Star.
London, England, 1826-11-29 00:00:00

EXECUTION.

The sentence of death was this morning carried into
effect, by the public execetion in the Old Bailey of six
men, named John Hayes, aged 25 ; James Boyce, 24 ;
Hobert King, 20,; John Robinson, 19 ; George Nscholls,
124 ; and James Goulhy, 17. The five Fast named
culprits were connected with gangs of desperate rob-
bers who have lately been the terror of the north-
eastern part of the Metropolis, and have put the peace-
able inhabitants of Hackney, Homerton, Bethnal-green,
and Haggerston, under contribution at various times in
the most audacious and lawless manner. The gang
was called " The Bethnal-green Gang r and their
desperate violence appearing to increase, the inhabitants
memorialised Mr. Secretary Peel, who immediately
ordered a strong body of well mounted horse patrol to
be stationed through the district, which in some measure
suppressed the alarming evil. The offences of the five
unhappy men occurred previous to this regulation, and
was, as usual, accomplished by violence and terrific
menace. A bullock being first furiously driven through
the streets, followed by the gang, who knocked down
and plundered every body of decent dress, and rifled
the shops in the route which the mad and hotly pur-
, sued animal took.

Monday and Tuesday orders were given to the City
Marshals who have charge of the scaffold, and the
police at the exterior of Newgate upon such awful occa-
sions, to make such arrangements as would check the
great pressure likely to be caused at this execution, by
the congregating of the immense crowds it was ex-
pected would attend, and accordingly that expectation
was fully realised.

The Old Bailey upon no former occasion, not even
when Fauntleroy and the Conspirators suffered, pre-
sented a greater or mote dense mass of persons. How-
ever, large additional barriers were erected at the di:-
tance of twenty or thirty yards from each other in the'
Old Bailey, down nearly as low as the Sessions House
on one side, and across Holborn, Giltspur, and New-
gate-streets on the other side a huge railing was also
raked across the area or opening fronting St..Sepulchre's
Church. These preparations were pot up' during the
night, and had the effect of breaking the crowd—thus
in some measure, checking the pressure ana preventing
accidents. As early as five o'clock, groups of people,
evidently from the vicinity of Bethnal-green locked
/tato the Old Bailey, and took up positions near the
ponderous machine of death, and until seven o'clock,
the streets from all quarters of the metropolis presented
' a thronged and unusual appearance of persons, locking
in a hurried manner in the direction of the Old Bailey,
which before this period was completely choked up,
so much so, that the City Marshals could not obtain a
passage to their station near the scaffold, and were
obliged to go through Mr. Wontner's house. Every win-
dow that could command even a bird's eye of the platform
was full of persons, and upon many places at the front of
the houses, persons were seen clinging to signs and pro-
jections in the wall, at the imminent risk of their liter
to gratify a curiosity (almost inexcusable), caused by
the great and unusual terror the " Bethnal-green Gang"
had caused throughout the Metropolis. Among the
crowd, as might be supposed from the great pressure
caused by such a mass of persons, considerable confusion
prevailed, and several persons were dragged out, who
had fainted from exhaustion produced by the pressure.
—While this scene prevailed at the exterior of the
prison, the sad groups within were preparing for their
public and dreadful death, by fervent entreaty and
ejaculation to that Benevolent Surma BEING, who'
alone could extend mercy to them hereafter, and endow
them with strength and fortitude to go through the
awful scene of quitting this world with resignation.
The Rev. Ordinary of Newgate,Mr.CoTree,vrith that
gie.st religious perseveranie and humanity for which he
is so remarkable, assisted byMr. Baker al the Tower, at-
teoded King, Robinson, Goulby, Boyce, and Nicholls;
and Hayes was attended, being of the Romau.. Catholic
persuasion, by the Rev,John Devereaux, of Moorfields
Chapel. Under such care the unhappy men soon became
fully sensible of the great enormity of their crimes, and
of the necessity for penitence, to be enabled to meet that
ALIMITY BEING, against whose sacred dictates they
had passed their whole hires.
The arrival of the warrant of execution was a shock
which, as might be supposed, calculated to shake the
_firmest serve, but it was succeeded by one still mote

harrowing to the feelings, namely, the parting of the
wretched criminals from their parents, ,and other rela-
tions. The unhappy boy,.Goollsy, could scarcely leer.
his poor mother, who clung with the tenacity of as
expiring grasb. to her unfortunate child. She was cab.
vied
ried out in strong convulsions.
The demeanour of the entire six of the wretched
convicts was fully expressive •f contrite religious feel-
ing, totally diffdent from thus sudden enthusiasm which
too often, but momentarily, pass across the climinore

mind, and which proceeds from that kind of fear of -
consequences which the penitence engendered in a gaol
produces. They were most anxious, since the arrival
of the order for execution, to participate in religiona
exercises, and devoted themselves with unceasing appli-
cation to prayer and entreaty to HLA YEN for forgive-
ness. Hayes being a Roman Catholic, generally was
alone; and when attended by the Reverend Clergyman,
'withdrew to another cell, where he availed himself of

those favours which the Roman Catholic persuasi,.n
ordain as necessary in preparation for death.
The culprits passed the greater pin of the last night
in sleep, but as early as five o'clnck were attended by
their respective dingy men.—Mr. Sheriff Winchester,
Mr. Sheriff Farebrother, the Under Sheriffs, and four
of their Officers, with black wands, arrived a few

minutes before eight o'clock, and proceeded direct to
the Press-room, where the unhappy Hayes stood praying
with clasped hands. He was dressed in white trousers
and a short Velveteen jacket : his demeanour. was
marked by composure and serenity. In answer to the
'question proposed to him, he said he was perfectly
resigned, and prepared for death. While the officers were
pinioning his arms he raised his hands repeatedly, and
exclaimed, " Oh Goa! be merciful to toe, a poor
sinner I"—" Loan look down upon me When
pinioned, he sat and prayed with great fervour for
sevetal minutes, and indeed until he was struggling in
death, his lips moved with unceasing ejaculation of
prayer. As the chimes were striking the hour of eight,
the walls resounded with the voices of the unformede
men singing a penitential psalm ; when this was con.
eluded, King was brought into the room; he appeared.
quite subdued and resigned, and merely said, " I ana
happy." Nicholls next appeared: he trembled much. •
but appeared Teri penitent. He• thanked the Sheriff's
Qs Mr. Wontner, and begged their prayers. He was
so weak that the Officers held him until he was pinioned.
It was stated when the wretched men were assembled*

in the Press Room, that for a considerable time past no
persons in a similar situation had displayed greater
contrition, extreme religious feeling and penitence, than
was pourtrayed by these unhappy men.
At a quarter past eight o'clock they were led to the
scaffold, which was ascended first by Hayes, followed
in succession by Nicholls, Goulby, Robigson, Boyce,
and King.

The moment Goulby came upon the platform, several persons in
the crowd shrieked in a dreadful manner, and called out, 44 Oh, -
poor James." " Oh, poor boy. GOD help you, poor child, you
were led into it," &c. Those persons were said to be relations of
his. Two persons were ar the swine moment lifted into the win-
dows of a house, having fainted. Goulby bowed ; and, raising his
bands, burst iota-tears; the cap was then drawn over his face.
The cries in thc crowd continued ; and as each of the other unhappy
men ascended, they were recognized by some voice in the immerse*
crowd; and,- eonsequently, the most heart-rending cries were heard
in all directjeda, which appeared to produce great agitation in the
crowd, and several persons were observed crying with the utmost
bitterness. The unfortunate Boyce raised his hands to his lips, and
bowed several times, exclaiming " Goo bless you aIL" The con-
tagious in the crowd increased as the executioner adjusted the ropes ;
and the cries became se piercing, that the Sheriffs withdrew into
the prison vestibule, sensibly affected. The caps being drawn over
the convicts' faces, prevented their recognising the many persons
who so bitterly deplored their awful exit. At half-past o'clock
the executioner withdrew from the scaffold, and the multitude in-
stantly was hushed into stillness. For a minute the most death-like
silence prevailed, here and there interrupted by the sobs of some,
and. an ejaculation of prayer from the scaffold. During that awful
pause, a part of the Burial Service was read by Mr. Cotton ; and,
upon a signal, the drop fell, and the unhappy men were suspended.
A load cry burst from the multitude, and the shrieking continued
for several minutes after the unhappy men had ceased to live.
Goulby, Boyce, and Robinson, struggled in strong agony for a
minute. The others died instantly.
The affecting cries of the many who knew the prisoners, could be
heard within the prison, and exdted some alarm, as at first the
cause of them was not ascertained, and it wu apprehended some
catastrophe had occurred ; we have not heard of any accident. The
immense crowd quietly dispersed, and shortly before 10 o'elocls‘
the Old Bailey was as clear of persons as upon ordinary occasknies