The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-12 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF SAMUEL WRIGHT,

(THIS DAY.)
This morning Samuel Wright, who was convicted attV
last session of the Central Criminal Court for the murder
of Maria Green on the morning of Sunday, Dec. 13, ir,
house in which they lived together in the Waterloo-r 1 ,
was executed in front of Horsemonger-lane Gaol. l‘fge
sympathy has been evinced in -favour of the convict "
various quarters, and accordingly, on Jan. 7, the visiti,ll,,
justices of Horsemonger-lane Gaol presented a ineraorisi;
Sir G. Grey, expressing their opinion, that had all thefs.%
been known on his trial, a verdict of manslaughter vOl'sl
have been returned instead of that of murder. The aPPe,
was unsuccessful, as were also those of certain medical tee'
and of several public meetings which have recently bee°
held in Lambeth and Southwark. of
At an early hour last evening a considerable numbs!
persons congregated in front of the gaol, but they were ,°
the lowest class, who disregarded appeals which were e;
tensively circulated, that people would stay away frol t",
execution. There seem to have been some fears of
"scene," as 600 picked policeman, mostly of the reserves°,
the different divisions, under Superintendents Brad/
Gibbs, Payne, White, Garnon, and Bray, were stationed°t
the ground ; but, as it turned out, there was no occasion fu`
this strong force, as comparatively few persons were presetro
at the time appointed for the execution, and those school
there were perfectly decorous in their conduct.
houses opposite to the gaol which, when the MannW4
the Primley murderers, and Youngman were hanged,
crowded with people who had paid heavily for their sei
were to-day to all appearance tenantless, and in most
them the blinds were drawn down. Not a seat was lett°
single one of the houses, and during the time of the Oetti,,.
tion the publichouses were closed. In the vast open sPacB;
front of the gaol there were not more than 1,500 pert'

present.
Up to the last moment an impression prevailed aruolir,
the concourse of people that a reprieve would come; 11'
accordingly, when at nine o'clock the sheriffs and
executioner, followed by the convict, appeared ots
scaffold, a general feeling of disappointment was expres 4
in a low, deep murmur. Wright bowed to the crowd tvlo`
three times, and while he was doing so Calcraft slipped fr,
cap over his face and drew the bolt. The unhappy La°
and died after a very short struggle.
In two or three minutes after this a loud yell of cof#
tion broke from the crowd, accompanied by repeated creel'ol
"Murder." This demonstration did not long continue,
the people moved quietly away without staying to \vitt;
the ceremony of cutting down, which took place at
o'clock.
,reni

Sinop his conviction wi itsht has been much deP
and has persisted in his statement that he never juter
to kill the woman, and that he was defending himself ri
her violence when the fatal wound was given. Ile
quietly to the scaffold this morning evidently convil
that there was no chance of his life being spared.
The following document was extensively circa'
amongst the crowd :
" Men of London, will you pa rticipate in the bl°4
the unfortunate Wright by sanctioning his death by
presence at the scaffold ? Working men and women, g°_,
near the avenging scene ; but demonstrate to your GOV
meat, with the dignity of Englishmen, your abhorrell.(
by avoiding this execution. Men of Southwark, clog) ft
houses and shops—persuade your friends and neiglib°
to stay away from the bloody scene."

The memorial, praying for a reprieve of Wright,
yesterday presented at the Home-office, by a depute
consisting of Mr. Doulton and some others, who were
lowed by a procession of more than 200 working ma'

the efforts of the memorialists proved fruitless.
The decision come to by Sir George Grey was r
by Mr. Marplay to the members of the committee, scbo,4o.
up the memorial in his favour, at their sitting yesterdNoi
the Lambeth Baths. By them it was made known
fee
large meeting of working men waiting to hear the ty,
Immediately afterwards Mr. Murphy, deputed 1/ 4
meeting, left by the 1,30 train for Windsor, to ozieniorir'e
the Queen. He had an interview with Sir Charles I'l!eAlf
who, after reading the memorial, stated that her g 1
although although deeply regretting the position of the unlortvo
man Wright, could not, constitutionally, inter ere WitiAool
decision come to by Sir:G. Grey. Hecouldthereforebeo
no hope of commutation of the sentence. Mr. Murpl'i,
left the Castle. In the meantime a meeting had been cons'
by the committee at the Lambeth Baths to hear the Imei:il
1
he doors were opened at six o'clock, and in a few niwilo
the building was densely filled by about 3,000 peoPle'i
long before seven o'clock, the appointed time of cool tY
ing, the thoroughfares of the New-cut, the Marsh, el; iY
Westminster-bridge-road were rendered impassable I)J
immense crowds which had assembled, , O
A
The Rev. ROBERT SPEARS took the chair at sevenit,
e
and announced that Mr. Murphy's mission to her P''' )
had failed. (Shame). One more effort must be raec V
memorial had been drawn np, which would be taken tri
George Grey that evening, po,nting out to kim the V,l
public feeling against the execution of Wright, and l'l'scY.
if not for a reprieve, at least for a respite. (Hear.) ester,,
this suggestion was being discussed, Mr. Murplif ,e ll'
the building, and was received with immense cheet'C':"./itif
detailed the particulars of his visit to Windsor. 11°1011
rative was received with shouts of indignation and F
cries of " Shame I" In accordance with his motiari; ,11,'
putation, consisting of Mr. F. Doulton, M.P., ;Kr.r:ll,
member of the Lambeth Vestry, and Mr. ApPlegtiGri,
working men, left with the memorial to Sir George or eiju
On making their appearance outside the Baths in the
~oe
minster-road they were received by the assembled thofticiri,
assembled
with great cheering and wishes for their succ. Vo at,
the absence of the deputation the meeting was addres,,,ellil
several working men, all expressing the opinion, iri ectit'
es
the meeting cordially concurred, that if Wright was 11
a judicial murder would take place. ofoo,
On the return of the deputation© a few minutes b,c, t),+
o'clock, Mr. Murphy reported the result. He se'l 011
firet proceeded to the private residence of Sir Geergewg,
and having sent in a note stating their lousiness, Sir 'O,OO
Grey appointed to meet them at the Home-oflieet vjaile 1;0,4;
conference lasted for three-quarters of an hour. -',:tit v;
ever, was inflexible in his determination to earrY
t'';ect`i
sentence. He said his sympathy was with the 0 ij„ter:l
the deputation, but he could not override the law. '00(0
decided upon the case of Townley according to laWl.
~ o,litOp
decision with respect to Wright was based ou tPo' ,
principle. The law must, therefore, take its course' ,
Murphy then sat down, deeply affected. the COlj,'
Mr. DouvroN, M.P., said he deeply regretted ,-- to
pIITSLICd by Sir George Grey. It would do InuCli.
ill-will between classes.
,ialdre
A collection was then made for the two —,l piii:
Wright, and the meeting separated with every 01.--
sorrow and indignation.
~.itig'oo
The following bill, bordered with deep men ii f of
circulated at the meeting last night :—" A 5010-0,0,,t
against the Execution of Wright. Men and .c 4 °,lo\/)
London, abstain from witnessing this sad spectacle ',0,01
tice. Let C.Jcraft and Co. do their work at this rl 0,0(
none but the eye of Heaven to look upon their erh33oipt'
all window shutters be up, and window blinds be
a
an hour on Tuesday morning in Southwark."

poi'
POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This

MARLBOROUGH-STREET. 4 109?
OMNIBUS THIEVSS.—Two well dressed weliie-dli tog
Catherine Kelly, alias Margaret Kelly, alias or „pa Joe
Sarah Williams, both from " over the water, rd
latter having a child in her arms, were charge"
Mr. Tyrwhitt with being in Regent-street for the pt
kl
V
of committing a felony. ,i,st le
Sergeant Charles Cole, of the C division, said ,-'-go 00
previous afternoon he saw the two prisoners in it : ai il
omnibus, and about half an hour
heo afterwards he oirg, °of
in Regent-street, one a little in advance of to49'
strangers. After watching them a short time he °se'
feeling a lady's dress about the pocket. d 4
Kelly—Oh dear, Cele, how can you say so 7
.4000,4
Cole said he then lost sight of them, but after-tr 01'
the prisoners together again, and observed Jel'bber is
by the side of a lady near Argyle-place with .-heei,to
down by the lady's side. -He afterwards tool; ere 0
rj
custody, when he found upon one of the prieotler: a ,ir off
bag containing money which he had no doubt -.'; ,
taken from some person in the omnibus. Kea rt'l
God's sake don't take me Mr. Cole." itd
Mr. Tyrwhitt—Then they are known to you. iio fi
Cole said they were, The last time he had IC•r'aicl)
for robbing a lady in an omnibus, but as the
15,°5,," ell
attend the second time, Kelly was discharged. V*o,ooo,
who was with Kelly then was now undergoing si/ci 01 11
imprisonment for an omnibus robbery, Kelly tab'to ti°
last time that she could earn as much in a alblu.- ll'
could in a week. berg
Mr. Tyrwhitt remanded the prisoners—KellY ot
to he the companion of a notorious thief named 13t/i)
/ e/
a week. /sr hOPS'f
GROSS CRUELTY TO A PONY.—Jarneo - lciatf
James-street, Notting-dale, was charged before oft° 0
whitt, at the instance of Mr, Love, chief officer of tills
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Anie3,:te'. 10
cruelty to a pony in working it while in an unet e"--o,4iti
Guest and Rutherford, two of the society'e of6;ceo,4ill/
in Regent-street yesterday afternoon, had tberoe)l 0
drawn to the pony, which was attached to a ca- lay
laundress's linen, by seeing it going only on dire°. 0i
examining the pony the officers found it in a ste °Oll
altogethersuffel rial,'
Defendant said the pony's leg was rather stiff, e_eiliev I
had been so for three years, and that it had a °"r,sit°
ingfrpoamstawworinkd.gall, in very poor conditioPl to
its leg all the time. There was nothing, the Platte A
pony, but he would have it killed. attebr 4
Mr. Tyrwhitt said if there was nothing ate Ltlootv
the pony the defendant could not want Theled. 0 of
fine the defendant lOs or a month. alle:oe I
society would look sharply after him, and if 11° G" oil
court again he would go for three months. 1 •ileafit
The defendant said he would have the pony);
A
---------- -----.7-- :--------- d,
h liell
THE. POLISEI REVOLUTION, it is --e
awake in the spring like a giant refreshed.