Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-15
BlRCHALL HANGED.
The Last Act in the Birchall-Ben-
well Murder at Woodstock.
The Prisoner Dies Game Without Con-
fessiOl-Death Resulted from
Strangulation.
Scene More Touching Than the Average Hang
ing History OF the Crime for Which the
Death Penalty was Paid.

WOODSTOCK, ONT. Nov. Il j. Reg.
inald Birchall was hanged in the court
yard of the jail here this morning. The
drop fell al S:29 and hs was pronounced
dead Blk minutes later.
The condemned mans wife had passed
the greater part of the night with him,
and the sorrow expressed in her features
as she left the Jail at o'clock was deep
and ton hing.
Birchall retained the same look of in
difference up to a late hour this morning
and as he reached the scstfold his eyes
had not a trace of that frivolty that had
lightened his imprisonment. There was
ne haunted look, nor was there any fear
in his eyes, but a fixed purpose seemed
TO consume his reason. He was living q
lifetime in short space of tlme-it was
not despair, but he had strung his whole
being to die game.
AS the minister read the funeral SER
vice and came to the words, ''Dust to
DUST Birehall stepped firmly forward
and took his place OF the scalfold.
The crime for which Birchall suffered
the extreme penalty of law was the muir
der of his friend and oountryman, F. c.
Benwell of England, in the Blenheim
SNdUlpS ueuT W OOustOck. oil FeDTuhTy
II last the body OF al unknown man WIS
found in the swamps, and nothing was
found on the person 70 identity it.
Birchall identified the body as that of f.
c. Benwell, who had lived With him.
Rigid investigation was set on foot and
developments led TO the arrest of Birohall
as the murderer. Birchall strenuousiy
denied that he was the author of the
crime but sfRutial avi6pu a
against him was 80 strong that the jury
took but q few minutes to reach YER
dict of guilty.
The story goes that Birchall had Of
fered or barsained to sell farm he
owned to Benwell. The latter wrote
home for money to make the purchase,
and after the money reached here
Birchell enticed Benwell to the swamps
and murdered him. To the very last
moment Birchall maintained his innO-
cence.
STRANGULATIoN.
The verdict was to the effect that no
disOcation of the neck has taken place,
that the win ipipe was crushed in and
that death was, therefore, caused By
strangulation. 1t Is now definitely stated
that Birchall went TO the scaffold without
q confession.
At 1928 o'clock Dr.. Chamberlain,
Deputy Sheriff Perry Cameron and Day
Guard George Perry having gone into the
corridor the executioner was beckoned to
go up. After strappiug the prisoner
arms behind his back the awful march to
death began at S:25 CLOCK. First came
Rural Dean Wade in his surplice, and
reading the Church of England service
for the dead. Behind him came DR..
Chamberlain followed By A. d. Stewart
and deputy sheriff. The prisoner came
next deathly pale but resolute, his jaws
looked with
THE FIXrTY OF DEATH.
He came down stairs with one hand on
the railing, for from his elbows down
his arms were free. His step was steady.
His jet black hair and mustache made
the pallor OF his face look like marble.
He was dressed in dark oolorsd tweed
clothes, white flannel shirt with black
bow at the collar and light patent leather
shoes. He looked SO young and there
was such an expression of remarkable
resolution and undaunted courage that
men who saw him and knew him to be
worthy of death in the eyes of the law
back in a lonely swamp. The faces of
half the men there were as white almost
as that of
TIE DOOMED NAN.
At the foot of the spiral staircase the
procession reformed, and his friend,
Leetham, walked on one side of him,
with his day guard, George Perry, on
the other. Jailer Cameron followed