Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-20
PLOTTED In LONDON CLUBS
Birchall's Romantic Career Brought
to a Tragic End on the
ScaffOld.
He Dies in Silence of the Great
Crime Committed in Lonely
Swamp.
His Gentle Parentage, Life at Ok
ford, Elopement and After
Life.

swamp In one of the most dreary and
deoOlate parts of the southern province Of
Canada there was discovered last FEBRUARY
the easily proof of a crime plotted In the
London clubs in the brain of a weak and
foolish English boy. The affair will 90
down into history, not as one OF the
greatest but as one of the most remark
able crimes ever committed in this country
TODAY the murderer, who had protested
innocence to the last was hung for ms
crme j. Reginald Birchall was the
feIon, refined, educated, and used to fash
ionabe English society.
The officials at the Jail were early astir
this morning. Birchall had not slept,
but had watched and prayed with the Rev.
Mr.. Wade. Breakfast was served at 6
o'clock and he partOOk of it with his usual
appetite. Soon afterwards Sheriff Perry
and Prison Inspector Chamberlain entered
the cell and he death warrant was read.
His friend Leetham, a college chum in
England who has been with him most of
late had been admitted meanwhile and as
the fatal words were being read, Birchall
shuddered little and turning to his
friend, said: Take hold of my hand,
old man. The request was quickly COM
piled with and the two friends stood to-
gether. Have you anything to say
against the warrant of the law being full
fiIed?" asked the inspector finally
when the sheriff ceased reading, and
Blrchal replied: | have nothing to
say
A big walled enclosure carpeted with
green sod and famed on the east by
building, cut up by barred windows let
deep light into masonry walls, and In d
corner a new gibbet The yard full of
men with rute books out and an anxious
look directed alternately at the scaffold and
at Il door IN the building approached by
five stone steps.
After prayer on the scaffold the minister
shook Blrchell's pinioned hand and kissed
him good bye; the thirty-ninth psalm
was read through and then the hang
man, grim-looking, took Birchalls shout
ders and squared him under the beam
Next he produced the black cap and
fitted il oyer his face and he minister be
gan the Lords prayer. At ''Deiver us
from evil the signal of death was given
and the form under the gibbet shot up
ward in the air, the head horribly twisted
to one side, and the body dropped heavily to
the end of the rope. The weight fell pre-
ciseIy at S:26, and then strong mems
hearts were stirred and faces turned pale
and blood grew chilled In the veins, for
the victim began a terrible sort of gal
lows dance In mid air, his legs drawing up
and Strengthening out many times, his
hands cenched cOnvulsively and
uncenching as If In mortal agony, till to
those who looked In Mortified suspense it
seemed as if he would never have done.
But the hangman came forward and held
down his legs. Over the upper part of the
neck aud the lower part of the face where
the can did not come the skin gradually
began to darilen as if congestion was
occurring At 800 Blrchall had ceased
to struggle, and the doctors were tax no
his pulse. At that hour it had fallen to
60 beats to the minute and In the next
SIX III lnutGs lie was pr Ounced dead.
EBirchall's areer.
Birchal was born in Church, Lancaster
Ene., % years ago. HIS faCher was Rev.
joseph Blrchall, who Was tor years rector
of Church Kirk and rural dean of Whal-
lev. Rev. Joseph Blrchall died in 1878,
having lived at Chirch since 1910. He
was twice married, and his second wife,
Reginald mother, survives him. Rev
Joseph Burchall was a man of some
wealth, and was one Of the best known
cergympn in East Lancashire. He left
his moLey to his four children three sons
and daughter. Reginald was the young
est SON. Reginald BirchalI was educated
at Harrow and Oxford, though he
did not graduate from Oxford.
Among his papers were found
certificates of term examinations at Lin
college there. He seems to have led a
pretty wild life, never doing anything
exactly criminal, but to have spent money
continually beyond his means and to have
mingled with the fast set about all the
while. He was not drunkard bnt he
gambled good deal and opened wine
He moved in polite and refined circles,
however, and his professors at Oxford,
when appealed to, gave him the highest
character. He was known as liar, how
ever, by his chums. and his particular
foible used to be to tell falsehoods to
strangers about his lordly connections and
intimate acquaintance with the high
arlstoCracy.
In the summer of 1888 Birchall married
the daughter of David Stevenson. the gem
eral traffic manager of the London &
Northwestern railroad. Mr. Stevenson
lived in Upper Norwood road, London
He objected to Birchall's attention to his
daughter, but the young woman was mad
ly IN love with him. Finally the young
people eoped, and were married by the
registrar of Crordon hall. Then Mr.. and
Mrs. Birchall went to Canada, and th1ir
life and their life Woodstock there was
gay and thoughtless. Returning to Eng
land in the spring of 1899. BirchaiI aud
his wife lived at his father-in-law'S house.
and Birchall obtained employment with
the Messrs. Vayhill K Co limited, fash
ionabIe photographer. at 1874 Bond
street., w. London. Birchall, of course, diu
no manual work, and was kind of sale
because of his acquaintance of the ways of
polite society and ability to draw the Gus
tom of fashionable people.
Birchall still lived high, however.
though the means received from his broth
er's estate had long since been exhausted
1t was early in the summer of last year.
beyond a doubt. that he formed the des-
perate and singular scheme that he after
wards put into operation. As early as
July he began to practice drawing up adj
vertisements His letter-box was filled
with papers bearing inscriptions such as
these:
Canada-Unversltv man having farm wishes to
meet gentlemans son to live with him and learn
the business, with a view to partnership. Must
have $500 to extend stock. Board, lodging and 5
est references.
Birchall and his wife returned to Cana
da late in the summer of 1889, the husband
to become farmer, but finding the work
harder and the pay smaller than he had
been led to expect, he stayed in Wood
stock. Birchall tnlked great deal about
aristocrats in England with whom he