The Potteries Examiner : — 1876-04-08 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

MAIDSTONE.—The convict Fordred, convicted at the last Kent Spring Assixes of the wilful murder of his paramour, Mary Ann Bridges, expiated his crime upon the scaffold at Maidstone Gaol, at nine o'clock en Tues.lay morning. The miserable man, since his conviction, boa adhered to the stilt., meut that though he believed he was the cause of the woman's death, yet be had no wilful intention. During Monday night:he , slept soundly, and awoke at about five o'clock in the morning. He paid earnest attention to the ministrations ot the chaplain, and expressed regret at the bail , life be bad led. Shortly before nine o'clock the convict was delivered into the hands of Marwood, the eXeCtl• tioner, who pinioned him in the condemned cell, and, on the completion of the process, the procession to the scaffold started, it being preceded by th-i goveruor of the gaol, the under-sheriff, and the chaplain, the latter gentleman reading the burial service. On arrival at the scaffold, Fordred, who exhibited remarkable firmness throughout, was placed tinder the drop, and the bolt was quickly drawn. There were some slight movements , of the body' two or three minutes afterthedrop fell, but the man appeared to die easily. The ex. cation was ' witnessed by a number of the gaol officials' and a few representatives of the press, and immediately after. wards the black flag was hoisted over the maineutrailee ,to the prison. But very few people comp..-gated outside the gaol. THE CHILD MURDER AND MUTILATION AT BLACK' Burt); —The police at Blackboru have as yet failed to discover any trace itit the murderer of the chili Emily ' Holland. Is addition to evidence giveu at the inquest several other fasts have been ascertained.—Elizabeth Standing, who keeps a sweetstuff shop in Birley-street, states that on Tuesday afternoon a man answering the description of on individual who had been begging in the town called at her place and bought two halfpenny "parkins," and then went towards St. Athens Schools, where Emily Holland attended. In a few minutes afterwards a little girl entered the shop and asked for half an ounce of tobacco, but as she did not sell it she directed her-to Cox's shop. There was a man in the street.—Thomas Hargreaves. a &It dealer, who lives at Cauliffe, where the legs of the dismembered body was found, states that about a quarter past seven o'clock on Tuesday night he Saw a mania an unfrequented cart road, close to Rishton-road, dragging a little girl by the hand, about seven or eight years of age. William Ainsworth, fishdealer and greenuocer at Cunliffe, says that about ten o'clock on Wedndsdity night, which was . . .  ;el; wet and was standing close to his stables when he saw a man come oat of a lonely road leading from Blackburn, with a white parcel under his arm. "It is a wet night." The man made no answer, hnt placed the parcel under his other arm. He states that he was of a dark complexion and had a little hair on his face, but none under his chin. Ile had a "mixture" coat and dark corduroy 'trousers, and be was not upon the proper road. The legs of the child were found next . . . , ,  - s day in a drain about 20eyards from the spot, and about 30 yards from the house of William Slater, a weaver, who lives by himself.