The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-15
POISONER NELL EXECUTED
Hanged at Newgate Prison This Morn
ing for Numbering Many Women.
HE Disrepntable Career in Canada. Chicago
and England-SOme Of His Crimes and
How lie Committed Them.
HE POISONED MANY GIRLS.


LONDON. Nov. 14-Thomas Neill. alias
Cream. was executed here at o'clock this
morning. The execution was strictly
private. the only persons present being
Kynaston Metcslf. under sheriff of the
county of London. the executioner and the
PRISON officials. Since Neil was sentenced
the closest watch was kept upon him at
Newgate prison. The warders did not per-
NIT access to the prisoner beyond the
corridor which led to the condemned mans
cell. Neill last night was silent. irritable
and moody. The wardens had their early
relief from the responsibility OF
their charge Their vigil was an
anxious one as they were haunted
with q suspicion that this adept In the
fatal use OF poison had some unknown re-
sources which lie might effectually use at
the last moment to cheat the avenger of
justice. BillinGton, the nangman. saw
Neill. yesterday. through an inspection
wicket, and took note or his height and
build while the convict paced to and fro
In his cell Finally the hangman inter-
viewed the condemned, made the closest
possible survey of his physique, took an
eye-mensurement OF the strength OF the
neck and gagged the weight of the body.
The hangman did not appear again at
theceif until nearly o'clock. Burlington
performed the work of pinloning In live
minutes. From the cell to the scaffold.
along q tagged corridor. was a minutes
walk. The scatfold, which had movable
glbbet. was erected in the courtyard. The
drop was made promptly at Q o'clock, and at
the same instant o black dag was hOisfed
on the prison flagstaff to make known to
the outside world that justice had been
satisfied.
The inquest will take place at noon to-
day, and will be followed immediately by
the burial The body will be encased in
coffin filled with auick-lime and placed
under the Flagstaff In the corridor over
which the doomed man walked on his way
TO the scaffold. This is, perhaps. the ghast-
lest spot in the world. Under the tagging
of this corridor have been buried the bodies
of q long succession of notable and obscure
criminals. Initials. Or numbers cut in the
walls, indicate the more recent sepul-
chres Early inscriptions have been
defaced by time and the CRIME. Neill
had two interviews yesterday with
his solicitor. Dir. Walters. In the first he
gave instructions for the drawing ND of his
Will. Mr.. Walters called again las: night
with the document for NeilPs signature.
Neill made no confession, but Mr.. Walters
urged him to give heed 70 the minlstrations
of the chaplain during the short time To-
naming to HIM. and advised him If he de-
sired TO unburden his mind to do so to the
chaplain. 1t was only when Mr. Walters
finished exhorting him that Neill seemed to
fully realize his position. He broke down
completely, and expressed his indebted
ness to the solicitor. and admitted that the
lawyer had spared no efforts to save his
life The scene at parting was painful.
Nein's Career q Poisoner-
On the night of April 10 last two girls,
named Alice Marsh and Emma Shrivel.
aged, respectively. twenty-one and eight
cen years. received man in their apart
ments, at No. 113 Stanford street, Lambeth.
- q
o'clock the next morning. Shortly after he
left the house the two girls were found in
agony on the floor. by the landlady of the
premises, Mrs Voght. The girls belonged
to the unfortunate class. and an officer was
notified and they were removed to ST.
Thomas Hospital. The Marsh girl died ON
the way TO the hospital and the Shrivel
girl died three hours after she was admit
ted. 1t was thought at frat that the girls
had been poisoned by canned salmon, OF
which they had partaken. but it was sub
sequently learned that they had been pol
soned with stry chnine.
When the matter of the death of the two
girls came before the coroner for official
Investigation he received letter which
proved to have been in the handwriting
of woman named Sabattini, who Neill
was at one time engaged to marry. In this
letter the writer said she was in q position
to give valuable information which would
by young man named Harper. The letter
was placed in the hands OF the police, and
from INQUIRIES that were instituted they
discovered that at about the same time the
coroner had received the letter DR.. Harper,
of Barnstaple. had also received letter,
admitted to have been sent by Neill, in
which he demanded the sum of
$500. and intimating that un-
Ssa tine n% pSs the ,bas writer
Harper's son had poisoned the Marsh and
Shrivel girls. Young Harper was at that
time student at ST. Thomas Hospital.
and lodged IN the same house as Neill in
Lambeth. On . charge ofattempted black
mail preferred against him by DR.. Harper,
Neill was arrested. Considerable interest
was manifested In the case. and this was in
creased when q newspaper published q
tIida Clover had died in October. 1891, un-
der almost the same circumstances as at
tended the death of the Marsh and Shrivel
girls. 1t was supposed at the time of tie
Glover girls death that she had committed
suicide. The BODY was exhumed, and an
analysis revealed the presence of strych-
nine.
The peculiar manner of the deaths of
these three girls called attention to the
fact that another girl named Ellen Den
worth hac died under suspicious circum-
stances. and further investigation by the
police revealed that DR.. Harper W as not the
only person Neill had tried TO black-mail.
IL was learned that he had written letters
TO DR.. Broadbent. q well-known London
practitioner, to the Hon. w. ID. 4. smith.
son of the late Right Hon. w. III. Smith. and
to Countess Russell, no, during the trial of
her suit for q separation from her husband,
Earl Russell. in December 1891. had re-
ceived n letter alleged TO have been writ
ten by Neili, accusing the Earl of having
poisoned the Glover girl. In the letter TO
DIR. Broaden the physician was also &C
cused Of poisoning her, while Mr.. Smith,
IN the letter he received. was
accused of administering stry chnine TO the
Denw girl 1t should be borne in mind
that ut the time these letters were sent no
one suspected that either tho Clover or the
Denworth girls had been poisoned. and this
fact and the fact that be had attem pied to
black-mail others. were only learned bse-
quently TO the fact that he had attempted
TO black-mafl DIR. Harper The police. be-
fore this. had awakened TO the fact that
Neill was n most important prisoner and o
life and antecedents. They found that
have been at one time n student at the st.
Thomas Hospital. He came TO England in
September OF last year and ultimately took
which he occupied from September, 1891.
20 January, 1Sg2. He then went away, in
timetIng that he was going back 10 Ameri-
NAMED in London at the same lodgings
Neill had on his person q number of pills
and capsules and quantity of nux vomica.
AT the preliminary hearing IN the Bow
N fnarE ri Alrrstv -. t.x.