The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-27 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF WILLIAM DEVEY

The unfortunate Devey and his no less unfortunate victim.
Davenport, were upon the best and most amicable terms, and
their friendship was known to all ;
but it is to be feared that
friendship was not founded in sincerity, but only had its. ori-
gin and existence from a similarity in
e suerstanding,
that friendship was instantly turned into the most misunderstands pursuits and plea-
sures of the two. In consequence of some®
DveixnZdeadlya hn .e,'
li
b
°
m
at least on the part of the miserable Devey.
it will be recollected, was a witness at the lastVinu.E
Assizes, in an action brought against Devey for obiainirv.,-
Aervices of a workman from another tnanufacturer.;
the
m
shop.
that He was not, however, examined on the trial ; but
fro
c •riod Devey was determined on revenge, and took
the desperate n
ourse which has caused his untimely end.
It is reported, with what truth we cannot say, that pro-
vocation was given by Davenport in displaying blue
ribbons as having triumphed over Davey; but, be that as it
may, such a petty aggra;,ation MI Le no excuse for the murder.
A short time before the Assizes commenced Devey planned
his escape, and, being of a It:
rn and desperate disposition, he
would doubtless have risked his life in the attempt ;
but this

plan was discovered and frustrated,
he was
At his trial, and when sentence wa: passed on bim,
unmoved, and denied a recollection of coOmitting the murder.
This observation he frequently repeated.
med that the
On Thursday evening last, Devey was info:
following morning was fixed for his execution. hs WAS firm
and collected, and replied he was quite prepared ; he did .not
care for himself, his only care was for his wife and fame),.'
After the impressive service was gone through he was conducted
through the yards to the press-room, where lie was pinioned.
At this distressing period he seemed rather shaken, and his
countenance indicated a momentary depression, as if caused by
a contemplation of his awful situation. It was scarcely
perceptible, and he instantly recovered his former fortitude.
After bidding the chaplain and others farewell, he proceeded
with the utmost fortitude to the top of the scaffold, his

countenance not changing in the slightest degree at the sight
of the awful instrument, and then casting his eyes heaven.
ward with great and deeply-affecting earnestness, hn addressed
himself to the Almighty Father in terms which preyed how
sincere were the words that flowed from his lips ; how peni-
tent and contrite he was for his sins; bow thankful he was for
the mercies he had received at his hands since his condemwa-
tion ; and how grateful he was for the means of redemPtiorr
provided by the unexampled love and mercy of the Saviour.
Repeating the words " Father, Father, have mercy upon
me!" in a manner and tone of fervent supplication, he con-
cluded his prayer with all the apparent satisfaction of calm
serenity and well-grounded hope. The cap was drawn over
his face—the fatal bolt was drawn—and the soul of the mu-
derer winged its flight to another world—to receive, we trust,

the ;sardon of his Creator, and to dwell for ever in his heavenly
kingdom
man but 28 years of age. and of rather a mild
and was about five feet nine.
appearance.
ynr a
He
was
well-built,His education was imperfect, and it is said be` was addicted not
so much to drinking as to other vices.
The spectators were very numerous, more so than on many
previous occasions. Their conduct, before and after the exe-
cution, was by no means proper, and exhibited a de:tree of
levity at the fate of the miserable sufferer not at all cona:stent
with the feelings of common humanity.
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
In reciting the particulars of this tragical occurrence eve
deeply regret that the efforts of the inhabitants of Birminge
ham, who petitioned the Throne on the subject, were not suc-
cessful. It is understood that the gentlemen whose arrival in
London has been already noticed (Mr. Sturge and Mr. Mor-
gan), proceeded to the Isle of Wight to gee Lord John Rus-
sell on Wednesday evening, where, we apprehend, they
brought fully before his Lordship the evidence Vtbmitted to
there at Birmingham, and which we are informed by a corre-
spondent was to be of the following character. the ques-
tion, our renders will remember, was, whether the convict was
not insane at t'ee time of committing the act, and evidence in
proof of this fact was elicited by the enquiries made subse-
quently to the trial, ia addition to that submitted to the Jury.
The evidence, in its complete state, clearly showed a strong
hereditary disposition to :usanity in the family, no less than
four individuals, besides the convict, having been so affected,
and the manifestations of its symptoms in the unhappy man
himself was proved by the testimony both of a woman named
Ryley and:her daughter, who spoke to his conduct previously
to the commission of the act; and of the Rev. Mr. Childe,
the Chaplain of the gaol at Warwick, whose statement refers
to his conduct since commitment. None of this evidence was
submitted on the trial. Dr. Conolly, who now resides at
Birmingham, having examined the whole or the evidence
which was to acccmpany the petition to the Queen, himself
signed that document, and subjoined the following opinion,
which we have been permitted to transcribe:—
" Having read the whale of the statements accompanying
this petition, I respectfully but earnestly submit the expres-
sion of my full conviction that the above-named WilliamDevey
was not of sound mind at the time of committing the crime
for which be is now under sentence of death."
" ( Signed) " J. CONOLLY, M.D."
We take this Cesportunity of adding some strictures on that
particular passage or the Scriptures which is supposed, very
unwarrantably. to authorree the infliction of cold-blooded mur-
der on the scaffold:—
PUNISHMENT Or' DEATH.
TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE SHEFFILL D INDEPENDENT.
Sir,—Your Correspondent, H. S. R., has addressed you
a letter, which appeared on the 11th instant, trying to justify
the infliction of the punishment of death for the crime of
murder.
The first end principal ground on which be endeavours so
to justify it, is the language recorded in the Scriptures (Gen.
ix., 4,5, 6) as addressed to Noah, " Whoso sheddeth man's
Wood, by man shall his blood be shed."
Your Correspondent is perhaps a r.rebrev scholar, and
able to tell us whether the passage in question may not be
translated " Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man will his
blood be shed." If it bear this translation, perhaps be can
also inform us why it should not be understood as a predic-
tion instead of a command, in the same way as the words, " He
that taketh the sword, shall (or will) perish with the sword"
( Matt. xxvi., 52). This suggestion is not original.
If, notwithstanding. H. R. S. view this language as con-
taining a command, I foresee some difficulties In aopting his
sentiments, which perhaps he will condescend to remove.
These difficulties I will offer in the form of queries',
What evidence have we that this " command" for shedding
human blood was to be of perpetual obligation to the stud of
time? The advocates of judicial bloodshed should of course be
prepared to demonstrate this.
If he says its intended perpetuity was not expressed but im-
plied, in the fact of this " command" being addressed to Noah,
the progenitor of the post-diluvian world, we are naturally led.
to ask whether, if such had really been the Divine intention,
the " command" would not rather have been addressed to
Adam, and the sentence enforced in the case of Cain, when
the Almighty said to him (Genesis iv., 10), " The voice
of thy brother's blood crieth unto me front the ground"—?
Your correspondent remarks that " the special law which
God made fur murderers only, has been infrinjed upon, and
has been applied to criminals of almost every cliff:vent kind."
If this be the case, does he consider such unwarranted judicial
bloodshed to require expiation ? If he does, does he (to use
his own words) think, as there is " satisfaction due to a
broken law" of God, that therefore, either some of the legis-
lators who framed our existing sanguinary laws, or our rulers
who administered them, ought to expiate their murderous
crimes upon the scaffold, and share the fate of " Saul's
seven sons ?" For, citing their case, your correspondent's
words are these : —" The reply was, that it [the fa-
mine] was for the blood which [King] Saul had shed.
The means of atonement adopted," continues your corre-
spondent, " was the having of Saul's seven sons ; and then
we read, the Lord was entreated for the land." If H. S. R.
intends to thus carry out his argument, there are no less than
seventy-five Members of Parliament (or their descendants) to
be hanged for their vote last year, which annexed the penalty
of blood to other crimes than murder (and among them Mr.
Ward, though at present sitting for Sheffield). By the way,
the citing by H. S. R., of the case of Saul's seven sons,
shows two things—first, that he considers capital punishment
to be sometimes vicarious, as they suffered for the crime of
their,
.father Saul ; and secondly, that H. S. R. is rather hard
pushed for arguments in support of the judicial doctrine of
blood for blood. Only think, Mr. Editor, where we should
arrive, in practically following out such suggestions. Who
should we not have to put to death for the thousands that have
been murdered on the scaffolds of England ?
But our difficulties do net end here, in trying to adopt
H. S. R 's interpretation put upon the words, " Whoso
sheddeth man's blood," &c. for lie expressly states that every
homicide which is not accidental is to be visited with death,
no matter what the circumstances of extenuation. Your cor-
respondent H. S. R. must, therefore, according to his own
showing, be prepared to make the law of England even more
sanguinary that it is at present, inasmuch as he demands the
blood of all persons convicted of" manslaught?r,"(not murder)
of whom, I understand, there are in England nearly one hundred
per annum. For it is obvious that the words, " Whoso sheddeth
man's blood," &c. must include those who, upon sudden pro-
vocation, are guilty of the destruction of human life (man-
slaughter), a crime not punished by us as murder.
Your correspondent further contends that under the
Mosaic economy, the law remained as given to Noah. I
leek, then, how happens it that the penalty of life for li'e
is not recited in the decaloyue, written with the finger of
God—the sixth commandment being, " Thou shalt do no
murder," or more properly, " Thou shalt not commit ho-
m'cide ?" He, perhaps, replies that the judicial law of the
Iraelites did ordain the forfeiture of life. It did so, and that
for a variety of offences besides murder; such as idolatry,
the breach of the Sabbath, &e. H. S. R. alleges that " the
New Testament is silent upon the question under considera-
tion" (the punishment of murder). Now, I ask him to show
me in the New Testament, the repeal of the capital punish.
ments in practice among the Israelites, for any one of the va-
rious crimes here referred to : and if he cannot do so, his ob-
jection regarding the silence of the evangelical writers as to the
crime of murder in particular. surely falls to the ground.
These are only sonic of the objections I foresee to the in.
terpretation and the doctrine of your correspondent, H. S. R.
\\ hen he has answered them, perhaps I may trouble him with
a few more.
Aug. 14, IS3B

SCRUTATOZ.

GRAND ENTERTAINMENT AT THE MANSION
Housz.—On Wednesday the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress
gave a splendid entertainment at the Mansion House; pp
wards of seventy of their private friends sat down to dinner.
The day was the anniversary of their wedding. There was as
very large evening party to quadrilles, cards, Sic.
NUTS TO CRACK.—The crop of hazel-nuts and
filberts this year will, it is said, be abundant, almost beyond
parellel in this part of the kingdom.—Devizes Gazette.