Execution Of A Mother And...
The Times, 1824-08-23T00:00:00

On M11onday forenoon, EstherTloughridgei zged about 7, smn her son Elugh, 28 years.old, axd stone blind; und&rient Ilse aijful senitence of the law, st the inew drop in fTe9tof the gaol at Carridk- fergas, for poisoning uugh's wife, The tiihappy prisontirs, who had r'ept tolerably well cn, the preceing iilgkt,.were. zlyat tbeir devotons in their respective cells, agsisteCy the Rev. tr. Reid, she-Presbyt.erians minister, arid othser-piousprasrions. They partoOk of some br,eekfisst, and wereengaged in prayrei! aboit one !o'ok, when Hugth Loughiridge, after being ?Inionied in his cell, wasx brought to the execution-room, and pai-*ced on a chair in front gf the dirop. He -was wirvhooit anr cons, or s*hrh or stoekIngs, and hhR waleteont and trousers were -excdedingiy shabby. It was a most awful seeie to see the wretched man groping his way arongst the machinery of deathl He was asked by ne of te asstents how he felt? He replied, that it co0ld not be apected that he seould be well at that moment, and repeatedzy-sad tbLt he hoped his fate would be a warning against an and vicious courses. Having inquired if any oF his friends were prene, he waa told that there wag not a sout beonging to him there. At this hc tigghed deeply. but saiti nothing. In a little tise hs un happy old mother, much bent with age, was assisted up stairs, and placed on a chair beside her son. She moand greatly, looked about with fearfIl agitation, and lifting up her withered hands, e-claimed, " Oh, that I should ever have come to thiss l" Though the old woman had not seen hertson since the day of tris, s.he looked on him with sometbing like indifFerene, ar.ddid nst speak to him. Tlts Rev. Iir. Reid then stood up before them, mand alled upon them, as they were now abost to appear before their God, if they had any thing to say further than they had alreadyv confessed, now w-as the time to unburden their minds. Hugh,in a firm and lottd voice, immediately amcnowledged thejusstice of his sentence, that he died in peace with the world, forgiving every ost-, and hoping that his examnple would deter men from the neglect of relfton, and from permitting vice and passion to have dominion over tiem. The old woman then staid, I die innocent of the charge, I knevW nothing of the poison. Hugh said, mny mether did not Imow of it at the tine. She was then wslted if she forgave every one, and par- ticularlv her son, she hesitated and said she ciid; but tarningak him said, "'O IHughev, if you had told me what wassyour intention, I would( have cndeavoured to persuade you from it. ktigh replied, " It is all over now." 1IVr. Reid then zave out the 23d P.ailm, say- ing it was by the prisoners' particular iletsire, and they both joined in the sineing, Hugh withi aloud and firmn voice, s as to be heard in the street below. After the clergyman had yiven out the lines rnd ltung with them the first verse, he said he need not repeat the words, becauxe, from their ertrly-relisrios habits, tshev were acquainted with the Psalms. Hugl acquiesced, and they accordingly finished the Psalm; after which 3r. Reid read from the 20th verse to the end of the loth chapter of Ist Corinthians,and all having Inelton the Moor, he :radc a hieihlv impn-ssive and appropriate praycr, in wvhscle the culpritq seemed to join rnost ,seriouslv. The clergynman then took his leave, Ilfath exprestinc: gratitude for his grea: attention. The executioner then commenced his ihorrid office, putting blUck caps on their iacads, and tightened the cords which bound the arms. sugh saidnothing; but the olH won,an, upon the cords being,tight drawr, exclailmed, in a shrill anti impatient tone, '- Eh, dear ne, sturely tlhat's the hardebt ;-ing thiat tver was tied." The ropes were thcn put abhrut their necks. and upon lhearing the noise of the wind- lass adjusting tiemz to the proper Jength, the old woman looked shrarply round to see what occasioned it. Thev did not shed a tear. nor did they shake hands with one another; arut were muci. intent OD praytr aod. ww rtions sor forgiveness of their sins, and mercy fromi GJod. Thev were then conduczed .:pon the drop. and Hfugh, in a firn voice, said ie hopred his fate would be a warning to all that day. T':c caps were then drawn over their fa,ces-a cord w.as died lightly roeetnd the old rwom.ats clotthtc, and thev were- without any signal, instan.tly laLnched into eterni-y. The old woman seacnmed to dlie in- stardt, and didr not move-the man was strongly convulsed for more than ten minutes. After hanging about forty minutes, the bodies r ere loiyered into the street, and pot into coffins tand sent off under a guard to the County Infirmary at Lisburn, fer dissection. We irerderstand that H ttgh Loughridge hus left two young cbil- dren. Ile had some little propertv. w hich he bequeatbed to them and his other relatives.. Some of ts;eir friends came to see them on Sa- turday, and prevailed on them to give them such part of their dothes, &c., as were worth carrying aiway. Not one of them attended on the last awful seene. Tite utmost order an:! propriety were observable in the arrange- n2ents of the sub-sheriff; and th grovernor ot the gaol, Mr. Enr- kine, bestowed every attention on the unhappy culprits which hu- manlity could suggest, and was consistent with the discharge of his, painful duty. On the motningof !onday last the keeper of the County Antrim gaul detected llary E:illett, wife of the hangrran, to arrange the machinery of the iate.l dtnp presaratorgto the execution of the on- fortunate Huezh Louehridge end hi. mnother, for poisoning Huigh's wYife, and whilst in the act of doing so, she fell mn a fit and died at haletpast three o'clock; an hour afrcrwards the two unhappy culprits were cut dowtx.-BeITsrt Chronicle. XEC'UUTIOVN OF A MOTRER AX3D SOZt.