Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-29
l547.
The Strange Story Of William Habron...
A Young Man Who Was Saved
by Charles Peace from
the GalIows.

- AAAN
Criminal Phenomenon, will long re.
main one of the most famous in Eng
llsh criminal annals, not alone because
OF the mans daring, c~leverness and
success characteristics that have
made him such a hero that already
two London school-boys have mar
rowly escaped death by strangulation
while playing peace'-but as we'll for
the fact that his confession set at
liberty an innocent man whom the
hangman had measured and weighed
for the ropei Hereafter the name of
William Habron will take a conspiou-
GUS place on the list of the innocent
victims Of the criminal law. He was
A BOY OF EIGHTEEN,
one of the three brothers, Irish labor
ers, in the employ of Mr.. Deakin. A
nursery gardner at Whalley Range.
near Manchester, when on the I'd Of
August, 1876, a policeman named
Cock received a revolver bullet under
the ribs, and died without positive
statement as to his assailant. The
Habrons were-accOrding to the police
all turbulent, troublesome fellows.
whom Cock had arrested, or threat
ened to arrest, and they had been
heard to declare that they would "do
for" him hence suspicion was d.
rected to them, and they were ar
rested the same evening. Some per-
cussion caps were found in Williams
pocket, and his boots fitted some foot
prints noticed near the seen of the
shooting. This was the sum of the
evidence against him, and on it the
jury convicted him of murder, and he
was.
SENTENCED TO BE HANGED,
though, as was pointed out, people in
low life make just such threats daily
without intending at all to carry them
out literally. There was not a particle
Of evidence to show HabrOn had ever
had a pistol, and the boots being
machine-made there were doubtless
some scores of people in the vicinity
whose footprints would correspond as
precisely with those found near the
scene of murder. His brother John
was acquitted and his brother Francis
not even indicted. The Judge was
not altogether satisfied with the
verdict, and the home secretary. in
consideration Of the prisoners youth,
recommended a Communication of the
sentence to Unemployment He
all along protested his innocence, but
no official seems to have considered
the theory that he was innocent worth
working upon, and when the prison
doors closed on him that was the last
Of the case till Peace, on the eve of
the execution, confessed that he was
the murderer of the policeman. A
gunsmith found hat the bullets with
which Cock and Dyson we're killed
were alike and of a peculiar construc-
ton; they fitted Peace's revolver, and
the dealer, who ito the best of his
belief" thought Habron had bought
cartridges of him in June, 1876, had
never had any such bullets in his
stock. The end of the investigation
was that Habron was given a par
don, the evidence on being looked at
again being found very Slight. His
employer, who always asserted his
in the youths innocence. has
given him his old place, and it is sup
the crown will make some com
pensation in money for his imprison-
ment Of
NEARLY THREE YEARS.
at a quarter past five on the morn
March Is, HabrOn vas awakened
at Portland prison, but ere he had
his gang was sent for to the
governors room, weighed, dressed in
other clothing and told to accompany
some other prisoners about to be
transferred to Millbank. Lest the
shock should be too great for his
nerves he was handcuffed on the cars
h%andcuffed he arrived at Mill
bank, where he got perhaps an ink
ling that something had happened
from an attendant saying, "Habron.
don't you know me I'm very glad to
see you back" While the attendant
had gone for the governor and Mr..
Habron narrowly escaped
marched off and set to picking
with his transferred compan-
Ions. Then the door opened and |
saw Mr.. Deakin and the governor. and
knew | was free"
c 1911 BECAME WILLIAM HABRON.
and stepping into the open air heard
from the newsboys that England was
lighting two wars. Habron is de-
scrlbed as a quiet, civil, well-spoken
of no special education or re-
tinement, of course, but respectful
and singularly undemonstrative in his
manner. His employer says he and
brothers were orderly and saving,
and regularly sent their money to sup
port their parents. From August l..
the young man had not drawn a
breath Of free air; for ten weeks he
had lain under sentence of death, and
Marwood had visited him to note his
weight and the conformation of his
neck. 1T was a dreadful ten weeks.
and fit had not been for the priest |
do not know how | should have lived
on at all. AS it was, | prayed day and
and never quite lost hope"
-Four months he was employed picking
and afterward he was employed
in the quarries. And all lost
came out Of prison just as ignorant and
helpless as when | went in, while
men have learned how to get
their bread without lifting and drag
ging tons weight"
TaIlkatiVe Americans Abroad.