The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-11 00:00:00

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EXECUTION AT. DORCHESTER.

On Saturday morning the woman Elizabeth Martha
Brown, who was convicted at the last assizes of the
wilful murder of her husband, John Anthony Brown,
underwent the extreme sentence of the law. The facts
of the case were these :—The husband, who was only
20 years of age, and his wife, who was 40, had lived
together as servants in a family. The husband became
a carrier, and left home on the 6th of last July for the
purpose of going to Bedminster. He returned home
late at night, and soon after the wife called in a neigh-
bour, who found that the unfortunate man was dead,
with several cuts about the body. The wife represented
that he had been kicked by a horse, and this she after-
wards denied. It afterwards transpired that she was
jealous of her husband, and a hatchet, which was known
to be in the house, could not be found. Attempts were
made to obtain a reprieve of the sentence, but Sir G.
Grey refused. _ _ _

The execution tookbplace at 8 o'clock in the morning.
There was a large crowd, in spite of the thick hazy rain
which was then falling. Precisely at 8 o'clock the prison
bell poured forth its solemn and warning knell, and the
culprit and the.officers left the prison, and slowly wended
their way towards the scaffold, which was situated at
some distance. The prison van was in readiness at the
gaol door to convey the culprit to the place of execution,
but she preferred walking. Accordingly they moved for-
war through the prison grounds at a very slow pace.
The culprit behaved with much fortitude, and did not
up to the last moment appear to shed a tear. On leaving
her cell she shook hands with the chief warder and other
officers. On her way to the scaffold her demeanour was
extraordinary. The attendants on either side were en•
tirely overcome, while the culprit bore her awful position
with the greatest resignation and composure.

The chaplain, the Rev. D. Clementson, eonversed
with her on religious subjects, and she appeared to en-
gage in fervent devotion and prayer, with her hands
clasped firmly together and eyes upturned.
On arriving at the place cf execution she walked with
firmness up the firitt flight of 11 steps. Her female at-
tendants here left her in the hands of the executioner.
A cordial was then administered to her, a portion of which
she dsank. The pinioning being completed, ths culprit,
in company with the executioner, then proceeded up the
next flight of stairs, 19 in number, to the platform, and,
still walking with a firm step, crossed the platform to the
next flight, which lea 's to the gallows, which, with a
slightly faltering step, she then ascended.
Calcraft then proceeded to place the fatal rope over the
beam. Having drawn a white cap over the culprit's face,
he adjusted the rope round her neck, and retired from the
scaffold ; he, however, appeared to have forgotten to tie
the culprit's dress, and for that purpose reascended the
steps. Having again retired he immediately drew the
fatal bolt, and instantly the wretched woman fell with
great force, and after a few struggles ceased to exist.
Alter the body bad hung the utual time it was taken
down, placed in a plain elm coffin, and buried within the
precincts of the gaol.
The following confession was the last made, which just
previous to her execution she declared was the truth :
" My husband, John Anthony Brown, deceased, came
home on Sunday morning, the 6th of July, at 2 o'clock, in
liquor, and was ick. He had no bat on. I asked him
what he had done with his hat. He abused me, and said,
What is it to you, you r He then asked for some
c ild tea. I said that I had none, but would make some
warm. He replied, Drink that yourself, and be —.'
I then said, What makes you so cross ? Have you
been at Mary Davis's ?' He then kicked out the bottom
of the chair upon which I had been sitting. We con-
tinued quarrelling until 3 o'clock, when he struck me a
severe blow on the side of my head, which confused me
so much that I was obliged to sit down. Supper was
on the table, and he said, Eat it. yourself, and be —.'
At the same time he reached down from the mantel-
piece a heavy horsewhip with a plaits end, and struck
me across the shoulders with it three times. Each time
I screamed out. I said, If you strike me again, I will
cry Murder.' ' He retorted—' If you do, I will knock
your brains cut through the window. He also added
I hope I shall find you dead in this morning.' He
then kicked me on the left side, which caused me much
pain, and he immediately stooped down to untie his
boots. I was much enraged, and in an ungovernable
passion, on being so abused and struck, I directly seized
a hatchet which was lying close to where I sat, and
which I had been using to break coal with to keep up
the fire and keep his supper warm, and with it (the
hatchet) I struck him several violent bows on the head.
I could not say how many. He fell at the first blow on
his head, with his face towards the fireplace. He never
spoke or moved afterwards. As soon as I had done it
I wished I had not, and would have given the world not
to have done it. I had never struck him before, after
all his ill-treatment ; but, when he hit me so hard at
this time, I was almost out of nay senses and hardly
knew what I was doing.
"ELIZABETH MARTHA BROWN."

OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS.— C)lonel William Cart-
wright and Lieut.-Col. John Woodford have been ap-
pointed inspectors of police establishments under the
Constabulary Act of the 19th and 20th of her Majesty,
c. 69.—Obsereer.

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