The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-11-16
Tie P0Is0NER HANGED.
Murderer Neill Pays the Penalty
of His Many Grimes.
A MOST REMARKABLE CRIMINAL

How His Attempt to BIackmail Led
to His Arrest and Conviction for
the Grimes He Threatened. to
Fasten on Another.
LONDON, Nov. 16.-Thomas Neil, who
murdered Matilda Clover and several
other girls with poison, was hanged at
Newgate prison yesterday. The execution
was witnessed by few persons besides the
Jail officials. The condemned man passed
the night without single hour of I'M
broken sleep. Mr.. Metcalfc, the under
sheriff, after the execution said that the
self possession he displayed throughout
the execution rendered his work easy.
Neill told Mr.. Metcalfe that the last two
days had been the calmest, and perhaps
the happiest of his life He declined to
take wine or spirits to sustain him in the
final ordeal. Just prior to the cap being
drawn over his face Neill thanked the
prison officials for their courtesy and
Kindness. Death was instantaneous.
Neill made no confession.
The body was buried under the flag
stones in the corridor, through which
Neill had passed a short time before on
his way to the scaffold, close to the spot
where Mrs. Percy, the murderess of her
paramours wife and child, was buried.
The Prisoners Grimes.
On the night of April IL Alice Marsh
and Emma Shrivell, aged respectively
81 and IL years, received man in their
apartments at Is Stanford street, Lam
beth. Shortly after he left the house
the two girls We're found in agony on
the floor by the landlady. The Marsh
girl died on the way to the hospital, and
the Shrivell girl died three hours after
she was admitted. 1t was learned that
they had been poisoned with strychnine
The coroner in charge of the case re-
ceived a letter from woman named
Sabbatini, whom Neil was at one time
engaged to marry, saying she could give
information to show that the two girls
had been poisoned by a young man
named Harper. At about the same time
the coroner received the letter DIR.
Harper, of Barnstable. also received a
letter, sent by Neil, in which he de-
manded the sum of 81 500, under pen
atty of showing that DIR. Harper's son
had poisoned the Marsh and Shrivell
girls.
On charge Of attempted blackmail
Neill was then arrested. 1t was diseov-
cred that Matilda Clover, who died in
October, 1891, under the same circum-
stances as the Marsh and Shrivell girls,
had strychnine in her stomach, and that
Neill also attempted to blaclxmail DIR.
Broadbent, of London; Hon. W. +. ID.
Smith, son of the Right Hon. w. Fl.
Smith, and Countess Russell, who re-
celved aletter accusing the earl of having
poisoned the Clover girl.
NELL, although he was described as an
American, which in England is held to
mean native of the United States, was
really a Canadian.
Nell, or as he was known in Canada,
'Dr. Thomas Cream" studied medicine
at McGill college, Montreal, and was
graduated i'll 1879. He took up practice
at Kingston, Ont, and had been there
only o short time before he WAS sus-
pected of Illegal practices. Pnblic opin-
ion forced him to leave Kingston, and
he went to Hamilton, Ont. There he
was arrested on charge of killing a
woman by an Illegal operation, but the
charge could not be proved.
He had been in Chicago but short
time in 1873 when he was convicted of
causing woman's death by malpractice
and sentenced to imprisonment for life.
He served thirteen years and was re-
leased ON account of i'll health In the
mean time his father had died, leaving
him $4,000, and he went to England
soon after his release.