The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-10-06
THE HANGMAN'S BELL.

| never mOro IuAu antiquity 10 IeCOu-
mend it, is about to pass away. We re
fer to the practice OF tolling the bell o.
st. Sepulcher's Church on the morning
of an execution in Newgate. This dole
full rite has now existed for the better
part of three centuries, in virtue of q
fund left for the purpose. The bequest
of Robert Dove. citizen and merchant
taylor, amounted i'll the year 1905 to the
modest sum of ESQ, but it would not be
rash to affirm that the fund. after the
manner of such civic gifts, has assumed
proportions considerably larger. At
| all events, the size of the endowment,
and the purposes TO which it has been
| spilled, have attracted the attention of
| the charity commissioners, who have
duly sohe duled it for the purpose of
giving the rector and church wardens
| of st. oepulchsr's, as truste of the
charity, power to apply 1t to a
| more appropriate purpose. This di-
version they consider ought to be in
| the direction of bene6tiDg prisoners
more than usually necessitous, and as
| deserving" as a criminal who has I'M
dergone q sentence can well be. In the
case of youthful offenders, the income
of the bequest may be used to provide
them with clothing, to assist them to re-
turn to their homes or to gain llvell-
hood. In selecting the beneiciaries,
the trustees will prefer such prisoners
as have bsen committed by the Central
Criminal Court, rs this tribunal lies in
their district. and is directly connected
with the goal which has hitherto, in
roundabout away, "enjoyed" TIE bene-
fits of Robert Doves melancholy be-
quest. Or, if it so pleases the trustees,
they may pay over tbs income to the
Discharged Prisoners Aid Society, a
mode of helping the unfortunate which
is perhaps the readiest and the one
least likely to be abused by those who
may, in the distant future, have the
patronage of the charity in their hands.
In any case, the funds will no more be
employed for their old purpose, for
though the vestry may, if it so please
them-which is not very likely
pay for the performance of this
office, the ESQ of the pious London citi-
zen will be utilized for ends more
in keeping with modern ideas OF the
fitness of things. 1t is quite possible
that some inJudioious taudatOris tempo
ris dcti may regret to hear OF the
bounds OF probability that the vestry
may consider that the rate payers
ceremony. That, however, will scarcely
be the opinion of any large number of
people, since, in acceding to the wishes
of the trustees of the Prison Charity,
the commissioners have bereJt st. Sep
ulchre's of the least agreeable associa-
ton with whichit is invested.
The tolling of the bell, and the fact
that many a time the hangman has
fixed the fatal hour by the clock in its
tower, have led to widespread idea
idea that the name of st. Sepul-
cher Church is in some waysderived
from the culprit's grave. In reality,
st. Pitcher, as it is locally called, was
dedicated to the memory of the Holy
Sepulcher at period long before its
vicinity obtained so strang a history.
the only reason why it was selected as
a sort of subsidiars chapel to Newgate
was that its position at the east
ern end of Snow Hill hard
by Smithfeld, makes it the
church nearest TO the Old Bailey.
Founded some time in the twelfth
century, it was renewed about 400 years
later, and after the great Fire was
almost entirely rebuilt by Wren, OF
whose handiwork, in spite of great
deal OF " restoration and alteration, it
is generally regarded as favorable
specimen. Nor is the church without
history. In its vaults are entombed
some famous and one or two Infamous
men. There, for instance, repose
Roger Ascham and the celebrated Cap
tain John Smith. whose connection with
the founding Of Virginia is much better
authenticated than his own romantic
account of being preserved from the
wrath of Powhatan by the fair Poca-
hontas, In st. Sepuloher's lie also DR..
Bell, the educationaliss, and Sarah Nal
colin, the murderess-thouga it ought
to be added that three centuries ago,
when Awfield was executed for "spar-
cinge abrood certen leWd, sedlcious and
traytorous books" tie Pensioners de-
scoundrel in the same earth
with their parents, wives, chill
dren, kindred, masters and old
neighbours" st. Sepulcher's has
been peculiarly fortunate in at
tracing the favor of the pious founder.
Few churches, indeed, have at differ
ent times received so many gifts. In
Reformation times it supported
many religious sisterhoods and fratern-
tiles, and maintained several chantry
priests for celebrating masses for the
repose of divers benefactors. On st.
Psul's Day, a discourse is, or ought to
be, delivered upon the excellence of
the Church of England liturgy, in virtue
of bequest OF 40 shillings per annum
left by Mr.. Paul Jervis, who also
bestowed other sums, the distribution
of which is so onerous as to necessi-
tate the vicar, church wardens and
common councilmen dining together on
the evening of the day when they daily
sllot the JerVis bequest. But Of all the
st. SepulCher charities the only one now
on the eve of transformation is the
best known. According to a tablet on
the right-hand side of the altar, the
donor was Robert Dove, who IN 1905
gave ESQ for ringing the greatest bell
in the church on the day the condemned
prisoners are executed, and for other
services forever concerning such con-
demned prisoners" In Munday's
edition of Stow the name of
this benefactor is given as John
Dove, and "the other serv-
vices' are particularized at consider
able length. For example, on the night