The Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1864-08-06 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EXECUTION IN LONDON.  On Monday morning Frederick Charles Bricknell suffered the last penalty of the law, in front of Newgate, fir the wilful murder of Jane 'Teary on the Bth ,d June last, at the Lion Tavern, St. Mary's, Islington, London. The circumstances of the murder will be fresh n the recollection of our readers :-Bricknell was a man about 1.3 years of age, and was employed in the capacity of second waiter at tee Lion Tavern, New Cattle Market, Islington. His victim, Jane Jeary, was a female domestic is the Came establishment She is described as having been young and good loosing, and Bricknell was very much attached to her. The young woman returned his attachment, but hart a short time previous to the murder exhioited some coldness towards htm, and had on one or two occasiin a returned home, ahem she had a holiday, in company with a young man whom she called her cousin. Thin seems to have excited Bricknell'e jealousy, and he declared thb, person "hod hr e ken his pesce of mind " On the nig .t of Wedpesday, the Bth of June, Jeary and a fellow servant named Platten had gone up stairs with a view of going to bed, both woolen sleeping in the same reim. Platten, however, recollecte, that a gentleman who was staying at the house had not returned, anti she went down stairs to make the necessary arrairgementa for his convenience. During her ahsence 13,1 c teen al tacked his sweetheart and stabbed her fatally with a knife in the breast. Death was almost instantaneous, and the prisoner was at once taken into custody, admitting that "he had done it," and delivering up the knife lie was tried at the last sitting of the Central Criminal Court, before Lord Chief Justice Erie. and the facts of the case being undispnted, he was convicted and sentenced to death. Mr. Sleigh whodefended the prisoner, admitted the crime, but suggested temporary Insanity and provocation, , with a view of mitigating the offence to manslaoghter. The defence totally failed, and so deliberate and designed was the morder that the meal eympathy acc vded lii most canes was withheld from Brlcknell. No effort on the part of the puhlic was made to save his lire although he himself petitioeed Sir George Grey, praying for a commutation of his sentence. The Home Secretary, however, saw no rearton to interfere. Due eg the trial and since his conviction Fhb:knell has shown great calmnesa and eel( pesession, and his conduct and demeanour have been all that could he des red. On Friday he had a parting Interview with his relatives—the scene was a painfel and affecting one. On Saturday the usual preliminaries attending so execution were Commenced. The space in front of N9nate was fenced off, to prevent unnecessary crush rig, and the approaches leading to the place of execution were bar Mailed. The preparations for the execution were completed at an early hour on Monday morning, but there was an absence of that crolkd which usually gathers in front of Newgate on such °maidens. A few ill-dressed, dissipated men and women slept on the steps of the houses opposite the prison, 400 or 600 persons of both sexes, principally youths and girls, hung abort the burners, for which there !seemed not to be the slightest necessity, the presence of the dingy, dirty. looking apparatus of death, the scaffold beteg the prinelpal indication of the scene that was to follow. Between six and seven o'clock, a considerable addition was made to the crowd. Pei sons on their way to work from vetooa points had a peep at the arrangements from Skinner street. Snowhill, or Ludgate-street. Some passed ~ii oho- a brief stay, while others remained to witness the execntion, but the crowd bad never) great access on -to its numbers till shortly be ore eight o'clock, when the arrival of the sheriffs indi,ated that the hour of execution was near at hand. A modifieons streamer persona the,, pressed forward toward., he OM Bailey, but at no time was there any inconverlier t crushing or crowding and not more than five or six thousand persons cou'd tmve been presets+. Previsely at eiaht o'clock B,o•knell was led on the scaffold, accompanied by the sheriffs, the gaol officials, and the executioner, Calcraft. The mcensary arratigenlents having been completed the drop fell and the unfortunate mall, after • tow convulsive struggles, ceased to titbit.