The evening world., 1891-08-20
Awful Scene at The Hanging Of Con-
way In Liverpool
The Body Held Only by the Muscles
Of the Neck.
Spectators Horrtfied by the Pouring
OF His Blood.
trY LsaocIArEn pNrsaN

LIVERPOOL, Aug. 2O.--John Conway, the
steamship fireman, who was convicted and
sentenced TO death for the murder Of the
boy Nicholas Martin, whose body was found
May 10 last floating in n sailors bag in Har-
don Dock, this city, was hanged this
morning.
There was q sensational scene on the scat
fold. AS Berry, the hangman was drawing
the black cap over Conway's head the latter
shouted.
Hold on. ! want TO say something"
To this request Berry replied: You can't
speak now," and was about 10 proceed with
the execution when the priest, who was in at
tendance upon the criminal upon the scat
fold, hastily interposed, pushed the hangman
one side, and held Conway's hand while the
condemned man, In broken tones asked for
giveness for his sins.
only when the unfortunate wretch had
done speaking and when the priest had re-
piled to hts plea for forgiveness did the latter
permit the hangman TO proceed.
This incident caused intense excitement
among those present at the hanging, but It
was as nothing compared TO the horrible
scene which was TO follow.
In due course Of time the drop fell, and
Conway disappeared from view Almost i'm
mediately afterwards the priest began TO read
the confession OF the hanging man.
In this confession Conway said that he was
intoxicated when he murdered the boy, and
that his reason for taking the boys life was
that he had O morbid curiosity to observe the
process OF dying.
While the priest was reading Conway's con-
fession a streaming sound was heard from the
scaffold, as II o quantity Of water was fall.
ing.
hurried investigation was made by the
hangman and by the prison ofilcials, and tC
their horror they found that the sound was
caused by blood which was pouring upon tht
prison floor from Conway's neck
The fall, It appears, had been so severe tha
the criminals head had been practically tori
from his body, in fact, the head was only hell
TO the body by the muscles OF the neck.
Berry, OF course, came in for considerable
abuse, the terrible bungling being placed u
his account alone.
People believe that this horrible hanging
will be freely used as an argument In favo
OF the abolition Of hanging as a means o
execution and the substitution OF electricit!
for the rope.
Early during the morning OF May / 8 SOM
dockyard laborers saw black painted sailor
bag tioating in HardOn Dock.
that 1t was marked "T. A. NJ. Girvan," an
that 1t was decorated with the British ant
Norwegian ensigns crossed.
gPSH opening the 6ag the workman KIN NV Ter
a boy about fifteen years OF age, whose throa
had been cut from ear TO ear, and whose leg
were missing from below the knees.
In the bag were also found new knife an
a saw, which had evidently been used in com
, mitting the crime.
subsequently conway, q fireman on board
, steamship and leading member OF the Sea
mems and Firemen's Union, was arrested an
charged with numbering the boy.
The body had In the meanwhile been iden
tined as that of Nicholas Martin and investi
CATION showed that Conway resided near tn
. place where the dead hoy lived.
room on the top door OF the brlldln
where the Unions branch Ohlces are situated
, an apartment much frequented by Conwa
J and where the boy had also been seen, wa
found TO be spattcred with blood althoug
an attempt had been made TO clean 1t b
washing away recently made bloodstains.
| razor covered with blood was also fOun
In yard adjoining Conway's lodgings,
Conway, upon being questioned, admitte
being the owner OF the bag In which the bod
, was found, aud also said that he owned IN
sdG SeGy. Nl'Sn n"4 p''A u''a - ND'N4HS ~
! A oabman identified conway as man h
l had driven TO quay near the hard0n Doc
the night before the bag was found, and
was also shown that Conway carried blac
bag upon the occasion.
The man who sold Conway the saw an
knife was also discovered, and, In word, "a
The Jury were out only half an hour, return
) ing verdict OF guilty, and Conway was sci
I fenced Aug. ].