The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-23 00:00:00

EXECUTION or JOHN DIGGLE.

As soon ac the awful sentence of the law had been passed 'llona
this unfortunate young man, and lie had been removed from the
dock to the prison, all that sturdy and unshaken firmness which be
manifested on his trial gave way. He burst out into bitter weeping,.
and positively at:Sealed his innocence. Bur on being informed of
his awful state, that he must soon appear before Pim to whom dui.
secrets of all hearts arc kacoon. and that these declarations would be
totally ineffectual to stop the execution of the law, he remained sa..,
lent. He was immediately afterwards visited by the Rev. air.
Rowley, the chaplain of the prison, to who n he confessed, to it
frank and open manner, the justice of the rentence passed upon
him. He acknowledged that the bloody deed was perpetrated by
himself alone ; although he maintained that the subject of the rob.
hery was first suggested to him by Ralph Weston. He could noc
tell the exact time at which he arrived at the hoube of his unfortu-
nate victims ; he stated, however, that lie remained Co a consider-
able time at a small briilge rear to Ashworth, before he went to
their house, hut that he did not see John Chadwick, who swore on
the trial that he left the old p;sitile about ten o'clock in the cvenlm
although there is no Await that he must have arrived at 31areWt
immediately after that time. According to his own account, he
complished his sanguinary purpose whilst under the iofluentept
liquor, and he said he thought that lie did it with the poker alone,
and never used the space, which it was intimated by the surge=
must have been empinyed in cutting the old man in way be
was found, but of that he could not speak with certainty. As to
the stick stated to have been found in the house, be said it must
have been there before he went, fur it was not taken by hint. That
his sole object was plunder; and h&rig perfectly well k.:own to both
the old people. he murdered them in order, as he conucieedi that ail
testimony could then rise up against him for the robbery. That he
searched as much as he could for money, but iheat.pearance of die
old people, after their murder, so horrified him, that he seized the! ,
first article that came to his hand, and then fled with precipitation.
That ever since he committed the murder, the remorse and gnaw-
ing% of his mind Were indescribable. That he was determined to
deny. his, guilt triU legally convicted g and- that now, havityystbr'
burthened his mind from the load, he felt more tranquil. finteni
distely on his committal to prison, the Chaplain exhorted him so
prepare for the worst consequences ; and being quite illiterate,
every means was made use of to teach him to read ; and these Op
forts succeeded so fares to enable him to make out ferhimself any
striking passage of scripture that was pointed out to him by this'
clergyman. On Sunday last he attended the chapel, in company
with James Simpson, John Sinilt, and Thrinhss martin, who are/
also left for execution, for uttering forged notes. On his first en-
tering the chapel, he appeared to be quite composed and firm ; and
there was very little, if any, alteraticti In his general uppearaoce
from what it was at the time of the trial. On his being placed In
the apartment appropriated for conderrined felons he wept bitterly
tot a length of time. lie brocght a prayer.book into the chapel
with him, opened it, and appeared to peruse it tam during thst
tone the Chaplain was delivering an affecting discourse from the
2n I Peter, 3rd chap. and sth verse. lie slept very composedly the
whole of the Sunday night, and yesterday morning thd Chaplain
again visited him. About eleven o'clock the sacrament was admi-
nistered to him, and son afterwards he was pinioned in the ovine'
way. Exactly at twelTe o'clnek he came upon the fatal scaffold t
and after the burial service had been read over by the Chaplain, the
drop fell, and he was launched into eternity. He appeared to
struggle very little. We understand his body will be given to the
surgeas of Lancaster fin dissection.-3fauceehee