The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-11-15
BIRCHALL HANGED.
Tho Murderer Of BenwelI Pays
the Penalty at Last.
HIS REMARKABLE GOODNESS

Maintained TO the Last Momcnt...Dc
ciarcd His Iislnnoccncc...Arccting
Parting from Ills Wifc...Sol.
emu 3Inrch to tho Scanold.
WooDsrocK, OSr Nov. l4.-The pria
oner Birchall ate aEood supper to FORTH,
himself for Lis last vigil. It was aite
midday when he arose and dressed him
self, and his frat meal OF the day wa
about . o'clock yesterday afternoon
Tho afternoon was spent in receiving til,
visits Of tho Bishop OF Huron and The
Rev. Rural Dean Wade and aiterward.
Dr.. Rice, the gaol surgeon, was with hin
for q considerable time. At J O'Clock
Birchall had just daish supper when I
carriage drove up to the door Of the
prison. II contained Mira. Birchall, Mrs
West-Jones and Mr.. Leetham. All ithrae
went into the gaol, hut only Mrs. Birch,
nil climbed the circular iron stairs to hel
husbands corridor. Her sister and Mr.,
Leetham went into the Governors Office
to wait for Mrs. Birchall, and did not
themselves zee the prisoner. In the
Office, lying under the desk, but in plain
view OF them, was pile OF rope and
tackle suapiCiously like the haEcman'I
apparatus. This Mrs. West-Jones espied
and almost tainted. She could no longer
remain in the Office, and for time wait
cd in The r6tunda OF the eaol. At
o'clock she and her companion left the
goal and returned to the hotel, leaving
Mrs. DirchAll in the corridor with the
prisoner.
TIE LAST FAREWELL. .-.7
AT nine o'clock they entered their
carriage at their hotel and again wen.
to the quiet jail, disniissing the driver
with instructions to come at 10 o'clock
for them. A crowd OF sharp reporters
were watching for the return OF the trio
10 the hotel. Ten o'clock passed and
eleven struck; midnight came and the
number OF newspaper watchers had
diminished but the wife, sister and
friend had not come.
At l o'clock came the leave taking and
the weeping woman was led out through
the barred door and down the stairs,
down which her husband, seven hours
later, was 10 go 10 bis death. Mrs. Yves.
Jones had been waiting down stairs for
her sister, and assisted 10 the carriage
the woman already widowed in the eye
OF the law. When they aliehted from
the carriage shortly after O'Clock Mrs.
Birchall walked up the stairs Of the
hotel with firm step and went imme.
diGtely to her room. The time during
tho hours after Mrs. Birchall left the
gaol, were passed by Birchall and the
divine in reading Scripture, praying
and talking. The turnkey took nap,
while Mr.. Wade was with Birchall in
his cell. During tho night Mr.. Wade
came out OF the cell and MIR. Forbes,
who is one OF Birchalls executors, went
in aud spent some time with him talk.
ing about bis temporal affairs.
Birchall had early in theevenirg asl:ed
the cook TO take him up a supper-at lo
o'clock, hut it was not afterwards asked
for and he ate nothing during the night.
He preserved his usual demeanor all
through the night.
AFRAID OF THE FAKIRs.
The guards were much affected by the
near approach OF the end OF prisoner
who had been always cheerful aud cour.
teous TO them, and had succeeded in ex'
citing their deepest pity. When guard
NTs,l-n1,, II n ~ fynttN ptrol, otlt5 all
ut q quarter to five o'clock he said that
the prisoner was bearing up well and
that there was no question he would
make big effort to die game. BirchaIl
had begun to fear that by some means
'faked" confession may be worked Of
on the public after his death, and tc
guard against this he made out this doc
ument:
WOODSTOCK GAoL, Nov. 10, 1890.
"Ii after my death there shall appear
in the press, or in any other manner
whatsoever, any confession that ! ha(
any hand in the murder Of Mr.. F. g
Benwell, or any personal knowledge o
said murder with, intent and malice
aiorethought, or any personal connection
wit the murder on the 18th Of February
or any other day, or any knowledge tina
any euch murder was likely to be CON
mi,ted, or any statement iurther thai
any that may have made public pre-
yious to this date, hand this statemen
to the care Of George Perry, Of Wood
stock, Ont, that he may know that an,
confession or partial confessions are en-
tirely fictitious, and in no way wer
written by me, neither emanated from
me in any way whatsoever. to any pei
son, and the whole arc fictitious au
without word OF truth. This likewis
applies to my story in the Nail, i
which I.have made no such conIessio
or partial confession. This holds 600
throughout.
(Signed) "REd. BIRcHALL."
breakfast was brought into Birchall'
cell by the cook at & o'clock promptly
Birchall looked at 1t and said he did nc
feel like eating anything. The coo
left the food, however, and withdrew
and on second thought Birchall turne
to it and alto i little. lie pushed tn
tray from him, alter eating 0 couple {
eggs. Then he began to prepare himse
for the lnal teTllDle u!ueAl. he put' q
white flannel shirt with coat andves
over it. but had previously asked Tam
key Forbes 10 see that this was replace
ni,er execution by the ordinary whit
shirt with starched collar and tie. II
wonld not wear n starched collar at tn
execution, he said, because it might il
terfere With the placing OF the rope.
Tic executioner appeared on tll
scene ut twenty-five minutes befol
eight, rope in hand, and began immt
1iateiy to put things in order. At ST.
o'clock the hangmsn, having complete
preparations outside, came In and toe
from from his valise a long black Print
Albert coat, and removing his In
walked about in the jail bareheaded K
some minutes.
e THE MARcH TO DEATH.
A consultation was hadin the ire
stairs with the prison officers. The q,
full march 10 death began at S:25 o'cloc
First came the Rev. D. Wade in bis 81
plice and reading tho Church OF Englar
service for the dead. Behind him VI
Or. Chamberlain, prison inspector, IL
u y