The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-06-21
THE EXECUTION OF BARRETT.

Michael Barrett was hanged on Tuesday
morning, the Goth ult., in presence OF one OF
the smallest crowds that has for q long time
assembled in front of the Old Bailey, Lon
large proportion of the spectators in New
gate street looked like respectable working
men or small tradesmen. There were a few
drunken men, but, probably, more drunken
women, and there We're, as ever, dirty chill
dren in arms, brought to take an early les
son in the WAY their parents were going.
But it was an unprecedented fact that the
scum of the abandoned class. seen hitherto
in bodies, only at executions and lord may
ors shows, were not to be found, and some
of the policemen with whom we cOnversed,
and who had attended :" hang ing crowds
until they knew them as familiar acquaint-
ances, were puzzled, and almost grIeved at
this retrogression to an extent, that, under
other circumstan ces, would have been very
amusing. Early in the morning, a sad, anx-
iOus-looking man was observed moving ner-
vously in and out of the thrOng with a white
handkerchief in his hand, and he came
kneeling, with hands crossed on breast, be.
fore the place of DOOM 1t was told in an
undertone from group to gronp that this
was one of the DesmOnds, and it was subse
quently stated that others who were mixed
up with them in the late events were present.
The story of the execution is soon told.
The living mans kneI had been tOlling for
nall An nOuT DSUOTt ut CAME IOTUn 10 HUSH IL.
Eight o'clock struck, and eyes were strained
to the door opening upon the scaffold, and
strained in expectation for two minutes
Father Hulsey, the Catholic priest who had
been attending the convict, was first caught
sight Of by the people. There was the old
cry of " Hats OFF, the old demonstrations
in favor of the pihable object in the centre
of the gallows group, and against the COM
mon hangman, who at once took possession
OF him. However, such as they were, they
were soon hushed The sheriffs and officials
stood in the background; Barrett, the
priest, and Calcraft on the scaffold, under
the BEAM Barrett, after bowling, looked
slightly upward, with light in his eyes
that reflected no fear, no logged obstinacy,
no anger, no defiance, no regret. The
| glance, like his every movement, was elo-
quent with marvellous tirmness, which ap-
pcarcd to be grounded on a far higher basis
than the animal daring that the hardened
not unfreguently show when brought to this
dire extremity. 1t seemed that Barrett
thirsted for and obtained Il parting glimpse
of the bright az it illumined the up
/ turned faces OF the eXpectant crowd, and he
then turned away from the crowd and sun,
and submitted to the degrading ordeal that
crowd and sun ought to weep to witness
y correspondent of the Cothoic B,mnc,
states that Barrett was born in the county
Ecrmanagh, about two and Il half miles from
the village of kesh. His parents belonged
4 to the class of small farmers still numerous
in many parts of Ulster. Michael, when a
\ youth, attended Il national school in the
neighborhOod. Among his rustic companions
he was IL general tavorite, aud while he was
never known to make an enemy, -could al
ways reckon hosts OF friends. No one &c
pu;,intcd with him in his youth believes he
had aught to do with the Clcrkenwcll bust
ness. About nine years ago, he left his MAJ
tive, hills for Scotland where, III the neigh
: norhood of Glasgow, tits said. he l;r"d up
~ the time of his arrest.