The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-17 00:00:00

THE SHEFFIELD MURDER.

EXECUTION OF BARBOUR,.
On Friday morning a communication was received by
the authorities at York Castle from the. Home-office, in-
timating that the result of the further investigation into
tthe case of James Barbour, at Sheffield, on Wednes-
day, was such as to preclude Lord Palmerston from ad-
vising any interference on the part of the Crown with
the sentence of the law, which was, therefore, directed
to be carried into effect at the expiration of the respite
for seven days, received on the 7th instant. The fact
that such instructions had been received was communi-
cated to Barbour, but the intimation produced no visible
effect upon him. The letter wits read to him, but he
said nothing, and maintained his wonted sullenness and
obduracy.

The Condemned prisoner has never been left alone,
another convict and an officer of the prison remaining
with him. During a brief absence of the officer, Barbour
suggested to his fellow-prisoner a proposal to attempt an
escape, but of course such an attempt would have been
perfectly futile, as the chimney and windows of the con-
demned cells are double-barred, and the massive
stone walls and iron doors of that dreary abode render
the escape of its inmates a physical impossibility.
At about seven o'clock on Saturday morning Barbour
was removed from the condemned cell to a room on the
opposite side of the Castle-yard, and adjoining to the
scaffold, in the fixing of which workmen had then been
employed for nearly three hours. When it was inti-
mated to him that he must be so removed he evinced a
perfect readiness, rather an anxiety than otherwise, to
leave the condemned cell, and to be taken nearer to the
scene of his final and fatal doom.

The chaplain had an interview with the culprit at ten
o'clock, when he told the rev, gentleman that he felt
very much distressed on account of his parents. He
said, "They will feel my death very much." The chap-
lain replied, "Yes, no doubt they will ; but it would be
a great satisfaction to them provided they knew that you
died truly penitent, and had confessed your sins." Bar-
bour said, " Will you write to my parents ?" The chap-
lain answered in the affirmative, and Barbour then said,
" Well, then, sir, I am guilty ! and nobody had any-
thing to do with the murder but myself 1" The con-
demned prisoner then intimated that he felt very much
relieved in his mind, and expressed a wish to receive the
sacrament, which was administered to him by the chap-
lain, and from that time forward up to the last moment
he continued to pray.
After Barbour had received the sacrament he was
handed over to the officers whose duty it was to perform
the operation of pinioning, whereupon all his fortitude
left him ; he became most dreadful nervous and agitated,
and this great change in his demeanour increased more
and more, until at twelve o'clock he was conducted to
the scaffold, when he became perfectly terrified, being
only able to ejaculate in trembling accents the sentence,
"Lord have mercy upon me !" which he repeated many
times. The sufferings of the wretched creature seemed
to be of brief duration.
During the execution the rain fell in torrents, and the
immense roof of umbrellas under which the spectators
were sheltered, formed a curious sight. There were not
more than half the number of people present, compared
with those who witnessed the execution of Waddington.
The body of the culprit, as usual, remained suspended
until one o'clock, when it was cut down, and in the after
part of the day interred in the burial ground of the pri-
son, adjoining the condemned cell. Barbour will be
interred in the same grave which was dug for Wadding-
ton last week.

THE CONVICT KIRWAN.

The Dublin, Evening Post says :--"We have learned
that the judges who presided at the commission, Mr.
Justice Crampton and Baron Greene, when the memo-
rial on behalf of Kirwan had been presented to them,
gave it as their opinion that no grounds existed for a re-
mission of the capital punishment ; but that subse-
quently, the late Attorney-General, Mr. Napier, advised
Lord Eglinton to exercise the prerogative of mercy, and
in consequence the life of Kirwan was spared."
The following statement appears in the Dublin Daily
Express, from a correspondent. It is apropos of medical
evidence :—" Your columns have already detailed how
Kirwan, with a party of men whose faces were blackened,
tied a Mrs. Boyer hand and foot, while they removed
every particle of her house furniture, cash in hand,
savings' bank book, and eighty-seven paintings ; at least
you have glanced at the facts, which will be found fully
detailed in the report of the trial which took place before
the Recorder on the 18th of Febrbary, 1837. The most
curious feature in that trial, too, is a medical certifi-
cate obtained by Kirwan, in conjunction with his dupe,
Boyer, from one of the most respectable 'practitioners'
in Dublin, to the effect that Mrs. Boyer was a fit subject
for being placed in a lunatic asylum. This medical
evidence' was brought by Kirwan and Boyer to the
manager of Swift's Hospital a fortnight after the wretched
woman had been abandoned to starvation and nudity by
them, and a pair of keepers were duly dispatched to
force her from her empty house in Mountjoy-street.
Fortunately for her the new police' were just then a
few days in existence, and saved her from being consigned
to a fate far worse than that which has at length over-
taken the plunderer of her property. But it will be
said, perhaps she was mad.' It certainly would not be
strange if she were. But—will it be credited ?—the
medical authority' admitted on oath, in open court,
that he gave his certificate' without ever having exam-
ined the woman in any way. He was told by Boyer and
Kirwan that she was mad ; he heard she had been in
Dr. Gregory's asylum fifteen years before ; and, from
the excited manner in which she refused to admit him
when he called, late at night (while she at the same time
offered to receive him in the morning), he concluded she
was mad, and gave the certificate without repeating his
visit. It may be added, for the information of those who
cannot refer to files of newspapers, that the old simple-
ton, Boyer, possessed an income of 1601. per annum,
which disappeared with him. Is this also entombed at
Killeshandra ? It may be added, that Mrs. Boyer de-
posed that when she and her husband first knew Kirwan
he kept a rag-shop in Liffey-street. Whence, then, came
the 1,500/. which he is said to have paid over to Boyer ?
Or was it merely a transfer from the one breeches-pocke t
to the other ?"

THE CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY.—The second
ballot amongst the uncompleted' shareholders for the
rights of choice of allotments on the society's estates,
thecommit-
tee, l ,
mm andi
t_
tookolk_
spt
rlaece et, on
Strand.Saturday,T
at thee Society'sßev.
p r.
Worthington,Office, 33, Nor-
Nor-
folk-street,
Knox,tMitaaitnleainadg,h,Cmribebm,hersof executive
Holmes,
tee, were present. Dr. Worthington presided, and in
opening the proceedings congratulated the shareholders
present on the prosperous condition of the society. The
society commanded an unrivalled position, no other
association of a similar nature having in so short a
period been so successful. Ile had great pleasure
of
in stating that they had already become possessed
several
alt most eligible and valiluable estates • two at Putney,
in E Surrey; one at Eang, in Middles •
fourth at Hounslow, in the same county. and
theex eaxnedcua-
tive committee were now in treaty for various other
estates in different localities. It would be perceived from
the scheme of the society that it offered
andvery great ad-
vantages as an investment for
which he would venture to say no othery
society securityeoiil
d
exceed. By the scheme adopted, no shareholder would
have to wait long for his allotm'entstrusted that
the conservative character of the association* would
with their hearty approval. A large and influentialinet
body of persons. throughout the country were supporting the association, so that it had every element of success.
In conclusion, the reverend chairman intimated that
expressing the hope that he should, on many occasion
see many faces in that room. The ballot was then
8'
n
ceeded with, and fifty rights of choice were drawnprbey-
shareholders in the counties of Middlesex Surrey, Kent,-
Bucks, Norfolk, Suffolk, Derby, Somerset,
t, and Dorset
EXECUTION AT ABERDEEN. —On Thursday, George
*
Christie, recently convicted before the Xigh Courtf
Justiciary at Edinburgh of a barbarous double murde
near Aberdeen, was executed in the latter city,
lie
r
was quite composed in his latter moments. On the
scaffold he was requested to give the usual signal when
ready ; he immediately turned round to Calcraft,
the
executioner, and said, "Are you ready ?" Calcraft
plied that he was, on which Christie said to the offi tre;
of the magistrates, "JI am quite ready now, gentle el's'
and with a deliberate movement of the arm, m
threw wa
-aen'y
the napkin. As the drop fell a piercing shriek
froma
female voice wa.s heard in the crowd. The body was
—Among the number
an
nPhAeRn X.
s* .
cut
E downNGms
rt after
ARTISTESIaangi n
rt:tie: j
unsotweoamssmemenbeliendg
.innoPnearisesemw to have
when the
mocsf
ieal
foreign
aseaso
been heard with more favour than our email'
Binfield, and his accomplished little party IrYllillan Mr.
formances are thus described in a Parisianlv ?se per.
journal,
which will be seen alro a compliment
. to the
progress of musical art inEngland : The soirees of
the past busy week have brought a new feature
into
our musical entertainment; iatroduced b
field from London, who, now here on y Messrs. Bin"
have been induced to give a few
perfao pleasure trip,
judging from the enjoyment it evidenT afforded aances, and,
y
large circle comprising several of the i
mo n of
our conoscenti, promises to take rootn Bansst oted,
It con-
sists of a chamber—or family concert, the executants
being all members of Mr. B'a own family .Ifamily
lof musicians really meriting .th • ---` 1
under the direction of their itt designation, who,
father, an accomplished
' artiste, perform the works of the with a
facility and finish that give first masters
aflowing ease to their performances quite charming to listen to. The pro-
gramme on the evening we present, comprised
selections from Bach, Beethovenwere Mendelssohn, and
Rossini, the arrangements and accompaniments combined
with truly musician-like skill, giving the little orchestra
surprising richness and effect. The performers are six ;
the instruments two harps, two pianos, a violoncello, and
lastly a concertina, the capabilities an powers of which.
.
but which, with
we are clearly yet strangers to in Paris,.
the improvements introduced by Wheatstone, is surely
one of the most wonderful little instruments for morceaux
d'ensemble ever invented. Its effect also in one of the
Irish melodies introduced singly by Miss Dmfield was
admirable. Four of the party are soloists, all of whom
display masterly skill,
and both in their separate per-,
formances as in the concerted morceaux, we have rarely
found executants render so completly the colour,
style, and expression of eaeh composer. We may
particularly refer
to Bach's Fugne, by Mr. W. B.
Binfield on the piano, as an instance of this consci-
entious homage to the intentions fif the great old mas-
ters—it was perfect. We would add that, for the taste
of Paris, a little more of the Italian school, and perhaps
some selections from the Fre!acb, would be useful to
alternate with the more classics excel:pta of their pro-
gramme, the taste of London being in this respect un-
questionably very far in advance of Paris •
, except, cf
course, among real lovers of the art."