The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-24 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF TR E ITALIAN CONVICTS

AT WINCHESTER.

WINCHESTER, TUESDAY.
The last dread sentence of the law was executed this
morning upon the persons of the three Italian sailors,
convicted at the late gaol delivery at Winchester of
piracy and murder on board the British barque Globe,
in the Black Sea, in the month of July last.
The conduct of the prisoners since their condemnation
has been becoming the awful position in which they were
placed. Im mediately after sentence had been pr mount el,
and while under an impression that their lives would be
forfeited within a few hours, they were fearfully e (cited,
and declared loudly thatjus, jos had not been done to them.
But the interval which has since elapsed has been so far
improved by the rev. chaplain of the prison, Mr. Foster
Rogers, and ills Roman Catholic clergymen appointed to
attend the culprits, that before the wretched criminals
suffered they not only confessed their guilt, but admitted
the justice of the sentence by which their lives had be-
come forfeited.

Guiseppe Lagaoa was the first to break silence on the
subject of his grimes. About two o'clock yesterday he
titian een engaged in prayer with Signor Salvatore Fer-
re Italian Protestant gentleman, who at the request
of the visiting justices came down to Winchester soon
after the men were sentenced, to act as interpreter and
take down any statements they might desire to make.
Signor Ferretti, acting with Mr. Rogers, the excellent
chaplain of the gaol, had completed an impressive peni-
tsntial prayer in the Italian language, and was about to
leave the cell, when Lagaoa suddenly seized him 1.7
wrist, and after an apparently painful inward struggle
with his feelings exclaimed with the most tragic gesticu-
lations, " Sono colpevole ! Sono colpevole ! Sono colpe !'
vole !" (I am guilty lam guilty ! lam guilty !) Before
Ferretti could question the unhappy man he
added, "Io Bull' anima cinque omicidii" (I have 5 mur-
ders on my soul.) Signor Ferretti asked Lagaoa what he
wished him to understand by the last observation. Upon
which the wretched man exclaimed in Italian, " I am the
chief sinner, and on my head will rest the murder of the
two sailors for whom we are condemned, as well as my
two poor companions, whom I dragged into it by the
hair of their heads (strascinati per i capella). lam guilty
and deserve death."

As soon as Signor Ferretti had explained to the chap-
lain what had fallen from Lagaoa, Mr. Rogers at once
had the statement committed to writing, and forwarded
to the Home Secretary by special messenger. The joint
statements of the culprits had already been laid before
Sir George Grey, who saw nothing in then& to induce an
interference, and, as might be expected, the confession
of one of the prisoners offered no stronger grounds for
staying the execution. Mr. Rogers' humane effort was
simply acknowledged as follows :

" Whitehall, Dec. 22,1836.
" Sir,—l am directed by Secretary Sir George Grey to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date, report-
ing that Guiseppa Lagoa has confessed that he is guilty of
the crime for which he has been sentenced to death ; and
has stated that his fellow convicts were drawn into it by
hint.