The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-09 00:00:00

I A ROMANCE OF REAL LIFE.

EXECUTION FOR MURDER.

- -
(Abridged from the Waletford Chronicle.)
The execution of William Mernin fir murder, under
circumstances cf the foulest atrocity, of his spprentice, Michael
Whelan, at Clashmore, on the 23d of Juno last, was fixed for
Saturday, in front of the county gaol. The night before his
execution he slept calmly as usual, and met the attending
clergyman in the morning, the last to dawn upon him, with a
serious and composed countenance. He breakfasted with the
keen appetite he possessed since his incarceration, and had se'
thoroughly subdued every sentiment but that of unfeigned sor-
row fur his horrible offence, that none who s cw him could kayo
cred:tel he was aware that in a few shot hours his lamp of life
5543 to be ignominiously extinguished, When the Sheriff and the
Governor of the gaol went to.his cell;about half-past twelve, and
nude the awful intimation that all the preparations were ready,
he retained the resolution which never for an instant forsook
him. Ascending the stairs to the press-room, he yet coos
tinued collected and resolute, absorb..ll in prayer. Here he
was encountered by the executioner, whose repulsive
seed to
for the first time met his gaze, but did not seed to dig_
con-pos.! him for more than a moment. Duelng the tough
process of pinioning he knelt, continuing to pray loudly, and
bearing the rude grasp of the "last finisher of the law" with
humble submission. When removed into the Press-room, he
again knelt for some time with his spiritual attendants ; and
but.for once glanced at the dreadful apparatus on which he
was going to expiate his crime, arid on the thick crowd that
stretched far away before it below. The fatal bolt was at
length drawn, and after a violent struggle of a few minutes
duration, his limbs became stiffened in death.
Notwithstanding the dreadful scene that was enacted, and its
unfrequency in this city, we have to observe with regret, and
in addition to the ten thousand proofs against those sanguinary
butcheries, that it appeared to make little or no impressico;,
or at most a very transient one, on the immense crowds that
bore witness to it. The unfortunate being was yet hanging a
painful spectacle, when reeling drunkards were to be•seen
wi thin a few yards of the scaffold, gloating their frantic
senses on the exhibition before them. Raggantuflins of the
lowest descri,,tion shouting at the pitch of their voice, " the
last words and dying declaration of William Tifernin, who was
hanged, See.," went through the streets before the strangled
lndy was cut dom., and reaped a plentiful harvest from the un-
couth sentences put into the mouth of the victim, by some
speculative artist. The Lallad singers also were in good re.-
(reit, and made the air ring with their elegiac addresses, fol-
lowed by the crowds who hat surfeited their eyes on the gibbet.
Beneath the drop young boys were playing without suffering
the id-a that a human creature was suspended above them to
interfere with their pastime. In truth, if an argument were
required to show that these bloody sacrifices doanything more'
than harden and brutalizs the heart, instead of makng it mote
pervious to moral feeling, this is triumphant. It is only on
the educated and enlightened that they appear to possess any
irill.rence—and that influence is one of disgust and horror.
The lower orders look.upon them as a sort of amusement.
The; talk of them as of something unusual, and there-
fore well worthy of being attended. They criticise the looks
and deportment cf the victim, and pass judgment accord-
ing as they coincide with tin it notions of what they ought
to be. If the unfortunate Mai rer be hold in appearance and
betray no nervous t rembling, they praise his fortitude without
giving themselves the troeble to inquire whether it Le the
product of religion or of reckless daring. Indeed it were w;se
and prudent that, even for murder—men for suds a murder as
that of Mernin, which we admit was one of almost unexampled
atroei v, some other punishment were devised than that of
dog-like barging. The conduct of the exec tvioners too on
these ceeavions cffords a Immil;Lting r, eetion or outcasts abandoned outeas appedr Int-iwayedtl by an tefn man.timent
except that of he:, lest and m y most adtuitly they my
and then terminate the life of Si fel:2.w-erez.ture. Thea inntortureocent
and the guilty —the young and the old—the beautiful anti
the ugly ate to stem the same; they place their reeking.
hands on all with far less yr.& mess and compassion than the
butcher does on the she• per the cow, when leading it to the
slaughter ; and the mare the' victims they have, the more it is
to them a matter for gratulation. We cannot imagine hu.
inanity more delas,d than in their persons, nor could, we
think, a more acceptable benefit be conferred than that which
would put an extinguisher on their abominable creft. But.
while the Statute Book contains a crimson leaf, they must
be recognised as necessary evils. The fellow who acted
on this occasion was confident and presuming. • Even
in the Pretence of nutty gentlemen he offered a volun-
teer commentary on the Government of the Marquis
of Normanby, saying that his Excellency was unfit
to rule over Ireland--that he slimed malefactors to
scepernd that if a Tory Lord Lieutenant were it
power he would afford hint (the hangman) more to do.
Coming even from the lips of a hangman, this is surely a
proud compliment to the present Executive. He went some-
what farther than this. To a gentleman of the law who bap-
per.ed among others to visit him through curiosity, he deplored
the great falling away in his business, and remarked that the
lei al profession, too, must be badly off in these times, A Rebel, he remarked, he felt a particular gratification in string-
ing up, beeruse his father, he said, was burned at Sculls-
bouguu in 1798. The body of Mernin having been lower, d
and cut from the rope, it was removed into one of the !ant
yards, where it was interred. Previous to interment some
keier&fi.: gentlemen examined the head, and gave their opinion
of its phrenological dela lopments.

A I'PA LLI N 0 Accl 0 E N ri—On NVO
min nesday a sea-
, belonging to the Pcoos&/caufa packtr.ship, Princes Dock fell
torn the loyal ma.thead, a height of nearly 120 feet. The' unfortu ,nate
man in his descent nearly carried along with him a sailor engaged in the
tigg:ng, same 70 feet from the deck ; he then struck upon the guar.( r of
the ship Napoleon, lying alung..4le, -
and finally fell into the do'.:. Ile
was ii.nne !lately taken up ;did carried to the Northein Hospital, Leeds.
II ree:t, but died on the way lli!ther.---Liropee/ Sta Ward.
AbOUL six wcas ago the body of a man Was i)cked
i •
upott Sea by one of oar fishing beats, and being brought ash( re here was
SUOIOCA to be that of Lieut.. Hope, commander of the Pinchce• gun-
brig, which went dote., in a squall off Bognor, Circumstances hare
sinbc oe,•utr..d wine!) lead to the supposition that this was the body t I
0:6 maser, and flit of Lieut. Hope, its on Sunday the remains of a ma's
in unif,rin were found near hack Una by a shrimper, with the name of
.1 noi," wttrked under the cpauktte. The body was removed to the
,Black Rock cc ad- guard station, and tutored rat Monday at Itottingdean,
ri•igl tou Guardian.

COLBURN'S NEW NIONT:II.Y :NTAC:AZINII FOR
A Iltit,3t hm is nub: rof the leading Nlagazine
of the das po +-ins.; in
abe .utiftilly cxectited portrait of Mrs, S. C, Jinn, •;i1 our notice. Its literary claims upon our attent:sm, too are more I auusually powerful. The talented editor contributes at; wide
entitled
" Wine and \Valet," which abounds in humour and interest. Then fol-
lows a swe:t lyric of Mr. 'Thomas which Is readered the more touching by the ap,'endage of a 11010, informing us that the incident it se-
cord; is a true one. " Paddy in Search cf a Son," and " The 111 treated
Gentleman," the framer by Mr. T. anittriu, will be read with tnneli
Pe!tstlre. "Shakespeare's Plays historic:ll:y considered," by the night
!lon. T. P. (ourtenay, we have already mentioned in terms of praise, an
we have Mr. Jerrolii's " Letson of Life," Is continue.' this month,
and is most amusing. Mr, " Ste.l 111 VO) iigC 110111 1.01111011 to
Paris," NTr, Pao:e's" Admiral's Daughter" (a production eqii..l to (lichen
host eftints of the author of " Paul l's j"), and " Th.. Maaager's Note.
13';o1"E:say on Oyster," by ors:, ot the authors
of " Rejected Addresses," which is (mite as entertaining as its title
promises it to be. " The rrinverciziain." contains tnit.:ll good criticism,
and abl: and brilliant writing —Court journal,

pieces of artillery in I..tirope
irl '
d Is know al by the a.anle of the Graltin, from the fabulous
:ill Is le be thaind among the ornamental portion of 14 work_
laine most curious
gun n•.ts cast in 1320 a, Ehretahreitstc:lat, near Cobletd,
lactix''Aiiilnotilti:e7l'lloc..f:sit'::a. . . • htainnti re, sessicn of It in 1800. It is 17 ft -
..,C
wrie,e !_he,;(rierliii adil:t3,l,,lPtil.. :Itd tki)stnit.2i64 is
ilell,it initihtissal,iaineter, and it
in I og h •
weig,i, 22,500111 I's o,trr-AZe I ...Nils ; and the
. I • ~c tsa hall which it car.les is 1.-)7lbs. •
the
of isowder are
wri; , i
:,,e1 for its charge. N.tpo'e ,II intended it for the Hotel of the 111,
as.su• ' .
where a place was ;4ttlgnc•,l fbr It. The fellow to Oak
is at present Eno ne of the bastions of Ow
old forire,..l liidvitapour, In India, and id 14 fart 4 inches in lenth.
tv:itirda:naliti,l::r7lB:ivee of eattrAli
~,
•,,i,4th 1., a) o•et 4 Ineheo in Wormier, ►s
It is said to o:dry shot of
clip µwr•bt of 0t) cwt., with a charge of 4:2Slh. of powder. Accordinr:
satement such a piece of cannon. if used often,
Walt the powder magazine It is not known at what period, er by
to lid -
%show, this colossal pie.: eof 0t,11,31100 w., Cant. w►'
soon ex-

TaYloß.—According to his account he is the son
of the late Lord Neenedy, who married his mother twelve
nentilas after his birth. His mother dying when he was young,
hls father ordered him to be put to nuns° ; and a too,an,
named Robinson, in the City- road, London, received We/. a
year and 11. a week, to take care of hint. When about scoff)
Sears of age he was ttoltoi by some gypsies, who deserte I
at 13rston, where a collier picked him up, and he was Cm-
ployc d the pits. •It happened in :he time that Lord
K( en-dy died ; end, having no a vitil ismr, he bequeathed
t reater portion of his propel ty to the subject of this
wirrative. -Inquiries were instituted in all directions to find
him out; and advertisements fully describing his person,
and some particular marks upon his arms, were inseved
in the leading Journals. .lust at this time he was taken
ill at Bilston, and was in the habit of attending a surgeon daily
for his prescriptions. The surgeon having seen the advettise•
meat, thought lie recognized the person wanted its his patient ;
and on asking Itini questions, and etanninieg bins cloely, he
became convinced that lie was in reality a " diamond in the
rough ;" and he accordingly wrote to the advertising parties
in London. He was recognized by Mrs. Robinson, and was
placed in a situation of affluence ; but unhappily there ho took
a large sum of money with him, and wont to Bilston, where,
in dissipation, he soon spent it, and was brought near to deathi
In this situation an angel of the Temperance Society crossed
his path—he became a " tee-totaller," and, after raising the
wind to a considerable extent from those who had well
assured themselves of his future hopes, he started again
for London in good style, and once more placed himself
wider the care. of Mrs. Robinson. Having remained theta
for the last three years, he became =comfortable, and re.
solved upon leaving. It appears that, according to ono tot
the eccentricities of the will under which he has obtained
portion, and is to have the whole, of his property, he %las
bound to live with Mrs. Robinson' until he got married, cr at-
tained the age of twenty-one. fikadvertiEed for a wife, and
receiving an answer from Birmingham, went there last week,
and seeing the fair one, fixed Saturday for the marriage. Sle
wished to wait till Monday. Upon which he inquired foe
another girl, was introduced to Mary Ann Skidmore. 'who
was fetched out of Mr. Barnes's factory, in Newhall-street,
to see him, on Friday, and on Saturday morning they were
married by license at St. Philip's church, buth looking rorwari,
no (look, with the pleasing anticipation of being in two years in
the enjoyment of prop: rty, it is said, to the enormous mout. of' 60.060/. per annum. lie is now only nineteen 3 wirs cs; age, and Isis wife not so oltl. She is a good-looking girl, and
the daughter of poor, but Ivoiest parents in Efitnund- street.
She bore a "good character from her employer. Tliev re,
mained in Birmingham until Tucsolay morning, when they
st trtcd for Derby.—.lbridgedfrom the Birmingham .itoirnalt