Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1877-10-20 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

RECEPTION OF THE NEWS BY THIS CONVICTS.  The receipt at litiii.dato—n-e-Gaol of the respite for the four Penge convicts is thus telegraphed by the correspondent of the Press Association on Sunday night :—The telegram from the Home Office advising the governor of the Kent county prison at Maidstone that the capital sentence upon the four prisoners convicted of the Penge murder has been respited was received at Maidstone at about a quarter before seven o'clock on Saturday evening. After sending a communication to Mr F. Scudamore, the under-sheriff, informing him that a special messenger was expected to arrive shortly with the respite, Capt. H. K. Wilson, the governor, with the least possible delay, proceeded to inform the convicts of the news which had arrived. As has been already stated, the female prisoners, Mrs Patrick Staunton and Alice Rhodes, who were recommended to mercy, have been greatly in hopes that the capital sentence would not be carried out in their case. Alice Rhodes, who it will be remembered was strongly recommended to mercy on account of her youth, was confident that her life, at all events, Would be spared. The male prisoners, Louis and Patrick Staunton, on the other baud, seemed to be prepared to die, and though they, like the female prisoners, have strongly protested their innocence, there appeared to be such little ground to expect that the capital sentence would not be carried out, that they had nearly, if not absolutely, lost all hope of respite. The Rev. C. M. Duggan, the Roman Catholic chaplain, who has attended the prisoners since their conviction, has from the first been careful to impress upon them the importance of being fully prepared for death, while the Church of England chaplain, the Rev. A. H. Harrison, who paid great attention to the spiritual welfare of the two female convicts, has similarly urged them to be prepared. Though they have frequently protested their innocence in emphatic terms, and expressed • confident hope that they would not be executed, the effect of the news of the respite upon the prisoners may be more easily imagined than described. As the governor was in the habit of frequently visiting the convicts, his visit on Saturday evening occasioned but little surprise. When, however, he told them of the news, the tidings, gladsome as they were, almost stunned the prisoners. They were so overcome with emotion that they were unable to cdntrol themselves. At first they burst into tears, and could hardly speak for several moments, so sudden was the shock and so intense the excitemeat produced. The news was first communicated by the Governor to Mrs Patrick Staunton, who with Alice Rhodes occupied a portion of the hospital ward. On entering the apartment, Captain Wilson said: "lam come to tell you that the sentence passed upon you and your relatives has bees respited." The effect was electric. Tits prisoner immediately burst into tears, and amid her sobbing she earnestly exclaimed, "'[hank God, for my children's make." The GoTernor proceeded next to Alice Rhodes's cell, and in somewhat similar terms informed her of the news. The poor girl's joy, like that of her sister, was exceedingly painful to witness. She gave vent to her emotion in tears, and oontinued to sob passionately for some time. Captain Wilson then went to the condemeed cells and told Louis Staunton of the respite. The news was so totally unexpected that the prisoner appeared to be completely sttuined by it. the cried very much, and for the time was unable to speak. When at length he had somewhat regained his self -oontrol, he could only repeat the words, •• Thank you, sir; thank you, sir" Patrick Staunton was the last to whom the news was communicated. He was greatly surprised, burst into tears, and, like his wife, made allusion to his children, saying how glad he was for their sakes that, his life was spared. The Governer took mission to impress upon all the prisoners that the capital sentence had only been respited, and not commuted, and that nothing was yet known as to what would be done with them. Notwithstanding the shock which the news of the respite caused to the prisoners, they all slept well on Saturday night, and on Sunday attended Divine service in the prison, both in the morning and afternoon. The special messerger conveying the respite from the Home Office, whose arrival was advised in the telegram to the Governor reached the prison at about nine o'clock on Saturday night, and was received by the Under-Sheriff, Mr Scudsmore, and Mr Newham. The Under-Sheriff subsequently officially notified the receipt of the respite to the convicts. The document briefly states that the sentence upon the prisoners is respited until her Majesty shall further advise.