The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-10 00:00:00

EXECUTION AT YORK.

Alfred Waddington, who was condemned at the late
winter gaol delivery, by Mr. Justice Talfourd, for mur-
der at Sheffield, underwent the extreme penalty of the
law on Saturday, at 12 o'clock, at the usual place of exe-
cution adjoining York Castle.
The unfortunate young man was only 20 years of age,
and he was the father of -an illegitimate child about 20
months old, of which a young woman named Sarah Slater,
residing at Sheffield, was the mother. He had been or-
dered to pay 2s. a week towards the support of the child,
whereupon, as it was stated at the trial, his conduct to-
wards the mother became such as to compel her to make
a complaint before the magistrates, and he was bound
over to keep the peace for six months. This was eight
or nine months before the murder of the child and
only two days before its dead body was found the
mother had taken out a warrant for his apprehension,
on account of his arrears in the weekly payments.
Moreover, on the very morning of the day on which the
child was murdered, Waddington and the mother had
a conversation in reference to his conduct, and her

having had to bring him before the magistrates, and he
then threatened to blow out her brains, and also that he
would play "Rush " upon her. It appears he was quite
intent upon carrying his threat into execution, and not
only murdered the innocent and unoffending child the
same evening, but made an attempt on the life of the
mother. She and the child were, at the time in question,
living at the house of her mother, and on the 18th of Aug.
the infant was given by the grandmother to a little girl,
ten years of age, named Martha Barlow, to be taken out
for a walk. She met the prisoner in the street, and he
took the child from her, and sent the girl away to fetch
its mother, saying at the same time to the child, "Come,
Elizabeth, let us go a ta-ta." The girl objected, but
Waddington took the child, and ran away. That evening
the mother was at school for teaching reading, and shortly
after eight o'clock the younc, man put his head in at the
door, and called out, " SaraliSlater, you're wanted." She
went out, and Waddington drew from his pocket a shoe-
maker's knife, with blood upon it, saying, ":See thee, this is
thy child's blood; I have murdered thy child;" and whilst he
and the mother were going along he made two or three at-
tempts to cut her throat with the knife. He also, on
meeting with another wonlan named Sarah Dobson (she
and Sarah Slater being class-mates), struck her on the
face with the knife, with which he inflicted a severe
wound. At two o'clock on the following morning,
whilst near his own home, and on a policeman coming
up, he called out " Watch." The policeman went to
him, and he said (no doubt feeling compunction for the
grave offence he had committed), " I have murdered a
child, take me into custody." He also pulled up his
coat sleeve, and requested the officer to put the hand-
cuffs upon him. From a statement Waddington made
on his arrival at the police station, the child was found
with the head severed from its body, in Heeley Wood,
and a knife was found in the river Sheaf, with which
Waddington acknowledged he had cut off the child's
head.

A memorial to the Throne was signed at Sheffield,
praying for a mitigation of Waddington's sentence. The
memorial alleged that the prisoner, at the age of eight
years, injured his head by falling down a flight of steps,
and that, consequently, when under excitment or sudden
impulses, he had ever since been quite insane, and un-
able to discriminate between right and wrong. Lord
Palmerston, however, after consulting with the learned
judge who tried the prisoner, refused to mitigate the
sentence.

About seven o'clock Waddington was removed from

the condemned cell to a room adjoining the assize courts,
and not far from the place where the scaffold was erect-
ed. At an early hour groups of pedestrians, apparently
from a great distance, were seen entering the city to wit-
ness the melancholy spectacle ; but, contrary to the
general rumour, it was denied by the railway authorities
that any special arrangements had been made for bring-
ing passengers from Sheffield to witness the execution.
The unfortunate culprit passed most of Friday night

in prayer, and before lie left the condemned cell he took
an affectionate leave of the persons who had been placed
there to attend upon the criminals, as is usually the case.
The Rev. T. Sutton, both late on Friday night and
yesterday forenoon, attended upon Waddington ; and
shortly before noon, Mr. William Gray, the under-
sheriff, proceeded to the castle, to demand the body in
the usual form. The process of pinioning, &c., took
place, and as the castle clock struck twelve the proces-
sion moved towards the scaffold, Waddington walking
with a firm step.
Nathaniel Howard was the executioner, and after
Waddington had spent a few moments in supplication
(in which he was audibly heard to exclaim " Lord, re-
ceive my soul") the executioner proceeded with his
painful duty. The bolt was then drawn, and the culprit,
whose sufferings appeared to be very slight, was launched
into eternity.

The number of spectators was very large, amounting
to from 8,000 to 10,000, and they conducted themselves
in a very orderly and becoming manner.
The body, after hanging the usual time, was buried
within the precincts of the prison.

A FRENCH EXECUTION.—A man named Durand, con-
demned to death some time ago for having violated a
young girl 11 years of age, and then cut her to pieces,
has just been executed at Melun. Up to the last mo-
ment he treated with contempt the exhortations of the
priest, and as he walked to the scaffold gaily sung dif-
ferent airs. On reaching the place of execution he cried,
"Ah, ah !we shall see ; what fun 1" With much per-
suasion he was induced to kneel near the fatal block,
and to recite some prayers after the priest, but he did
so in a tone of bravado. When, in the midst of them,
the priest extended the crucifix to him, he pushed it
aside, and said, "Let me be quiet ; I will embrace it
afterwards !" Placed on the block, the executioner pre-
sented him with the cross—he kissed it, and the knife
fell.

MURDER IN MAYO.—Richard R. O'Grady, Esq.,
coroner, has just held an inquest at Loughnabo, in the
parish of Bohola, on the body of Thomas MrNicholas.
It appeared by the evidence that the deceased, with
some friends, were returning from a funeral—a solemn
ceremonial in that part of the country very frequently
converted into a meeting for the exhibition of the most
revengeful passions—and having adjourned to a public-
house in Bohola, where they had some whisky, they
were assailed by a party of five 'men in the house, who
had just arrived from England, and were much intoxi-
cated. In the melee the unfortunate deceased was
struck with a pitchfork and killed. A verdict of wilful
murder was returned against one of the parties named
Kenny, and of being " accessaries before the fact "
against the remainder. -
ROYAL ARTILLERY.—Since the reduction of the
standard of height for recruits for this corps a number of
fine young men and lads have enlisted, as many on an
average as 100 per week have been sent to head-quarters
here,
addition and
to it
the will
regiment no t takeof 2,0
aloonog
en
whichperiodt was
o complete
recently th e
voted by the Legislature. Each troop of the Royal
Horse Artillery will now have six guns, five light six-
pounders and one 12-pounder howitzer. The whole of
the field batteries will also have six guns in each battery,
five nine-pounders and one 24-pounder howitzer ; and,
altogether, the Royal Horse Artillery and the Foot Ar-
tillery field batteries will man and horse 200 guns for
home service, and they will always be in such a state of
readiness that they can be concentrated in any part of the
country and on the coast at the shortest notice, by the
*facility now afforded by railway communication.