The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-22 00:00:00

Tun EXECUTION OF THE FIVE

PIRATES—This Day,

One of the most remarkable executions that has decantred
in front of the debtor's door of the Old Bailey,since the year
1828, took place this morning, namely, the carrying into.
eflect the dread sentence of the law on five of the men con-
victed at the last seesions of the Central Court of the mur-
der of the captain, the captain's brother, the first mate, the
steward, 000 k and lamptrimmer of the unfortunate ship
Flowery Land, who left the port of London in September
of last year for Singapore.
Light of the crew, viz., Juan Leon, Francisco Blanco,
Marco Varto, Ambrosio. Miguel Lopez, Marsalino, Les
Santos, and George Carlos, were ir dieted for the murder,
but the latter, Carlos, was acquitted of the capital crime, the
remaining seven being found guilty and sentenced to death.
Some days ago Mr. Beard, the solicitor far the defence
on the trial, acting in concert with the Spanish Consul, pre-
pared a memorial stating the grounds on which the con-
victs S mtos and Marsalino besought the clemency of the
Crown. The?' submitted that throughout the whole of the
trial no evidence was adduced on behalf of the prosecu-
tion to show that either Santos or Marsalino took a
direct part in the murder of the captain. The evidence
against them, they said, went chiefly to show that after the
murder they were present at conversations between the
second mate, TafFsr, and the prisoner Lyons, who acted as
spokesman for the rest of the crew; that they shared in the
division of the captain's money, and were present when
the order was given to the carpenter to scuttle the ship.
Anderson, the carpenter, on the trial deposed to Marsalino
having conveyed to him by signs that it was he who
struck him with a capstan bar while the carpenter was
assisting the chief mate from the deck after he had been
beaten. Marsalino represents that the carpenter had
altogether misunderstood him in that respect, and that
what ho meant to convey was that it was the prisoner
Watto who struck him. This was corroborated by the pri-
soners Lopez and Blanco, and they, with the rest of the
convicts, state that so far from being an accomplice in the
murder Marsalino was opposed to it, and also to the subse-
quent acts of violence. On behalf of Santos it was urged
that he was unable to help the captain or prevent his mur-
der, as he had wished to do, The result of the exertions
made to save the lives of the two mon was that Mr, Jonas,
the Governor of Newgate, received a communication from
the Home-office, under the hand of Sir George Grey, re-
spiting the sentence of death in the cases of the convicts
Lea Santos and Marsalino during her Majesty's pleasure,
and an intimation that the five other convicts, namely,
Leon, Blanco, Daranno, Watto, and Lopez would remain
for execution.
For some days the utmost precaution have been taken by
the police authorities in the City for the prevention of acci-
dents. The usual style of barriers invariably erected at
the top of all the thoroughfares into the Old Bailey, were
laid aside as useless, Lut in their place others of extra-
ordinary strength were placed, and on Saturday the whole
of the space in the Old Bailey, from Ludgate-hill to New-
gate-street, and thence along Giltspur-street towards
Smithfield, was intersected by formidable barriers placed
at short invervals, to lessen the pressure and to prevent the
fearful swaying and surging of the multitude that was cer-
tain to assemble on the terrible occasion. In addition to this
the footways on each side of the Old Bailey from Newgate-
street to Ludgate-hill are guarded by strong barricades, to
afford means of exit in ease of need, and hoardings have been
put to prevent people clinging to the chevaux de. frise which
runs along the low wall of the courtyard of the Sessions-
house, orlto any of the projecting parts of the architecture.
A similar arrangement has been made in front of St.
Sepulchre's Church, which commands a view of the place
of execution, and, where, on this very day of thramontin
57 years ago, at an execution for the murder of Mr. Steele,
about 30 people were killed by the giving way of an iron
palisading, to which they had clung while standing on the
wall of the churchyard.
If a person this morning could have placed himself upon
some high eminence and have obtained a clear perspective
view of London, he would have seen, wending their way
through the principal thoroughfares between the hours
when the groat city is ordinarily hushed in silence, people
of all classes and both sexes seemingly bent upon one and
the same destination. Perhaps, at a considerable distance
from the general place of rendezvous, the echo of
the streets was only disturbed by the hurried
tramp of solitary pedestrians, bat as the distance grew Ices
the number of persons in the streets increased, and the
actual spot to which, as it wore, the different streams of
moving humanity ran was one large miss of people filling
the footways. Strange it is that the morbid tastes and feel -
ing of the people to witness a public strangulation are so great
that remaining throughout the night in the street on a hitter
winter's night with the thermomeuter six degrees below freez-
ing point, squeezed on all sides by a mob, and the probability
of being seriously injured, or robbed, are not thought too
great risks to encounter, in order to witness the terrible
drama of which the frowning and black Old Bailey was to
be the scene.
Hundreds of people assembled last night, and they kept
gradually increasing in numbers, until at six o'clock this
morning all the approaches to the place of execution were
completely blocked up. Better order was preserved than
could be expected, owing to the most indefatigable efforts
of the police, who mustered in great force, The crushing
and swaying to and fro of the crowd, notwithstanding all
their efforts, was terrific, and every now and then the police
had to renew their efforts to prevent the barriers yielding to
the enormons pressure put upon them. For some time be-
fore 8 o'clock the whole place presented the appearance of a
fair. Boys and girls, the refuse of the neighbourhood of
Ratcliff, Wapping, the Mint, and other low
neighbourhoods, together with men and women
from the same parts of the metropolis, formed a
great proportion of the motley multitude. Venders
of brandy-balls, hot potatoes, and hot pies pursued their
vocation with great success, perhaps the most comfortable
thing procurable for money, on such a morning, was a hot
potatoe, which offered to those not disposed to eat, a warmth
to the hands which was, to all appearance, a very general
desire. The chief conversation appeared to turn upon the
novelty of so many being hung together, and the observa-
tion, "I wonder whether they will die game," was fre-
quently to be heard.
The machine of death was placed in the usual position in
root of the Debtor's Door. It was an enormous looking_
construction, covered with black cloth, and compared with
that generally used, it would be at least three times its size,
The Sheriffs of London, Mr. Nissen and Mr. Grave, with
Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Gammon, the Under Sheriffs,
arrived at Newgate about 7 o'clock, and waited until
the hour fixed for the execution. From an earlier hour
in the morning the priests who had been in attendance
on the doomed men since their conviction were again
with them, and remained until the last. M. Morphinoz,
Archmandrite of the Greek Church in London-wall, at-
tended upon the convict Watto, and the other four received
the consolations of religion from the lips of the Rev.
James Hussey of the Roman Catholic Chapel in Moor-
fields, and Fathers Joseph Louis and Hermann, the last-
named two being Spanish priests. Shortly before S o'clock
the Sheriffs and Under Sheriffs, who wore their respective
robes and badges of office, accompanied by Mr. Jonas, the
Governor of Newgate, the Rev. Mr. Davis, the Chaplain,
and Mr, Gibson, the surgeon, went in procession to the
part of the prison in which the convicts were spending their
last moments. On this occasion each of the five
prisonora was brought out from his cell in rota-
ioso, and pinioned at the entrance to it. This was
a precautionary measure to prevent men with charac-
ters so desperate as those of the convicts from
having any communication at such a time. Watto was first
brought out to be bound. He had greatly improved in ap-
pearance since his trial, when ho was one of the least pre-
possessing of them all, if such a term could indeed ha applied
to any one of the prisoners. Unlike all the rest, who were
men of swarthy complexion, Lopez perhaes excepted, he
was of fair visage, with a profusion of light brown hair, and
his youthful countenance now bore a touching and resigned
expression. He submitted quietly to the process of pinion-
ing, and, at its conclusion, seeing a warier near who had
attended him since his conviction, he beckoned him to
him. As the man approached, Watto, whose hands ware
then bound, bent forward, with a grateful look, to kiss
him on the cheek. The warder declined the proffered salute,
uPoSaa which it was explained to the convict, lest he should
'reel hurt, that it was a mode of parting to which men in
this country were unaccustomed. Lopes, a short, slightly-
made man, next submitted himself to the hands of the
executioner, exhibiting as he did so the same defiant
and reckless air which had characterised him through-
out the trial. It is said of him that on leaving the
dock atter sentence of death had been pronounced. by
Baron Bramwell he attempted to dance a reel, until
the act of indecorum was repressed by the gaoler.
Daranno, a mere lad in appearance, then underwent the
process of pinioning, and was the only one yet who had
shown any symptoms of a faint heart. After him came
Blanco, who had taken the most conspicuous and relentless
part in the murders. Ho it was, with Duranno. who as-
sailed the first mate on the deck with handspikes, and
having beaten him nearly to death, he threw him, while
yet alive and slariking piteously for mercy, into the sea.
Afterwards, with two others, he stabbed the captain
three times as the unfortunate man lay asleep in his
berth. He also took part in the murder of the cap-
tain's brother. Now, however, Blanco, physically the
strongest of all the five, was the most subdued and faint-
hearted of all. Two crucifixes were suspended from his neck,
and though all of the convicts appeared to be amenable to
religious consolation, Blanco seemed the most susceptible,
in that respect, of all. He hung, as it were, on the words
with which his priest tried to cheer him, and at his
request a tract was given him, which appeared
to have been forgotten for the moment, and which
he placed in his bosom. Leon was the last to be
hoard, and he bore the ordeal with the quiet cern-
poura which had marked his bearing on the trial. Those
preparations over, the convicts were escorted to the scaffold
by the Sheriffs and the rest of the authorities, the prison
bell tolling the while. They all walked without assistance,
and Lopez with a light, jaunty air. Fur a few moments'
they Were seated in a corridor, where Blanco and Duranno
becoming faint, took some stimulant which waa handed
to them, as did also Lopez. They were thou one
niter another craolue:cel to tee sositf rid, and placed
in a row on the drop. Blanco, who had gone first, swooned

and fell backward as the rope was being placed round his
neck. A chair was then brought, on which he was allowed
to sit until the rest of the preparations were made, and it
fell with the drop. The excitement among the crowd
while the convicts were being arranged on the scaffold was
intense, and evinced itself in the hoarse murmur peculiar
on such occasions. The preparations having been con-
eluded the drop fell, and all the five convicts soon ceased to
live. Their bodies, after hanging the usual time, were re-
moved from the public gaze, to be buried within the pre-
cincts of the prison, in conformity with the sentence. None
of the convicts made any formal confession. Leon alone,
in general terms, spoke of the share he had taken in the
mutiny, but said it was not such as, in his opinion, to have
called for the forfeiture of his life.
The windowo of all the houses in front of the gaol were
filled with spoctiton, who, some instances, paid as much
as 10 guineas for accommodation on Sunday nl'ght, and a
good view of the execution in the morning.
Tics extent of the crowd may be imagined when we say
that it extended along the 01(1 Bliley to Ludgate-hill on
the one siao, entirely tilling Otitepur-etreet, and into Smith-
aeld on the t:l'er/
space in bDtwocn Nb:7gate and St. Se
besides• cccupying the immense open
Sepulcher's Church,
of the gallows could be hod.7The numberextending as far down Ilill as a glimpse
present
t gtb:.ccident.
cteoutlhde np
roe sheanytetibLnwlee'lslatylieannetfrinirc3lCO fo(int;sitco 40,000. Up
It may he mentioned that in all the Catholic churoheb..in
the rnetroprlis yesterday prayers were offered for the doomed
men.