The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-08-08 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE CONDEMNED CONVICT WELLS.  The unfortunate man Wells, who WU convicted of the murder of NIL Walsh, at Dover, at the late assizes, will, in the ordinary course of events, be executed on Thursday, the 13th inst., at Maidstone. His demeanour continues to lie quiet and self-possessed, and he pays great attention to the ministrations of the chaplain, the Rev. W. F. C'. S. Fraser.  • —• Instead of having the impression, as has been asserted in some of the papers, that the last sentence of the law will not be carried out, he has, from the first, seemed resigned to his fate, and he occupies the whole of his time in reading, or in writing letters to his friends. Ile was engaged to a young woman at Dover, and many of his letters are addressed to her. Last week he sent a letter to Mr. ilex, the superintendent of the Harbour Station, asking his forgiveness for the sorrow he had caused him, awl requesting the achlress of Mrs. Walsh. Mr. Cox replied in the most kind terms, and the prisoner then wrote to Mrs. Walsh, asking her forgiveness for the grievous wrong he had done her. Mrs. Walsh at once replied as requented.  The father and mother of the prisoner have not yet visited him, as they are both quite prostrates' by their heavy affliction, hut it is understood that some of the prisoner's relatives have intimated their intention of seeing him during the present week. Alr. Fraser is constant in his attention to the unfortunate man, who seems most grateful. The muter sheriff, the visiting justices, the officials of the prison, the representatives of the press, and a few others, in the discretion of the under sheriff and the visiting justices, will, in all probability, be the only witnesses of the carrying out of the last dread sentence of the law. According to the late act ttf Psrliament, to provide against any suspicion that the law has not been strictly carried out, the coroner of the district is, within 24 hours of the execution, to hold an inquest, and the jury is to be satisfied as to the identity of the body, and that judment of death was duly executed. The erection of the permanent scaffold is being rapidly proceccled with. 'the site for it is an enclosed yard adjt4sing the debtor's prison. The wood and iron work of the old drop are being used, but as the structure is to be permanent it is to be covered with an iron roofing, and hidden from the view of the inmates of the prison by moveable shutters. The scaffold is being built on a level with the prison yard, an excavation being made for the drop, to which access is given by four steps on each side. The yard in which the execution will take place is a sery stnall one, not being snore than 30 feet square. Faring the platform is a building which is being converted Into two 1,1,111 one for the chaplain, and the other for the officers of the gaol.  On Monday, Margaret Johnson, ninety•one wan of ago, w..s charged at a London police-court with 'tieing drunk and disorderly. The magistrate told her it was time she left off drinking " I will leave it off sir," woo the olit lady's reply ; "I am going into Kent, hopping: I go every year." The magistrate thanglit the " hopping," for a person ,•1 rs. .1 ohnsn's year% more remarkable than the drinking, and discharged her,