The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-20 00:00:00

-~
F

EXECUTION OF CATHERINE WILSON,
THIS DAY.

This morning Catherine Wilson, who was sentenced to
death by Mr. Justice Byles, at the last sessions of the
Central Criminal Court, for the murder of Maria Soatnes,
was executed in front of Newgate.
Fourteen years have elapsed since a woman was executed
in Middlesex, and, as might have been anticipated, a vast
crowd of persons assembled to-day. From Smithfield to
Ludgate-hill there was a dense mass of human beings, and
at all the windows in the Old Bailey from which a view of
the scaffold could be obtained were well dressed people,
many of whom had provided themselves with opera glasses,
which were levelled at the miserablewoman when she came
forth from the prison.

The crowd consisted of the usual class of persons who are
to be seen on such occasions. They began to assemble yes-
terday evening, but as it rained incessantly until past mid-
night,
they took up their position in the courts with which
the neighbourhood abounds, and in any other place in which
they could procure shelter from the storm.
,When the
morning began to clear up they came out of their retreats
and took up their positions by the gallows.
Meanwhile preparations were being made within the waris
of the prison for the execution of the criminal. Shor cly
after seven :;clock the two sheriffs, Alderman Lawn- Awe
and Mr. Hugh Jones, who were accompanied by Mr- De-
puty Farrar and Mr. Mackrell, the Under-Sheriffs, arrived.
and ascertained that everything that could be done had
been done by the authorities of the prison. At a quarter
before eight o'clock a procession, consisting of the sheriffs,
under-sheriffs, the Rev. John Davis, the Ordinary of New-
gate, Mr. Jonas, the governor. and Mr. Gibson, the
.pur..
geon, went to the cell of the convict, and then brought
her to the room in which the pinioning was to be per,.
formed. There she was met by Calcraft, who commenced
the operation of strapping her arms. While this was being
done she sat on a form and was slightly, but very slightly
agitated. The female warder who accompanied her asked
her whether she could do anything more for her, and /r4v..
ing been told she could not, she kissed her and left. Mr.
Jonas, the governor, then asked her whether she would
have some brandy, but she declined, He held a glass of
water to her lips, and she drank a little, after which he
said to her, " The last moment has arrived, do you wiah
to say anything ?" She replied feebly, " No, I am in.
nocent." She then rose from her seat, and fol-
lowed with unfaltering step the Ordinary, who,
as the procession moved across the yard, read
the burial service of the Church of England. From the pri-
son she ascended the steps leading to the gallows, without
betraying any emotion. The white cap was drawn over her
eyes, the rope was put round her neck, her legs were tied,
and the bolt having been withdrawn, she fell heavily, and
died apparently without a struggle. There was very little
groaning or noise on the part of the mob.
Only one person has visited the convict since her trial.,
This was a Mrs. Williams, who resides in Loughborough-
road, Brixton, and who was a neighbour of Mrs. Wilson
when she resided at Boston. The interview lasted only
about ten minutes, and it was very evident that the con-
vict had no desire to prolong it. On Saturday last two
women called and desired to see her, but on their names
being taken in she said she had no desire to see them.

The convict attenled the ordinary chapel services yester-
day. She has been respectful in her conduct, and attentive
to the religious instruction which has been afforded to her,
but she has shown no further sign of contrition. Nothing
has been said by her which can be construed into an ac-
knowledgment of her guilt; indeed her last words were
declaration of her innocence.

This morning, at four o'clock, a special messenger arrived
at the Governor's house from the Post Office, with a letter
addressed to Catherine Wilson. The Governor at once
opened it,and found it to contain two tracts on religious sub-
jects—a species of literature which has been very freely
offered to her by well-meaning people out of doors.

The body, after hanging an hour, was cut down, and
buried within the precincts of the gaol.
Amongst the minor incidents connected with the proceed.
ings may be mentioned the fact that yesterday a clergyman
called upon the governor, and requested to see the convict
in order that he might afford her spiritual consolation.
The governor introduced the rev.gentleman to the ordinary,
who did not seem disposed to allow his spiritual duties to
be interfered with. After some conversation, the rev. gen.
tleman admitted that his main object in wishing to see tho
prisoner was to obtain some information on which to write
an article for a periodical with which he was connected, and
upon this admission his services were declined.

The arrangements were made this morning by the
Sheriffs, and by Messrs. Farrar and Mackrell, the Under-
Sheriffs. They had a most painful duty to discharge, but
nothing was wanting to invest the proceedings with proper
solemnity.

GREA7 CONFLAGRA7ION- A 7 KILBURN

For several hours on Sunday night and this (Monday)
morning the inhabitants of the usually quiet district of
Kilburn were kept iu a state of great excitement in conse-
quence of the outbreak of a serious fire, which has been
attended with considerable destruction of property. The
premises in which the disaster commenced belonged to Mr.
L. Day, a beer-shop and refreshment house-keeper, situate
in the Canterbury-road, in the before-named thoroughfare.
This building had a frontage of between 50 and 60 feet,
most expensively fitted up, and was adjoined on one side
by the premises belonging to Mr. Richard Richards, and on
the other with the private residence of Mr. M. Feltham.
When the discovery was made the flames had obtained such
a strong hold of Mr. Day's premises, and had travelled
with such amazing rapidity that it was impossible to tellies
what part of the building, or from what cause the fire com-
menced. Every attempt was at once made to prevent the
names from reaching the surrounding houses by those
living on the spot, and at the same time messengers were
despatched in sundry directions for the assistance of the
Royal Society's escapes, and the engines. In the course of
a few minutes the escapes attended, as well as the engine
of the parish and London Brigade, including one of the
powerful land steamers, by Shand and Mason, the whole
being under the command of Mr. Staple, the chief officer of
the C district of the London Fire Establishment.

Upon the arrival of this force the engines, being well sup.
plied with water, were got to work in an admirable manner.
Copious streams of water were thrown into the burning mass,
but the fire having previously, commenced attacking the
front house of Mr. Richards, and also his workshops,
strong fears were apprehended for the entire clump of
houses standing near. An attempt was therefore made to
remove the furniture and other effects belonging to Mr.
Feltham, which was done with great difficulty, and in such
a hurried manner, that it is hardly necessary to state much
damage was done to the goods by breakage and water.
Ihe firemen, however, never for a moment relaxed in
their exertions to get the conflagration subdued, but the
flames continued to extend for a considerable period, and
eventually, owing to the indomitable perseverance of the
brigade, they had the satisfaction of seeing the fire begin-
ning to succumb and palpably diminish, beneath the great
weight of water thrown upon the same, and in a short time
afterwards the fire was perfectly annihilated.
The damage done is very considerable, and is thus offi-
cially returned by Captain Shaw to the various fire offices
forming the London brigade :

"Canterbury-road, Kilburn, Mr. J. Day, beershop
keeper, &o.—House of 55 feet frontage and the contents
about two-thirds destroyed. Insurance unknown at pre-
sent.

"Ditto, next door, Mr. Richard Richards—Roof of front
house burnt off, and part of roof of workshops destroyed ;
the rest of the building and the contents damaged by fire,
water, &c. It is not known whether this sufferer was
insured.

"Ditto, Mr. M. Feltham (private)—Contents and the
building damaged by breakage and water, consequent upon
hasty removal of the furniture, &c."
The police mustered in strong force, and were of great
assistance to the firemen in keeping a large crowd out of
danger.

Sir John Bowring arrived in Paris from the
commerce,Hague,
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Kamehameka IV."
THE ADVENT OF WINTER.—SHIELDS, Saturday
Night.—Last Monday Admiral Fitzroy sent a storm signal
down to the seamen of the Tyne to " look out for squalls,".
and it had not been up many hours before squalls did break
over the coast with considerable violence. We had storm
signals hoisted again last night, and this warning had not
been up above a couple of hours before another violent
storm of wind broke upon the coast from the south-west,
accompanied by a heavy shower of sleet and rain ; and to-
night another warning has been hoisted, that a dangerous
wind may be expected from the southward, and the weather
looks threatening, though the night is starlight and frosty.
There is still corn out in the hill districts and the more
cold and exposed parts of the country.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO MR. G. MELVILLE AT
THE LYCECAL THEATRE. —On Saturday evening the,
greatest alarm was created at the Lyceum Theatre, in con-
sequence of a frightful accident to Mr. George Melville,
who was performing the part of Kavanagh in the "Peep
o' Day." In the quarry scene, when he appears on the
verge of the quarry holding on by a tree and watching the
movements of the villain who is digging a grave for his
sister, the bough broke, and he fell with great violence to
the stage beneath. Surgical assistance was promptly at
Ihand, and the unfortunate gentleman was removed to the
green-room suffering the most intense agony from severe
contusions, and it is feared that he will be unable to attend
to his professional duties for some time.
y hunting is Still
HATES, THE ASSASSIN.
caanrdr ied
affordson beyxctihtiengcoenxsetarcbiusela, rytt—hoiinuill
though
the murderer. Within
of the pursuers getting on the trail varioustehSee piasr tlsi
tot fl
e chance Ireland,
rabeaten every cover in the
the last few days 9
"4 cwolusnitiikeesbo,feTr
they
be concealed. The places searched
itinppcikragrerityylLivltierford, and even Down, where he
d pits of the collieries at Earlshill,
included the de
in which a large party of constabulary, hettied
by Tipperarn --
han Eeq., S.L , continued searching for
several hours. 3inag j
ours°.