The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-31 00:00:00

The Execution of Dr. Pritchard.

In addition to the complete details of the execution ol
this criminal, which we published on Saturday, a report from
Glasgow states that after an interval of three-quarters of
an hour Calcraft ascended the scaffold and prepared to lower
the body into the coffin underneath. His appearance was
the signal for a mingled burst of hisses and cheers, the lat-
ter ultimately prevailing. Either from indifference, or ex-
cited by the cries which greeted him, he lowered the body
far too quickly, the result of which was that it came down
with a crash, and broke the bottom of the coffin prepared
for its reception. The body was immediately taken out
and stretched on the ground by some of the joiners pre-
sent, who afterwards as speedily as possible repaired the
coffin. While this operation was being proceeded with, Cal-
craft coolly entered the interior of the scaffold, and catch-
ing hold of the body by the back of the neck, something in
the same fashion as a butcher would take hold of a sheep,
lifted it into a sitting position, and after removing the straps
which bound the arms took off the cap which covered the
face. The countenance did not present any unusual ap-
pearance. Like the hands, it was ghastly pale, but there
were no indications that the convict had undergone much
suffering before death. Calcraft, after wrapping a hand-
kerchief, which he took from the inside pocket of the de-
ceased, round the lower part of the face, removed the
straps which bound the legs. On removing the rope from
the neck of the corpse, which was not, so far as we ob-
served, discoloured or swollen, he cut off a portion
of it a little above the noose, and handed it to one .of the
head warders of the South Prison, who received it without
remark. Calcraft having put his straps into his pocket,
turned to leave the interior of the scaffold. Bailie Wilson
asked if he was done, to which he gruffly responded in the
affirmative, and walked away, leaving the body lying on
the ground. Tho coffin having by this time been repaired,
some of the joiners, at the request of the bailie, lifted it into
the shell, which was carried into the old Court-house, and
through the trap into the room underneath, whore Mr.
Bryson, of Edinburgh, Mr. Ewing, sculptor, and another
gentleman, were in waiting for the purpose of taking a
cast of the head for the Phrenological Society of Edin-
burgh. This was an operation which occupied about an
hour, and while it was conducted no other person was
present. We believe, however, that they took a careful
phrenological measurement of Pritchard's skull, and are of
opinion that the results, looked at from a phrenological
point of view, harmonise with the facts which have been
disclosed as to his real character.
At the conclusion of thisprocess the coffin was closed, so
as to be in readiness for interment at one o'clock in the
flagged court-yard, the burial place of felons. It is part of
the punishment justly due to Pritchard's crimes that no
respect was to be shown to his remains ; and accordingly
the rude deal coffin in which they were enclosed was de-
posited by four labouring men in the
grave which had been
dug for its reception, close beside that of Riley, the last
T
murderer executed in Glasgow. e corpse was laid in
the grave or hole which was five feet in depth with the
clothes on it which the convict had worn on the gibbet.
Some little time elapsed before the hole was filled up and
the flags were restored to their original place, but when
this was done there was nothing to indicate what had just
taken place. •••••••1!........."''"''111•

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE AT ST. JOHN'S-WOOD.—An
inquest was held on Friday evening by Dr. Lan-
kaster, at the Clifton Arms, Clifton-road, St. John's-wood, o
on the body of Mr. Robert S meting, aged 54 years, wh
committed suicide by cutting his throat on Tuesday morn-
ing last. It appeared that deceased was a solicitor, and in
very excellent circumstances. Latterly he had become de-
pressed and exhibited strangeness of manner. He was
conducting a law case for some friends, and it so affected
him that his nights were disturbed, and he got but little
sleep. He was constantly expressing his intense sy
Mmpathy
for those clients, and frequently asked his partner, r.
Lydall, for advice relative to them, and also asked him to
join with him in prayer. On Tuesday morning he went
outside the house. After ringing the bell he returned up-
stairs, and immediately afterwards his wife found him in
their son's room, bleeding from the throat. Mr. J. C.
Whaley, surgeon, deposed to seeing deceased lying on the
bedroom floor, with a wound across his throat. Ho had
divided the tongue and trachea. He could not speak, but
groaned. Ho had no doubt the wound was inflicted with
the razor produced, and by his own hand. The cause of
death was the hemorrhage andsuffocation from blood going
into
the chest. The jury returned a verdict of " Suicide
while in an unsound state of mind."