Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-11-15
In FOREIGN LANDS.
Barchsll Pays The Penalty Of His Crime
on the GalloVS.
He STANDS FIRM TO TaE LAST.
Professor Koch Describe. de Effects
q. His New Trea- It for
Consumpti
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO The REcoRD-uS1os.I
BURcHEI1. HANGED.
He Remains Fir ). to the Last and De
clares His Innocence.

bChGdEi hANGEO.
He Remains Fir to the Last and De-
clares His Innocence.
WooDsTocK (Ont) }. November 14sh.-J.
R. Burchell, the young Engiishman who
murdered his fellow countrvman, T. c.
Benwell, in swamp near Eastwood sta
ton on February 18th last, was hanged
here at S:29 o'clock this morning in the Jail
yard.
Burchen bore up bravely during the try
ing ordeal, and showed no signs OF weak
Dess His wife visited the Jail al midnight
and bad a last sorrowful interview with
him. The poor woman exhorted him TO
mske a full confession, but he steadfastly
refused. He told her that he did not kill
Benwell. but he refused to give her any
further information.
A deputy remained in the cell during the
interview 10 see that Mrs Burchell did not
pass anything to her husband He had
remained so calm and cool when the
preparations were being made for the exc
cution that it was feared he might attem pit
10 cheat the gallows. He wanted to kiss
his wife, but the deputy would not allow
him, fearing she might have a capsule con-
tanning poison in her mouth aud pass it to
him when their lips met. The strain on
she became hysterical and physicians had
to be summoned to attend to her.
Burchell passed his last night quietly,
and seemed amused when one of the depu-
ties, who was trying to keep his nerves
steady by frequent libations, got bolster
ously drunk and declared his intention OF
cleaning out the whole Jail. His wife left
him at o'clock this morning.
Burchell slept but little during the night,
but his demeanor remained unchanged.
He talked freely with the death watch and
said that it was hard TO die for q crime he
never committed. He seemed to fear that
after his death some one would publish a
bogus confession, and that bo hered him
more than the thought of hanging.
BURcHELLs LAST STATEMENT.
To guard against any such confession be-
ing printed and believed by those who
might read it, he wrote the following
card:
WOODSTOCK JAIL.
If after my death there shall appear in the
press or in any other manner whatsoever any
confession that had any hand in the murder
of F. c. Benwell, or any personal knowledge oi
the said murder, with intent or malice afore
thought, or any personal connection with the
murder of the 18th of February or any other
day, or any knowledge that any such murder
was likely to be committed, or any statement
further than any that may have made public
previous to this date, l hand this statement to
George Perry, of Woodstock, Ontario, that he
may know that any confessions or partial con
fessions are entirely fictitious and in no way
ever written by me. Neither did they emanate
from me in any way whatsoever to any person
and the whole is fictitious and without a woro
of truth. This likewise applies to my story in
the main, in which have made no confession
or partial confession. This holds good through
out. J. r. BuRCRELL.
Burchell seemed more contented thar
ever before when ne knew that his last
statement was in the hands of his friend
The hours pas: ej slowly away, and when
like light break fast. A tasty meal wa:
brought to him, but he only partook of il
spariDgly.
When he got up from the table he calmly
prepared for the execution. He removed
his starched collar, white shirt and neck
tie, and put on soft white flannel shirt
He would not wear a starched shirt or col
lar, for he said it might interfere with the
executioner when the rope was being
placed about his neck. He askel. how
ever, that after he was hanged the flannel
shirt be replaced by white shirt and col
lar and black tie.
THE EXECUTION.
WOODSTOCK (Ont), November 14th.-A
large crowd commenced to gather around
the Jail about $50 o'clock, and those who
had permits anxiously waited to be admit
ted. Among those invited to attend the
execution were press representatives from
all over Canada and the United States.
The doors of the jail were thrown oper
| at 7:30 o'clock, and about $50 people were
allowed to pass into the yard where the
scaffold was erected. The executioner ar
-, 4a,~ 1at1 ID . l.
| scaffold to see if everything was in readi
mesa. 1t was rough looking machine o.
death. 1t was made of three pieces of tim
Der six inches square. Two upright were
sunk in the ground and the third timber
was firmly bolted to them on top. To the
crossbeam was attached set of pulleys
through which the rope ran. A canister
shot weighing $50 pounds was attached to
one end of the rope and held four feet above
the ground by another cord fastened to 8
staple in the timber. By cutting the cord
the weight falls and jerks the condemned
man upward about five feet, with sufficient
force generally TO break the neck.
After satisfying himself that the scaffold
was all in order the executioner passed into
the Jail and paced up and down the rotunds
until S:25 o'clock, when night guard Midg.
ley gave him the signal to proceed to the
condemned cell.
Rural Dean Wade, in snowy white sur.
plice and reading the church of England
service for the dying, led the march to the
and Deputy Sheriff Perry following close
behind with bowed heads. Burchell
came next with steady step. His
face was as pale and bloodless as a
piece of marble, but not a tremor was
noticeable. His eyes were bright, fearless
and resolute, and his mouth closed with
the fxity of death.
When within fifteen feet of the gallows
the party halted, and in clear but solemn
tones the clergyman read the Anglican
service.
A death. like silence fell over the crowd
of spectators and their faces became as
pallid as that of the doomed man.
Burchell remained firm. with his eyes
fixed on the clear blue sky overhead, but
his eyes had lost their frivolity. The
lively, careless spirit he showed during his
confinement was gone.
After time he turned his eyes towards
the priest, and seemed TO listen with wrapi
attention to the words he read. The strain
on his nerves was terrible, but he did moi
display fear. When the words dust to
dust were read by the clergyman Burchell
stepped forward at a brisk pace and took
his place under the scaffold.
He turned his face to the south and
gazed calmly at the crowd. Not word or
murmur escaped his lips. He took his
friend Leetham's hands in his and kissed
him fondly. The executioner stepped for.
ward es Leetham drew back and adjusted
the straps round Burchell's legs just above
the knees. The clergyman then took the
doomed man by the hand, and. after kiss
ing him, whispered few words of consola.
ton in his ear.
Il was but the work of an instant to then
place the rope around his neck. The spec
tators held their breaths and some of them
closed their eyes to shut out the terrible
sight. Their nerves had failed them at the
last moment.
Deliver US from evil, prayed the clergy
man. A second later Burchell had gone to
face his Maker, for these words were the