The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-23 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF RUSH.

NORWICH, SATURDAY NIGHT, EIGHT O'CLOCK.
The representatives of the London press had an inter-
view to-night with Mr. Pinson, the governor of the gaol,
who read them a statement drawn up by the chaplain
respecting Rush's conduct during the last few days of his
life. He had clearly dissembled from the very first; so
much so, indeed, that at last whatever he said or sug-
gested was looked upon as auspicious and with distrust.
He daily proclaimed his innocence, saying, " God knew
his heart; he had made his peace with him; he was
prepared to die." At last, finding that the visiting cler
gymen would not believe him innocent, he became dis-
satisfied with them, and almost disrespectful. Two or
three days ago he wished to have the Sacrament admin-
istered to him in private, but he was refused by the
chaplain. He then wrote a letter to her Majesty, but
finding he could not get it out of the Castle he burned
it. At his parting farewell with his family on Wednes-
day, he said, " I hope the Queen will not be in a hurry
to hang me."
He attended chapel service this morning. The clergy-
man, convinced of his guilt, endeavoured to elicit con-
fession. Abruptly, however, as upon former occasions,
ho said, " God knew his heart; that he was his judge,
and that they had prejudged him." When conducted to
the turnkey's room to be pinioned, he met Calcraft,
whereupon he said to Mr. Pinson, "Is this the man
that is to do the business?" The reply was " Yes."
When he was pinioned, he shruird up his shoulders,
saying, " This don't go easy. Upon the scaffold,
feeling Calcraft tremulous while fixing the noose around
his neck, he said, " Don't be in a hurry, take your time."
Then moving bis head about, he said, " Put the knot a
little higher up; don't hurry."
During the previous night (Friday) he undressed,
went to bed, dressed, and went to bed again several
tines, pretending, whilst in bed, to sleep, but in fact
watching the turnkeys all the while intently. There is
no doubt that he intended self-destruction. Ho declared
that he had heavenly sweet sleeps, however. His last
request was, that the drop might fall at the utterance of
certain words by the chaplain.
Rush received a later on Friday from his eldest
daughter. It deeply affected him. He shed tears on
the occasion. He burnt it, as he did all his other writ-
ings and papers. We saw the body to-night. The face
was calm and placid; there was no appearance of a vio-
lent death. His bust was taken. The only thing he
loft was a religious book which ho had interlined. He
left directions for it to be handed to his family. He
was buried at eight o'clock at night, in a deep grave
in the prison grounds, next to the remains of Yarham,
who was executed four years since for the Yarmouth
murder.
RUSH'S CHILDREN.—DeepIy do the bereaved children
of hush feel the position in which they are placed. The
sympathy of every generous mind will be with them ;
and most sincerely do we hope that the sins of the parent
may not be visited upon his unoffending offspring. We
ate very glad to learn that they are not destitute ; up-
wards of 1001. a year will be realised to educate the
younger branches.

BURIAL OF THE DEAD IN TOWNS
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—An important object of improvement is not
always best served by
dwelling strongly on minor points
of maltreatment. I humbly think that your medical
correspondent, Mr. Smith, has, with good intention,
also to such fallen into this mistake. I must object .
ex-
pressions as " rotting" body. The poor
treatedhd uere with
Ne wg ate remains,hen
the
.s wttendernessree t
forch,
,
had, shtoft
as kenel "Alderman"
has
l o departed,dfm
the
doubtless was the case, a sufficient lead, &c.
coffin, with the stones above carefully cemented, yet
Is a,Aer
e living
at s h
Christoannidd tb the dead.
only seven inches of interposed soil, the fact may be
as favourable as interment in an open church vault.
Perhaps the remains of some eminent or high persons
are, as the writer saw those of the poet Campbell in
Westminster Abbey, within a foot of the well-paved
flow-, though It rdizat be admitted thlat the practice is not •
to be greatly admired.
The out-door misdoings, where the ground is turned
up frequently in the week, are more calculated for re-
probation. I this day passed through Islington church-
yard, and found unmistakeable symptoms of painful odour
from an unfinished grave under six feet deep, close to
the footpath, and about eight yards only from the street.
This, whenever it occurs, is shocking to the mind as
atery.
Most
publicvsd te
miserableo,tmwell as the senses; and in some states of health, especially
with females, might be very prejudicial. The above
churchyard, little more than an acre, in a parish of
60,000 inhabitants, has long been notoriously crowded,
for which there is less excuse, that there is a handsome
ground of five acres, not near full, at the Chapel of Ease,
not very distant.
contemporary,
n the re ep opiniono y r
In some cases, where no remains are distinguishable,
the mould is fetid ! as the water is, where the soil is
ea
on the
nsdtahe
tghr oeeov rio(inglot
uisinnet Builder,
agvolesfr.papi
ltcrhtni uenurtme; s:bsle;urinlst yet,sooyff
your
w
like the details at Tooting, most necessary to be ex-
hibited for
Havesintegemgn
ten years' observation of the " London Churchyards,"
afterwards collected in a pamphlet
hope to have made known some things of use on the
subject. As Mr. Walker had so ably and perseveringly
exposed the evils as regards public health, it was the
aim of your humble correspondent rather to handle the
subject in the lights of public decency and private
feeling.
One calculation in the above was quoted in a leading
article of the Times journal—viz. that twelve metro-
politan parishes, containing 350,000 inhabitants, had
only seventeen acres of churchyards—less than an acre
to 20,000; and a plan ror " Joint Parochial Cemeteries,"
by which several parishes might unite to purchase a
large common ground, apportioned in sections, with a
church-like chapel in the centre, affording the same
service for the poor as the rich--was favoured with the
approval in writing, eight years ago, of the Bishop of
London as " much the best he had hitherto seen."
The clergy, Sir, I have reason to believe, have been
more willing for improvement--at any rate some of
them—than they have obtained credit for. It was from
parochial action, voluntary or compelled, that necessary
change could arise. Many clergymen are poor and
generous men, often the latter in proportion to the
former, with families, and could not afford to lose the
fees, which should be compensated. On the other hand,
where
supportwereany
respecter
any
ol oe
of t
itohne Church
would ,
iu things both indecent and cruel.
and general
Churchmen. For the larger Dissenting
the churchyards.
grounds are, too often, worse thana -
Dissenting clergy-
And I only recollect one instance of
years ago, and
And this is no question between Dissenters and.
man protesting, and that was. thirtywhen the ground, though
another concern. In such cases, of course, the " saddle"
should only be placed on the "right horse."
The most terrible instance as regards space and num-
bers, adjoining his chapel, was
calledhs, in„
Bun
London—utterlyhtu F
Fields,"
ds ao
genericu t -her o dni
name, with
tlh' iae 1 d,—
chapelis
on entering,
is a
little
spaaeewhich, to a n
totherightooft inexperienced ldelr iennet.ed eyeroad.
might appear less than a quarter of an acre, but it can-
not be many poles over that. " Well," the reader may
say, " and how many are buried there in a year—fifty
firevieghht dtly—
unedcreendare sbuurerilyedyomu
tdwoelvneotmmonetahns
into
esagynatrhteart
is speak
of a year and a half ago,) on
estimate—noting of the writer's only from one
of' an ac r(etsh:
a" t
summer'stlieYelso e
eye-witnesses—
Fifteen hundred but more likely from 2,000 to
Sunday, but of neighbours and
2,500 ! The mind reels at this frightful statement and
inquires by what horrible "management"—what de-
struction or removal of human flesh and bones—this
overcrowding is accomplished? The fact exists, how-
ever, wherefore the means and practice whatever they
can be, should be cragged into light for universal judg-
ment and retribution.—l am, Sir, &c.,
J. D. PARRY, M.A.,
Author of the " Coast of Sussex," &c.
April 14, 1849.
* Also mentioned by the writer in the Builder.

ROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS.—Mr. C. Macau..
ley has received the appointment of Colonial Secretary
at the Mauritius; Mr. Patrick Augustus Boyle is ap-
pointed Colonial Surgeon at the Gold Coast; Mr. John
Leake, Mr. William Race Allison, and Mr. William
Stanley Sharland, are appointed members of the Legis-
lative Council of Van Diemen's Land; Mr. William
Napier (Lieutenant-Governor) and Mr. John Gaveron
Treacher, to be of the Legislative Council of Labuan.
The following!promotions and removals have taken place
in consequence of the retirement of Mr. Wright, Col-
lector of Customs at the Port of Hull, viz.:—Mr. M. C.
Cotton, collector at Greenock, to by collector at Hull;
Mr. Rowe, collector at Whitehaven, to be collector at
Greenock; Mr. Nanson, collector at Lancaster, to be
collector at Whitehaven; Mr. Rosa, controller at Ro-
el,esor, to be collector at Lancaster; Mr. Preston, first
clerk at Maneheater, to he controller at Rochester. This
arrangement has enabled the Commissioners of Customs
to effect a cont,iderable saving in re lucing the scale of
salaries at Greenock. Mr. Trevor, Collector of Customs
at Douglas, in the Isle of Man, has been appointed col-
lector at Limerick, in the room of Mr. Reay; Mr. Bald-
win, collector at Newhaven, has been promoted to
Douglas; and Mr. Hearn, controller at Newhaven, has
b,:en appointed collector at the same port, where the
scale of salaries has been reduced upon this arrange-
ment.—Stozday Paper.