The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-20 00:00:00

WHO EXECUTBD WILLIAM DOVE.

Under this heading some singular letters appears in
the Leeds Mercury. A paragraph appeared about a
week ago in that journal, intimating that Dove was exe-
cuted by a debtor in York Castle named Taos. Askren.
A. few days after this announcement, a letter purport-
ing to be written by Mr. Pears, the Castle schoolmaster,
appeared in a Manchester paper, denying the truth
of the statement about Askren. Other statements
were also put forward, to the effect that the debtors
in York Castle, or some of them, had a dislike to
Askren, and had caused the announcement relative to
his banging Dove to be published to make him un-
popular. The following letters have arisen from these
conflicting accounts :

" TO THE EDITORS OF THE LEEDS MERCURY.

" York Castle, 16th Ai;ust, 1856.

"Gentlemen,—On the 12th inst. I wrote to you cau-
tioning you not to use my name as that of the execu-
tioner of the late William Dove.*

" Notwithstanding that caution, you took the liberty
of using my name in last Thursday's impression, and
' had it not been contradicted in to•day's paper, I should
have authorised my lawyer to commence legal proceed-
ings against you.
"My impression has always been that great pains
were taken by newspaper editors to get accurate infor-
mation from trustworthy sources ; but that impression
is altogether obliterated, and I shall look on the press
in future with a suspicious eye, knowing that journal-
ists are easily imposed upon.
"As this wonder has existed nearly the time which
such things are proversially said to live, it may, I think,
be allowed to sink into oblivion, and no one be the
worse if such should be the case.
"In conclusion, may I ask why do you not consult
Mr. Noble, the governor, on the subject ?
" Craving pardon for the trouble given,
" I am, gentlemen, yours obediently,
" THOMAS ASICREN."
* No such letter has been received at this office.—
ED. L. M.

"TO TEE EDITORS OF THE LEEDS MERCURY.

" York Castle, August 16, 180.

"Gentlemen,—ln your paper of to-day, after allud-
ing to my letter of the 12th instant, you state that Thos.
Askren has denied, in the Doncaster Gazette, that he acted
as the executioner of Dove, and you conclude your para-
graph in such a manner that the public may be led to
believe that my statement was untrue. I therefore beg
to re-state that Thomas Askren was the executioner of
Dove, and that he was so is confirmed by the declara-
tions of the officials of York Castle, and by several
other parties who witnessed the execution, and who have
since seen the hangman. The Manchester Daily Exa-
miner and Times the other day contained a letter pure
porting to be signed by Mr. Pears, the Castle school•
master, denying that Askren was the executioner. Mr.
Pears has told mo distinctly that he never sent this let-
ter, and that it is a forgery.
" Askren threatens legal proceedings. Certainly this
letter and the York Herald of to-day will afford him
abundance of material for putting his absurd threats into
force.

" I trust that, in justice to myself and other debtors,
you will give publicity to the above, and not forget at
the same time that there is nothing too mean for a
man to do or say who will lend himself to be a hang-
man.--I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
" Wm. JACKSON."

"TO THE EDITORS OF THE LEEDS MERCURY.
"No. 3, York Castle, Aug. 16, 1856.
" Gentlemen,—ln this day's impression of your jour•
nal there appears a paragraph, quoted from the .Don-
easter Gazette, in which Thomas Askren, a debtor in this
places, denies having executed the poor unfortunate W.
Dove.
" In reply, I beg to say that an investigation has this
day been ❑cade by Mr. Noble, the governor, regaading