The Washington herald., 1910-12-13
NEWS AND GOSSIP
OF FOREIGN LANDS


ti9n of public executions on the ground
that the spectacle possibly might have
salutaFy isfiuence upon the crowd OF
onlookers, aud that privacy would be re-
1 pugnant TO public feeling Certainly the
dreadful show was popular enough. When
/ in 1862 two men were hanged near Liver
pool, excursion trains brought great num-
8ers of spectators, and In 1864 the execu-
+ ton Of FIVE foreign seamen for piracy and
murder attracted tens of thousands TO
Newgate. The last man to be publicly exc
lcuted in England was the Fenian who
had blown up the wall OF Clerkenwell
prison, This was in 1863
| An eighteenth century execution on
kenslngton Common was stopped for
time owing 10 a strange cause. On Aug
ust ~, 1863, two days before the exeeu-
ton, heavy fog came over London, ac-
/ companied by thunder and lightning and
torrents of rain. These conditions lasted
for nearly forty-eight hours and many
persons actually believed that the lasl
day had arrived. When the time set for
the execution arrived the assembled
/ CROWD cried shame on the sheriff for
hanging a man when the world was COM
ing 20 an end. As he persisted in his
preparations. they burst through the bar
riers and stopped the proceedings, shout
/ ing that the cuiprit as we'll might wait
a few moments. when the grand summons
would come TO all. Even after two days
had elapsed the sheriff had TO obtain
the assistance OF a force OF soldiers be-
fore the execution could be carried out.
OF the merciless operation Of the law in
those benighted days the most striking
example, perhaps, is the case OF woman
sentenced to death at Wilesbury for some
/ trifiing offense. The warrant OF execution
was overlooked, and she remained in
/ prison for some years. going out occa-
| sionally, as il was then the custom to
allow weli-behaved prisoners 10 do, as
charWSman or washWoman 10 wealthy
residents of the town. The warrant ulti-
mately came 10 light iand the ofiicious
clerk forwarded Il for due execution. The
/ woman vas away at the washtub when a
turnkey touched her on the shoulder.
/ Come along. missus." he said "rhe
warrants come and you's got TO be hung
tomorrow. Wiping the soapsuds from
her arms. the woman followed him.
or George III it is said that he kept
a register of ali the cases Of capital pun
ishment-it was capital offense then TO
open a letter addressed TO another-that
he entered IN II the names Of all felons
sentenced 10 death with dates and par
ticulars OF convictions, together with re-
marks upon the reasons which induced
him TO sign the warrants It is recorded
that frequently he got up at night 10
peruse the fatal list and that he shut
himself in his private rooms during the
hours appointed FOR the executions of
( criminals. No wonder he went mad
But, despite the many death warrants
! signed by George III, there is on record
an instance Of his mercy tempered with
gallantTy. Once he offered twenty-three
women convicts their choice-transpOrta
! ton or hanging. Six OF them haG the
| courage TO choose the rope. The woman
of that day somehow for some unex-
planned reason was regarded as less de-
serving OF mercy than man. George Pas
| ton. in 'Sidelights on the Georgian Pc
Rod, relates a particularly grim example
A raid Of the press gang left a young
wife husbandless with a child 10 care for,
Rendered desperate by hunger. she en-
| tered z shop and took up a piece of
| linen that lay on counter, but, perceiv-
/ ing that her action was observed, she
| laid it down again. For this terrible"
crime she was condemned 20 death, and
! was hanged, it is recorded. with her in
FAINT at her breast.
Like Lord Lytton. of whom l spoke in
this letter yesterday. Lord Courtney was
and still is. an enthusiastic advocate OF
the right Of the ladies to the franchise
Nearly twenty years have passed since
Er
house BY jumping up. waving his hands
and cheering eXcitedly when the vote
announcing the carrying OF the second
Ireading Of a female suffrage bin va.
declared Il was a demonstration strange
~ in contrast 10 his ordinarily calm ana
philosophic demeanor. And Withal. Mrs
! Pankhurst and other suffragettes IN,
other day during their attack upon Par
lament failed To recognize one OF THEN
best friends
These ladies may lose from not recog
nizing political leaders. as was so ia.
GRAVITY also the case with the premier
on that occasion. But their i'll luck j,
nothing ia comparison TO that OF the
front bench man who is unable 20 recog
nize his own colleagues. That sometime.
was the plight OF Mr. Robert Lowe. in
consequence OF his aibino deficiency oi
sight. which almost amounted 10 blind
ness. Sir MoGntstuart Grant Duff record.
that once in Rotten Row ne Joined Lowe
who was riding the vicious white horse
which he called The Constitutional Op
position, and Was in intimate converse
lion with another gentleman The three
rode and talked together for some time
When the third man rode away, Iows
said: Have you the least idea who thai
was? II is some peer or other, but
cannot imagine who"
Having ascertained that Lowe was seri
Gus, Grant Dun replied. He was you.
colleague for more than i've years in the
house. Ii was Lord Spencer"
The nuptials of Mrs. Sumner Clarke
Of New York, and Mr. James J. Harri-
son. noted African hunter. on Novem-
Der -, drew large attendance to ST
Georges, Hanover Square. Mr.. William
Northrup Macmillan, the American own
er of the famous Ju-Ja farm, in British
East Africa, where he entertained ex-
President Roosevelt last spring. escorted
the bride to the church and gave her
away. Mrs. Clarke wore what was prob
ably the most expensive wedding dress
seen this year in L0ndOn-Venetian lace
Of fabulous value and Of remarkably
beautiful design and workmanship. The
lace formed an Overdress reaching 10 the
knees, and was made over an ivory
satin lining. The tunic was edged with
heavy band of Russian sable. to match
the stole and muff also worn In her
large brown velvet hat was a cluster OF
nigh white piumes and a band OF sable.
Mrs Macmillan held a reception after
Il the ceremony al Claridges where all OF
the presents were on view Among the
gifts were a grand pianoforte and large
centerpiece in silver. from Mr. and Mrs.
Macmillan. Z witch ksslIrrnlrnden witt