The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-15

NoRwIcH, April 81. 1849.
James Bloomfield Rush. the perpetrator Of the STAN
field Hall murders. executed this day at noon. In
front OF Norwich Castle. The enormity Of his Crimes
the station In life which he had previously occupied
the extraordinary Of tho whole case his
nexpicable conduct during tho trial. and the steadi
ness with which he has since then persevered in de-
nyng the guilt which was clearly brought home to
him have all tended to attract in an unusual degree
the attention Of the public the particulars Of his
iate IL very seldom in this country and age, that
the crime OF murder rises from the vulgar and debang
associations by which the influences Of civilized society
surround it. and by its appalling magnitude takes its
place among the list OF historical events In this case
unfortunately such has been the result The assasins
first victim was Recorder of Norwich once the most
important city In England after the metropolis: The
second victim was that i'll ated gcnlemans only
They were shot down at night, within their family
mansion, without moments warning opportunity
OF resistance IL was proved beyond the possibility Of
doubt that the man who did this foul deed was James
Bloomfield Rush farmer, living in the immediate
to the father and grandfather of those whom he had
80 ruthlessly murdered Two helpless women, the one
wife and daughter-in-law to the murdered men, the
other her heroic servant still suffer from wounds
ceived by them ON that dreadful night. Suspicion fell
immediately and instantaneously on Rush. He
taken, tried, and condemned, the principal witness
against him being girl whose innocence he had be-
trayed, whom he then used his tool in the perpe-
traon OF forgeres which to gain the property of
the persons he had marked out for slaughter, and
whose life there very little doubt that he would have
taken after she had served his infamous designs
Such were the crimes for which the convict Rush was
this day hanged upon the scaffold
The conduct and language Of such monster in hu-
when
the memory OF his tremendous guilt and knowing that
his days and hours were numbered cannot be unnte.
resting to the psychologist There are too variety of
circumstances already published to the world which
have increase ed the curiosity felt upon this point Rush.
like several other great criminals amongst whom may
be mentioned Eugene Aram and Thurtell undertook
his defence which he conducted so as to myth
en- the case against him. and supply links the evil
dence previously wanting. Like Tawell who was also
native OF Norfolk he observant of the outward
forms of religion and, while contemp plating savage and
Wholesale murder practised family devotion with his
mistress One OF our greatest novelists, by happy
fight Of imagination represents convict when on the
scahod and about to die, proving the ruling passion
strong in death by picking the pocket of the chaplain
htsh managed at has trial IN the presence Judge and jury
Nth the court crowded every by spectators to ab
st,act f4o check from poce6ook handed up to him for
Inspection and deaerousiy TO conceal the paper IN the lining
Of his hat principally, it would appear for the pur
Of blacksning the character of the solicitor prose-
cutting behalf the crown Like several other cee
brated murderers he was not man addicted to drink
and singular say his general abstemiousness on this
point gave tremendous force to little in his con-
duct on the night OF tho MURDERS which stated by
Emily SANFORD.
These remarkable condolences give additional intc
rest to the details Of his conduct before his
execution, and to his general bearing from the time
when sentence Of death was pronounced against him.
and his doom irrcvocaby hxed The following partcu
lars owe to the courtesy Of Mr. Pnson Governor of
Norwich Castle, and of the Rev. Mr. Brown chaplain to
the jail These gentlemen state that Rush, from the
commencement Of his imprisonment, assumed the cha
his I" .h... raf,es ana ovsractcd his
sincerity He took every opportunity OF denying his
guilt processing perfect tranquility ana Undertaking
confidence in his acquittal His constant lanruage
vas, " Thank God am quite comfortable In body and
mind eat we'll drink WELL and sleep well The wretch
ed mans sleep however, was observed his attendants
not to be so quiet as he represented lie was
In his attendance Mt chapel and very soon after his
committal requested the chaplain to administer the
sacrament to him privately This, however the chap
lain refused to do and thercupon Rush lost all conf
dcnce in him. After conviction he requested that the
Rev. w. w. Andrews, Of Birmingham, and the Rev
Z. J. Blake, Of ketterngham, might be permitted to
visit him In MIR. Browns company. This wish was of
course, complied with, and, doubt the convict ex-
pected to work upon tho minds Of those gentlemen
whose churches he had been In the habit of attending
conviction of his innocence. Finding however that
he deceived in this hope and that he could not i'm
pose on them doubt Of his guilt he became dissats-
fed with them also, and his last interview with them
as will be seen, terminated In violent alteration
sacrament while he remained impcntcnt and without
confession was apprehensve that he would to
have 1t administered on the day Of his execution He
however, expressed no such wish, but about five mi.
nuts before he left the chapel to be pinioned he said
he had hoped that 1t had been the intention Of Mr.
Blake and Mr. Andrews to receive the sacrament with
him. The chaplain came to him about half past eight
O'Clock this morning. and he seemed glad to Join In de-
votion, but whenever his guilt was assumed and con-
ply was, God knows my heart He is my Judge and
you have prejudged me-" Last night at nine o'clock
Mr. Pinson went to speak to Rush relative to a letter
sent to him by his eldest daughter expressed is said
In very proper and feeling manner. Mr. Pinson had
before he could approach him. yet Rush protested to
have been in profound sleep when awakened by him
lie had not retired TO rest more than half hour
previously, and Mr. Pinson perfectly salts.
fed that he could not have been asleep as he
pretended. He kept his bed till II or II O'Clock,
and told the turkeys in attendance on him that he
had had beautiful sleep, yet no ive minutes in tho
interval had passed that his eyes were not wide omen
and fixed on theirs. About o'clock becoming very
restless, he got up and commenced reading religious
book passages Of which he ntcrned expressing IT the
same time wish that the book might be given to his
manning to him passed away lie tien cot into he'd
again, but could not rest and was up and down con-
stantly until the chaplain came to him. For breakfast
he requested that little thin cruel might be given to
him. lie was then engaged In reading until after 10
o'clock when he went to the chapel and heard service
performed with the other prisoners This lasted till 90
minutes to IL o'clock and its close he was left with
the chaplain and MIR. Andrews They again solemnv
urged upon him the duties of repentance and confess
sion but he became much irrtated repeated his inne.
cence and said that the real criminal would be known
in two years lie was proceeding to quarrel violently
with Them when MIR Pinson entered the chapel and re-
moved him Mr. Pinson states, as further illustration
Of the prisoners state of mind that he hardly ever
tied him without his saying, Thank God Almighty all
Is right" At one Of the interviews with his family at
which he was present, Rush asked whether the Queen
would be in hurry to hang him. and upon being expos
tulated with for usls SUCH an expression, added 81
ready Tor That. You cannot suppose that having
prepared my defence, am not ready that respect
Thank God Almighty am quite prepared to die No
reliance which he placed upon his defence Of himself
his confidence In his power to convince others Of his
innocence and his anger at hearing that the world
in thinking him guilty. On leaving the
chapel he went into the prison yard and washed his
face and hands and the back of his neck with cold
water at the pump From the prison yard he was con-
Quoted to the room of one Of the turkeys where Cal
craft the executioncr was waiting to receive him.
observing him. Rush said, Is that the man who IA to
perform this duty" To which Mr. Pinson replied that
i was Calcraft then desired him to sit down, which
he did, and the operation of pnioning commenced. |
The prisoner who appeared perfectly calm and col
ected, said with shrug, This don't go easy, don't
want the cord to hurt me" His request com Piled
with, and the rope moved little to give him relief
lie then said that hs comfortable, aud the sad
having been formed he conducted his
doom.
I hese details will furnish idea Of what had
taken place within the castle previous to the Of
and Of the frame of mind in which the
wretchcd being was when about to be referred from
the justice Of man to the awful presence of his
Maker. II Is now necessary to give descrp-
ton Of the preparations which had been made for
rendering the execution Of such q criminal as So
Tenn and impressive possible For this purposes the
situation CT Norwich Castle and the style OF its archi
lecture strikingy adapted. IL is fine massive
structure the principal feature Of which is immense
square supported by buttresscs between the In
torvas Of which profusion Of small blind arches
panneled. From this tower extends each side low
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