The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1833-09-06 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

EXECUTIONS.  LANCASTER, AUG. 31.—This was the day appointed for the execution of Patrick M‘Partland and John Howarth, who were convicted at the late Lancaster assizes, before the Lord Chief Justice Denman, the former of two attempts to murder two of his fellow prisoners in the Manchester New Bailey, and the latter of an unnatural offence. The notice of the indecent practice at the factories of giving the inmates liberty, about a quarter of an hour previous to the hour fixed for the execution, in some of the provincial papers, has been the means of putting an end to it, at least in some of the factories, for several of the millowners kept their workpeople later than usual, in order to prevent their appearance at such a scene. A few minutes before twelve o'clock the solemn toll of the Castle bell announced the near approach of the fatal moment, that the necessary preparations were about to be completed, and shortly after the clock struck M'Partland appeared on his way towards the drop, followed by the executioner. His step was firm, his manner collected and calm, and he appeared quite resigned to his fate. When he reached the open air he cast a glance at the surrounding crowd, and marched with military step 'under the beam to which the chain was attached. The executioner then placed the cap over his face, fastened the rope to the chain, and then conducted Howarth to the same spot, and performed the same office for him. The appearance of the latter was by no means so collected as the former. The Rev. J. Rowley then approached, and read in an impressive manner several prayers, at the conclusion of which the bolt was withdrawn, and they. died almost without a struggle. On Saturday, at a little after eleven o'clock, at Gloucester, Charlotte Long and Thomas Gaskins underwent the fatal sentence of the law ; the former for setting fire to the ricks of three different persons on the same night, the latter for setting fire to a hayrick, the property of his master. The unhappy woman, Charlotte Long, was only 33 years of age, and her husband, by whom she had had two children, had been transported about four years. She, however, had a third child, about two months ago, which she carried in her arms when she was brought to the bar to take her trial; but this child was, almost as soon as the trial commenced, given into the charge of the unhappy woman's sister, who took the wretched infant homewith her, and continued it in her care up to the time of its death, which occurred last week, from an attack of inflammation. It appeared that this unhappy victim of the laws of her country had not the slightest ill; will towards either of the persons whose ricks she set on fire,but 1 it was stated bythe King's evidence, who was examined, that the prisoner had told her that she intended to set fire to the premises of Mr. Exell, the churchwarden of the parish of Nibley, because he had removed her to her parochial settlement, but that conceiving that it would be thought that she had done it, she resolved to fire the ricks of three other persons in the parish, to ward off suspicion from herself, before she set fire to the premises of Mr. Exell. The other unhappy prisoner, Thomas Gaskins, was a young man who had always borne an excellent character, and the only inducement that he had for the commission of the dreadful offence was, that he and his master had had a dispute becausethe cider which he had to drink was not wood enough to satisfy him. It is understood that both the wretched prisoners made an ample confession, and were quite resigned to their fate.