The New York herald., 1873-12-27
THE GALLOWS IN CANADA.
Execution Of William Brenton, alias James
Cox, for Double Murder.
THREE LIVES FOR A CUP OF TEA.


Brenton alias Cox convicted at the last Assizes
OF the murder Of Mrs. Payne and the boy Doughty.
In the township OF Dummer, in November, 1872,
suffered the extreme penalty OF the law this morn
ing. Through the trying ordeal OF pinionng his
arms &C., he passed without the least sign that he
comprehcnded the nature OF the proceeding. He
assembled the first few steps OF the stairway lead
ing TO the platform In q tmid and hesitatng man.
ner, when he suddenly quickened his pace to run,
bur 1t was evident this piece OF bravado was
labored. AS soon as he reached the platform he
was directed wnere TO stand. he asked the
Snerif, in q tremuous tone, "Will you allow me to
die on my kneesf' and was answered. "Most GER
tainly.n He was then asked II he had anything to
say, and answered he had not, but raising his
eyes 10 heaven, with look and voice OF exceed
ingly great fervor, he prayed "God be merciful
unto me- and cause Tny face to shine upon me and
bring me to the everlasting rest.n TO which the
Rev. Mr.. Fish responded "Amen.n The Rev. Mr..
Fish was then asked TO repeat the Lords Prayer,
the condemned himself continuing to pray, and
when he had uttered the words "rhy Will be DONE"
the bolt drawn and James Cox was launched
into eternity.
The crime for which the wretched criminal to-
day paid the forfeit OF his life was one OF peculiar
atrocity, the circumstances OF which are briefly
these:-
In Marcn OF last year this man, calling himself
william Brenton, though his real name was James
Cox. appeared at Dummer, a rural township at some
little distance from this place. seeking employment
A farmer OF the neighbornood, named jeremiah
Payne met him. urged him 70 enter his house till
storm then raging hau passed. fed him and went
with him some distance to guide him 10 a short
road through the woods. The stranger thus be-
friended was destined by the my ysterous provi-
dence OF God to stain the threshold Of the house
vrht had IN w p al
loved vile OF ms hosptable host. Mr.. Payne's
fatherinlaw gave Brenton work for some weeks,
and on the lst OF May the stranger was hired by
Payne for six months. During the time he worked
on the Payne farm his conduct was that oil an ordi
nary, lno1ensve MAJ. He was quiet and re-
served rl Jhe >, only rnng oad about nm as
prove MS insanity, was the frequent expression or
beiief that hairs IN bread formed worms IN the
stomach. That does not suffice to acqult criminal
| in Canada, whatever IL might have done IN New
| YORK in the pamy DAYS OF emotional insanity.
| vember, 1872. On that day Payne went to the
house OF mis- nearest neighDor 10 superintend the
running OF horse power attached to a thresh-
ing machine, leaving, alter breakfast, his
vile, their infant child. David Doughty
seor Sog q M aa ama 10 Al
naming there till nalLpast eleven. Mrs. Payne
was Knitting; the table had not been spread for
! dinner; Brenton and the boy were at work bank
ing root house not lar from the dwelling. From
that hour TIL two O'Clock there is hiatus in TINS
easily be read IN the light OF subsequent circum.
| stances. AT two O'Clock Payne was accosted by
sH,' setJe with % nim's bis % time having S about
| expired. Payne said ne was very busy
tnen, but would pay MIN, MIN mex. next, m morning or
| home. ''Not till late.n replied Payne. men are
scarce and we must fnish this tnreshng." ''Wel,
! come home and give me some dinner won't your
| persisted Brenton. Nonsense, Williamn answered
| his employer; 'there are enough OF them at the
house without me to do that Brenton went away
reluctantly, mutrering TO himself that Mrs. Payne
/ wouldn't give HIM anything to drink but milk, and
machinery broke down, and at three O'Clock Mr..
Payne, having been unable to repair it, started
Tor home, accompanied as FAR as hiss his gar
They bade him good day ana passed on but had
only gone few yards when they were called back
| by his yell OF mingled astonlshment agony aud
alarm, and saw HIM running out OF the house, like
madman, bearing the cradle in his arms wherein
partly on the threshold OF the door, lay the dead
body Of Mrs. Payne. Her brains had been dashed
and her throat had been cut from ear to
ear. There was no sign OF struggle nor
5 stood BESIDE besde the he cradle s her Knitting had s been
dropped near 1t. The table was set Tor three ana
the cups had been filled with milk, thus showing
that Brenton's unnoticed words as he passed
away from Payne contained the clew TO the savage
deed. Searcn IN the root-house where Doughty
and Brenton had been working, revealed the body
OF the boy, whose head had almost been cut OF.
His hands were clasped convulsively across his
heart as II in vain attempt to hold in the blood
which had gushed from the wound in his throat,
! wound when seemed rather to have been made
! by scythe than by the blade OF a knife razor
on examining the house 1t found that the
murderer had reaped but little booty from so much
/ bloodshed. pocketbOok containing about IS, o
red covered book, pair OF blankets, q bed quilt
and loaf OF bread-tnese were the paltry spoils
which cost three ves-those OF the murderer's
victims, and subsequently, OF the murderer him.
SELF
/ 1t did not take long to institute pursuit. The
! flying murderer had left traces at every iootstep
/ Hail an nour alter the murder he met two farmers,
and when they hailed him, intending to offer him
employment picked up stone and threatened
| them. He had stout stick and bundle and was
pushing toward Peterborough AT quarter
| TO four O'Clock kindly farmer guided
| him through the woods to back
/ road. He asked the way to Warsaw
| and then refused 10 accompany teamsrer who Of
! tered him lift. At twelve O'Clock midnight he
! reached this town. where the constables who had
| been apprised OF his approach by telegraph were
| In waiting for him ana arrested him. During his
confinement OF nearly year Brenton affected mad
ness; but when he was brought up lor trial on the
| 2sth or October, the medical experts tes-
| titled directly that he was only Stimulating
and OVERRIDING 1t. His counsel obtained
delay OF one day TO procure evidence,
| otherwise the trial from arraignnent to sentence
would only have occupied one sitting OF the Court.
On the 18th the case went TO the jury, Mr.. Justice
| Wilson charging the jury that the defence had
failed TO prove insanity and their duty was plain.
Conviction and sentence followed speedily, and to-
day the dread sentence OF the law carried out,
a respite OF TWO weeks having been granted, the
llth being the day OF execution origin ALLY desig-