The New York herald., 1873-12-19
William Bamford, the Australasian

The Austraasian Ne,cs publishes the following
biographical record OF Bamiord. the executioner OF
tho dread penalty Of the law in the colony OF
Victoria: =
William Bamford who has died in the Melbourne
Hospital, had beentthe hangman OF Victoria since
1857, and had also until lately acted as agelator
According to BamlOrd's own statement ne must
have been 70 years OF age, as he alleged that he
as woosorter, but steady industry did not SUIT
him, ana while very young man he joined the
served for % Years. He appears to have we
been a troublesome soldier, for on one occasion
while his regiment was at GosDort he received 300
lashes. and eventually, Tor some serious military
offence, was transported to Van Diemen's Land.
He arrived In that colony by the Royal sovereign
in ls4l, and served his sentence with the ordinary
ups and downs OF convict life Bamford came to
Victoria In the early days OF the dggings, and was
unnoticed until 1857. soon after the execution OF
the murderers OF Mr.. Price, old Jack Harris, the
hangman Of the period, was lost sight Of and his
sistant, ''Walsh," went up country. This was Bam-
in jail, he undertook to hang one John Mason, an
old man aged co. sentenced to death Tor murder.
The execution took place in Melbourne. From
that time, with one exception at Beechworth,
where q substitute was found In the local jail,
Bamford has executed the whole OF the criminals
put to death in the colony. He used TO keep count
put out OF tie world. The black rufilan who was
hanged at BaIarat on the 11th OF August made II.
formed this last duty, and the ofiicer who mad
charge OF him reported that he had easy task to
get MIN safely Dack To Melbourne. Before
this the ofice OF fogger was taken from
him, as on the last occasion that he welded the
cat he was seized with an asthmatic 1T and was
only just able TO complete his task Strange to say
the man who has succeeded Bamford, though much
younger, arrived In the same ship and at the same
time as ne did. Bamford's appearance was rem
dered more repulsive than II would otherwise
have been by the loss OF an eye, which he got In
jufed In some drunken row In Melbourne some l5
or 10 years ago. His habits were very Incorporate,
and any money he obtained from the government
was soon squandered In the company OF O degraded
when he was expected TO leave the jail with money
In his pocket, and join him in. his drunken
orgies. He was accustomed to squat In some
wretched place OF shelter in the neighborhood OF
when he was "wantedu by the authorities To
send notice to sJack' that he was required to
come into the Jail was sufficient. This would be
given him two or three days beforehand, and then
he would at once voluntarily lmprison himself,
sleep or his drunkenness, make himself clean and
His spells or liberty were, however, few and far
between, for he was repeatedly convicted
as vagrant. Doubtless the frequent In
tervals OF temperance thus f0rcedi upon
him heightened his days. The life he led outside
the jail without a change must have killed him
years before. BamfOrd, as rule, performed tho
terrible work allotted to him quietly and efficiently
He was faithful, too, alter his kind, and could be
depended upon. One sckeDing attempt to show
good feeling to those he executed he never omit
dered him helpless, he used always to shake him
by the hand and murmur "GOd bless yuur before
he pulled the fatal bolt. Like the gravediRger In
"Hamet" "he had no feeling OF his business,u
lnstantaneously, nc was observed TO lean over the
drop and with an air OF satisfaction while looking
az his work, remark, 'Tne best Job In the coun-
tU-that Rakes 57u