Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-10-15
A REMARKABLY CASE.

Lee, who in February, 1885, was con-
victed of numbering his employer, Miss
Keyse, of Babbacombe, will shortly take
place. Lee was sentenced to death at
Exeter Assizes, and although placed on
the scaffold three times, the drop refused
to act. The result was that the prisoner
was taken back to bis cell pending the
decision of the home secretary, Sir Will
liam Harcourt, who afterwards COM
muted the death sentence TO one OF
penal servitude for life. The crime for
which Lee was sentenced was most re-
voting once. He was employed by
Miss Keyse as manservant, but being
only 20 years old, he received very
small wages. These wages seem TO have
been the chief cause of contention be-
tween servant and mistress. Many
people believed in Lees innocence, and
there was story told at the time of a
white dove, a fitting symbol OF in
nocence, which few round and round
and finally settled on the scaffold
Just as the executioner was maxi
ing the first effort to perform
the execution. According to the evil
dence given at the trial, Lee murdered
Miss Keyse during the night, telling her
with a hatchct, and hacking the body to
pieces. He then set fire to the house,
and gave an alarm, saying that burglars
had murdered Miss Keyse and had set
the house on fire. Hisconviction rested
solely on circumstantial evidence, and
from the moment of his arrest to the
time of the attempted execution he
strongly protested his innocence. The
Judge at his trial remarked on his calm
ness, saying that it did not show that
he was innocent. "Please, my lord,
replied Lee, "the reason am 80 calm
is because / trusted to my Lord, and my
Lord knows | am innocent? 1h'n
quietly, with smile on bis face, he
stepped down from the dock.
Three weeks later, on gray Monday
morning, Lee was brought out for ex-
ecution in Exeter Gaol. 1t was five
minutes to s O'Clock when the procession
started, the chaplain reading the burial
service. The responses were repeated in
a loud, firm voice by Lee. For the next
rs minutes a series of remarkable scenes
took place, three futile attempts being
made to carry out the sentence. The
gallows was erected in an open brick,
building, about 20 feet sqgare, and the
platform, which had been used on sew
eral occasions, was fitted over a deep pit,
in which the criminal at the moment of
execution would fall, Berry, the exccu-
toner, quickly placed the condemned
man on the scaffoid, and after adjusting
the rope, stepped back and pulled the
lever. The drop refused to act. For
eight minutes Berry and the warders
stamped on the platform and did every
thing they could to make it move. They
could not do it. Meanwhile, Lee prayed
10 loud voice, but showed no signs OF
fear.
1t was then determined to take the
wretched man off the scafo!d. Lee was
placed in corner of the shed, with the
white cap still over sis face, and ham
mers and saws were produced in the
hope of getting the drop to work. Lee
could hear all that was going on, yet in
spite of this, he remained calm.
II think II ought to 60 down now"
said one of the warders, wbereupon Lee
was once more placed on the platform
and the rope adjusted round his neck.
Again the drop refused to work
By this time everyone was excited.
with the exception of Lee, who contin-
ued to Protest his innocence. Once more
was the wretched man taken off the
scaffold and placed some few yards
away while the hammering and saving
went on.
"This time it is sure to 60 down." was
the general comment, as Lee again took
his stand on the platform.
go, God help me - cried Leland a
third time the gallOwS refused to act
The governor of the gaol would have
no more. He ordered Lee to be taken to
his cell, simply remarking to the prs
oner that the execution would not take
place that day. The most extraordinary
fact in connection with the horrible
scene is that an eyewitness afterward
stated that after each attempt to hang
Lee, and when he had been removed
from the scafold, the drop worked sat
isfactorily. When Lee got to his cell he
fell down on his knees thanking God
for what he termed the mifacle he had
wrought.