Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-23
MRS. PEARCEY HANGED.
She Dies ON the scsffold for the Murder uf
Mrs. HOgg.


LONDON, Dec. 23.-Marv Eleanor Wheeler.
alias Mrs. Pearcey. WAS hanged thi. morning for
the murder of Mrs. Phoebe HoCg and her infant
child. Notwithstanding the report Of the noted
alienist, DR.. Forbes Ninslow. to the effect that
the woman was subject to epileptic fits and
might have killed Mrs. Hogg while IN that con-
dition. Home Secretary Matthews decided not 20
interfere with the cocrse OF Justice. on the
ground thai the crime bore conclusive evidence
of aellberatlon and TO the death of the child
AT IL ast also of premccitatlon. During the past
lew days Mrs. fearcey has been much broken
down. instead of maintaining the calm front
which she showed at her trial. She frequently
threw herself on the bed and sobbed convul-
sively. But she made 10 confession until this
morning. Her mother saw her for tine last
time last night. Duringt the night Mrs Pearcev
was quiet and resigned. She got up early this
morning and prayed for some hours. 10 the
chaplain she acknowledged that the sentence
was Just. at the same time asserting that the
chief evidence was false. She never mentioned
Ho8g, and gave the impression that she alone
was guilty of the murders. The hanging raised
of without incident. the unhappy woman
DYING almost instantly. According 20 the
English law she will be buried in the Jail yard.
THE CRIME.
The crime was committed in October Mrs
Pearcey and Frank Hogg had been friendly be-
fore Hogg's marriage and were intimate after
II. Mrs. Pearcey being supported by gentle
man of means named CFlchton. Mrs. Pearcey
was madly in love with Hogg anG maintained
an appearance of friendship with Mrs Hogg,
who knew nothing of the intimacy. Mrs. Pear
cey invited Mrs. HoSg to visit her one after
noon aud bring the baby. then eighteen months
old. According 10 Mrs. Pearcey's partial con-
fession, Mrs. Hogg came and they had some
words. What followed shown by her
blood-stained kitchen and finding Of the bodies
of Mrs. Hogg and child. After Draining Mrs.
Hogg with poker and cutting her throat Mrs.
Pearcey probably suffocated the child. Then,
under cover OF darkness, she conveyed the body
OF Mrs. Hogg about mile in the baby carriage
and left il on the roadside. The body OF the
child she depotited in a field. The police sus-
pected her from her actions when she went
with Clara Hogg. the murdered woman's sis
ter-in-law, to identify the body of Mrs. Hogg.
Search of her house revealed the evidence Of
murder. The husband, Frank Hogg. WAS for
some time under surveillance and narrowly
escaped lynching. The authorities became
satisfied, however, that he was ignorant of tlss
murder.
SCENES OUTSIDE NEwGArE PRISON.
Dunlsp's Cable Dispatch to The Evening Star
LONDON, Dec. pa vast throng assembled
outside Newgate this morning and expressed
their sentingents by cheering loudly when tie
raising o; the black aag announced that the
murderess. Mrs. Wheeler, alias Mrs. Pearcey.
had paid the penalty of the law. The WOMAN,
who had protested after being sentenced that
she was ir-ocent of the crime, exhibited con-
siderable pluck, but she was evidently dazed by
the sight OF the preparations for execution aud
the realization of the grim fact that they forced
upon her. She died easily. Yesterday shs
asked her counsel to insert the following per
sonal' in a Madrid newspaper: Have not be-
trayed you" 1t is believed that this indicates
that she had an accomplice. Meantime the
public excitement over the event continues
unabated and the chamber of horrors at Mme
Tussandes, where not only Mrs. Pearcey and
her victims may be seen in wax, but also the
perambulator, the furniture and all the relics
connected with the tragedy, is crowded to suno-
cation.