The Cotton Factory Times. — 1887-09-02 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

EXECUTION OF THE BRIGHTON WIFE MURDERER. —William Wilton, wheelwright, for the murder of his wife at Brighton on July 9th, was executed in Lewes Gaol on Monday. Wilton passed a good night. He rose at half-past six, made a hearty breakfast, and was attended by the chaplain. He appeared to be quite indifferent to his fate, and left no expression of sorrow. Berry, the hangman, spent Sunday in Brighton, amid slept in the gaol. The prison bell commenced tolling at a quarter to nine. The executioner on proceeding to pinion Wilton shook hands with him and bade him good morning and good -bye. Wiltou bade all the warders good-bye. Just before nine the procession emerged from the prison into the yard, the prison chaplain leading and reading the service. Wilton walked firmly to the place of execution between two warders. Berry directing the condemned man on to the trap-door, quietly adjusted the cap, tied the culprit's legs, and pulled the bolt. Wilton disappeared and was killed instantaneously. There was a slight shaking of rope and muscular tremor. Wilton weighed 9st. 41b., and a five feet drop was allowed. The clock struck nine just after he disappeared from view. About 150 people were outside the gaol when the black flag • was hoisted. The condemned man's conduct was very good whilst in prison. The inquest followed. Wilton lived unhappily with his wife, who had left him three times on account of his ill-usage of her. Early on the morning of the 9th of July a boy, her son by a former husband, went to his, work, leaving his mother and her husband in bed together. They were heard talking together after that, but when he came back to his breakfast at 8 o'clock he found the door locked and had to get in at the window, when he found his mother lying on the bed quite dead, with her head broken in, apparently with a hammer, and her throat cut, and his stepfather was not there. A hammer w.,,s found in the room, and a knife stained with blood. The surgeon thought the hammer had been used to batter in the skull, and that this had caused concussion of the brain and complete insensibility, and that then her throat had been cut. A policeman went in search of Wilton and found him with the key in his pocket. On being arrested he said that he had done it, that she had deserved it a long time ago. At the trial Wilton's counsel raised a plea of insanity, and called several members of the family to show that he was so, but, as the learned Judge observed in his summing up, all that they showed was that the prisoner was passionate, quarrelsome, and ill-tempered, and, moreover, that he was given to drinking, but it the time he was quite sober.  i''JAT, BOATING CALAMrTY.—On Sunday afternoon a shocking disaster occurred on the Humber, whereby five lives were lost. Four men, named William Fish, Alfred Elson, William Thorpe, and Richard Scam all of Hull, and a man whose name is unknown, left Hull in a boat, and crossed the river to Barton-on-Humber, Lincolnshire, where they remained until half-past three, when they were joined by two other men, the names of whom are not known. They kept together to return to Hull, and were off New Holland, when, according to the statement of Fish, they attempted to change oars, and the movement caused the boat to capsize, throwing all the seven into the water. They clung to the boat for some time, but five of them became exhausted, and one by one relingitished their hold and were carried away by the tide and drowned. Only two were saved, those being Fish and Elson, who were not seen until an hour and a half had elapsed. They were then picked up in an exhausted condition, and taken to Hull. - _