The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-28 00:00:00

TUE EXECUTION.

The hour announced for execution was eight
o'clock, but about a quarter of an hour before
eight a sudden motion of the crowd showed that
the moment had 'come—the last fatal moment when
the prisoner was to be launched into eternity, to meet
his Creator. It was an awful movement, that move-
ment of the crowd. The most intense silence pre-
vailed—not a word escaped after the crowd had said
"He is coming." The wretched man was greatly
moved when he saw the crowd ; he trembled ex-
ceedingly, and was scarcely able to stand as
he stepped on the platform under the drop.
Calcraft, the executioner, and one of the turnkeys led
him out of the goal, and Mr. Sheriff, the Governor,
stood immediately behind him. The nightcap
having been immediately drawn over him, he knelt
down to pray, which he did with the most apparent
fervour. After he had been praying for about a
minute or a minute and a half he was assisted to rise
by Calcraft, who proceeded to place the rope round
his neck. Here, however, there seemed to be an un-
necessary delay, which might have been avoided
by a little forethought. There being 'no chain
from the cross beam from which to fix
the other end of the rope, a considerable
time elasped between the rope being placed round his
neck and the tying it to the cross beam, at which
considerable dissatisfaction was manifested by the
spectators. Calcraft made two or three turns of the
rope before it was properly and firmly fixed to the
beam. This performed, the drop fell, and the
wretched man became at once violently convulsed
and his whole frame quivered—his arms and legs
contracted—they fell again—were again contracted
—fell again, again contracted—and he hung a mo-
tionless corpse, save that he oscillated to the motion
of the wind, which was blowing strongly at the time.
Probably five minutes elapsed between the appear-
ance of the criminal and his death. Some say more,
some less ; but five minutes was about the time.
From the first his hands were tightly bound to-
g( ther, and he kept his fingers locked in each other
as if he still prayed, and had his mind directed to-
wards heaven in spite of his bodily suffering. It
was expected that the wretched man would be re-
ceived with groans and execrations by the crowd, but
we are pleased to be able to say that no such dis-
graceful proceeding took place. On the contrary,
a most decorous and becoming silence was observed,
and not a word escaped to distract him in his last
moments. This conduct of the people is highly
creditable to them, and contrasts most favourably
with the behaviour of the crowds who assemble at
Newgate on similar occasions.

The body was allowed to hang for an hour, and
was then taken, but not cut, down. He was executed
in the Quaker's dress. The body was immediately
interred in the precincts of the gaol, though up to last
night his friends had hopes, from the strong applica-
tions that were made on the subject, that his body
would be delivered up to them—the grave, however,
was dug two days ago.
TAWELL'S CONFESSION.

In consequence of the exclusion of the reporters
we entirely depend on the liberty allowed to Mr.

Sheriff a stating what took place previous the
execution.. Mr. Sheriff Las throughout shown
the greatest courtesy to the gentlemen of the
press, as far as the latitude allowed him ex-
tended, and the following particulars from him
may be relied on. It appears that Tawell drew up a
confession some days since, of which he made a copy
at a quarter before five o'clock this morning.
This statement he placed in the hands of the Rev.
Mr. Cox, the chaplain, which he begged of that
gentleman to keep, but said that he had no objection
to the substance of it being made known to the
public. The statement will be so far satisfactory to
the public that it takes away all doubt as to the guilt
of the deceased. He confessed that he was guilty of
the murder of Sarah Hart, and also that he was
guilty of the attempt to murder her on the previous
occasion, in September last, as stated on the trial,
He also confessed that he did not commit the murder
from pecuniary motives, but from the dread that
the relation in which he stood towards Sarah Hart
would transpire and come to the ears of his wife. ,
The following brief statement of the manner in
which Tawell conducted himself was handed to us by
Mr. Sherriff—

" John Tawell passed the whole night with almost
unabated firmness, only giving way to a few tears
and emotion occasionally. He listened with be-
coming attention to many portions of Scripture, and
read many himself, joining with propriety in observa-
tions arising from them, and not only did he listen
to and unite in the prayers which were offered for
him, but he several times retired into his sleeping
cell, and, falling on his knees, prayed aloud and most
fervently and penitently. His firmness never forsook
him to the last."

Mr. Sherriff stated that the prisoner made a hearty
tea last night with the chaplain. He took breakfast
at three o'clock this morning ; after which, he asked
of Mr. Sherriff if he might go to bed for a short time,
desiring, if he fell asleep, not to be allowed to con-
tinue in that state after five o'clock. He fell into a
profound sleep, which lasted about half an hour. He
then awoke, and dressed himself. He desired Mr.
Sheriff to leave a few shillings to some of the pri-
soners, and made a few trifling memorandums.
The following letter, addressed by the prisoner to
Mr. Sheriff, will be read with interest, and is highly
creditable to Mr. Sherriff. He had written it some
days ago, but made a fresh copy, which he gave to
Mr. Sherriff at five o'clock this morning. The letter
indicates a good deal of gratitude on the part of the
prisoner, and though written only a few hours before
his execution, it is astonishing with what a bold hand
it must have been written, fur the characters exhi-
bited no weakness of nerve whatever.

" Aylesbury, March 28, 1845.

" Dear and worthy Friend, Mr. Sherriff—lt is
not less my duty than great pleasure, as well as from
feelings of deep and sincere gratitude, that I can thus
offer my poor but unqualified thanks to both thyself
and poor Mrs. Sherriff for the continued and marked
kind attention which has been shown so uniformly to
myself and my dear and valuable family and friends
since my unfortunate confinement in this prison, by
allowing us all the access which urbanity and philan-
throphy could suggest, under such circumstances, to
the participators in this their severe affliction.

"And now their deeply distressing probation is
nearly concluded, I have to desire that this may be
accepted as the most grateful acknowledgment, both
on account of myself and them.
" I can, for myself, desire that the Divine blessing
may largely rest on thyself, and Mrs. Sherriff, and
your family ; and my own valuable family will last-
ingly hare to re-echo this poor but sincere benedic-
tion of thy faithful but afflicted friend,

" JOHN TAWELL."
This letter was superscribed " Mr.
_Sherriff;
Aylesbury," with the words " From J. Tawell,
March 25, 1845," in the corner—the date being
altered in the body of the letter.
During the whole time that the body was
suspended, the crowd manifested no desire to retire,
and had even increased .considerably, the execution
having taken place earlier than was expected—
earlier even than was announced. The body pre-
sented a,very livid appearance, and the swelling of the
veins was visible from the ground. When the body
was taken in, the spectators began to disperse gradually,
but only to talk over what they had seen. In a short
time the Market-place presented its usual appearance,
and nothing remained to indicate that an awful lesson
had just been read to humanity. There were even
some persons who amused themselves in scrambling
for some papers that were thrown amongst them.
Men were " turning a penny" by the sale of " the ex-
ecution of John Tawell this morning ;" but a scene
was presented which will not soon escape from the
memory of the inhabitants of Aylesbury. As a
proof of the interest which this execution excited be-
yond even the neighbourhood, we may mention that
there were representatives from some of the Liver-
pool and Manchester papers present at it, and where-
ever the up-trains stopped inquiries were made re-
specting " the doings" at Aylesbury.
We might close here, but it may not be out of
place to make a few remarks on the extraordinary
character of John Tawell. The annals of crime may
furnish more atrocious criminals, but there was that
in the organisation or mental constitution of this man,
which distinguishes him from all others. His love
of a good reputation, which all men are anxious to
preserve unstained, seemed to him so valuable, that
he stopped at no crime to uphold it. He seemed so
careful of what appeared to be valuable, that he
shrunk from no deed however really criminal. He
distributed money in charity with the very hand that
but a moment before attempted murder, and actually
committed it that he might not be considered un-
faithful. He was a forger twice, and we may
say a murderer twice; and yet this man,
after his forgeries, had conducted himself so well that
he obtained his liberation, and, for sixteen years,
pursued a long and prosperous course of trade, by
which he obtained ample wealth. Respected in the
colony by his fellow-townsmen, he returned to
England, where he became respected, if not liked,
and obtained in marriage an excellent and amiable
woman, whose situation all must deplore, and to save
whose feelings he committed a deed which has plunged
her in the deepest misery. In whatever point of view
his character is beheld the most glaring contradictions
stare us in the face. We only know that in him
the desire of being thought good, which argues the
possession of goodness to a certain extent, was
strongly blended with carelessness of the com-
mission of crime: and its dreadful : consequences
—that he was a man of violent and irrepressible
passions, with,all the exterior of the quietiest, and one
whose conscience was at ease; and we leave to the
psychologist and the mental anatomist the reconcilia-
tion of those inconsistent qualities of his mind.
There can be no doubt that he furnishes an ex-
ample of hypocrisy, a parallel for which would in
vain be sought for in the criminal annals of any
country. An Italian, writing the epitaph of Pietro
Arretino, said that he abused everybody except
God, and did not abuse him only because he did
not know him. Might it not, with equal
justice, be said of Tawell, that he betrayed
every one except God—and let us hope that
at least he has not betrayed him in his last hour,
but that his penitence was sincere as his
conduct was exemplary, and that he, upon whom
the world has closed this morning, will receive that
favour in the sight of heaven which law and
justice made it impossible could be extended to
him on earth.

It will be seen from the following letter written
by the Under-Sheriff to the goaler, that all persons
not officially concerned were excluded from the
County Hall on the occassion of the execution.

" TO JAMES SHERRIFF, ESQ., GOVERNOR OF THE COUNTY"

GOAL.

" Aylesbury, March 27; 1845.
" Dear Sir,--I saw the High Sheriff yesterday in