The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-09-12 00:00:00

sound strangely to an English ear. The number of per-
sons admitted within the goal, and indulged with the view
of the hanging, did notexceed 25 ; of these about a third
consisted of the relations of Mr. Lavinian Bacon, whom
the convict had murdered—her husband, her brother-in-
law, her two sons, and her four brothers were of the num-
ber. The murderer was dressed in a long white robe and
a white cap. When the sheriff asked him if he had
anything to say, he replied, " I have a good deal to say,
but do not feel as if i could say it." Seating himself 'as
he spoke he groaned aloud, but shed no tears. He then
celled for some water with comphor in it, which was
brought him. He looked round him rather sulkily, and
said, " I think it strange that any one should want to see
a man in this situation." After a short pause he conti-
nued, " I do.not.frel as if I could die, after all." Here
lie raised the knot of the rope and raised it against his
left ear. He then said, " I suppose there .is no getting
away from this at any rate," and he looked over to the
front to see how far it was to the ground. It was now
about ten minutes before two. The sheriff told him he
would give him whatever time he wanted before the rope
was cut. He replied that he would like to have 15 minutes,
and requested that he might be told five minutes before
the time expired. He read awhile in the Bible and Prayer
Book, and then, looking at the preparations being made,
said. " Give me slack rope enough, Mr. Arnold. Ido
not think I have enosigh." By this he meant that.he
night have as much fall as possible, that he might be the
somit%r lout of pain. In two or three minutes he said
Lesain, " I do not want to be particular, but I want more
s!; ;A: rope." The cap was then pulled down over his face,
when he remarked that it was tied too tight. The fifteen
minutes were now expired. and Ile was now to be thrown
off, when he said, " I thought you would tell rue five
minutes before the time expired." The sheriff said, " We
will give you five minutes more." One of the officers then
called out each minute as it expired—one, two, three, &c.
He here remarked that the rope was not properly fixed,
and that the knot ought to be nearer to his chin. As the
time now rapidly approached. lie exclaimed—" Oh dear !
I bid you farewell." " Four" was now called, which told
him he had but one minute to live. Just before the last
minute. expired, he exclaimed, " Oh, dear me ! God
Almighty have mercy on me." These were the last words
he gave utterance to. The rope was cut, the platform
fell, and, with a single exclamation of " Oh!" his spirit
was released from the tenement in which it had been
defiled. . His remains were delivered to those who stood
by him as friends. The crowd outside the prison hadnow
increased to about 2,000, all anxious to see him, as they
could notbe present at the execution. His friends took
the coffin out into the middle of the street, laid it on
chairs, and the crowd passed by between the ranks of the
military, to gaze upon the face of the murderer. Even
ladies were there from a distance. .