha never made a-y ewer; I.ht against
the witnesses who appeared for the prosecution or any
other pars-in, but during his confilem-nt admitted that he
had done many things wrong is the course of his life, and
expressed a hope that he shauld be forgiven as ha forgave
others. On his way fr►m the pressroom, after being pin-
ioned by Calcraft, the executioner, he was accompenied

by the R.y. Mr. Appleton, chaplain of gaol, Mr. Wright,
Prison Philanthropist-, Mr. Birehil, Under Sheriff of the

County, Mr. Gtbbs, Governor of the Gaol
and Mr. Fornby, the Deputy Governor. Rogers
requested the chaplain to tell him what he should say at
the last moment. The chaplain told him he ha l htttr

say a short prayer; arid he said, ‘• Lord Jesus I thank
yon." Wtl that a) The ch.aplain replied that he had.
batter say " Lord Jesus rec Are ni 7 spirit." After the
rfme was adjusted he requested C t'criat: to again a;k the
chaplain what he was to sly, end the latter gentleman
went and repeatel the words he h.i.d previously done,
which the prisoner did also, as the drop fel'. P. itr to the
fatal holt being withdrawn, he requested to shake hands
with Calcraft, which was acquiesced in. Previous to
ascending the scaffold, R ),Yers inquired of the executioner
if he thought there wouAnbe any impropriety in addressing
the assembled multitude. C dcraft advised him not to do
so, as he was afraid the people would not hear him, and he
consequently did not attempt to mike any remarks. His
haying so profitably pissed his utne in attending to his
reigions duties, and being so exceedingly penitent, at an
early hour in the morning ilea sacrament was adminiater6a
to him by the Rev. Mr. Appleton. Mr. Wright, and all
the offiei Ili connected with the gaol, concurred with the
fact, that they never before met with a person so truly
penitent as the unfortunate man, except, as Mr. Wright
observed, the man Pedder, who was recently executed at
Lancaster, fur shooting his wife.
Since his eundemuation, and e7en up to tho tine he
mounted the sc,ffvld, Rogers conducted himself as de-
scribed by the under-Sheriff in a wanner that they might
expect from the British sailor in meeting death, fur while
he was firm, that firmness did not amount to bravado.
Although Rogers had repeatedly prayed most fervently fur
all parties, and partieularl.., the witnesses who were brought
against him on his trial, he more than (nee- cbservtA that
he had n t committed a single act th it tel to the death of
the man Rose, but never denied the justice of his sentence.
Mr. Weight stn el that, up to the last moment, Henry
Rogers had expressed the deep debt of gratin ide be owed
to the Chaplain and the Governor, ;or their kindness to
him during his incarceration.