The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-06 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF COURVOISIER.

(TINS. DAYS)

Th's morning at eight o'clock, Francais Benjamin
Courvoisier, the mulLrer of his venerable master, •
Lord WiLiain Russell, expiated his crime, as far as
such crime as his can be expiated in this world. Long
before midnight last evening groups of persons_ began
to assemble in front of Newg,lie, anxious to secure
good places to witness the appalling drama which was
about to be enacted. These groups, as the morning
approached, became more and more numerous, until at
length they coalesced, and at four o'clock formed a
deiise mass of human beings, extending from St. Se-
pulchre's -church to the gates of the 0:d.
Shortly after two o'clock the workmen employed- in
the erection of the gallows commenced their operations,
and at halt after four had completed their horrid task.
Persons now began to flick in great numbers. At
five o'clock the street was crowded, and the windows of
the houses opposite the prison were all occupied. In
one was seen the fashionable exquisite with the opera-
glass at his eye employed in attentively scrutinizing the
preparations going on for depriving a fellow-creature of
his existence ; while at another a man of a lower grade,
with tastes more vulgar, perhaps, but most assuredly
not one whit less coarse and brutal, was whiling away
the weary hours, by having recourse to the solace of a
pipe and a pot. The roofs of the houses were crowded
with persons anxious to get a glance at the last. mo-
ments of the 'murderer, and even . the cliiieneys were.
made to afford an unsafe, but eagerly converted, resting-
place to the more adventurous of these Gravers alter ex-
citement.

As • the morning advanced the crowd, which
had been during the night tciletiibly Quiet, began •
to wax noisy practical jokes were played off,
co rse and ribald jests were uttered, and roars of
laughter were elicited in consequence;7not merely from
the low vulgar who crowded the streets, but from the I
.high vulgar at the windows and on the bouse-tops. It
wes the farce before the tragedy. Among the crowd
.were many well-dressed females. At the .wiadows
were lads, some apparently not more than twelve years
of age ; but all were gay—all were merry in auticipa-
Lion of human suffering—merry at the thought of wit-
nessing the agony of death. If another fact were
wanting to prove the brUtalising and demoralizing ten-
d.mey of public executions, we have it here.
Would that those who conscientiously believe
.n their efficacy as a prevention of crime had been
present this morning to have beheld the disgusting
spectacle which for four long hours we were unwilliegly
_compelled to witness. The Rev. Mr. Carver, the
ordinary of the prison, arrived at six o'clock, and imme-
diately- proceeded to the cell of the prisoner to admin-
ister to him that sp:ritual. consolation, of which in his
:mild situation he must have stood in so much need.
Shortly- after we were admitted within the walls of the
prison. Oa inquiry we found that Courvoisier, whose
firmness, which had never deserted him, astonished even
those the most used to such scenes, had retired to
rest last night at eleven o'clock, had slept soundly
for an hour, when he awoke and inquired of Locke
ind Sergeant the turnkeys in attendance on him, the
hour of the night. On being informed that it was only
*midnight,' he desired to be called at four o'clock,
end was soon again s g soundly. At four
o'cloCk, agreeably to his req st, he was awoke by the
turnkeys, and on his rising commenced writing. He
was thus occupied, we understand, on the arrival of the
.Rev. Ordinary. At half-past six Mr. Newman, the
principal turnkey, passed through the ward of the pri
son in which we were, bearing the chalice towards the
tell in which the prisoner was confined: After the
sacrament had been administered to him,• breakfast
was taken in, of which. we understand, he partook but
sparingly. At a quarter before eight o'clock we
verc conducted to the yard adjoining the eon-
;teamed cell. The yard was crowded' with well-
dressed visitors; some of whom evidently belonged to
(he upper classes of- society. We are sony to say that
in some instances their anxiety to 'witness the prepares!
tions for the execution of the last sentence of the law
on the criminal, led them to press and crowd noisily
into the cell, utterly regardless 'of that decorum which
all ought to observe in the chamber of death. The
unhappy criminal, however, did not appar disturbed by
this unseemly interruption, butseented totally. absorbed
'n attending to the exhortations, of the Reverend
Ordinary, repeating the pray as after him in a low
tone. Shortly before he was pinisned,* Mrs *.Sheriff
Evans requested him, as we understood,• to write some-
thing on a paper. Courvoisier immediately complied,
and with firm and steady hand wrote what he was re-
piested to write. This writing betrays nothing like
agitation or nervousness in the writer, and cannot be
listinguished from his ordinary:hand. At'eight'o'idock
tile knell of the prison bell was heard, and the funeral
procession of the living dead commenced. .Courvoisier
'ookcd pale but calm, and quite firm. He followed the
Rev. Ordinary with steady and unfaltering step. The
iirnbs trembled not—the eye. wandered not—the lip
quivered not—beyond excessive paleness there was no
outward appearance to betoken the agony within.
Neither were there any visible signs of strong Mental
ellort to suppress the outward workings of inward.
anguish. The eye was not fixed, neither was the lip
compressed. The countenance was-telm as that of a child.-
As he entered the yard he seized the- hand of the turn-
key between Lis, and shaking it with great warmth, ex-
pressed by his looks the gratitude he felt for the kind-
ness he had experienced. -The procession then pro-
ceeded through the dark and gloomy passages of the
prison to the place .of execution. The appearance of
Courvoisier on the scaffold was the signal for a terrifUt'
burst of execration from the assembled thousands below ;
- t,e however. appeared totally unmoved by it, and stood
tlrrnly underneath the fatal beam while are executioner
proceeded with his dreadful prerarations. These were
soonre aenodioapitl eetre da—fteh fatal
weconvulsivelro tnta was
struggles withdrawn,
the the
spiritdrop
f
the murderer had left this world to meet the spirit of
his victim before the judg,ment.:seat of

God.

A Correspondent states, that at the moment the cul-
prit was turned off a gang of thieves raised a cry of
" Mad bull," which caused the , utmost alarm and con-
rusiOn in Giltspur-street ; the rush to escape exceeds
description ; many hundreds were thrown to the ground,
persons standing in light carts were overturned, 'and very
considerable mischief and serious accidents occurred ;
several persons were takea to, iintholomew's Hospital,
having sustained fraetu7-ea arms and other injuries.

AnITIONAL PARTICULARS.
(17"."0rn a Second EJition of the Weekly Dispatch.)

At en early hour the Rev. Mr. Carver, and other 'di-
vines, arrived at the gaol, and proceeded to the room
which was occupied by thn prisoner • during his con-
finement.