Star.
London, England, 1831-01-12 00:00:00

EXECUTION Or WINTERBORN.

READING. JAW. 11.
Our readers will recollect, that on the conclusion of the la e 'mime
held at Reeding. under the special commission for Berkshire. three of
the convicts were left for execution. Their names were Oakley, Winterbori,
and Darling. Not the slightest hope was held out to them that there wac
the possibility of the sentence pronounced upon them being mitigated.
On the contrary, they were warned against deceiving themselves
with the hope ot mercy ea this aide the grave • and, believing that the
sentence of the law would be executed upon diem at the appointed time,
they had resigned themselves reverently to the direction of their spiritual
advisers, and prepared to die as Christian men ought to die. Happily,
however, the seal and humanity of some gentlemen residing in Heading
and its vicinity were roused at the prospect of this sacrifice of the lives eif
three of their fellow.cremures. They made the most strenuous and the
mast pesise.worthy exertions to obtain a commutation of the dreadful
penalty, which the law bad awarded to the offences of the convicts, and
they had the gratification to find their exertions to far attended with sue.
ass. that the execution of the sentences of two of the convicts was respit.
ed. These were Oakley and Darling. Every representation, every appeal
for mercy, on behalf of Winterbom, failed; and with regard to him the
law was left to take its came. This compromise between the
stern demands of the offended laws and the dictates of mercy and
humanity was bailed, perhaps, with more rejoicing by the intercessors,
than by theme for whim they had so succesfully interceded ; for the
latter had already paned the valley of the shade of death—they had
made up their minds to die, and the terra', of the awful change they
were to undergo had vanished. They are represented to have
, awaited the hour of their execution with fortitude—without the Imo
indication of fear—without any expressiomi of regret for the Ines of
life. De. Williams, the excellent Chaplain of the gaol, declared that
be bad never before seen men more fully resigned to the fate which
they believed awaited them; and the reverend gentleman added, that
the composed and happy temper of mind into which they had been
brought, by the consolations of religion, had relieved the performance of
his melancholy duty from half the distressing sensations which, in ordi.
navy cases, accompanied it. It is tot surprising, therefore, that Oakley
and Darling should have received, almost with indifference, the news
that the execution at their sentences was reepited ; and their expressions
on bearing it—though they prove that the convicts did: of exactly on.
&emend what had been dose for them—show, also, that they must have
been quite as mach composed and resigned, as they are represented to
have been. They said, that if the meaning of the respite was that their
lives were to be spared for a few days or for a few weeks. they found no
Flamm in it, and that they would much rather have died then, with
their unfortunate companion Winterborn. When it is explained to
them that it is not intended they should undergo the last punishment,
they will, no doubt, set a higher value upon the &lbw of mercy.
The respite arrived at the gaol on Monday evening, and was immedi.
ately communicated to Oakley and Darling; but it was not unitl the
morning of
that
day of execution—that the devoted Winter.
bons heard that be wee to suffer atone. He bore this additional trial in
the meat manly and becoming manner. lie expressed himself OA to
bear that hie companions ware spared, and he did not repine that mercy
bed been denied to ItimeelE (in the contrary, he continued to d elate
that he was prepared and willing to die, and his whole conversation was
marked by the same absence of all expressions of regret at qniiting
life. Helves a married man. and his wife was lying dangerously ill of
the typhus fever. He bed been made acquainted with her hopeless uut.
cation, and one of the last wishes he expressed wax, that she might die
before he suffered, or, at lease, that she might not survive ie be shocked
with the news of his execution.

The hour appointed for the last sad ceremony which the ill-starred
man bad to undergo was 12 o'clock. 8' only before that
he came out of the chapel pinioned, and attended by the officers of
the prison, who were to lead him to the android. His large otuaeilLie
frame seemed cramped, probably from the posttioo of his arib%
the tightness of the bonds by which he was pinioned. lie walked
Artily, but his cheek was pallid, his eye glued, and the prayer,. he
uttered, though fervently and audibly expressed, broke front quivering
Ups. The scaffold was erected on one of the ptit•on welts, t.ppe•ite
to the principal parts of the ruins of the Abbey. Winterborn arsertded
it without assistance ; and, still d vouily occupied in prayer. sutottitted
himself to the hands of the eseeutioner. As the prison clock titti.htcl
striking 12, the drop fell, and the unhappy man died almost without a
atraggle.
The spectators were not very numerous,—amounting probably not to
more than 300, and not a syllable escaped them as they witoe.scd the
awful spectacle. They dispersed peaceably, as soon as the body was
cut down.

The petition, signed in twenty bouts by sot kea than 6,000 PIM".
was hastily closed, at .d seat up a few days ago to lewd Melbourne,
soder an apprehension that the Winchester convicts were to 11,. on
Saturday last. It appeals. bowery, that soother petition is facies of
thaw unhappy persons is hi contemplation, and that a Ward Mettles
der this purpose kiss bees convened w Langbourn Ward for this 4,, at
which the Lied Mayor will preside. Only one of the six prisons lift
fee wearies at Winchester las bees respired. The petition, if stn-ed
to, will lie at the yestrywaim of St. Danis Beclichusch, roach Itch.
street. Alldawita, oestaising circumstances of mitigaties, will, is
&Maud, be also forwarded to the Seantary itikata

IF

RECRNT INTP.RVIRW WITH PATAGONIAN&
Iff Alt °mina err TOR LATS IRIPIMITIOSI OP MR AVIIIITVAS AIM
MOLL

4

As I tinderstocd their encampment to be distant about five
miles from the sea shore, I proceeded in the direction point-
ed out to me by an officer of the Adventure who had visited
it, and giving the rein to the horse, I was carried at a swift
canter over a level country, which was, as far as I could 800
en all sides, deeply indented by the horses' hoofs, proving
that the Patagonians had been in the neighbourhood a con-
siderable time. Having ridden about four miles, I perceived,
in a gentle declivity, towards which I was fast approaching,
a amok. arising from a large fire, burning briskly ; around
it were huddled a number of young Patagonian females—
" a' plump and strapping in their teens"—apparently busied
in cooking some kind of flesh. On my riding up, some with-
drew from the fire and came towards me with merry and
laughing faces, making signs for me to dismount and sit
down among them. Not being averse to merry society, I
die not hesitate to accept their courteous offer ; and, tying
my horse to a piece of stubble, I seated myself amidst these
tawny and. almost naked savages. The eldest did not appear
more than 25 years of age, and might have been considered
well looking, but for her long ragged hair, streaming down
over her shoulders and as low as her waist; this however
gave to her face a singular wildness of expression, heighten-
ed by her black and piercing eyes, which were painted under-
neath with red and black patches. They offered me a portion
of the meat they were preparing, a proof of their hospitality,
with which I would readily have dispensed, but not thinking it
courteous to refuse, I chewed a piece for some time, until dis-
gust overcoming my politeness, I ejected the nauseous and
bitter food with a spattering noise, to their evident confusion
and amazement. At this breach of good manners, the elder
looked very displeased, and immediately knawed off another
piece, which she thrust into my hand, exclaiming, " Ca-
vallo," (the Spanish for horse) •, this expression was repeated
by the rest of the group, and they all endeavoured to con-
vince me how good it was, by eating voraciously of it them-
selves. Thus was my good nature most severely taxed, but
wishing to be friendly rather than otherwise, I constrained
myself to gorge a considerable quantity, which, in a short
time, produced very uncomfortable sensations, and notwith-
standing they said it was " Cavallo," I strongly suspected
it to be the flesh of some other animal, from its being so
strong and bitter. During our repast, I observed many of
them talking together of me and laughing, while those near-
est me were continually inserting their hands in my hair,
and pulling open my waistcoat. One of the young ladies
came and sat down by my side, and after looking steadily in
my face, she also began to unbutton my waistcoat, and talked
and laughed to the others. Not much admiring these ex-
travagances, as they got rather noisy and beset me too closely
to be agreeable, (for they forcibly took out of my pockets
moat of the tobacco and beads that happened to be there,) I
began to fear that, being a good way from my companions.
they might also take a fancy to my jacket and trowsers ; I
therefore threw some buttons to a distance from me, and
they no sooner ran to pick them up, than I disengaged the
horse's reins from the stubble, and leaped upon his back,
applying the sharp spurs to his sides. The Indians no
sooner perceived me galloping away, than they commenced
a loud and wild halloo, such as we may suppose was set uE
after Tam O'Shanter, " when out the hellish legion sallied.
1 pursued my way towards the camp, perceptible a good die-
tance a-bead, and in a short time I arrived at these habits- '
dons, which consisted of about fifteen or twenty huts, formed
of poles and skins, and built in the same manner as our gin-
gerbread booths at a fair, enclosed on three sides, and en-
tirely open in front ; between each hut there was a space of
three or four yards. Having tied the horse to the poles of
the first, I walked in, and beheld seated in one corner a Pa-
tagonian woman, who was rolling up compositions of earth,
of various colours, red, black, and white; these she formed
to about the size and length of a stick of sealing wax. and
were used for beautifying themselves in the manner previ-
ously described. She was exceedingly good-tempered, and
kept laughing to another woman, who was squatted down
just outside the hut, and they both frequently looked at me
very significantly, repeating the words " Chia, chick,
chick." The sides of the hut were hung round with strange
implements of their manufacture; and what appeared worthy
of notice were the " Ballas," of a mush superior size and
make to those I had seen round the waists of the Patago-
nian* on the beach ; I therefore purchased two or three
pairs for some beads and tobacco. On going to the other
huts, I found them entirely vacated. these two women being
the only persons now left in the encampment. On the
outside of the dwellings were hung several heads and
shoulders of deer, which apparently bad not been long
killed; these were secured for the benefit of the mess.—
There were a great many dogs prowling about the place, but
they took no notice.
On my return to the encampment, many of the natives
bad arrived from the beach, some of whom did not mem
best pleased at my having possessed myself of their pro-
perty ; they pointed to several of their implements which I
had fastened around me, muttering to each other ; but as I
had obtained them in fair exchange from the old Indian and
the two women, who would not only have sold all the move-
ables that were in the huts, but the huts likewise, so soli-
citous were they to possess the beads, buttons, and tobacco,
I did not feel disposed to relinquish them. One of the wo-
men, " A souple jade she was and outing." now rushed for-
ward, and seized me by the girdle, dragged me along with
great ease, and endeavoured to deprive me of the " belles."
Not much fancying the grasp of this giantess,l made violent
efforts to disengage myself, but she did not let go her bold
until she had made me relinquish one set of the " balks."
After my release, I was not long in mounting my horse and
riding off as fast as I could. On my arrival at the beach, I
perceived a crowd of Patagonian engaged in what I ima-
gined to be a religions ceremony ; they were assembled round
an elderly woman, who held in her bands a small wooden
Christo," (so she called it,) at the sight of which the peo-
ple set up a loud howl ; then descending into a low tons of
voice, they uttered many dismal groans ; these again broke
dut into a discordant kind of singing, all the while smearing
themselves with red and white paint, spitting In the palms of
their hands, and slapping themselves over the face, arms, and
legs. Altogether it was a strangely wild scene.
Since them people have been known, they do not seem to
have altered : wrapped in the guanacos skin. and inured
from infancy to privation, they range the desert nacos-
dolled subservient to no law or will but their own, they un-
doubtedly possess a contentment and a delight in their
native wilds inconceivable to the inhabitants of the civilized
world.
DIISTROCTION Tre=lll.lllllllllllrivrtcu haetas.—This ele-
gant little theatre. in London-street, Greenwich, was, on
Monday night, destroyed by fire. The flames were first
discovi red about twelve o'clock, at which dine they bpd
gained such an ascendancy that all attempts to preserve
the building proved fruitless. The scenery and decora-
tions, with part of the wardrobe, were also consumed. A
few dresses were preserved, with the music, and emit
articles of furniture. The premises of Mr. Whentley,l
coach-proprietor. were much injured; but by the exertions
of the inhabitants the carriages and horses were saved.
en the first alarm ' given, Mrs. Wheatley. wile beg
limn fee Nome time was carried ant at' heal
'home. inseasible, and removed to the residence of 61
'es blow. There Wiwi' performances in the beeee,
which concluded before eleven o'clock.