Star.
London, England, 1816-04-16 00:00:00

ASSIZE& ,• ' ,
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• IMMERsET. •
if ARM TAM MURDERER'S TRIAD AND EXECUTIIN. •
• The decemetand the prisoner were in the employ
of Mr. Metford,.of Glastonbury. Parsons was going
as oso4l.for the purposeof paying the spinners of Mr.
Metfori their wages, and carrying in a cart a supply
of work for the ensuing week. He was assisted in
loading the cart by Mtcslt, who afterw:trds followed
Parsons on the road towards Wells: on his way he
provided liimself with the bone of. a horse's leg, and
got permislion of Parsons to ride with him in the
cart. At a moment, however, when Parsons, at the
prisoner's request, was giving him a pinch of snuff.
he knocked him down, repeated his blows; and then
cpt his throat. He was immediately alter detected in
hiding . his body at the end of the new road lending
tq Wells, near the town. ile was. then pursued and
..vertaicen, and confessed the murder. From the rim-
'lent of his apprehension Marsh's conduct was ex-
cessively hardened : throughout his trial, and even
• .after he was found guilty, he appeared insensible to
• the enormity of his crime. _

On his ;oat' from Tanaton to Ilcliester on Satter.
day week, Marsh behaved in the most hardened arid
audacious manner; and throughout the day was
equally violent and abirsive.to alt who came near him.
On Sunday he appeared very unconcerned at the
chapel, but during that day was less abusive. On
Monday he was visiteJ early by the Rev. Mr. Reece,
Chaplain to the gaol, to whom he ackowledged the
crime fur which he was to suffer, but declined as-

signing any motive for it. Ile appeared less insen-
sible to his situation than before, but refused the sacra.
nient. A t nine his brother-in-law was admitted to visit
hum, of whom he took leave, in a very careless, un-
concerned manner. At a quarter before eleven he
was removed flour the chapel, and, on turninground
ed,s!take hands with his brother convicts, appeared
afrected. From thence lie proceeded to the platform.
:old, as usual, the Chaplain first ascended the drop;
the prisoner immediately followed, and had no sooner
arrived there than, finding the Chaplain about to call
Lim to prayers, he said, 66 No, 1 shall say no mole-
-where is the man ? (meaning the executioner) I am
ready." He, however, WAS prevailed on to kneel
down and join in prayer, but in less (hal three minutes
he rose up in the middle of a prayer. and again called
for the man. • The Chaplain descended, and the exe-
cutioner got up to perform his sad office. during the
performance of which the prisoner frequently said,
66 make haste ;" and, when all was prepated, refused
to mike a signal to drop when ready, but said, 44 I
am ready, make haste." He was, however, left about
two minutes, wl'en he again said, " I am ready,"
and instantly fell. fie died without a struggle. Dur-
ing the time the executioner was placing the rope about
his neck, the prisoner thought .it was not properly
placed, and told the executioner to put it a little fur-
ther back. Thus perished this desperate murderer, in
the 26th year of his age—almost as melancholy an
example of the dreadtul depravity of human.nature as
any that ever stained the criminal annals of thecounty.
He was it good•looking young man, and of a mild
countenance. The body of Marsh was consigned to
the surgeons of the ?aunton and Somerset Hospital
for di.section.

The six fallowing were lef t for execution-.-Tho.ras
Harper, for forging three teceipts for money ; Geo.
‘Vbeeler, for bring an Accessory in shooting, with in-
tent to kill W. Blanker, the Earl of Cork's game.
keeper; Thomas Webb. for b:eaking into Cannard's
Grave Inn ; Thomas Bunton, for stealing four sheep,
from the Rev. G. Tievelayn ; and G. Vowles and W.
Allis, for horse stealing.