The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-30 00:00:00

EXECUTION A7' DbIIIEI2IES.

Yesterday morning Mary Reid, alias Timney,
was eNecuted at Dumfries for the wilful murder of
Ann Hannah at Carpshad, in the stewartry of Kirk-
cudbright, on the 13th of January last. The cir-
cumstances of the crime for which the unhappy
woman thus forfeited her life to the law were
briefly these :—The deceased, Ann Hannah, lived
with her two brothers, William Hannah and
Lockhart Paterson Hannah, at Carpshad, which is
a small farm situated on the road to the famous
Glenkens. The house in which they lived stands
by the roadside, and about 50 yards from it was
the cottage of the prisoner, who was the wife of a
labouring man named Francis Timney. The nearest
house to these two is a quarter of a mile distant.
The daily duties of the deceased were to tend the
cattle and perform other similar offices about the
farm. On the 12th of January last, the morning
of the murder, her two brothers went away, about
9 o'clock, to work at a place about three miles off,
leaving the deceased alone in the house. She was
left well, and was seen well a little before 10
o'clock by some school girls, who were passing on
their way to school. About 1 o'clock a woman
named M'Lellan, passed the deceased's cottage on
her way to bake cakes for the prisoner, who had
sent for her that morning, called, and found the
deceased lying in pools of her own blood in the
middle of her own kitchen. She called assistance,
and it was found that the poor woman's skull was
fractured in four places, two of her ribs were
broken, her arms were discoloured, and other parts
of her body were wounded. Blood was splashed
about, a butcher's knife was found on the floor
covered with blood, and also a poker marked with
blood and hair. The deceased was not quite dead,
but the only words she uttered when lifted on abed
were "Oh dear !" She died that evening. The
neighbours remarked to the prisoner that it was
strange she had heard nothing of the murder; but
she said she had never been out of her house all
day. Upon search being made in her house, how-
ever, clothes marked with blood were found tied up
in a bundle in a dark loft, and some of the clothes
which she wore when accosted by the police were
also stained. The bloodstained tartan dress in
which the things found in the loft were wrapped
was identified by the prisoner's own children
as that which she had worn on the morn-
ing of the murder. A wooden mallet which
had been recently washed was found behind a meal
tub, marked with blood and hair. Before the mur-
der the prisoner was without money; after it there
was 7s. 7d. found in her house, and also some tea
and sugar which were missing trent the cottage of
the deceased. When apprehended the prisoner
endeavoured to criminate her mother, for whom,
however, an alibi was clearly established. It ap-
peared at the trial that on the morning of the mur-
der the deceased's brother lent the prisoner's hus-
band 2s. 6d. as he was going away to work. The
deceased had formerly granted the prisoner small
loans, but had lately refused to continue them.
They had had differences about the prisoner taking
away wood.

At the trial it will be remembered the prisoner
made a heart-rending appeal to Lord Deas when he
was sentencing her to death, crying out, " Oh, my
Lord, dinna do that !" " Give me anything but
that, let the Lord send for me !" " Oh, my weans !"
After the prisoner was condemned to death
strenuous endeavours were made in Dumfries to
obtain a commutation of the sentence, that the town
might be spared the sickening spectacle of the pub-
lic execution of a woman. A general petition was
sent to the Home-office, bearing above 2,000 sig-
natures, and one signed exclusively by 3,187
women. Moreover a deputation of ladies waited
upon Sir George Grey.
Meanwhile the prisoner made a confession of her
crime, assigning as the principal motive jealousy of
the deceased, who she believed had acquired an
influence over her husband. She said she was going
out to gather wood for the fire, when deceased asked
her if she was going to " thieve" more of her wood.
High words and some blows followed, after which
the prisoner went home. Some time afterwards
she proceeded to the deeeased's house to give her
a good beating, but with no intention to kill her.
The deceased met her with a kick, and blows
having been exchanged the prisoner seized a wooden
mallet with which the deceased had struck her, but
which had fallen down. With this she struck her
a blow which felled her, and in the heat of passion,
followed it up with others.
On Friday official intimation was received that
Sir G. Grey saw no ground for interfering in the
prisoner's behalf, and the law would be allowed to
take its course.

The scaffold was erected on the east side of the
gaol. Calcraft was the executioner, and he per-
formed his dread office after the usual preliminaries.
The spectators were not more than 2,000 or 3,000.
The prisoner when placed on the drop was much
agitated. Death appeared to be instantaneous.
Great order prevailed. The body was afterwards
cut down and buried in the precincts of the gaol.

COUNTRY MARK 2;5'.

~.

SHEFFIELD—TUESDAY.
A moderate supply of wheat to-day, and sales took place
rather slowly at the full prices of last Tuesday. Barley a
small show, at full prices. Oats were very dear. Beans
firm.

Red wheat, per lead of 3 imperial bushels...2os Od to 22s Od
.
White .. ...22s Od to 23s Od
New red , ...21s Od to 23s Od
New white „ II ...24s Od to 25s 6d
Beans
II II ...16s Od to 198 Od
Peas, per qr
Grinding barley, per qr 32s Od to 34s Od
Malting ditto, ~ •.• • • J 388 Od to 42s oa
..
Oats 2os Od to 26s Od
Millers' prices for flour-2s ld, 2s 3d, and 2s 6d per
141 b.