The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-05-22 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF CARROLL FOR MURDER.

Patrick Carroll, the man Who was convicted at the Cent"
Court, Old Bailey, on Friday, of the murder of Mrs. Browning'
t by stabbing her with a bayonet, at Woolwich, was on Merida";
. executed at Maidsttsue, in 'the presence of between three 03`
four hundred persons, amongst Whom•were an immense nuall'el,
of females, some of them with children at the breast. Ther-
,
were also a large number of soldiers present.
The unfortunate prisoner arrived on Friday evening. °
during the whole time that he remained in the priion,.he eviocr,
t
the greatest possible resignation and penitence., He was assist
ed in his religious duties by the Rev. Mr. Rolfe, second prieTt
of the Roman Catholic Chapel, Muorfields, who usually avow'
catholic prisoners at Newgate. and who paid him the most se";
lous attention, and Succeeded in bringing his mind to a pro'''.
sense of his unhappy situation. Mr. Rolfe had been sent dutfn
expressly for this duty. The prisoner usually prayed for a,ll,
hour on his knees previously to going to rest, and slept soun",')
every night that he passed in the prison. On Sunday night be
went to bed at twelve o'clock, and slept well until about,„,,
,°'
quarter-past six o'clock on Monday morning, when he awoke
and spent the short remainder of his existence in devotion.
a few moments before twelve o'clock he was assisted from k's*
cell to the place of execution by Mr. 'Rolfe and Mr. Mea,
the catholic. priest-, of-Cliattiam, -who arrived the
nY
shortly before
execution. He appeared firm and resigned. When he had
taken his qi
position on the dr, and the rope had been adjusted''
at his request-Mr. H. A. Wades, the under-sheriff, read wit'
great distinctness the following confession and exhortation',
which he bad made to Mr. Rolfe on the previous evenieg:e-
I acknowledge the justice of my sentence. I admit that
have'deseryed to forfeit my life to the offended laws for having
shed another's blood. I now abhor the crime of which I was
and can scarcely account to myself what could have impelled me to
commit it. I can only attribute it to ungovernable passion Milani'
ed by excessive indulgence it drink. But that 1 should thus have
been led to take the life of a fellow-ereature, and to hurry tier un-
was ned into eternity, I now deeply and bitterly deplore; and 11'1
pardon of God and man both for the crime I have committed anti
for the scandal I have thus brought on my country and religi'l!:
I trust, however, my sad fate will not be witnout its benefit tO
others—that. it will act as a warning to all to avoid my esacnPic
—to avoid indulgence in drink—to avoid the excesses
of pas,'°'i
Had I studied to practise temperance and restrain auger,
should never have met this ignominious end. May God ever,
keep from taking to ways which may lead to it. Aslba
myself, I own I scarce deserve to be pitted: but if any klieg
Christian feels compassion for me, at this my last hour. 1
that he will show it by joining with me in praying that GA Ili
his infinite goodness, throughlthe mei itsAf -Christ, will ocneP
my late repentance and have mercy on my poor soul,
"PATRICK CA R ROLA-
During the time that this was being read the prisoner 11
maimed perfectly erect, and apparently undismayed. As sn°"
as it was finished the priests prayed with him for a short time'
and the prisouer earnestly joined them. The extempore pra,,Yer
of the Rev. Mr. Rolfe was exceedingly eloquent and impressives
They then retired, the signal was elven, and in a few Ininutbee
he. ceased to exist. He- was considerably convulsed after t. e
drop fell. After hanging for an hour he was removed into th.
jail, in the privies is of which, according to the terms of his sen
tence, he was to be interred.

Carroll Was u native of King's county, Ireland, aged thirls:-
twq years, about five feet-nine inches in height, and of r
nary. appearance. • He had formerly served ia the 7th Ftlfsiice:.l"
.
for r,even ers, at the end of which term he was discharge
Ho then ;_ilis,,ed into the Royal 'Marines, at Woolwich, ut
e
which he had remained for thre—veArs previouily to the act for
which -he'fOrfeited his life. He liad known illrs.l3rowninZ for
two Years,-• It -rippeared'that he had been d•-inkin,g for a day or
two before the„cic:currenee, had' -remained out of barracks be"
yond his leave; and the fear of Icing reported for misconduct,
combined with the effects of inebriety, and a naturally irritable
disposition, is supposed to have e:inged him to murder the tto"
fortunate widow in a moment of freto.y. He was extremell
Wilwn he wished to be i'eP

rusfirred S'(' »0•(1'1_ hi, wine'!

4;tlcrLtrok nt bi