The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-15
BIRcHALL MEETS HIS FATE.
He Was Calm and Game to the
Last.
Death by strangnIation Within Six Min
utes After the Drop Fell-His ola Col.
iese ch"m Stands by Him to the Last
anu Misses Him Under ts,e GaIIows-
lie Denies Alleged ConfeMsions.

attracted almost universal .,tore.t w.,
hanged here this:morning fer tho p,,,,.er
Oh r. T. Benwell, q fellow Englisnmcn
whom he urcd to America r~om England.
ana then killed him in lonely swami,
not far from Niagara.
hlrchail met his fate brayely and died
without showing any signs of fear.
His wife called on him at o'clock
last evening and was alone with him
until o'clock in the morning. when
there was Il sorrowful parting.
Birchall spent most of the remainder
OF the night reading the Scriptures.
praying and talking with Rev. Rural
Dean Wade lilo also arranged his af-
fairs with his executors.
The Quietness of death peryadcd tho
Jail until the hangman from Toronto
came.
lie noisely demanded admittance. and
when inside. spoke loudly and often, SO
that the guards. who have become at
tached to l'irchall through his uniform
courtesy, were glad when the han.man
nnconccrncdly lay down and went to
sleep.
AT o'clock Rirchall babe good byc to
Night Guard Midgely, VINO has been
watching him. lie was fearful fakod
confession might be given out after his
death, and gave out this document
'WooDsock JAIL, Nov 10, 1890
tAll rights reservcd.)
If, after my death. there shall apuear
III the press in any other manner what
socVcr, any confession that | had any
hand III the murder of +. G. Benwt,ll. or
amy personal knowledge Of said murder,
with intent or malice aforethought. or
any personal connection with tho muir
der ON the Eth of February or otner
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, | hand this statmrnt to tho care OF
George Perry. of Woodstock, Ontario,
that he may know that amy confession
I or partial confession arc entirely frti-
| tlous, ana in no way were ever written
| ny mo, neither emantcd from me in any
| way whatsoever To any person, and the
, whole are fictitious and without tho word
! of truth
This likewise applies to my story in
the Mail, in which have made no such
confession or partial confession. This
holds good throughout.
REG, BiRCHAII.."
AT u o'clock the other prisoners wcr,-
! put TO work to get them out of the way,
and l'irchall ate IL couple Of eggs, re-
fnsing other things. though ho had
eaton nothing during the night.
The crowd from the surrounding
country had hy this time collected. and
about two hundred persons with a,lln.s-
sion cards were let into The jail yard
Trees, walls and other places near by
were crowded with people. Ills last
hours liirchall spent with DR.. Rice, Jail
surgeon, and MIR. .cctham, of Montreal,
6irchalls college chuu, who has stuck
To him.
All preparations were completed and
the cXocutioncr went up and hound
'irchalls' arms. At S:95 O'Clock tina
awful procession began, Rev. l.ur,,s
Dean Wade leading. in u surplic.,, ana
reading the Church. OF England services
for the dead.
ichnd him were Tho jail officers, and
inc prisoner, dcathly pale but resolute.
ms stop was steady. Ills jet black hair
ana mustache made the pallor Of his,
lace like marble. AT the jail yard tho
prisoner friend, Lcctham, walked viii,
~ NV :" "i'' htnu IN DOTH OF his
with all the assurance of "A FRIEND,
hearty clasp. The procession stonncJ
at the gallows until the churcl, snrvica
WAS finished
Al the gallows the prisoner had :.
iNcd look. 1T WAS not of despair, bui.
he had strung his whole being IN 20 dio
game As the last words of tho Service
were sad, Birchall stepped firmly for
ward TOOK Lccthams hands in his
ana the friends kissed each other un1nr
the gallowS.
birchallS legs were bound, the black
cap put on and the moose adjusted.
~ S:.o the signal was given and Tho
"rop lcll. Commissions commenced haiE
i minute later, but they were rot AZ nlV
| violent, moro resembling heavy breath
ing, with slight twitching Of the hands
and legs.
Al S:aOl9 commissions had ceased and
at 500 DIR. Chamberlain. who stood
with his hand oil the body declared that
life was extinct.
There was just six minutes from th,,
crop until the doctor declared Birnha,t
dead
a post mortcm was held by DR.. Odlum.
and Coroner Melay presided at tho in
quest.
The post norton discovered that
death had been caused by stranguiation.
ne usual statutory verdict was found
oy the coronXs jury. Tho opinion of
the jail otiic<$s and DR.. Chamberlain
Is that the eNnNtion was we'll done.
pr. chamberlain Says he never saw n
more hnished execution, and, in his judg-
heht Birchall felt nothing three Sec
onds after the weight had been timed
hnIu - H. 4